Brita
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Family-owned German maker of water filter jugs and cartridges.
Brita makes 80% of its water filter jugs and cartridges in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, where legal wages are close to a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It publishes a modern slavery statement.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 5 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 5 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy are close to a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Germany has the largest share, 40%. The United Kingdom is next, at 20%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 40% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| United Kingdom | 20% | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Italy | 20% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| China | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- "Made in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes BRITA makes its filter cartridges and water dispensers in its own five plants: Bad Camberg and Warburg (Germany), Bicester (UK), Arsago Seprio (Italy) and Suzhou (China). It does not publish output by site, so shares are counted from its plants. The German, UK and Chinese plants get regular SMETA social audits. Raw materials and components come from unnamed global suppliers; higher-risk suppliers fill in self-assessments and are audited on site only if needed, under a 2024 supplier code and a due diligence process still being rolled out. No audit counts or findings and no living wage commitment are published.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | BRITA has published UK Modern Slavery Act statements (2017 and for FY2018) saying it runs its own plants and audits critical suppliers; no cases were reported. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile records no labour allegations and no response requests; it holds BRITA's 2017 UK modern slavery statement. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- BRITA GmbH - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · No labour allegations recorded
- Brita Water Filter Jug Marella Blue 2.4L - Woolworths · search the archive · Brita jugs sold at Woolworths in Australia
Published by Brita or its owner
- BRITA Group Sustainability Report 2025 · search the archive · FY2025: five own production sites (IT, DE x2, GB, CN); 2,545 staff; SMETA audits at DE, UK, CN sites; supplier risk checks; 2024 supplier code
- BRITA UK Modern Slavery Act Statement for FY2018 · search the archive · Own production in Germany, UK, Italy and China; critical suppliers audited by BRITA experts; supplier self-assessments
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 2,545
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Brita ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/brita, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Brita.