Environment.
Corporate social responsibility also includes looking at how our articles are made and which materials are used.
Part of the production process takes place in wet processing units. These are factories where articles or materials can be washed, dyed or printed.
These processes can take place at the factory where our articles are made. They can also take place at other factories in the supply chain. In those cases, we do not have a direct relationship with the factory.
We want to better understand these production processes and the conditions in our supply chain. This helps us identify where we can improve and where we need to work more closely with our suppliers.
Certified materials.
We pay attention to how an article is made and which materials are used. We are increasingly opting for organic and recycled materials that comply with laws and regulations. And because we believe this is important. Articles made from these materials are given a specific label. You can find these labels on the relevant articles.
You can recognize our products containing certified materials by the specific labels below.
GOTS Organic
If an article consists of more than 95% organic cotton, it may qualify for the GOTS Organic label. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide standard for organic textile products. It covers not only the material but also requirements for safe and fair working conditions and the use of chemicals. No synthetic pesticides are used when producing the cotton. GOTS also sets requirements for labour and social conditions.
GOTS Made with Organic
If an article in our collection contains between 70% and 94% organic cotton, it may qualify for the GOTS Made with Organic label. This means that part of the article is made from certified organic cotton. The remaining materials are non-organic.
OCS 100
If an article consists of at least 95% organic cotton, it may qualify for the OCS 100 label. This label indicates how much organic cotton the article contains. Unlike GOTS, OCS does not set additional requirements for areas such as working conditions. It only confirms that the article contains organic material.
OCS Blended
If an article in our collection consists of between 20% and 94% organic cotton, it may qualify for the OCS Blended label. This international label indicates how much organic cotton the article contains. The organic cotton is often blended with other materials. Unlike GOTS, OCS Blended does not set additional requirements for areas such as good and safe working conditions. It only confirms that the article contains a blend that includes organic material.
GRS
GRS stands for Global Recycled Standard. It is an international certification for articles containing at least 50% recycled material. The entire production chain is verified, from raw material to finished product. Requirements are also set for the use of chemicals and working conditions in the factory. If an article in our collection consists of more than 50% recycled material, it may qualify for the GRS label. Unlike RCS, GRS sets additional requirements, including good and safe working conditions. RCS 100 does not: it only confirms that the article contains recycled material.
RCS 100
RCS is also a certification for recycled material. If an article in our collection consists of at least 95% recycled material, it may qualify for the RCS 100 label. This label indicates how much recycled material the article contains. Unlike RCS 100, GRS sets additional requirements, including good and safe working conditions. RCS 100 only confirms that the article contains recycled material.
RCS Blended
If an article consists of between 20% and 94% recycled material, it may qualify for the RCS Blended label. This label indicates how much recycled material the article contains. It is often blended with other materials. GRS also sets additional requirements, for example regarding working conditions. RCS Blended does not: it only confirms that the article contains recycled material.
RWS
RWS stands for Responsible Wool Standard. It is an international certification for articles containing at least 20% RWS-sourced wool. Clothing with an RWS logo is made from wool sourced from sheep where animal welfare is a top priority. RWS sets requirements for how the sheep are cared for and how the land they live on is managed.
Better Cotton.
In order to make the collection more sustainable and to improve the cotton cultivation process worldwide, we have been working with Better Cotton since 2015. Better Cotton is an organization that works worldwide for better conditions in the cotton sector. The focus is on social conditions and environmental impact. Better Cotton is sourced via a system of mass balance and is not physically traceable to end products. (Read more: bettercotton.org/massbalance).
By sourcing cotton through Better Cotton, we contribute to projects that help cotton farmers improve their knowledge and farming practices. The estimated net income of participating cotton farmers increased by 14.7% per hectare of cotton over the past three growing seasons. In addition, our Better Cotton sourcing in 2025 contributed to an estimated saving of 135 million litres of water during the most recent growing season.*
*These figures are calculated annually using the Better Cotton Impact Claims Calculator.
Better Cotton cannot be directly traced to the final product because it is mixed with conventional cotton. This is known as the mass balance system. It simplifies the process and keeps costs low. Read more here about how Better Cotton works.
Environmental Assessment.
