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Greenpeace-Detox-develops-market-for-BlueSign

A closer look at Detox Commitments

October 23, 2013

Detox has been a repeat topic on this blog. Most recently after my visit in May to Performance Days, but also previously. While slowly but surely more and more brands (17 at the time of writing) – and retailers – have signed a Detox Solution Commitment with Greenpeace, and hence work in some way or other with ZHDC (Road map to Zero), a key threshold was passed event most recently: With the Italian fabric mill Canepa, the first manufacturer has taken the pledge.

Definitions Labels

A few words about … EMAS: The European Eco Management and Audit Scheme

May 5, 2011

Ever heard of EMAS, the European Eco Management and Audit Schema? No? This is a brief introduction to what it is, with links to further resources.

Book Reviews Labels

A nice first step: Review of the NICE Code of Conduct and Manual

May 31, 2012

At the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2012 the NICE Code of Conduct and Manual was, in collaboration with the UN Global Compact, officially launched. A review of this document, and the impact it may, or not, have onto the fashion industry it is targeting.

Consumer-ism Labels

‘Eco’ labels and buying outdoor kit: Which ones are worth their salt?

February 26, 2020

In a recent blog post, we referred specifically to ‘eco’ labels that you may find on an outdoor product – or its hang-tag. Of course the key question is: what labels that you may encounter when shopping for alpine kit, are (reasonably) trustworthy? Here an overview.

Future Tech Labels Supply Chain

From the trees to the wood: with GS1 beyond product codes, towards traceability

September 6, 2015

Barcodes, RFID tags, and QR codes have each introduced a new era of on-product information distribution and acquisition. In this article I would like to look at a family of digital solution components that many brands and manufacturers will already use and be reliant on, and that – if integrated – could be leveraged to provide full-depth traceability.

Labels Supply Chain

Higg Index 101: Past, Status Quo, Future Development

February 25, 2014

The Higg Index is an apparel and footwear industry self-assessment standard for assessing environmental and social sustainability throughout the supply chain. The Higg Index 1.0 was released on June 26, 2012.

Definitions Labels

How ethical is ethical? – A labeling and consensus dilemma

May 28, 2011

What means ethical in the fashion business? The lack of 1 widely accepted label is an issue. Yet: The principle problem is the lack of a consensus of what ethical business practises really are.

Globalisation Labels

Projeto Contem: a collaborative Brazilian approach to tackle industry risk

November 13, 2012

With Sao Paulo Fashion Week just closed I am here to write (again) about Brazilian fashion. This time it is about an interesting project I got to know of personally, Projeto Contem, a private and independent initiative. Projeto Contem is both a brand and a network of entrepreneurs working in textile and fashion as well as in food, beauty, design, arts, music and cinema.

Book Reviews Labels

Results of 6 years Global Compact: The Proof of the Corporate Behaviour Paradox

September 19, 2013

The UN Global Compact (GC) report published at the beginning of September 2013, and which draws a conclusion on its achievements since 2007 (it was launched in 2000), shows that there is a behaviour-versus-statement gap at corporations. This is worrying.

2019 - FFE - Retailer Sustainability Standards

Consumer-ism Labels

Retailer Sustainability Standards: A Top line Comparison

January 24, 2019

Every year at the end of January, the Future Fabrics Expo opens its door. In addition to over 5000 'better; fabrics, lectures and more, we collaborated to created an information poster on retailers' sustainability standards.

Labels Supply Chain

Scaling down for scaling up. Or: Why SMEs matter

March 14, 2015

Large corporations now habitually report on their sustainability achievements, have resource efficiency programmes firmly implemented into their operations, and are investing to make their enterprises ‘future proof’. But what needs to happen for SMEs to do the same? After all they make up way over 80% of national economies ...

Book Reviews Labels Materials

Spotlight on labels: Cradle to Cradle Practitioners in Apparel and Textiles

July 19, 2013

The Cradle to Cradle (C2C) idea has been around for a good decade now, longer if we’d track it right back to its inception. The first C2C fabric was developed sometime in the early 2000s, and flies now around the world as upholstery fabric on the A380 Airbus models.

