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From 50 pairs
From €3.49 per pair
Delivery time approx. 4 weeks
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Sustainability

A question we need to ask ourselves regularly. We work hard to make the finest socks for our customers, with a conscious eye for our people and the planet. Together with our customers, we have focused in recent years on sustainable production from start to finish.

Customers rate us with a 9.5 200+ 200+ reviews

How sustainable are we really?

A question we need to ask ourselves regularly. We work hard to make the finest socks for our customers, with a conscious eye for our people and the planet. Together with our customers, we have focused in recent years on sustainable production from start to finish. We’d like to tell you more about how Sokkies does sustainable business.

For this, we have highlighted points:

  1. Our materials have been checked (OEKO-TEX 100 certificate)
  2. Environmentally and socially responsible production (GOTS certification)
  3. Additional verification of sustainable working conditions (BSCI certification)
  4. Reducing plastic
  5. Sustainable transportation options
  6. The most sustainable socks for your business (bamboo socks)

1. Our materials are controlled (OEKO-TEX 100 certificate)

The materials we use for our socks are certified under the international standard of OEKO-TEX Standard 100. What exactly does this mean? Very simple: all our materials used do not contain any harmful substances that could be bad for your health. From our cotton to the elastane; we guarantee that they do not contain any chemicals, pesticides or heavy metal residues. Criteria are also included for the colourfastness and washability of our socks.

Certificate issued by OEKO-TEX® Association in Zurich, Switzerland.

2. Environmentally and socially responsible production (GOTS certificate)

Using healthy materials is of course step one, but we like to go a step further. So we have had our production checked for the environmental friendliness of the materials used. How organic are they? And what about the staff who manufacture the products?

A GOTS certificate (Global Organic Textile Standard) guarantees that production takes place in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. It looks at three aspects: environmental, socially responsible production and quality.

Environmental aspect

GOTS certification means that our organic materials (including cotton, bamboo) are grown organically.

Within the GOTS certification, two labels are issued regarding the environment:

GOTS label: the products consist of more than 95% organic textile fibres.
GOTS (x%) label : the products consist of 70% to 95% organic textile fibres.
Sokkies can proudly announce that 90% of our production is GOTS certified. The remaining 10% is GOTS (x%) labelled.

Socially responsible production

The GOTS certificate is (partly) a social label. Checks on working conditions take place in our production warehouse. This includes a ban on forced labour, trade union freedom and the right to collective bargaining, safe and hygienic working conditions, prohibition of child labour, discrimination, physical abuse or other forms of intimidation. Wages and number of working hours at least meet national legal requirements.

Quality

Also included in the GOTS certificate are criteria for shrink resistance to washing and drying and for colour fastness to perspiration, washing, wet and dry rubbing and exposure to light. These criteria are based on ISO (International Standards Organisation) standards.

Certificate issued by Control Union Certifications B.V., Zwolle, the Netherlands.

3. Additional check on sustainable working conditions (BSCI certificate)

In order to do a comprehensive check for our regular supplier, we have had it extensively checked for working conditions. One step further than the GOTS certificate, in other words.

The BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) system is an initiative of companies committed to better working conditions. What does this mean in the case of the production of our socks?

Meticulous research was done at our supplier. This included looking at working hours, wage levels, exclusion of child labour, health and safety measures and the overall working atmosphere within the company.

This audit looks very critically at all the aspects previously mentioned. These are reflected in a score between A and E. In 9 out of 13 points, our production scores an A (the highest score). In two points a B and in two points a D. An almost perfect score, with an eye for improvement based on the feedback given.

Certification and audit done by Amfori on site, China.

4. Reducing plastic

So our socks are made of organic material that does not carry any harmful substances. Even the labels are (mostly) made of recyclable cardboard. To bundle these socks, we previously used two plastic packages. The socks were packaged individually in a plastic ‘pouch’ and then in a large bag for 10 pairs.

The large bag for 10 pairs ensures that the socks are protected from dirt during transport and makes them handy for our customers.

The small packaging looks nice, but after feedback from a number of customers, we asked ourselves, ‘What added value does this small packaging have?’. The added value is minimal and does not outweigh the amount of plastic thrown in the bin per shipment. Of course it is recyclable, but leaving it out is even more environmentally friendly. No weight with transport, no extra handling with unpacking and the socks are protected by the big bag anyway.

From 2023 onwards, we have therefore decided to abandon small packaging. A big pile of unnecessary plastic is thus saved. We also have the option of biodegradable bio-plastic for the big bag.

