Before the Little Green Steps merchandise can actually be put on the market a lot of preparation would still need to be done. Before production of both the clothing and the boxes can be take place quite a few decisions need to be made. To be able to make these products it would be very wise to either hire experts, or find companies that specialise in the production and design of clothing or boxes.
The fabric(Organic Cotton) and the general production technique(Knitting) were determined, so the next step would be to decide on the type and colour of the dye and what fabric finish that would be used. These should both be environmentally friendly(no chemicals) and be of sufficient quality that they would make the product last as long as possible, both physically and aesthetically speaking. Nevertheless the price would still be of importance, so the final choice would probably be a compromise between the latter and the former. After deciding upon the exact knitting technique/machine that would be used the production of the fabric would then be outsourced to a GOTS(Global Organic Textile Standard) certified factory and corresponding plant.
Next would be the design of the clothing and the corresponding stencils, it would be wise to outsource this or hire an expert. Finding a company to actually manufacture the clothing would be the following step. If possible this could be one of the companies that was used for the outsourcing of any of the previous steps. All of these companies’ working conditions would need to be checked to ensure that they match the core values and brand image of Little Green Steps.
A storage warehouse would then be needed to keep stock, however it would be wise to store the returned clothes that pass the quality check there as well eventually. This would most likely be near the facility where the clothes would be sorted and eventually be packed. If possible this is close to the quality control and the washing facility as well, as this would reduce transportation costs.
Before the clothes can be packed the boxes would need to be printed and cut into the right shape. It would be easiest and cheapest to outsource this to a specialised company. The assembly of the boxes would probably be done on sight at the packing facility, where they can immediately be packed and shipped.
As for the clothes that do not pass the quality check, they would need to be stored somewhere as well. It might be smart to clearly separate them from the other clothes, so if possible they would directly be send to a company that specialises in the recycling of cotton. Otherwise clearly separated storage space would need to be made in the warehouse or another warehouse should be rented/bought.
The shredded cotton, made ready for recycling, would need to be mixed with virgin materials to be able to produce new products. Except for the birth announcement cards as these do not need to have very long fibres that are needed to make yarn. The accesories would most likely be designed by the same designer/design team as the original clothes if possible, as this would be cheapest. The birth announcement cards will need a whole different team since this requires different expertise.