TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Environmental communication in the textile supply chains Danish EPA project on environmental aspects in purchase of textiles for professional purchasers Henrik Grüttner

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Project regarding environmentally responsible purchase of textiles: Why: Providing knowledge, ideas and tools for the companies Supporting the image of textile service as a concerned proactive industry Approach: Prepare an informative ‘handbook’ explaining why to be concerned for the production of the textiles, what to look for and some tools to handle the activities in an efficient way. How: EcoForum and a number of other consultants will prepare draft handbook for presentation at an open seminar in Oct. this year E.T.S.A. members experience will be collected and added to the handbook next spring (?) Budget: The project is funded by the Danish EPA as an ‘international project’ with approx EUR – E.T.S.A. adds approx EUR in kind

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Handbook on environmentally responsible purchase of textiles: ‘The business case’: Why deal with environmental issues in purchasing of textiles? What can be gained or lost by incorporating environmental issues in the quality aspects for supply of textiles? The impacts: What are the important environmental issues to concern for and what are the environmental impacts? Based on a number of LCA’s this will be explained briefly. The options for improvement: Can these environmental impacts be minimised with reasonable expenses? To what extent can the problems be solved? How is the situation / trend?

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Handbook on environmentally responsible purchase of textiles (II): The supply chain tools: How can the purchasers influence the suppliers / producers? Listing and evaluations of existing tools like e.g. specific demands in contracts, reference to codes of conducts, questionnaires etc. The communication tools: How to communicate their knowledge / documentation to the customers? How to assure the consumers that they can rely on the documentation? Evaluation of the needs and the existing options like e.g. eco-labels or certifications. The legal framework… The ISO-framework…

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Key trends regarding textiles - the starting points for the ‘business case’ Certain customer segments ask for documentation of textile production – e.g. public institutions and bigger industries Official EU pressure to use the Flower environmental labels – Flower label campaign in Oct Opening of the world market for free trade of textiles in 2005 will attract further attention from consumer groups / NGOs – e.g. STIC will try to create attention to the issue Consumer groups and NGOs already worry about environmental and social / ethical issues related to textile production – e.g. Greenpeace and WWF GMO under debate – might impact cotton as well The business case will discuss how these trend might impact our business – opportunities and risks - and suggest actions to be taken

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Environmental management and competitive advance: Competitive advance Reduced risk exposure Assured present and future compliance Improved product quality Improved media coverage Increased staff commitment Cheaper finance Lower insurance premium Modified from Welford & Gouldsen, 1993: Env. managements & Business Strategy Improved material efficiency Increased customer loyalty Support Green procurement

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Textile service life cycle for textiles: Fiber production Textile production Wet treatment Disposal / Reuse Repair / renewal Packing Wash and drying etc.. Distribution and use Customer Product manufact.

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Fibre production Textile production Product manufact. Disposal (or reuse) Textile service Cotton growing Spinning, Sizing, Weaving … Desizing, Bleaching, Dyeing … Cutting, Sewing Laundering Distribution Incineration of waste Chemicals Pesticides, fertilisers, defoliants Size, spinning oil Desizing agent, dyes etc. Detergents and other chemicals Resources Water Energy Energy recovery? Emissions - from energy use - from incineration Wastewater Waste Fibre residues/ linters Sludge, etc.Fabric waste (Used textiles) Ash Wet treatment

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Fiber production Textile production Product manufact. Disposal (or reuse) Textile service Cotton growing Spinning, Sizing, Weaving … Desizing, Bleaching, Dyeing … Cutting, Sewing Laundering Distribution Incineration of waste Chemicals Pesticides, fertilisers, defoliants Size, spinning oil Desizing agent, dyes … Detergents and other chemicals Resources Water Energy Energy recovery? Emissions - from energy use - from incineration Wastewater Waste Fibre residues/ linters Sludge, etc.Fabric waste (Used textiles) Ash Wet treatment

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Approach – e.g.: Chemical used in cotton growing: Problem: Potential hazardous effects of pesticides and herbicides on humans and nature. It is claimed that 25% of the world consumption is used for cotton growing, covering only 10% of the cultivated surface. Available tools: Eco-labels cover this issue and so does ecological growing. The Oeko-tex 100 label controls for the most hazardous chemicals. (For comparison see section…) Possible approach: Apply a label for part of the textile supply Tasks / options for purchase: Make sure that some part of the supply has a relevant label Possible message for marketing: Depends on the situation… e.g.: “Xx % of the cotton purchased has an oeko-tex label and yy % has an eco-label. In that way we gradually takes control, but it is a long and expensive way to go.”

