Kingpins Amsterdam introduces new sustainability standards

Denim trade fair Kingpins is upping its ethics and sustainability efforts by introducing new requirements for its denim supply chain members after noticing that few had made serious progress toward establishing CSR standards.

The new standards programme, which will require all exhibiting denim mills to meet or exceed standards in the areas of corporate social responsibility (CSR), environment and chemical usage, will be kicked-off at the Kingpins Amsterdam show in April, before organisers hope it will be expanded to its New York, Hong Kong and China shows.

The first required standard will address CSR. Although Kingpins said it would not be creating a new CSR standard programme, it will now require its exhibitors to implement an existing one. The show’s organizers will also offer support and guidance to exhibiting mills about standards and expectations related to certifications across all designated categories.

For exhibitors wanting to learn more about CSR, Kingpins will additionally be hosting a seminar at the Amsterdam show called “Does your Denim Mill Have Any Social Standards?” which will be presented by Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and Social Accountability International (SAI), and will focus on how denim mills can hit sustainability standards by 2020.

“In social compliance we have found that virtually none of our denim mills have an SA 8000 certification or a WRAP certification - which is disappointing,” founder of Kingpins, Andrew Olah, said in a statement.

“We are unaware of any trade show where exhibitors are required to have any standards so Kingpins has decided to implement a new approach to make shows more than a window display.”

The next Kingpins show will take place at the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam between 10-11 April.

Photo credit: FashionUnited