Chemical Management

BETTER CHEMICALS

DESIGN
Rather than having our design decisions dictating which chemicals we use, we do it the other way around. The types of chemicals we allow dictate how we design our products. For Mini Rodini, chemical safety goes before all other decisions.

RESTRICTED SUBSTANCE LIST - RSL
We have restrictions on all chemicals related to our product assortment. It is based on the European legislation REACH but goes further and includes stricter requirements. Our RSL is updated twice a year, and signed after each update by all of our suppliers.

HEALTH AND SAFETY IN FACTORIES
Our factories are monitored by social audits, whereby auditors go into our factories to ensure the welfare of all workers. Chemical safety is evaluated in these visits, to ensure workers are trained in how to handle chemicals and to ensure their work does not pose any harm to their wellbeing.

RECIPES
When we introduce a new fabric or finish to our collections, we ask for the recipes of the chemical formulas and mixes. These recipes become part of a standardised safety data sheet, used to instruct employees in production on how to handle the chemicals safely and informing them on what influence the chemicals have on the environment and human health.

LABORATORY TESTING
Each season we arrange chemical tests by third party laboratories. When deciding which products and materials are to be tested, we perform a risk assessment. The risk assessment evaluates legally prohibited substances, currently observed high-risk substances in the industry, order volume, variety of styles, material composition, fabric function, supplier relation, production country context, etc.

In 2017, we performed random chemical tests on 42 % of our main production order volume
(in 2016 it was 26 %).

COMPETENCE TESTING LABORATORIES
The laboratories performing our random chemical tests must first pass our competence test. This competence test ensures us the laboratories are of high quality and follow the relevant international standards, as well as our own requirements on methods and equipment.

LOCAL LAWS
In our supplier agreements, we require them to not only follow our RSL and REACH but also their own local chemical laws (if applicable) that exist in their production country.

EDUCATION AND SURVEILLANCE
Mini Rodini is a member of the Chemical Group at Swerea, a network where approximately 90 brands in a similar industry to us learn about new relevant chemical laws, current risks in the industry and more sustainable substitutions of substances and processes. The Chemical Group offers support and guidance and gives us great connections to other businesses that may be experiencing the same challenges as us in regards to chemical safety.

FLUOROCARBONS AND BIONIC- FINISH ECO®
Since 2014, we have required all our water-resistant outerwear to have the eco-friendlier impregnation BIONIC-FINISH ECO®, free from fluorocarbons, formaldehyde and paraffin. These are persistent chemicals that do not disappear from the face of the earth after having been created, and they cause harm to both people and planet.