Awards 2009 - supply chain logo

Supreme Creations – Fair trade plus

Responsible Supply Chain Award

Example of Excellence winner 2009 

Supreme Creations is the leading ethical manufacturer of environmentally friendly bags which are used by retailers including The Co-operative, Tesco and Boots as ethical plastic bag alternatives.

Processes

Responsible and ethical business practice is at the heart of all of Supreme’s operations and through its supply chain it has created a new industry for jute yarn suppliers, ensured the payment of a fair wage to Fairtrade cotton farmers and good operating conditions as approved by the Fairtrade Foundation. It has also: invested heavily in its factories with state of the art facilities, employs deprived women as its main workforce, and runs The Wings of Hope Children’s Charity giving free education to poor and orphaned children in India and Malawi. 

In addition, Supreme Creations works with UK consumer groups, retailers, policy makers and overseas supplier groups to develop new sustainable packaging methods and agendas.

Impact

  • £360,000 extra income generated for Fairtrade Cotton farmers
  • New sustainable industry for jute farmers and yarn suppliers, at 2 million kg of jute fabric p.a.
  • Factory workers are paid 33% more than average
  • Reduced Tesco’s plastic bag usage by half and contributed to an overall reduction in plastic bag usage from 13.4bn to 9.9bn p.a
  • 350% increase in turnover and a 900% increase in its workforce
  • The Wings of Hope Achievement Award has involved over 4,000 UK students, and works to promote social enterprise in conjunction with Tata Consultancy

See also

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