New Guide Outlines Environmental Sustainability Policies for Apparel Brands and Retailers
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “sustainable apparel”? Is your answer: organic cotton content? Ethical manufacturing? Responsible sourcing? For apparel brands and retailers, sustainability encompasses all those things…and more. In fact, because the industry involves so many varied and complex components, apparel companies have had difficulty in determining exactly what it means to be “sustainable.” Without specific guidelines, apparel brands and retailers have been left without clarity or direction. Until now.
A few days ago, the University of Delaware’s Sustainable Apparel Initiative (UDSAI) released a new policy guide, called “Creating a More Environmentally Sustainable Apparel Business: Policies for Apparel Brands and Retailers.” This guide outlines best practices in the industry and makes specific recommendations about how apparel companies can improve their environmental sustainability. These recommendations include:
- Eliminate waste in all points of the supply chain.
- Eliminate excess product manufacturing by balancing supply to demand.
- Understand and reduce carbon emission in sourcing, production, retailing, and use.
- Develop and implement advertising and marketing strategies that avoid greenwashing.
- Consider and implement end-of-life strategies (recycle, renew, or reuse) when choosing materials, designing, and producing apparel.
The UDSAI was established in 2008 in collaboration with key industry partners, and according to a press release, it is working toward shaping “the character of the apparel and retail industries in their evolution toward sustainability.” The UDSAI website includes details about all 10 specific recommended policies, most of which apply directly to the supply chain.
We are very excited to see these best practices, standards and policies for sustainability set out for the textile industry. There is significant room for improvement in this industry in so many areas including land use, water scarcity and pollution, and energy consumption.
1The good news is that there are companies such as ours who can help manufacturers achieve the highest levels of sustainable business practices. With AirDye technology (http://www.airdye.com), a company can make only as much as you sell, eliminate wasteful and harmful processes, quantify the impact, and enable recycleability. We hope these policies are demanded by consumers and widely adopted by the industry.