The GDS Supply Chain
HOW WE SOURCE MATERIALS
We think about our materials the same way that we think about food - as ingredients that come from the Earth and therefore have an impact on both people and planet.
The cotton we use to make our coffee filters is organically grown in Texas (read our blog post here for our thoughts on the problematic history of Texas-grown cotton and know that we are conscious of this issue) and milled in South Carolina. We work directly with the farms and mills to ensure that every step of the process is sustainable and ethical. No insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, bleaching or dyes are used, so the fiber is safe for the planet, workers throughout the supply chain, as well as brewing coffee and can even be composted in your garden once it’s reached the end of its life.
Our aprons are made from two different fabrics–the same organic cotton as Ebb Filters and upcycled cotton produced by The New Denim Project in Guatemala. They collect scraps from local denim producers which are then shredded, mixed with a small amount of new cotton fiber, and re-spun into upcycled yarns. No dyes or chemicals are used in the process, resulting in a beautifully textured and durable fabric that will naturally lighten in color over time.
OUR PRODUCTION PROCESS
There is no sustainability without fair labor. Building relationships with our production partners is a key part of our mission, and we hope that the transparency we give around this process will encourage you to ask more questions about how the things you buy are made, and who makes them.
All of our products are sewn in the U.S., either at small, family-owned Bay Area factories, or in-house at the GDS studio. The workers at our partner farms, mills, and sewing factories are all paid a living wage and work in safe conditions. We’re committed to having open and honest conversations with our production partners as we grow and continue to support international movements for workers rights.
CONVENTIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS
