Banaanis are made at the factories of our long-term partners in China. The factories are audited against international quality standards (including BSCI and ISO 9001). The BSCI audit makes sure that the factories provide ethical working conditions and respect workers' rights – such as safety, reasonable working hours and fair pay. We know that in practice the wages are clearly above the minimum level.

Product quality and chemical safety are verified through testing by independent, accredited laboratories (such as SGS and ITS). We use safe and skin-friendly materials. We visit the factories regularly ourselves and know the manufacturers' management personally.

Our material choices support a long product life and a smaller environmental impact. We use:
- Bio-based acetate, made from renewable cotton fibre (Mazzucchelli-level quality)
- TR90 plastic, partly made from castor oil – a light, flexible and durable choice

Despite deep-rooted beliefs, China has not been a cheap-production country for years. On the contrary – quality, working conditions and cost levels have all risen to a high level. Most designer sunglasses under €200 are still made in China, and for good reason – that is simply where the best glasses are made at a sensible price, without having to compromise on responsibility. Meanwhile, the real low-cost production has moved to countries such as Thailand and Vietnam.

We're not perfect, but we keep improving the way we work. For us, responsibility is not a campaign – it's the way to do this work properly.