Ethics · Sourcing
Ethical garment manufacturing: the questions to ask any factory
Sustainability and ethics are now buyer requirements, not nice-to-haves. Here are the questions that separate genuinely responsible factories from greenwashing.
Founder, Trishakti Apparel 2 min read
Your customers increasingly ask where and how their clothes are made — so you need to ask your factory. Here are the questions that cut through vague “we’re sustainable” claims to what’s actually true.
On labour and conditions
- Do you pay at or above the legal minimum wage, on time?
- What are working hours and overtime policies?
- Do you have a strict no-child-labour policy?
- Can I visit, or see a live video of the floor?
On compliance and audits
- What certifications or audits do you hold (BSCI, Sedex/SMETA, WRAP, SA8000)?
- If none yet — what’s your roadmap and timeline? (Honesty here is a good sign.)
- Are you a registered exporter with proper documentation?
On environment
- What energy powers the factory? (Nepal’s grid is largely hydro-electric — a genuine plus.)
- How do you handle fabric waste and offcuts?
The tell: honesty over badges
A factory that says “we’re fully certified in everything” without proof is a red flag. One that tells you plainly what it holds today and what’s in progress is usually more trustworthy. We take the honest route — here’s our real compliance posture, and you’re welcome to audit us.
About the author
Santosh Rijal runs Trishakti Apparel, the export knitwear factory his family built on three decades in Nepal’s fashion trade. He writes about sourcing, duty and production from the factory floor in Gaindakot.