- Home
- Compliance
Compliance & sustainability
Compliance and sustainability.
Every order passes a compliance check before it is placed. What we verify, the evidence we hold, and what happens when a standard is not met.
The gate
Four checks before factory allocation.
Re-verified annually and checked again at each allocation. A lapsed certificate suspends the unit until it is resolved.
Valid social audit
A current amfori BSCI, SMETA, WRAP or equivalent report, not expired, and with all critical findings closed.
Structural & fire safety
RSC-aligned building, fire and electrical inspection with documented remediation progress.
Environmental controls
Functioning ETP where wet processing exists, chemical inventory, and valid environmental clearance.
Legal & licensing
Trade licence, fire licence, factory licence, bond licence and BGMEA/BKMEA membership in force.
Context
Responsible sourcing across the network.
The Bangladesh ready-made garment sector employs approximately four million people, the majority of them women. Standards have improved substantially since 2013, and maintaining that progress depends on buyers and buying houses declining to place orders with non-compliant factories.
Pillar two
Structural, fire & electrical safety
Following the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, Bangladesh established one of the most intensively inspected factory safety programmes in the garment industry. We place orders only with units covered by that programme.
- RSC inspection. Structural, fire and electrical inspections under the RMG Sustainability Council, which took over the Accord’s work in Bangladesh.
- Corrective action plans. We review the CAP status, not just the certificate; an open critical finding blocks allocation.
- Fire detection and suppression. Alarms, sprinklers or hydrant systems, fire doors, and unobstructed marked exits on every floor.
- Drills and training. Documented evacuation drills, trained fire wardens and first aiders on each shift.
- No unauthorised subcontracting. Your order is made where we say it is made. Undeclared subcontracting ends the relationship immediately.
Pillar three
Environment & chemical management
Textile dyeing and washing are water and chemical intensive processes. The following controls are required across the units we work with.
Effluent treatment
A functioning ETP is mandatory for any wet-processing unit, with discharge parameters monitored and records available for inspection.
Chemical management
Chemical inventories maintained against the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List, with safety data sheets and controlled storage.
Water reduction
Laser and ozone denim finishing, low-liquor-ratio dyeing and condensate recovery to cut consumption per garment.
Energy & emissions
Rooftop solar, LED conversion, heat recovery on boilers and efficient compressed-air systems across partner units.
Preferred materials
Organic cotton (GOTS), recycled polyester and recycled cotton (GRS/RCS), BCI cotton and responsibly sourced wool on request.
Waste & packaging
Cutting-waste segregation and recycling routes, reduced and recycled-content polybags, and FSC-certified cartons where specified.
Evidence
Audit programmes and certifications.
Coverage varies by unit. We confirm which certificates your allocated factory holds and send the documents before you commit.
| Scheme | Covers | Typically requested by |
|---|---|---|
| amfori BSCI | Social compliance: labour rights, wages, hours, health and safety | European retailers and brands |
| Sedex / SMETA | Ethical trade audit: labour, health and safety, environment, business ethics | UK and global retailers |
| WRAP | Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production: lawful, humane, ethical manufacturing | US brands and importers |
| SA8000 | Social accountability management system certification | Brands with formal ESG programmes |
| RSC (formerly Accord) | Structural, fire and electrical building safety in Bangladesh | All buyers, treated as mandatory |
| OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 | Textiles tested for harmful substances | Kidswear, next-to-skin and EU buyers |
| GOTS | Organic fibre content with environmental and social criteria | Organic and sustainability-led ranges |
| GRS / RCS | Recycled content verification and chain of custody | Brands with recycled-content targets |
| ISO 9001 | Quality management systems | Uniform and workwear contracts |
| ZDHC alignment | Chemical management and wastewater standards | Denim and wet-processing programmes |
Current copies of all certificates are held for every allocated unit and can be provided by your merchandiser on request.
Supplier code of conduct
Our supplier code of conduct.
Every factory signs our supplier code of conduct before joining the network. It is binding and includes a right of unannounced access.
TSJ Sourcing Ltd, our buyers and any nominated third-party auditor may enter the factory at any time during operating hours, announced or unannounced, and may speak to workers privately without management present.
All production, including any sub-process such as printing, embroidery, washing or embellishment, must be declared in writing and carried out at approved sites. Undeclared subcontracting is grounds for immediate termination and full financial liability for the order.
Findings are graded critical, major or minor. A critical finding (child labour, forced labour, imminent danger to safety, or denial of access) suspends production immediately. Major and minor findings carry defined corrective windows, both with documented verification and follow-up.
A confidential grievance mechanism must be available to every worker, with the anti-harassment and participation committees legally required in Bangladesh actually meeting and minuting their meetings.
Valid environmental clearance, a functioning ETP where applicable, compliant chemical storage and handling, and honest reporting of consumption data when requested by a buyer.
Where a finding is remediable and the factory is willing to act, we remain engaged and support the corrective process, as immediate withdrawal generally harms workers more than it protects them. Where a factory conceals findings, repeats them or refuses to act, we withdraw and inform the buyer of the reason.
Pillar one
Social compliance
Workers producing your goods must be of legal working age, paid correctly, able to raise concerns without retaliation, and free to leave their employment. These are conditions of doing business with us, not objectives.