Kowtow

Organic clothing essentials made with certified Fair Trade cotton

Kowtow
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Kowtow's Sustainability Rating:

    Materials

    4 / 5

    Slow Consumption

    5 / 5

    Accountability

    3 / 5

Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (avoid) to 5 (best).
How we rate →

Good

Where Kowtow is doing well: Kowtow uses a majority sustainable fibers in its garments. Kowtow helps keep garments out of landfill by offering repair and takeback services. Kowtow uses plastic-free packaging.

Where Kowtow can improve: Kowtow could share more details on its emission tracking and targets.

Detailed Summary

Materials

4 / 5

How is this brand using sustainable materials, sourcing, and shipping to reduce its impact?

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  • Raw Materials

    Kowtow uses majority low impact fibers in its garments, including organic cotton, GOTS-certified fibers, and OEKO-TEX certified fibers. As of January 2024, it does not use high impact synthetic fibers.

  • Energy Use & Production

    Commons could not find information on this brand's energy use.

  • Packaging & Distribution

    Kowtow uses 100% plastic-free packaging, including FSC-certified materials and recycled cardboard. It has undergone specific efforts to minimize its packaging. However, the brand does incentivize rush shippng by offering free express shipping with purchases over a certain amount.

Slow Consumption

5 / 5

Does this brand lower demand for new items by encouraging conscious consumption and facilitating the long-term use of its products?

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  • Repair & Care

    Kowtow has a repair program. It also gives detailed and environmentally conscious care instructions for its garments.

  • Take Back Programs

    Kowtow has a take back program that accepts its own brand's clothing for recycling purposes.

  • Slow Fashion

    Kowtow is not a fast fashion brand. Commons could not find further details on its production strategy. For a small brand, we assume they have some limits on overproduction due to their scale of operations.

  • Marketing

    Commons is currently evaluating Kowtow's marketing emails.

Accountability

3 / 5

Is this brand transparent about its sustainability goals and how it’s working toward them?

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  • Transparency & Reporting

    Kowtow has a prominent dedicated sustainabilty webpage that has details on materials, supply chain partners, circularity, and labor practices. It also has a sustainability report last published in 2022. However, the report focuses on general sustainability information and does not contain information on the company's emissions or energy strategy.

  • Emissions Tracking

    Commons could not find information for emissions tracking.

  • Emissions Targets

    Kowtow has a short-term goal to become climate positive by 2024 by purchasing carbon credits to offset more than 100% of its unavoidable emissions. It is not clear if Kowtow has achieved this goal.

  • Supply Chain & Labor

    Kowtow publishes the names and locations of its supply chain partners. It has a supplier code of conduct, though it is not shared publicly. Its suppliers are audited by third parties and have received key labor certifications, such as Fairtrade.

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