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Tools for Strategic Sustainability

By Ben Mead, Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute America

Terms like “responsible sourcing,” “traceability,” and “transparency” sound good, but how can they be implemented to make a tangible impact? With so many factors to consider, creating strategies to restrict harmful substances or ensure fair labor requires resources and trust. Fortunately, no one needs to start from scratch or hope for the best. There are multiple organizations that welcome collaboration at all levels. In fact, many initiatives complement each other.

Before choosing from existing tools, it’s important to evaluate goals. Are you implementing a restricted substance list (RSL), minimizing ecological impact, building transparency, verifying claims? Because of the size of the challenge, you won’t solve it all at once. Find the greatest risks in your supply chain and choose tools to address them.

More Sustainable Sourcing

In a sea of sustainability claims, comparable choices based on third-party verified criteria are indispensable.

The grants access to more than 14,500 companies offering countless certified materials, accessories, chemicals, finished goods, and services. It not only serves as a tool for finding pre-qualified partners worldwide, but also being found by others. Best of all, this resource is open to all, free and online.

Input Control

What goes into factories must come out—as product or waste. An estimated 4,000 to 8,000 chemicals, in countless formulations, go into apparel and footwear alone. Some chemicals can pose a risk to workers or air and waterways during manufacture, to users of the finished goods, or to the environment at the product’s end of life. Exposure levels and user sensitivities may increase impacts. Constantly changing regulations and technologies complicate efforts.

Rigorous certification systems give manufacturers and brands reliable control over input chemicals and help ensure that ever-changing legal requirements are met. screens chemicals, dyes, and auxiliaries through RSL/MRSL checks and analytical testing. It limits or eliminates harmful chemicals of concern to enable production of safer products. Eco Passport aligns with industry initiatives for safer chemistry, such as

Process Control

Monitoring, benchmarking, and improving processes is key to lowering impact and creating transparency. This requires safe and ethical working conditions, proper chemical use, and quality and environmental management.

Several programs exist for independent monitoring. Tools such as ’s social reports and ’s audits or certifications from or help ensure social compliance. and standards certify environmental and quality management while health and safety management can be certified through or .

Each of these programs can be used toward requirements for , which certifies sustainable and socially responsible production through assessments and audits. Progress toward goals set for suppliers can be monitored, knowing that minimum exclusion criteria have been met by all certified facilities (e.g. no child labor). By harnessing wholistic, independent certifications, brands can reduce their own auditing efforts while improving efficiency and reducing the audit burdens on suppliers.

Output Control and Communication

Reputations are on the line. Trustworthy certification systems use traceable testing systems to reduce risk and ensure consistent quality. Third-party labels empower customers to find responsible products and verify claims.

certifications test for harmful substances on products, materials, and accessories throughout the supply chain. The RSL is annually updated to incorporate health data, consider intended use and stay ahead of global laws. Groups like Oeko-Tex, and the are aligning their RSLs to make it easier for brands to track compliance.

The from the recognizes the direct link between supply chain traceability and product stewardship. publishes standards and best practices regarding farming, materials, processing, traceability, and product end-of-life.

The transparent label combines harmful substance safety and certified production into a unique product ID for a traceable supply chain. Many of the industry’s tools can be used in combination for product stewardship.

Ecological Impact

Greenwashing has created even more skepticism of unverified claims. Testing aids sourcing decisions and builds compelling sustainability stories backed by independent proof.

can produce real data such as size and count to develop materials that shed less. Testing in valid conditions quantifies the effect on surrounding soil and groundwater. Organic cotton requires ��for traceability.

We’re All in This Together

Creating a strategy from scratch would be a daunting challenge. But you’re not alone. Our industry has already created systems to protect people, the planet, and reputations.

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����ɫֱ�� Hohenstein

For more than 70 years, Hohenstein, an independent testing and research institute, has been dedicated to improving the human-textile-environment interaction through standard and customized testing, certification, training, and product development programs.

In 1992, Hohenstein co-founded the Oeko-Tex Association, which has since grown to 18 member institutes globally. Oeko-Tex sets rigorous, scientifically based standards to test and certify products and processes throughout the supply chain, from chemical products and manufacturing processes to consumer product labeling.