Labour Lens

Caraway

Lacks transparency

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Homewares, furniture & appliances

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources

New York company selling ceramic-coated nonstick cookware.

There's no proof Caraway pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it doesn't name the factories its amfori BSCI audits cover.

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Why it's graded Lacks transparency

  • Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
  • Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
  • It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
  • Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 of 6

  • Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
  • Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
  • Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
  • Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
  • Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
  • Met: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: timber

Red flags 2

  • Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
  • Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain

Stars it would earn as Good

None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Accreditations 1

Where it's made

From product labels; Caraway doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
CountryWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
ChinaNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
VietnamUsual for the industrySystematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
IndiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
PolandUsual for the industryRegular violationsClose to a living wageModerate
IndonesiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
MalaysiaUsual for the industryNo guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate

Evidence

What we found

  • Uses timber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It traces or certifies most of its timber. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
  • FSC or PEFC certified timber: Forest certification that includes core labour rights for forest workers.

Research notes Caraway's cookware is made by contract factories in China, which it says are audited to the amfori BSCI or SMETA standards; it does not name the factories or publish audit results, and makes no living wage commitment. Its birch cutting boards and utensils are FSC certified. One review site says some products are made in India. Caraway does not ship to Australia itself; its products reach Australia through international online marketplaces, and many copycat sites use its name.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
Australian Modern Slavery RegisterNot coveredCaraway does not sell in Australia directly and is not required to report under the Modern Slavery Act. View
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion ReportNot coveredBaptist World Aid's reports do not cover cookware makers. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. How Caraway founder Jordan Nathan is using retail partnerships (Inside Retail, 2025) · search the archive · Caraway launched in 2019 by founder and CEO Jordan Nathan; growth through retail partners
  2. Caraway Cookware Review (LeafScore) · search the archive · Manufactured in China by BSCI and SMETA certified partners
  3. Caraway 24-piece ceramic cookware set (Costco) · search the archive · Made in China
  4. Is Caraway made in USA? (CyCookery) · search the archive · Says Caraway cookware is designed in New York and made in China and India
  5. Caraway baking sheet (desertcart) · search the archive · Caraway products sold through an international marketplace shipping to over 100 countries

Published by Caraway or its owner

  1. Caraway home page · search the archive · Free shipping limited to the contiguous US; no international shipping offered
  2. Caraway: our materials · search the archive · 'We work with BSCI and SMETA manufacturing partners'; names no countries and gives no audit details

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Last researched
3 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is Caraway ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/caraway, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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Something missing or wrong?

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