Element
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
California skateboard and streetwear brand.
Element's parent, Authentic Brands Group, scored 3/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and workers in Bangladesh and Vietnam are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 3/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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.
Good requirements 1 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 Bangladesh, 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
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 3/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Authentic Brands Group's countries across all its brands; Element doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses leather in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Element does not publish a factory list or say where its clothing, skateboards or shoes are made. Since 2025 its Australian and New Zealand range has been run by BR South Pacific (Caprice Australia), whose factories are mostly in China, with some in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh; it does not say which make Element, and its code requires only legal minimum wages. Boardriders, the company Element is listed under, scored 3/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report and did not respond to a 2024 report of forced labour signs at its Mauritius suppliers, before the current licensee took over. Its maple decks are not FSC certified.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Element is listed under Boardriders Inc, which scored 3 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 5 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Boardriders Inc scored 6% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, showing very little public supply chain information. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Caprice Australia, Australian licensee since 2025, had 182 supplier factories (454 across its group), mostly in China; its FY2025 statement does not mention the Boardriders brands. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Boardriders did not respond in 2024 to a Transparentem investigation of forced labour indicators at Mauritius garment suppliers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Billabong - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Element listed under Boardriders: EFR 2026 3/100 (avg 31.5), 5/100 in 2024; FTI 2023 6%; owner Authentic Brands
- Mauritius: Transparentem investigation prompts buyer remediation (BHRRC) · search the archive · Forced labour indicators at Mauritius garment suppliers; Boardriders named, did not respond, not among brands remediating (2024)
- Authentic to boost action and outdoor sports brands in ANZ with BRSP (FashionUnited) · search the archive · Authentic's BRSP partnership covers Element alongside Quiksilver, Billabong, DC and Volcom
- After Liberated bankruptcy, ABG names new Boardriders licensees (SGB) · search the archive · BR South Pacific named direct licensee for Element in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia (2025)
- How sustainable is Element? (Cosh) · search the archive · Uses cotton (some organic or recycled), leather and maple wood decks; decks not FSC certified; no supplier disclosure
Published by Element or its owner
- Caprice Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · FY2025: 182 Caprice supplier factories (454 group-wide), mostly China, some India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh; legal minimum wage code
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Element ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/element, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Element.