more sustainable products

To compete with quality rather than price has been a key principle for Fristads from the start. The quality concept includes many aspects – from material and manufacturing but also functionality, comfort and design. For us, making quality garments is the core in our sustainability work. And it all starts with a sustainable product offer and production.

We have been certified according to ISO 9001:2015 since 1999, which requires us to work systematically with improving the quality of our products and processes. The goal of our quality work is to optimise customer satisfaction and ensure that every garment is used to its full potential. Our work to ensure the quality of our products is ongoing and characterises every facet of our production process: ​​​​​​​

Construction and material. At Fristads, durability is a design goal and the lifespan of the product is always considered when a new product is created or an existing one is updated. We always aim to use the best possible materials in our products and only replace a conventional material with a more sustainable one if we can ensure that the quality is up to par.

Testing. We regularly test qualities such as abrasion resistance, tear strength, tensile strength, pilling, dimensional change and colour fastness in our in-house laboratory as well as external tests by accredited labs. We also test our products in industrial laundry, washing them as many as 50 times before certifying them to ensure durability and longevity. As a final step, new and modified products are subjected to user trials before going into production. 

Suppliers and production. We develop long-term business relationships with our suppliers, to ensure that they fully understand and work according to our stringent quality standards. Our team of quality controllers works closely with the suppliers and the material, technical specifications and seams are checked throughout the production to minimise deviations. Each shipment is inspected before departure and in random controls after arrival to catch deviations before they reach the end user, preventing products from being rejected at a later stage. 

Claims department. We are proud of our thorough testing process and low rate of claims. At the same time, we know that there will always be aspects of our products that can be improved. Our customers and end users are key to this effort. When our customers point out mistakes or deviations from our quality standards, we make sure to identify the problem quickly and to learn from it. All claims are followed up using an internal quality assurance system to understand the cause of a deficiency and prevent it from recurring.

Sometimes it can be a challenge to find more sustainable materials that meet the same durability standards as conventional materials. We strive continuously to substitute existing materials in our products for more sustainable choices, for example recycled polyester and Lyocell, but we do not do it unless we can secure the durability of the material. Otherwise, the product will not be sustainable in the long run.

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