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Fiber production Textile production Product manufact. Disposal (or reuse) Textile service Cotton growing Spinning, Sizing, Weaving … Desizing, Bleaching, Dyeing … Cutting, Sewing Laundering Distribution Incineration of waste Chemicals Pesticides, fertilisers, defoliants Size, spinning oil Desizing agent, dyes … Detergents and other chemicals Resources Water Energy Energy recovery? Emissions - from energy use - from incineration Wastewater Waste Fibre residues/ linters Sludge, etc.Fabric waste (Used textiles) Ash Wet treatment

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Approach – e.g.: Water for cotton growing Problem: Overexploitation of water resources – lake … as the most famous example. WWF project showed how difficult it is to change… Available tools: None of the available systems cover this issue Possible approach: Understanding the situation in the regions of origin for the major part of the supply Tasks / options for purchase: Assure that the origin of the cotton supplies are known Possible message for marketing: Depends on the situation… e.g.: “This is not possible to control / assess since none of the available systems cover this issue…”, or “We know that 60% of the cotton purchased was grown in USA where water supply is sufficient…”

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Danish activities re LCA for textiles: The textile panel – started in 2000 – representing the business – supported by Danish EPA Key activities: Promoting flower labelling by technical support to producers and support to marketing The LCA center – started 2003 – involving FORCE, COWI and DTU/IPL – supported by the Danish EPA Key activities: Finalising and promoting the Danish LCA tool – UMIP/EDIP Transferring the database into GABI format – including the LCA data on textiles (UMIPTEX-data) Promoting and coordinating other activities re LCA

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Danish activities re LCA for textiles (II): Other Danish EPA activities: Guidelines for purchasers – revision of the existing set (50) Environmental Product Declarations – incl. specification for preparation EcoForum / E.T.S.A. project on purchase of textiles for professional use Other news: Network / club for water and energy saving in textile dyeing industry (memberbased) New LCA on table cloths - textile service versus paper prepared by FORCE for Association of Danish launderers

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Danish activities re LCA for textiles (III): UMIPTEX: Unit processes covered: Material production: Cotton Ecological cotton Viscose Polyester Polyamide Polypropylene Acrylic Manufacturing: e.g.: Spinning Knitting Weaving Prewash and bleaching Colouring of cotton and viscose with reactive dyes Colouring of polyester with dispersion dyes without carriers Colouring of polyamide with acidic dyes Printing with pigment dyes Confectioning Use: Household laundering at 40, 60 and 90C Industrial laundering at 80C Drying in tumble dryer Available in GaBi Unitprocess (amount process) Raw materials Energy EmissionsWaste Product

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Project plan: 1.Prepare draft handbook – covering textile production and textile service Presentation to E.T.S.A. members and others during a seminar in April Testing the supply-chain communication tools described by E.T.S.A. members during the summer Collection of case stories – autumn Finalisation of the handbook – before the end of Presentation to E.T.S.A. member and others December 2005

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum Handbook on environmentally responsible purchase of textiles: ‘Handbook’: Available in a draft form at the WEB: Seminar 21 April at Klopman plant in Frossinone, Italy : Why i s environment of textile production an issue for textile service and textile service customers? How to deal with the issue – practical approach for establishing a strategy and collect documentation.

TEXTILE SUPPLY EcoForum E.T.S.A. Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) on hand drying options Goal and scope: Comparing three different hand drying options: Reusable: 1. Cotton towel rolls – conventionally grown cotton Disposable: 2. Luxury paper towels – virgin cellulose fibres 3. Standard paper towels – recycled cellulose fibres Functional unit hand dryings Prepared by: Oeko-Institute, Germany