Supreme Creations is the world’s largest ethical manufacturer of reusable bags, packaging and promotional textiles. As a vertically integrated firm owning most of the supply chain, Supreme Creations imbibes beyond-Fairtrade practices across every component of the chain, represented by our “seed-stitch-shop-sustainable communities” model for which we were awarded the BITC Responsible Supply Chain National Award for Excellence in 2009.
An example of Supreme Creation's bags being used at a Topshop promotional event.
Founded over fifteen years ago by Dr R Sri Ram, Supreme pioneered the eco bag movement for UK retailers such as Tesco, Topshop and The Co-operative, and have helped contribute to a reduction in single-use plastic bag usage by ~ 30%. Supreme Creations’ customers are in the UK, USA, and Europe, and stretch beyond retail clients, to promotional customers as well: local councils, universities and schools keen to promote their ethical and green agendas.
As part of our work, Supreme Creations actively pursues an awareness agenda, working with a diverse range of partners to develop discussion surrounding the plastic bag and sustainable packaging issue. Whilst great success has been made with our customer base in the grocery industry, Supreme has spent the last year highlighting the issue across all sectors, proactively partnering with retailers and luxury packaging companies to encourage consumers to reuse longer lasting eco bags, and environmentally friendly packaging. New inventions include eco make up bags, the Reusenvelope©, a cotton envelope which can be re-used for internal mail and/or document holder; and the Natural bin, which is made from jute and used for paper and cardboard waste.
The ‘seed-stitch-shop-sustainable communities’ model is applied to every process in our supply chain. The educational work we do with ‘SHOPS’ enables the development of ‘SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES’ through the profits and awareness developed as a result of these projects. As awareness translates into increased demand for our ethical products, this raises opportunities for farmers and employees based in India, the ‘SEED AND STITCH’ element of the model.
Through our partnership with Fairtrade farming communities we are able to co-ordinate and assess fair wages for thousands of cotton farmers in The Punjab and Gujarat in India. Supreme has also worked to develop an effective process of assessment to ensure that our Jute farmers and spinners, not linked with the Fairtrade scheme, also achieve a fair wage.
All products are made in our 200,000 sq ft carbon neutral factories in Pondicherry, South India, where 9 out of 10 employees from our workforce are women from very underprivileged backgrounds. At our factory in Pondicherry, our workers earn 33% higher wages than the area average and receive a ‘skill for life’ in the form of stitching or printing. Supreme aims to generate employee potential via a range of programmes including training, as well as educating through value based programmes, music, sport and about the environmental impacts that result from the product that our employees help to manufacture. Employees are offered a free shuttle coach service for their journey to and from work, access to an onsite health clinic and a crèche facility. To support the development of the wider local community, through our partnership with the Wings of Hope Children’s Charity , Supreme has helped to build a school within the area.
For more information about Supreme Creations please visit our website, or contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or +44 (0) 20 8459 3260.
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