SaFo by Heart is a recently launched brand from a textile manufacturing company in Kochi, Japan. The company incorporates practices including the reuse of manufacturing scraps and offers GOTS-certified organic textile products.
SaFo by Heart uses scraps generated during bedding manufacturing to make cloth packaging and other products. The company has also introduced measures to monitor waste and emissions associated with its operations.
GOTS provides requirements for the processing and manufacturing of textiles made with certified organic fibres. It covers stages after raw fibre production, including first processing, manufacturing and trading. Compliance with applicable GOTS requirements is independently assessed and certified by accredited third-party Certification Bodies.
We spoke with SaFo by Heart’s leadership about the company’s development, its experience with GOTS certification and the practices it has introduced alongside certification.
Global Standard: Can you tell us a bit about SaFo by Heart and the story behind its creation?
Hiroaki Yamaoka:
SaFo by Heart grew out of our experience manufacturing bedding and textiles. We are a factory brand of a manufacturing company located in Kochi, founded in 1988.
One area we have focused on is making further use of materials generated during manufacturing. For example, we use scraps from the bedding manufacturing process to create cloth packaging and other products. Instead of discarding these materials, we look for ways to use them in new applications.
Global Standard: Why did you choose to pursue GOTS certification, and how does it align with SaFo by Heart’s values?
Hiroaki Yamaoka:
We wanted a defined framework that addresses requirements relevant to textile processing and manufacturing.
GOTS provides requirements covering areas including chemical inputs, environmental management and social criteria within its certification scope. For us, working within these requirements provides a structured framework for reviewing our manufacturing practices.
GOTS applies to textile processing stages after raw fibre production. Compliance with applicable requirements is independently assessed and certified by accredited third-party Certification Bodies.
Global Standard: How has GOTS certification impacted SaFo by Heart’s practices?
Hiroaki Yamaoka:
Maintaining GOTS certification involves regular assessment against the requirements of the Standard. This has provided us with a framework for reviewing different aspects of our operations.
Separately, we work with a university to measure CO₂ emissions associated with our production. We also calculate waste and emissions data and display this information at our factory and offices so that it is visible to our team. We use this information to monitor our performance and identify areas where we can make changes.
GOTS certification has also become an important part of how we communicate about our organic textile products in Japan and internationally.
Global Standard: What are some of the tangible benefits SaFo has experienced since obtaining GOTS certification?
Hiroaki Yamaoka:
For our clients and consumers, certification provides independently assessed information that specified products comply with applicable GOTS requirements.
Internally, the Standard provides a defined set of requirements against which relevant aspects of our manufacturing operations are assessed.
Alongside certification, we continue to look for ways to make use of manufacturing scraps. One example is our cloth packaging, which uses material that would otherwise have been discarded during our bedding manufacturing process. Finding additional uses for these materials has become an important part of how we approach product and packaging development.
Global Standard: Looking to the future, what are SaFo by Heart’s goals, and how does GOTS play a role in achieving them?
Hiroaki Yamaoka:
We plan to continue developing our product range while maintaining GOTS certification for applicable products.
GOTS provides a consistent programme for textile processing and manufacturing after raw fibre production. As we develop new products, its requirements will continue to provide a framework against which relevant processing and manufacturing activities can be independently assessed.
We also hope that sharing our experience will help other textile businesses understand what GOTS certification involves and how its requirements are applied in practice.
Conclusion
SaFo by Heart combines textile manufacturing with practices including the reuse of production scraps and the monitoring of operational waste and emissions.
For its GOTS-certified products, the applicable textile processing and manufacturing stages are assessed against the requirements of GOTS. Compliance with those requirements is independently assessed and certified by accredited third-party Certification Bodies.
SaFo by Heart’s experience provides a practical example of how a textile manufacturer can integrate GOTS requirements into its operations while developing its own approaches to material use, measurement and product development.
