Manteco requires suppliers of animal fibers to sign and adopt a special animal welfare standard, which is based on industry best practices in accordance with the IWTO Guidelines “Specifications for Wool Sheep Welfare” that recommend:Freedom from hunger, malnutrition and thirst by ready access to fresh water and diet to mantein full health and vigour; Freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and comfortable resting area; Freedom form pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment; Freedom to express normal behaviour by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of animal’s own kind; Freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering. Animal husbandry should be conducted to preserve and maximize ecological sustainability.

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of sheep and the stewardship of the land they graze on. It focuses on progressive land and livestock management, ensuring wool is produced responsibly, with respect for environmental integrity, and in line with the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare: Freedom from hunger and thirst; Freedom from discomfort; Freedom from pain and disease; Freedom to express normal behaviour; and Freedom from fear and distress. Our RWS certified wool has been indipendently verified to be produced responsibly.

The Responsible Mohair Standard is a voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of goats and the land they graze on. It focuses on providing the industry with a tool to recognize the best practices of farmers, ensuring that mohair comes from farms that have a progressive approach to managing their land, practicing holistic respect for animal welfare of the goats and respecting the Five Freedoms of animal welfare, ensuring strong chain of custody for certified materials as they move through the supply chain.

The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) is a voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of alpaca and the land they graze on. The goals of the RAS are to provide the industry with a tool to recognize the best practices of farmers; ensuring that alpaca fiber comes from farms that have a progressive approach to managing their land, practice holistic respect for animal welfare of the alpaca and respect the Five Freedoms of animal welfare.

The primary goal of Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is to increase the use of recycled materials in products and reduce the harmful social, environmental, and chemical impacts of production. GRS certifies each stage of production to verify recycled content in materials and products. We are proud to source certified recycled fibres that address material and resource waste.

The Organic Content Standard (OCS) focuses on the presence of organic materials, aiming to reduce and substitute chemical substances found in supply chains. Materials or product that hold OCS certification have been verified to contain between 5-100% organic material. The organic materials in our collections help reduce chemical use and pollution, preserving environmental quality and upholding producer’s health.

European Flax® guarantees the traceability for premium linen fibre grown in Western Europe (France, Belgium, The Netherlands). A vegetal fibre, cultivated without irrigation* and GMO free. European Flax® aims to meet consumer’s expectations enhancing the sustainable qualities of this natural, local and traceable, socially responsible, innovative and performant fibre. It is owned and registered by the European Confederation of Flax and Hemp (CELC).(* 99,9% guaranteed by CELC)

4sustainability® is the Process Factory mark highlighting the adherence of textile and fashion & luxury companies to the sustainability roadmap. The implementation of each roadmap initiative is verified and measured annually based on a structured protocol of activities. Manteco has joined the 4sustainability® Commitment and applies the Chemical Management Protocol for eliminating toxic and harmful substances in production through the ZDHC MRSL.

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) is a voluntary standard that focuses on three sustainability-focused pillars of sustainability in the cotton industry: environmental, social, and economic. It is a global not-forprofit organisation and the largest sustainability-focused cotton programme in the world. Members span the entire cotton supply chain and include farmers, mills, manufacturers, and brands. BCI’s goal is to facilitate better practices and produce cotton more sustainably through education, decent work, and environmental consideration.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity that develops and promotes the circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. We work with our network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions. Increasingly based on renewable energy, a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and society.

Monitor for Circular Fashion is a multi-stakeholder project involving leading companies in the fashion industry and players in its supply chain. SDA Bocconi’s Sustainability Lab is the project’s scientific partner, while Enel X provides its cross-industry vision to identify circularity KPIs. Monitor for Circular Fashion rallies virtuous businesses and disseminates the best practices of circular fashion, promoting technical, managerial and scientific skills with a view to contributing to the transition towards circular business models.

ZQ is a programme focused on responsibility and traceability in wool supply chains. ZQ certified wool has been produced in alignment with ZQ’s five values: animal welfare, environmental sustainability, traceable to source, social responsibility, and quality fibre. ZQ certified wool has been independently verified to be sourced from suppliers that uphold the five Freedoms on Animal Welfare: Freedom from hunger and thirst; Freedom from discomfort; Freedom from pain and disease; Freedom to express normal behaviour; and freedom from fear and distress. ZQ also ensures that the sheep producing the wool are not subjected to mulesing. We are proud to source ZQ certified wool and be sure it has been responsibly produced through a traceable supply chain.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibres have been produced in a supply chain that aligns with the high environmental standards of the EU Ecolabel. The environmental impact of every aspect of production is considered,
from certified renewable wood sourcing to closed-loop water and chemical management, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers are produced without wasting water or releasing chemical pollution into the environment.

TENCEL™ is a brand of viscose developed by Lenzing. TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers originate from the renewable raw material wood (eucalyptus and beech tree), which is derived from responsibly managed forests. The certified bio-based fibers are manufactured using an environmentally responsible production process: the solventspinning process recycles process water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%. The fibers are also certified as compostable and biodegradable, and thus can fully revert back to nature.

Livaeco by Birla Cellulose™ is a sustainably produced fiber brand. It is sourced from FSC certified forests and it can be traced to its origin.