Sustainable manufacturing processes, benchmarks, resources, principles, and certifications every brand, designer, and manufacturer should know
Overview
Sustainability is not just a trend, it’s an issue of global importance. As one of the largest trends in manufacturing today, building sustainability into our manufacturing processes appears to be extremely difficult to understand and achieve. In order to understand it, let’s start by asking:
“What is “sustainable manufacturing?”
According to the Department of Commerce, it’s “the creation of manufactured products that use processes that are non-polluting, conserve energy and/or natural resources; making them economically sound and safe for employees, communities, and consumers.” In other words, sustainable manufacturing means conducting environmentally-friendly practices with a business-savvy efficiency.
In order for manufacturers and designers to begin understanding and implementing sustainable practices, we’ve developed a field guide that highlights relevant sustainable technology, processes, resources, standards, certifications, and consumer insights.
Sustainable Technology and Processes in Manufacturing
For many manufacturers, going green isn’t exactly easy, but becoming more environmentally conscious has the potential to yield big rewards. Not only are you developing a sustainable brand story that consumers feel proud to wear, but you’re gaining a first-mover advantage over your competition and investing in technology that will most definitely be an inevitable and required standard in the near future.
By incorporating sustainable practices and technology – committing to improving your production processes by 5%, 10%, 15% or even 25% – you can do better for the planet, while also saving time and money. Brands need to educate themselves and take the time now to invest in technology and new methods of manufacturing. The following are sustainable technological processes in the apparel manufacturing industry that are important to know:
AirDye™, a subset of California-based Transprint USA/Colorep Inc., is a sustainable textile printing and dyeing company. AirDye is an air-based technology that can dye or print on one or both sides of a fabric at the same time without using water or chemical treatments. According to the company, “using AirDye saves up to 95% of the water, 86% of the energy, and 84% of the greenhouse gases as compared to conventional print and dye methods. On a single garment, the water savings alone can be as much as 45 gallons.” Current companies utilizing this technology include Patagonia, Julie Apple, Hunter Douglas, and Costello Tagliapietra (Envirogadget 2013).
3D Printing: Without a doubt, Nike is a big player, if not the biggest, in the sustainable apparel movement. Nike recently introduced 3D design duffel bags and shin guards for the FIFA World Cup. In particular, Nike’s 3D shin guards signal how 3D designs are beginning to become more wearable – an aspect necessary for 3D to catch on with the apparel industry. One company - Electroloom - is trying its hand at 3D printing for specifically the apparel industry (Fast Company). Another company - 3D Hubs - helps you create and upload 3D designs and easily locate the nearest 3D printers in your area.
Ecorepel® is one of a number of impressive textile technologies created by Switzerland textile tech company Schoeller Textil AG. Ecorepel® is a bluesign® certified technology that is biodegradable, fluorocarbon-free, water-repelling, mud-repelling, wash permanent and abrasion resistant. This impressive technology is incredibly useful for athletic apparel manufacturers. Currently, these brands are using ecorepel® in their products.
Zero-Waste: Though not a technology per say, zero-waste refers to a way of manufacturing and producing goods in an efficient, wasteless manner. Eco-fashion site Ecouterre compares zero-waste fashion to that of a jigsaw puzzle, where product design, materials, and manufacturing processes are carefully planned in advance to ensure there is no leftover waste. Implementing zero-waste practices requires that brands, manufacturers, and designers work together to determine how to most efficiently use materials and other resources. Sounds easy enough, but this means of manufacturing has yet to make waves in the industry.
Vegetable-Tanneries: Rather than use harsh chemicals such as chrome to dye leather, vegetable tanneries use natural, plant-based dyes. Fashion house Stella McCartney uses vegetable-tanneries as an alternative to traditional high-polluting tanneries. Satchel & Page, an Austin-based leather company, also uses vegetable-tanneries for producing its leather. The company recently wrote an article that compares the cost of standard chrome/oil-based leather tanneries to that of sustainable vegetable tanneries. The cost of using vegetable-tanneries is 4X the cost of chrome/oil-based leather tanneries. In fashion, as in most industries, cost drives decision-making. While vegetable-tanneries might be better for the environment, their high costs explain fashion’s slowness to adapt.
Resources for Developing Sustainable Success
Now that you have a better understanding of the processes driving sustainable apparel manufacturing, we also wanted to highlight resources and tools that you can use to develop more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Higg Index: Created by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), this index is a helpful benchmark tool for the apparel and footwear industries to easily measure the extent to which a company is sustainable on three levels – brand, facility, and product. In December 2013, the SAC launched the Higg Index 2.0, which incorporates 50% of the Materials Sustainability Index (See below) into its method. The Higg Index is currently used by companies such as Target, Nike and Levi’s, to name a few (Forbes 2012). The Higg Index can be downloaded here.
Materials Sustainability Index (MSI): This open source web tool for the apparel and footwear industry helps determine the most sustainable materials to use for design and manufacturing. The MSI scoring is based on chemistry, energy/greenhouse gas, water/land use, and physical waste. Nike originally developed the MSI index, which serves as the basis for its Nike Material Index (NMI) and its MAKING app (See below). In July 2012, the SAC integrated the MSI index into the Higg Index. For the full list of materials and their base scores of sustainability, click here.
CK Ranker App: Created by Corporate Knights, CK Ranker is an app that companies can use to assess and compare their own sustainability performance relative to the corporations that Corporate Knights tracks in its annual rankings – namely, the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and the Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada, the sustainability ranking of the S&P 500.