In order to reduce our environmental impact deeper in the chain, it is important first to gain more insight into the current situation with our suppliers. Then we can take steps together to implement improvements. In 2026 we started implementing new tools for monitoring the environmental impact of our own operations and value chain, and for engaging with suppliers to improve the environmental performance of factories.
Amongst others, we request information from wet processing facilities such as annual health & safety training, declaration form confirming compliance with the MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) and RSL (Restricted Substances List), test reports to assess the quality of the treated water, and certificates that demonstrate that waste has been processed in a responsible manner.
Climate transition plan.
In Europe, the Green Deal has been adopted to combat climate change. The aim is that by 2030 we have reduced CO2 emissions by 55% compared to 1990 and Europe must be climate neutral by 2050. At Zeeman, we want to reduce our footprint.
In 2024, we received the baseline assessment of Zeeman’s environmental impact over the year 2022. We now understand how we can effectively reduce our environmental impact in both the short and long term. Based on this baseline assessment, we are developing a Climate Transition Plan including environmental ambitions for 2030 and 2050. We have translated these ambitions into concrete climate change reduction targets aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The climate transition plan also explains how we aim to achieve our 2030 reduction targets. To determine this, we carefully assessed the expected CO2 reduction, the required financial investment or costs, and the feasibility of initiatives within our operations and supply chain.
Re-use.
Collection bins.
We offer our customers the opportunity to return used textiles to us. They can place these in our collection bins to give them a second life. In 2025, we collected a total of 61,403 kilograms of textiles, compared with 51,947 kilograms in 2024.
Het Goed.
In 2025, we continued our partnership with Het Goed. This company has its own sorting centres specialising in collected textiles. These centres employ many people who, through Het Goed, have the opportunity to gain work experience in an accessible way. This gives our partnership a strong social dimension.
The process works as follows: the textiles collected at Zeeman are sent to Het Goed, where they are sorted by quality. Only textiles that meet retail quality standards are sent to our stores.
Focus on expansion.
In 2025, we focused on expanding our re-use clothing range, including in Germany and France. By the end of 2025, our re-use collection was available in 59 stores: 23 in the Netherlands, 17 in Belgium, 17 in France and 2 in Germany. This means that 42 stores were added. In 2025, we sold 104,722 second-hand garments, representing an 80% increase compared with 2024.
Working responsibly with chemicals.
We are aware that many chemicals are used during the production of our clothing. Think of chemical pesticides to grow conventional cotton or the many chemicals that are used to dye clothing. We want all substances used to make our products to be safe for people and the environment. That is why we have had a Restricted Substances List (RSL) since 2011. This list contains the limits for chemicals in finished products. We will constantly update this list based on new developments. In addition, last year we offered our wet processing units an e-learning course from Nimkartek to follow. This one was about working responsibly with chemicals. 87% of suppliers with one or more active wet processing units have completed the training by the end of 2022. Topics covered included personal protective equipment (PPE), the safe storage of chemicals and the mandatory information to be recorded in documentation (such as in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)). We believe that together with our suppliers we are learning how to reduce our environmental impact. This e-learning gives us important knowledge and tools.
Better Mill Project.
Another way in which we monitor facilities deeper in our supply chain is through the Better Mill project, in which Zeeman participated in Bangladesh in 2022 - 2026. Better Mill is a collaboration between Solidaridad, textile companies, and suppliers where textile finishing processes take place, such as dyeing, washing, and printing. In 2026, Solidaridad and Zeeman started a follow-up project similar to Better Mill with new facilities.
The focus is on identifying and addressing opportunities for each individual supplier to reduce its environmental impact. This can include reducing energy or water consumption, or improving the safe handling of chemicals. To support suppliers, the project provides training on chemical and wastewater management, as well as on energy, water, and CO₂ management. In addition, suppliers gain access through Solidaridad to technical experts who advise them on implementing improvements. Participating suppliers are currently implementing action plans developed through the project. Further expansion is part of a multi-year strategy.
Animal welfare.
Zeeman avoids using animal-derived materials for its products as much as possible. In the limited assortment of products wherein we use animal-derived materials (ex. Blend of wool in our yarn), we follow the five freedoms as stated by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee. These freedoms are also described in our Animal Welfare Policy. This policy is part of the two-way code of conduct that we sign with all of our suppliers. In this way, we make sure we all understand the expectations we hold for the welfare of animals.
Read our Animal Welfare Policy here.