5. Sustainable transport options

Our beautiful socks, like almost all textiles, are largely made at in Asia. The global textile industry is mainly located in China, Turkey, Bangladesh and India. As soon as our beautiful socks are finished, they go on transport to the Netherlands. This can be done in various ways; plane, boat, truck or train.

We offer our customers the option to choose more environmentally friendly options that have lower emissions. These are often boat or train. To encourage our customers to take advantage of this, we always offer a discount when an environmentally-friendly option is chosen.

6. The most sustainable socks for your business (bamboo socks)

In recent years, bamboo socks have been one of the most sustainable trends within the sock industry. An environmentally responsible option that can compete qualitatively with the cotton market standard. Bamboo socks are incredibly soft and offer comfort benefits in addition to sustainable benefits.

They are made from bamboo yarn, made from the bamboo plant. This plant grows naturally in China, where our production is (mostly) located. The official name for this bamboo yarn is bamboo viscose, but it is popularly called bamboo. These socks can also be made with fun print, logo or icons.

We list some of the (sustainability) benefits of bamboo socks:

The bamboo plant grows incredibly fast and undergoes a simple production process (low water and power consumption).
The bamboo plant absorbs 35% more CO2 than other plants
Antibacterial; bamboo socks absorb moisture, so no unpleasant sweat odours
Longer lifespan than cotton socks
Temperature regulating: warm in winter, cool in summer

The production of bamboo socks is relatively new within the industry, it is still in its infancy. In recent years, together with our supplier, we have invested in this production, trying to get the production cost per pair of bamboo socks towards that of cotton socks.

To encourage our customers to choose bamboo socks, they are offered at the same price as cotton socks.

We supply socks to
2500+ organizations worldwide

Conclusion

We have tried to answer our own question ‘How sustainable is Sokkies?’.

With audits and certifications (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS and BSCI), we try to ensure that our products are produced in a proper way. Both in terms of the environment, people and society.
By reducing the amount of plastic and offering more environmentally friendly transport, we hope to do our bit to reduce emissions on our planet.
Finally, we have made investments within our product range to offer even greener products.

Do you have any more specific questions or would you like more information about Sokkies’ certifications, audits or overall approach? Feel free to contact us.

Contact us!

Customers rate us with a 9.5 200+ 200+ reviews

Sanquin

Claudia van der Pijl

“The socks with pelicans turned out very nice. Thank you for the fun collaboration!”

5 van 5

Albert Heijn

Evi Grijpink

“Looks nice! Beautiful socks turned out.”

5 van 5

Easyflex

Naomi Yard

“Received the Sokkies this week and got to make our employees happy with them.
We are very happy with them! Thanks again for the service and who knows until next time!”

5 van 5

Kaleido

Hein Oude Hesselink

“Looks good!”

5 van 5

Mollie Payments

Joe Burton

“Alles is perfect, ik waardeer alle hulp. Bedankt!”

5 van 5

Visma Onguard

Denise Rossen

“We are fans of the socks!”

5 van 5

ForFarmers

Lobke Elzinga

“A compliment for the socks. They are very well received by our customers! Everyone is made happy by the design!”

5 van 5

Restocks

Nick Ketting

“Totally satisfactory, quality sports socks!”

5 van 5

DHL Parcel

Pieter Kuijper

“The socks turned out beautifully. Internally there are plenty of pictures going around from employees who think they are fantastic. So worth repeating!”

5 van 5

Total Pack

Ton Dielissen

“Clear communication resulting in two beautiful pairs. Pleasant collaboration!”

5 van 5

Trend Zien & Horen

Pepijn van Houtum

“Fine communication and socks are top quality!”

5 van 5

Balchem Corporation

Jaap van den Berg

“Geweldig ontwerp, goede service, uitstekende kwaliteit, blikvanger. Aanrader!”

5 van 5

Bincx

Lola van den Bos

“Good communication, good thought is given to design. In short service and quality!”

5 van 5

Baanbreed

Maartje van Bussel

“Sokkies is fast, creative and personal! Great service and thoughtfulness are key and they deliver beautiful products. Absolutely recommended!”

5 van 5

De Halm

Ruth Mollema

“Good and fast communication! Flexible and thoughtful – good service!”

5 van 5

Swapfiets

Irene Miedema

“We had a really nice design in mind for the socks. These have become a reality thanks to Sokkies. We are going to make an awful lot of people happy with these in the near future!”

5 van 5

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