What we can do.
And what we won't pretend.
We are not a sustainable factory. We are a factory that offers sustainable options. There is a difference, and pretending otherwise insults the buyers who actually care. Below is exactly what we can do, what certifications cover our materials, and where we still have work to do.
No greenwashing.
Just options.
European buyers can spot greenwashing. We don't try.
Activewear manufacturing in China has a real environmental footprint — synthetic fibres, energy-intensive dyeing, water use, transport. Pretending we've solved all of it would be dishonest. What we have done is build a set of sustainable options our clients can choose, and made the certifications that back them publicly available.
If your brand has a sustainability story, we can match it with verifiable inputs. If your brand doesn't, that's fine too — we make conventional product as well, and we won't lecture you about it.
Three rules we follow
- Every claim is documented. If we say a fabric is recycled, we send you the GRS certificate.
- We tell you what we can't do. No "fully sustainable factory" claims, no vague "eco-friendly" labels.
- Ownership is documented, not implied. YOUMEGA holds OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification. The GRS scope certificate is held at the applicable mill/dye-house source. We don't rebrand source-held certificates as our own. Certification documentation is available on request during supplier qualification.
Fabrics with
verified inputs.
These are the recycled and certified fabric options we currently offer. Each comes with a higher price tier and may add 7–14 days to lead time depending on stock availability. We can send swatches and certificates on request.
rPET (recycled PET bottles)
Polyester fibre made from post-consumer plastic bottles. Covered by a GRS scope certificate, with a transaction certificate available per order. Available in a 75% rPET / 25% spandex blend at 220–280 GSM.
ECONYL® regenerated nylon
Regenerated nylon from ocean plastic, fishing nets and fabric scraps. Same performance as virgin nylon. Available in 78% ECONYL / 22% elastane blend, suitable for swimwear and seamless activewear.
Nylon-spandex with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric-level certification
Our standard nylon-spandex base fabric has OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric-level certification and is tested for harmful substances.
Deadstock & surplus fabric
For low-volume capsule collections, we can sometimes source deadstock (overruns from larger brands) at lower MOQs and lower prices. Since the fabric is already dyed, there's no dyeing time required — sampling can start immediately. Availability is unpredictable — we maintain a deadstock list and can match to your project.
Compliance, Audit &
Material Documentation
Documentation is matched to its applicable scope: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric-level certification and the GRS scope certificate are held at the applicable mill or dye-house source; the amfori BSCI social compliance audit applies to our two own factories; EU REACH and US CPSIA are regulatory compliance requirements. During supplier qualification, we can retrieve and forward the applicable PDFs within 24 hours. We do not rebrand source-held certificates as YOUMEGA-owned.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric-level certification
Fabric-level certification for materials tested against harmful substances.
✓ OEKO-TEX Standard 100 fabric-level certificate available for standard nylon-spandex materials.
GRS — Scope & Transaction Documentation
The GRS scope certificate covers certified operations and materials; a transaction certificate is available per order to document the relevant shipment.
✓ GRS scope certificate available for rPET and ECONYL programs; transaction certificate available per order.
amfori BSCI — Social Compliance Audit
Social compliance audit under amfori BSCI, covering 11 principles on labor rights, working hours, fair compensation and ethical business conduct.
✓ Social compliance audit reports for two of our own factories — Xiamen cut-and-sew and Yiwu seamless — available on request.
EU REACH — Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory compliance with EU REACH chemical requirements, including controls for Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).
✓ EU REACH regulatory compliance documentation available for EU shipments.
US CPSIA — Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory compliance with US CPSIA lead and phthalate limits where the product and market scope require it.
✓ US CPSIA regulatory compliance documentation available where applicable to US shipments.
Where we still
have work to do.
Being honest about gaps is more useful than overclaiming. Here's what we don't have figured out yet — and how we're approaching it.
CO₂ footprint per garment
We don't currently calculate emissions per unit. Several brands have requested this for their own scope-3 reporting. We're researching tools (Higg MSI / Carbonfact) and expect to offer baseline numbers by mid-2026.
Water and dye-house data
Our dye houses are ZDHC-aware but we don't yet publish water use or wastewater data per order. We can request specific dye-house reports when buyers need them.
Biodegradable / compostable packaging
Our default is conventional polybag and corrugated carton. Biodegradable polybags and FSC-certified outer cartons are available on request at a small price premium.
Take-back / circularity
We don't currently offer a take-back program for end-of-life garments. If your brand needs a circularity story, we can introduce you to recyclers — but we won't pretend we run a take-back program ourselves.