Behind the scenes of Dope’s bluepass certification
Suppliers, factory assessments and material testing: take a look at the work behind Dope’s bluepass certification and our ongoing partnership with bluesign.
We’ve explained Dope Snow collection earns bluepass certification. This is the story of the work behind it: tracing suppliers, reviewing processes and testing materials.
Dope is part of the Ridestore family, a bluesign® System Partner. The partnership describes our work within the bluesign system; bluepass is the mark used for certified products and materials. Our Head of R&D, Ashish Ahlawat, and Antje from bluesign® Brand Services discuss that work in the video below.
Where we started
A technical garment brings together fabrics, adhesives, coatings, prints, fasteners and trims. Understanding how it is made means looking beyond the finished item to the suppliers behind those components. Material choices are part of that picture, as we discuss in recycled polyester, our PET project.
Each supplier makes decisions about materials and chemistry before a garment reaches us. Working within the bluesign system gives us a structured way to assess those processes and identify where more work is needed.
Without bluesign help, we are a bit blindsided. We don't know what chemistry the supply chain uses.
Ashish Ahlawat, Head of R&D
The work that got us here
Putting that approach into practice meant working with weavers, dyers, laminators and trim factories, rather than making a change only at the final assembly stage.
Some suppliers were already part of the bluesign system. For others, bluesign® Brand Services supported the onboarding process, including factory assessments, documented procedures and work towards shared requirements.
Many of their partners within the supply network had already been part of our system. So we stepped in and supported onboarding the remaining facilities.
Antje, Head of bluesign Brand Services
Performance testing runs alongside that work. Our Dope Snow materials built for technical performance are tested for bond strength, water repellency and durability. These tests help us understand how materials behave in use; they are separate from the scope of bluepass certification.
We test our materials to failure, both in development and in actual production.
Ashish
That takes time: finding suitable suppliers, allowing for development work and testing materials through production. Those steps are part of how we build and review our gear.
What it gives us now
The work gives us more information about our supply chain and the processes behind our materials. It also gives us a clearer basis for following up with suppliers when something needs attention.
The partnership continues beyond an individual collection. The bluesign system includes ongoing assessment and continuous improvement, while the certification information for a product needs to be checked for that specific item.
For more on our wider work, see our bluesign partnership and bluepass certification. The current certification scope is explained at bluesign.com/verify. Certified by bluesign technologies ag.
Explore Dope gear below, and check each item’s bluepass certification information.