Nike’s MAKING iPhone App: Created last year, the MAKING app combines nearly seven years worth of research and data from Nike’s NMI Index. It allows users to sort and filter through which materials and textiles are the most sustainable in terms of chemistry, energy/greenhouse gas, water/land use, and physical waste. For any brand, designer, or manufacturer, the MAKING app is useful for understanding the sustainable impact of today’s most widely used materials.
RankaBrand.com: Rank a Brand is a European brand-comparison website that compares 500+ brands within fashion, electronics, and travel. Besides providing an overview of the brands, Rank a Brand gives each brand a score based on their sustainability efforts within the areas of climate, environment, labor, and transparency.
Not Just a Label (NJAL): NJAL provides an excellent A-Z guide of relevant sustainable textiles and technologies for the apparel industry. The site’s editorial highlights sustainable technologies such as AirDye™, 3D Printing, and Ultrasound.
Ethical Fashion Source: The Ethical Fashion Source is an online magazine, resource, and trade show for the apparel industry that focuses on sustainable fashion. In particular, the Ethical Fashion Source provides an excellent Benchmarking Sustainable Performance matrix that focuses on the current available sustainability benchmarking tools, their key features, metrics, and methodology.
UL Sustainable Product Guide: UL is an independent safety science company and the creator of the GREENGUARD Certification (See below) and ECOLOGO Certification. UL’s guide allows you to search for environmentally-certified products, manufacturers, and brands, by the type of certification, product category, manufacturer/brand, number of sustainable credits, or sustainable number.
Sustainable Certifications and Standards
In addition to technology and processes, there are several US and European protocols and certifications that businesses must understand and adhere to in order to align with sustainable practices. Below are a couple of notable protocols and certifications.
Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS): RoHs, an EU directive, limits the use of hazardous materials, which include lead (less than 1000 ppm), mercury (less than 100 ppm), cadmium (less than 100 ppm), hexavalent chromium – specifically Chromium VI (less than 1000 ppm), polybrominated biphenyls (1000 ppm), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (less than 1000ppm). Obtaining an RoHs certification requires these steps.
LEED Certification: LEED, also known as Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a certification awarded to buildings that demonstrate sustainable building practices. Building undergoing new construction or renovation such as warehouses, distribution centers, and retail locations should obtain this certification. To learn more on how to become LEED certified, see LEED’s Interior Design and Construction checklist.
bluesign®: The bluesign® system applies to brands, manufacturers, chemical suppliers, and consumers. Through its Input Stream Management approach, the system seeks to integrate sustainable practices across the entire supply chain. bluesign®’s 5 main principles include resource productivity, consumer safety, water emission, air emission, and occupational health and safety. Notable bluesign® partners include brands Nike, The North Face, Lululemon, Poivre Blanc and innovative manufacturers like Schoeller Textiles.
OEKO-TEX® Standard 100: This standard and certification tests textiles across all stages in the manufacturing process for hazardous substances. In order to qualify for this certification, all parts of a product must comply, including not only the material used on the main product but also any supplementary attached materials such as zippers, buttons, etc. (Oeko-Tex Association).
Forest Stewardship Council Certification: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that focuses on responsible forest management for businesses. The FSC developed its FSC certification for products to ensure they are produced under responsible forest conditions. Companies that make or carry FSC certified products must also obtain a Chain of Custody Certification, which ensures that FSC products are adhering to FSC guidelines across the product’s entire supply chain. Obtaining a Chain of Custody Certification is one way for businesses to demonstrate compliance for other other certifications including LEED (US) and EU Ecolabel.
GREENGUARD Certification: The GREENGUARD Certification applies to products that adhere to strict standards regarding emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor spaces. This certification is one of the required standards for LEED furniture certifications. Certification standards apply to textiles, paints and coatings, electronics, and adhesives and sealants among others.
Consumer Insights and Perspectives on Sustainability
When developing sustainable initiatives, it’s also important to keep consumers in mind. In Cotton Inc.’s 2013 Supply Chain Report, Consumer Perspectives on Green Apparel, 70% of consumers said they would be bothered if they found out an item of clothing that they purchased was produced in a non-eco-friendly way. To learn if a brand is eco-friendly, consumers study the fiber content label (45%), followed by the garment hang-tag (38%) and the packaging (34%).
Yet, despite expressing ethical concerns for apparel manufacturing, the survey also mentions that consumers felt confused by the definition of “sustainability.” Nearly half of consumers surveyed misunderstood the word sustainable and believe it “refers to the durability or longevity of apparel.” Among that group of consumers, 14% had no concept of sustainable apparel.
As such, manufacturers, designers, and brands need to better educate consumers on a product’s environmental impact. In other words, companies need to tell better sustainable stories. Furthermore, companies that tackle environmental friendliness, along with product quality, may achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace and increase profits from consumers willing to pay for goods.
Implementing Sustainable Practices Now
Sustainability isn’t something that’s going to be achieved overnight. Sustainable practices are not stagnant and so it’s important to be up to date on current and upcoming initiatives. Our field guide is meant to put sustainability into context, but it’s by no means a fully exhausted guide. Many more tools, materials, technologies, and organizations continue to be created, and it’s important to further educate beyond this guide.
Hopefully, by altering current business practices, investing in new technology and innovative materials, and obtaining certifications requires significant financial and time investments – and also patience. Sustainability with respect to apparel and footwear, and all other industries, is a topic of importance and relevance that’s here to stay. By educating yourself now and investing in altering your business practices now, you’ll set yourself apart from your competitors and establish a more solid business strategy.
Written By Rebecca Weitman and Macala Wright
Photography by Maryfaith Soriano & Ben Barber
Other Images: H&M, Conscious Collection, 3D Printed Shoes, Makezine.