4.4 Sustainable Sourcing

Sustainable sourcing in the fashion industry is not just a trend but a crucial shift towards more ethical, transparent, and environmentally friendly practices. This approach to procurement emphasizes the importance of sourcing materials and labor in a manner that respects both the planet and its inhabitants. This chapter delves into the principles and practices that underpin sustainable sourcing, offering insights into how the fashion industry can navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by a commitment to sustainability.

Key opportunities

Ethical and sustainable material procurement

The choice of materials significantly impacts the environmental footprint of fashion items. Sustainable sourcing focuses on selecting materials that are environmentally friendly, such as the ones discussed in the chapters above.

Fair labour practices

Sustainable sourcing demands that all workers in the supply chain are treated fairly, receiving fair wages, working in safe conditions, and enjoying the right to collective bargaining. Fair labor practices are fundamental to preventing exploitation and ensuring that the fashion industry supports positive social outcomes.

Transparency

Transparency is key to sustainable sourcing, requiring brands to have a clear understanding of where and how their products are made. This involves disclosing information about suppliers, manufacturing processes, and the steps taken to ensure ethical practices. Transparency builds trust with consumers and holds brands accountable for their supply chain practices.

Strategies

Establishing Ethical Sourcing Guidelines

Creating ethical sourcing guidelines involves outlining specific criteria and standards that suppliers must meet to do business with your company. These guidelines serve as a foundation for sustainable sourcing and ensure that all parties in the supply chain are aligned with your sustainability goals. Key elements to include in these guidelines are:

• Material Selection: Specify preferences for sustainable materials, such as organic cotton, recycled polyester, or other eco-friendly alternatives, to reduce environmental impact.
• Labor Standards: Incorporate requirements that uphold workers’ rights and welfare, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and the prohibition of child labor and forced labor.
• Environmental Impact: Set standards for minimizing pollution, waste, and water usage in the manufacturing process, as well as guidelines for reducing carbon emissions.
• Education of suppliers: invest time and resources in educating your suppliers on the topic of sustainability to ensure their understanding and collaboration

Supply Chain Audits

Conducting supply chain audits is crucial for verifying that suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the ethical sourcing guidelines established by a brand. Regular audits help identify areas for improvement, fostering transparency and accountability within the supply chain. They also demonstrate a brand’s commitment to ethical practices, building trust with consumers and stakeholders.

These audits can take various forms, including:

• Self-Assessments: Encouraging suppliers to conduct self-assessments based on your ethical sourcing guidelines can be a first step in evaluating their practices.
• On-site Inspections: More thorough than self-assessments, on-site inspections by trained auditors allow for a detailed examination of working conditions, environmental practices, and compliance with labor standards.
• Third-Party Audits: Involving independent organizations to audit suppliers adds an additional layer of credibility and objectivity. These organizations can provide expertise in assessing compliance with international standards and best practices.

Partnerships with Sustainable Suppliers

Cultivating partnerships with suppliers committed to sustainability is vital for creating a more sustainable supply chain. It is a good idea to make sure that suppliers areadhering to sustainability certifications before enlisting them. These partnerships are based on mutual respect and a shared vision for ethical practices and can lead to:

• Collaborative Problem-Solving: Working closely with suppliers allows for joint efforts in addressing sustainability challenges, whether it’s reducing waste, finding more eco-friendly material alternatives, or improving labor conditions.
• Innovation and Development: Strong partnerships can foster innovation, as suppliers and brands collaborate on developing new sustainable materials and production methods that benefit both parties.
• Long-term Relationships: Building long-term relationships with suppliers ensures a stable and reliable supply chain, which can lead to better quality control, loyalty, and shared benefits from sustainability initiatives.

Practices to avoid

• Fast fashion models prioritize rapid production and turnover of low-cost garments, often at the expense of quality, worker welfare, and the environment. This approach encourages overconsumption, contributes to significant waste, and often involves poor working conditions.

• Lack of oversight and transparency in supply chains can lead to unethical labor practices, environmental harm, and exploitation. Unregulated supply chains make it difficult to ensure compliance with sustainability and ethical standards.

• Overlooking certifications such as Fair Trade, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and OEKO-TEX can lead to partnering with suppliers that do not adhere to established social and environmental standards, undermining efforts to achieve sustainability.

• Making false or misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product or practice, known as greenwashing, misleads consumers and detracts from genuine sustainability efforts. It undermines trust and hinders progress towards true sustainability.

• Failing to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours for workers in the supply chain contradicts ethical sourcing principles and can lead to exploitation and poor quality of life for workers.

• Relying on single-use, non-recyclable packaging contributes to waste and environmental pollution. Sustainable sourcing extends to packaging choices, emphasizing the need for recyclable or compostable materials.

• Aggressively negotiating prices and putting pressure on suppliers by cutting their lead-times have a negative impact on the quality of the product and the ethical standards of work

Certifications

In the realm of sustainable sourcing and ethical manufacturing, several certifications stand out as benchmarks for environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and product safety. These certifications help consumers identify products that meet rigorous standards for sustainability and ethical practices. Here are some of the most important certifications:

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

• Focus: Organic fibers and ecological and social criteria
• Importance: GOTS is one of the leading textile processing standards for organic fibers, including ecological and social criteria, backed by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.

Fair Trade Certified

• Focus: Social, economic, and environmental standards
• Importance: Fair Trade certification ensures that products are made according to rigorous social, economic, and environmental standards, focusing on fair compensation, working conditions, and sustainable farming practices.

