Why It's A Big Deal To Make Sure Your Towel Is Made Responsibly

Chances are, the products you shop with one-click convenience—a tee shirt, a pair of jeans, or even your bath towel—have been sourced and assembled all over the world to arrive at your doorstep. From the raw materials to the final packaging, globalization is real—and without any universal standards in place. So how do you know your towel was made without harmful chemicals? How can you be assured that the people who made it weren’t working in a sweatshop? Or that the environment hasn’t been impacted by the manufacturing site’s excess waste?

 

Thankfully, there’s OEKO-TEX®, which independently audits and certifies companies who have taken care to consider the planet and the people before making their products. And we at Havly are thrilled to have received OEKO-TEX®’s MADE IN GREEN certification, assuring our eco-conscious consumers that our towels are made without harmful chemicals and with the good of the planet in mind. Here, we’re sharing the choices we made to warrant such certification—it goes way beyond towels.

 

 

First, let’s start with the raw material: our towels are made from 100% organic Aegean cotton. What’s the difference between organic cotton versus conventional cotton? Since organic cotton requires less water than conventional cotton, Havly towels are made with a lower carbon footprint—and that’s a score for the planet. Our cotton is sourced from artisans in Turkey’s Aegean region, where the luxurious long threads aren’t mass produced. These textiles come from family-run farms in local villages, that have passed down their skills from generation to generation—when you buy Havly towels, you’re supporting these communities. Additionally, the high quality of our towels means fewer reasons to replace them, which means less money spent and less energy wasted on producing new ones. While they may cost more upfront, our towels are built to last far longer than the average bath towel.

 

The journey of attaining MADE IN GREEN certification starts when a company submits the questionnaire provided by OEKO-TEX®. An auditor will then visit the facilities used by the company to assess the quality of the product, the safety protocols of the manufacturing site, the protection of the employees and the production’s overall environmental impact. Having MADE IN GREEN certification means cleaner air, less noise pollution, happier birds and fish, and employees who are compensated fairly. Companies such as Havly have traceable MADE IN GREEN product labels that can be scanned using a QR code or unique product ID, so consumers can be assured that the production of our towels is compliant with OEKO-TEX® standards.

 

 

Not only are our towels sustainably made, but for each towel sold, we donate $1 to DonorsChoose.org. DonorsChoose is the organization of choice by our founders who support programs that benefit children with autism in low-income communities. DonorsChoose is an organization we can get behind, as it helps connect the public to public schools while transparently sharing where their fundraising is going. When you buy a Havly towel, you have the opportunity to match our donation or make an even larger contribution on our website.

 

A lot of love and effort go into how our towels are made—it’s not just about the end results. So, when you choose Havly, not only are you doing yourself a solid by buying better towels, but you are helping work towards a better tomorrow.

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