Sus t a i nab i l i t y the whole supply chain and saying, OK, can we as a company start saying that we need certification from all of our fabric mills, from all of our dyeing mills, from all of our yarns, from every part of the channel?” Although it was still “a big boys’ game,” he adds, awareness and demand were growing, and the kinds of recycled and eco-friendly materials he was looking for were getting easier to come by. It’s all about volume, he says – there has to be enough demand to make it worth the effort for everyone in the supply chain. Storm Creek also started asking all of its suppliers to commit to earning Bluesign and OEKO-TEX certifications, both of which reduce harmful chemicals and wastewater pollution “We want all of our mills to be OEKO-TEX certified or Bluesign certified, and really what that means is that they just use better chemicals for the environment,” Jackson says. Certifications: What To Look For In Your Suppliers And Their Products In fact, there are multiple certification programs and other measures of sustainability to look for. Here are four of the biggest: • Bluesign helps manufacturers better manage dyes and water usage. The company conducts on-site assessments to help clients understand the environmental and chemical management status of their facility, and a specific action plan is created to close any gaps observed during the assessment. • OEKO-TEX develops test methods and standards to support sustainable measures in the textile industry. Compliance with OEKOTEX Standard 100 can earn your garments a label indicating that every component – from threads to buttons to printings and coatings—has been tested for and cleared of harmful substances. • EcoVadis is a universal sustainability ratings provider that helps companies manage program and performance reviews, supplier selection and onboarding, procurement process changes and more, including tools to help promote your company’s green initiatives. • You may have seen the B Corp logo on a company website recently and wondered what it means. B Corp Certification, managed by the nonprofit B Lab, is a CSR designation that a business can earn by meeting standards for performance, accountability and transparency on factors from employee benefits to supply chain practices. Communicate: Make Sure Your Customers Know About Your Sustainable Efforts The IBM study authors suggest that to do sustainability right, companies need to recognize consumer demand, incorporate sustainable initiatives like those described above throughout your operations and earn customers’ confidence through transparency and traceability. Once you’ve taken these steps toward sustainability, be sure to promote your efforts and certifications with messaging and product/ packaging labels to inform buyers and end users. For example, supplier Gildan reports its sustainability, circularity and environmental achievements online. Everywhere and Storm Creek also highlight their sustainability practices on their websites. “Younger people are becoming more of an influence, and they just look at things in a different way that made more people want to think about it,” says Jackson. “We all can do more nowadays. The price is not as crazy as it used to be, and it’s more available.” Once you’ve taken these steps toward sustainability, be sure to promote your efforts and certifications withmessaging and product/ packaging labels to inform buyers and end users. wolfman57 / Shutterstock.com 16 | OCTOBER 2022 | INNOVATE
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