Globalisation Labels

Spotlight on labels: Indian Standard for Organic Textiles (ISOT)

July 19, 2013

India, the largest producer of organic cotton in the world is all set to have an Indian Standard for Organic Textiles (ISOT) of its own. The unique selling proposition (USP) of this standard is that it will cover the life cycle of the cotton fibre right from crop to clothing. This is different to GOTS which is primarily concerned with the growing stage of cotton, and only includes minimum regulations for the subsequent manufacturing stages. From the Indian perspective, GOTS does not permit to maintain traceability and integrity of organic textiles.

Consumer-ism Labels

Spotlight on labels: the Greenguard certification standard

April 17, 2013

It’s not news that there exist many, many labels out there that hope to convey low-risk or sustainability credentials to consumers (B2C) and/or buyers (B2B). Some of these are indeed so specialised, or hidden within the larger context, that indeed few people have seen or taken note of it. One such label is the Greenguard certification, which is focused entirely onto remedying negative health impacts in interior spaces: from furniture, to interior textiles, air filters, adhesives, flooring and floor finishes etc.

Globalisation Labels

Spotlight on labels: the Nordic Ecolabel

February 20, 2013

Nordic countries have been recognised for their advanced sustainability practices, particularly at a business level. The Nordic Ecolabel is a voluntary certificate 100% made in Scandinavia that was established in 1989 by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The original aim of the label was probably to respond to the needs of the new “green consumer” movement that strengthened in the 80s after the environmentalism wave of the 1970s.

Labels

Spotlight on labels: the SCS Responsible Source standard

October 9, 2013

n this post, I’ll be looking at the CSC Responsible Source standard, which aims very clearly at the issue of (un)ethical, (in)transparent supply chains. The standard exists for 2 very specific area of expertise: precious gems and metals; and man-made fibres and textiles.

Labels Labour Supply Chain

Spotlight on labels: What is Oeko-Tex? – An overview

January 1, 2013

Oeko-Tex is, by numbers of products availale, both B2B as well as B2C, the most widely-used eco-label for textiles globally. What most people aren’t quite aware of is, that Oeko-Tex offers 2 fairly substantially different certifications

Governance Labels

Sustainability & Standards: Thoughts about best practice

March 12, 2016

Of the close to 500 eco-labels that exist worldwide, just over 100 apply to textiles, according to the Eco Label Index. Behind each label is, or should be, a standard that backs up the claim being made. Given the prevalence of standards, the following questions arise: Why do standards exist? What value do they deliver? What are their limitations? What is ‘best practice’ for standards, their development process? What about the proliferation of standards?

Labels Supply Chain

Take note and remember: Puma’s E P&L, Higg Index, EcoIndex

August 30, 2012

True Cost Accounting is – while far from sufficient – a step forward in the sustainability discussion, beyond the fashion industry. Let's look hence a bit close into what the three large apparel industry initiatives in this area are really about.

Labels Supply Chain

The Global Social Compliance Progamme: An Overview

November 6, 2013

Launched at the end of 2006, the Global Social Compliance Programme is a business-driven programme, and aims for continuous improvement of working and environmental conditions in global supply chains.

Future Fit Industries of 'Stuff': Governance, Responsibility, and the Age of Doughnut Economics

Labels

A closer look at Detox Commitments

A few words about … EMAS: The European Eco Management and Audit Scheme

A nice first step: Review of the NICE Code of Conduct and Manual

‘Eco’ labels and buying outdoor kit: Which ones are worth their salt?

From the trees to the wood: with GS1 beyond product codes, towards traceability

Higg Index 101: Past, Status Quo, Future Development

How ethical is ethical? – A labeling and consensus dilemma

Projeto Contem: a collaborative Brazilian approach to tackle industry risk

Results of 6 years Global Compact: The Proof of the Corporate Behaviour Paradox

Retailer Sustainability Standards: A Top line Comparison

Scaling down for scaling up. Or: Why SMEs matter

Spotlight on labels: Cradle to Cradle Practitioners in Apparel and Textiles

Spotlight on labels: Indian Standard for Organic Textiles (ISOT)

Spotlight on labels: the Greenguard certification standard

Spotlight on labels: the Nordic Ecolabel

Spotlight on labels: the SCS Responsible Source standard

Spotlight on labels: What is Oeko-Tex? – An overview

Sustainability & Standards: Thoughts about best practice

Take note and remember: Puma’s E P&L, Higg Index, EcoIndex

The Global Social Compliance Progamme: An Overview

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