360° fair manufacturing

While in Hamburg the canvas bags from bag designer Edzard Kramer designed, tested and distributed by the 360° team and the team busy in Northern Germany old sails picked up by skippers, gets busy elsewhere and has a lot of fun with new ones Pockets sewn. We have been working with a small one for over 22 years Family business in Poland together. Work in the sewing shop now up to 10 seamstresses, because we are in such a long time have grown together and look forward to the start of each new collection a successful season.

We have consciously been working with them for 20 years a small family business in Poland and are thus up to now driving 100% well. Edzard Kramer never wanted to go to Asia produce because of himself in the past was often there on a camera bag project for another company and the could no longer endure working conditions and did not want to.

 Edzard Kramer in conversation about the philosophy of 360°:

Our focus is on: acting in partnership in all areas.
We have managed it in all parts for over 20 years to create a “happy” value chain and actually do so live. 

Since we've been doing it this way since the beginning, we have for told us that we have no seals and no “green washing” certificate need. In the end I always think: Why can't you just leave? Be honest with your heart without always having to license it immediately? We do it easily and have been doing it for so long. There were times when we still were laughed at by many for this.

I always say, with us real people work. It is mainly women who live in Poland sewing and coming to work very early in the morning and then changing at 3 p.m to care for your children. They also usually get there by bike Work because they live close to the production site. Many work mostly as a part-time worker because you also have children at home.

Pictures Our seamstresses do not want these on the Internet for personal reasons Reasons see what we also accept. Of course it would be nice Marketing, but people are not just commodities Shop window.

Breaking through the 4-fold fashion cycle and overproduction

We produce long-lasting bags from the outset and these too durable design. So they have several for our customers and dealers Years of value and existence.

In addition, there is our Production method that comes very close to the “JUST-IN-TIME THOUGHT”. We really only produce what we want for our retailers need. 50% overhang is not produced as usual, what then still has to be pumped into the market with the corresponding losses. 

That strengthens our retail because they ordered theirs like an onliner Have bags in your store within 2 days. Plus, it provides care also for stable prices. Retailers and customers thank us for this. Of course, it always remains a challenge throughout the year to be storable, but we accept that.

It was created But this system is due to the fact that we don't constantly have enough canvas for who have individual productions and always produce bit by bit had to, which is still partly the case.  So they strengthen that Retail.
Everyone should ask themselves whether they are buying online really want to have empty shopping streets soon and only for that to have jogging parcel delivery people at the door?

Anyway: If only we If we were looking to maximize profits, we would produce in Bangladesh and present it as a blessing that you have the working conditions there improved. Some people are looking for a good “social and green washing” argument other companies but in vain, because what about the CO2 alone Footprint, especially because of the long transport route and then with the recycling of residual waste in these countries etc…? What materials are otherwise used outside the EU and how are they used? manufactured?

We therefore have a social responsibility for our stakeholders and also for Germany and Europe. This has been seen in recent years, where the question arose as to who because all the brands should sew?

To our CO2 emissions

Our Products are largely made from materials that would otherwise be would be thrown away and therefore a negative result through use Already have a CO2 balance. To disassemble, clean and melt them down always results in inferior plastic, which is very expensive would require high energy consumption, which in turn would increase CO2 emissions increased.

Through upcycling we create a product, which can be worn for 5-10 years. So we get a negative one CO2 balance. At this end you could even use our bags put it back into the polyester recycling, where it goes straight back in plastic-based product could be produced. 

The Distance to the production site is a maximum of 6 hours, so we Can also work agilely and not produce large CO2 emissions.
In addition We avoid empty journeys during transport as much as possible and bundle them the collection of the sailcloths or have it picked up with DHL, which anyway are traveling in these places. This in turn affects the environment spared. Would an environmental seal be needed there again now? I think no! I think you can just use common sense use resources honestly and responsibly evade. We have been making this understandable for 20 years now We have certainly set an example.
Of course we can still improve and are always happy to receive new ideas.

We We also try to persuade customers to do repairs You can have small things sewn at the local tailor so that we can avoid the unspeakable back and forth transports. Repair of course We also pack our own bags, which is very rare because we own ours Continually improving bags through good quality management. Of course there are exceptions.

One point is the slide with the We package our products:  we have worked with many manufacturers and Experts spoke and came to the conclusion that we... unfortunately cannot be avoided, as the environmental impact is caused by paper/ ecologically degradable films cannot improve. Our Packaging film is made of PE and can  returned for recycling become. We are also proud that we achieved it to secure and even expand this European location!
That takes a lot of logistics and effort on our part: we buy them all Canvas and other materials in Germany or Europe,  sift through them, sort them out and select them for each Production.

I can only tell everyone: We don't even do it a bag...it took 25 years to establish and close everything like this master how we do it now.

If you would like to see how 360° bags are made, we have here's a video for you.