ST GALLEN – For the first time ever, textile chemical management business Bluesign has released figures on energy, water and chemical savings made by its manufacturing clients. Covering the past decade, the figures relate to fabric manufacturers, spinners, and dyeing facilities, with the majority being in Asia. They show that on average, Bluesign partners reduced their energy consumption by five per cent, emissions by 12 per cent, water use by 18 per cent and chemical consumption by 17 per cent.
A spokesperson from Bluesign told Apparel Insider: “Although Bluesign has been assessing environmental impact performance of system partner facilities for over a decade, this type of information has not been released publicly previously.
“[This] data is collected from system partner manufacturers and verified by Bluesign through periodic on-site facility assessments.”
The figures relate to the decade 2010-2020 and focus on five key areas – energy, CO2e emissions, water use, chemical consumption and use of Bluesign-approved chemistry.
Said Daniel Rüfenacht, CEO, Bluesign: “With the Bluesign System, we help our customers better understand their value chain and make better-informed decisions with verified data from on-site assessments. The results from our impact work couldn’t have come at a more crucial time when voluntary commitments are now calling for the industry to halve its emissions by 2030.
“Commitments of this magnitude must be based on sound strategy, and good data, using a systems-thinking approach that takes all aspects of the production process into consideration. It’s not just about outcomes, but inputs as well. Bluesign’s Input Stream Management system eliminates hazardous chemicals from the very beginning of production, ensuring safe products with reduced impact on people and the planet.”
Bluesign’s work with manufacturers begins with an on-site assessment, and measures supplier’s processes against Bluesign criteria, providing a roadmap and step-by-step guidance towards continuous improvement in impact reduction. Progress is measured regularly using verified data and for the first time, this progress is being reported collectively across system partner textile manufacturers.
