CSR
Carlo Lanza's view on Corporate Social Responsibility
When Carlo Lanza launched his sock brand, we naturally started with the basics: what type of socks would we offer, what colors would we use, and what would the brand's image be? Once that was determined, 100 different questions remained to be addressed. Along the way, we delved deeper into the impact we make as a company, because let's be honest: the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world.
Below you can read the choices we made.
Footprint
We are currently calculating the current footprint of Carlo Lanza, i.e., the footprint left by the production of Carlo Lanza socks on the planet. The goal is to gain a clear understanding of CO2 emissions, identify potential bottlenecks, and determine where there are gains to minimize this impact. We are conducting this calculation in collaboration with the industry association Modint.
What has happened already?
OEKO-TEX®
OEKO-TEX® is a kind of health certification for textiles. This certification assesses maximum levels of heavy metals, harmful dyes, and pesticides for use in the fashion industry. All Carlo Lanza men's socks are produced under this certification, thus minimizing the use of these substances.
Substances
We use Egyptian cotton and Merino wool to produce our socks. These two fabrics are among the world's best, but they are also known for the water consumption required to produce them into the final product. We do not currently use organic cotton or recycled wool/cotton.
Italian production
As you know, all socks are produced in Italy. This is partly due to a strong family connection with this country, but also to ensure production is within Europe—and therefore as close to home as possible. This also reduces the distances between the factory in Italy and the warehouse in the Netherlands.
Sock hangers
All the hooks used to hang socks in stores are made from recycled plastic. A fun fact: these sock hooks are also produced in Italy.
Sheltered employment
All Carlo Lanza socks are packaged by a sheltered employment agency in Friesland. At this daycare center, clients work on various assignments. For the past year and a half, they have also been carefully packaging all Carlo Lanza socks, and all shipments are shipped from there to customers. It's a great way to gain work experience as a possible stepping stone to a paid position.
The annual gift box project also involves a collaboration with a sheltered workshop. While it was held at the same location in 2020, a partnership has been confirmed with a second sheltered workshop for 2021.
Princess Máxima Center
In 2019, a fundraiser was held, donating €5 for 500 pairs of socks to the PMC. This was ultimately achieved within a few months, after which we were able to donate a check for €2,500 for further research into childhood cancer.
Collection of socks for the homeless
In 2019, a sock collection for the homeless was held in collaboration with the Salvation Army. This was certainly a welcome addition as winter approached. Carlo Lanza's customers donated old but still very usable socks, and Carlo shipped over some very warm ski socks from Italy. Ultimately, around 500 pairs were donated.
Conclusion
When we started over eight years ago, there was nothing. Development has been rapid and will continue to accelerate. In the coming years, footprint and corporate social responsibility will remain high on the agenda. Therefore, we definitely want to start making socks with organic and/or recycled fabrics within a few years. This will be carefully investigated and, together with the factory in Italy, we will explore an affordable and the cleanest solution.
But of course, there's more to life than just climate, and that's connecting with people, with real projects and concrete actions. The examples above are just as important to us as protecting our planet.