Oeko-Tex Standard 100

• Focus: Harmful substances in textiles
• Importance: This certification guarantees that every component of a product, including every thread, button, and dye, has been tested for and contains no harmful substances, ensuring safety for human health.

Bluesign®

• Focus: Sustainable textile production
• Importance: Bluesign certification focuses on consumer safety, air and water emissions from factories, and workplace health and safety. It represents a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of textile production.

Cradle to Cradle Certified™

• Focus: Sustainable product design
• Importance: This certification assesses product safety to human and environmental health, design for future life cycles, and sustainable manufacturing processes. It encourages innovation in the design of products that positively impact people and the planet.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)

• Focus: Sustainable forest management
• Importance: FSC certification ensures that products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. It’s crucial for paper and wood products, including those used in packaging.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

• Focus: Green building
• Importance: Though not a product certification, LEED certification for buildings is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership, including energy-efficient, water-efficient, and reduced greenhouse gas emission practices.

Best practices related to sustainable sourcing:

Name:	Elementum
Link:	https://elementum.store/  https://www.instagram.com/elementum.store/?hl=en
Industry sector:	Sustainable fibers, Sustainable sourcing, Design for Longevity, Design for reuse and reduce, Circular business model
Location:	Portugal and Netherlands
Description:	One best practice that Elementum applies is their use of organic and natural fibers. They source materials such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp, which are grown without the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides. These materials have a lower environmental impact and are biodegradable, contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry. In addition to their material choices and ethical production, Elementum promotes slow fashion and designs garments with longevity in mind. They create versatile and classic pieces that can be worn across seasons, encouraging consumers to invest in quality clothing that will last. Elementum also implements a circular approach to fashion. They offer a recycling program where customers can bring back their old Elementum garments, which are then upcycled or recycled into new products. This initiative reduces waste and allows customers to actively participate in closing the fashion loop. Furthermore, Elementum strives to educate consumers about sustainable fashion practices through their online platform and social media channels. They raise awareness about the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry and provide tips for conscious and responsible consumption.
Impact in numbers:	What is the measured impact of this practice? (provide information if possible, if not please delete this row)
Environmental benefits:	Sustainable production with lowered waste production and lowered use of resources and energy
Social & economic benefits:	Impact on community of sustainable designers, promoting collaboration and sustainable fashion ideologies, ethical working conditions

Name:	Kimalé
Link:	https://kimale.co
Industry sector:	Sustainable Sourcing, Sustainable Fabrics
Location:	Athens, Greece
Description:	Kimalé is a socially responsible brand, promoting sustainable production by using, among others, traditional African textiles and artisanal handicrafts combined with Greek crafts and concepts. The idea is to create timeless high quality pieces in responsible stock volumes, following a slow fashion philosophy.  Kimalé sources their textiles from art craftsmen in Africa, whom they access to through Mariama Camara, a well-known entrepreneur in fashion, based in the Ivory Coast, who acts as intermediary actor between designers and local craftsmen. The concept of “post consumer zero waste” is integrated into Kimalé’s business ethic, providing an opportunity to reuse materials and reduce waste.
Environmental benefits:	Main principles of Kimalé: Zero waste: Utilise even the smallest piece of leftover fabric for creating new items (e.g. 100% of its accessories collection crafted from leftover production materials) No overproduction  Kimalé adheres to a “no overproduction” ethical system, ensuring each garment is accounted for, and information is accessible to customers The brand’s commitment to “no waste” extends to packaging, collaboration, and the creation of a second-hand heritage in new collections
Social & economic benefits:	Kimalé actively collaborates with various organizations and initiatives, such as the SoFFA cooperative and the non-profit association “les Piroguiers,” to create products like the PATI bag and source materials responsibly. Collaborations with Mariama Fashion Production and “Daphnis and Chloe” company showcase Kimalé’s commitment to providing resources, training, and awareness-raising initiatives. The brand fosters long-lasting relationships with workshops and suppliers, ensuring fair treatment for every person involved in the production process.
Technological & innovative benefits:	Kimalé embraces traditional techniques, such as batik, indigo dyeing, and handcrafted detailing, showcasing the beauty of human-made creations.

Name:	Ioana Ciolacu – Ethical trade
Link:	https://www.ioanaciolacu.com/
Industry sector:	Sustainable sourcing
Location:	Bucharest, Romania
Description:	They purchase fabrics and production services from roughly 15 suppliers, which are located in Europe. Their supply chain is predominantly composed of local small workshops that specialize in specific techniques and processes. All of their products are manufactured locally under good conditions, following a ban on child labor, forced labor, discrimination and in compliance with environmental legislation. They personally keep an eye on all service providers to make sure that local, ethical business practices, safe and fair working conditions, and the honest production of goods is supported.  Materials: they are the first fur-free retailer in Romania, and they source mostly sustainable material Made-to-order: Production is done at minimum stock and on a made-to-order basis Recycling: A portion of the leftover fabric from sewing Ioana Ciolacu clothing is delivered to the Romanian town of Calarasi to be utilized in the construction of traditional rag rugs. Repair: All customers benefit from the free repair service for garments affected by wear-and-tear
Environmental benefits:	Waste is minimized through production of made-to-order garments, selecting local and sustainable suppliers which are closely monitored
Social & economic benefits:	Supporting local manufacturers and enriching the local economy, Job creation through the suppose of local manufacturers, ensuring that all workers are treated fairly

Name:	MABO
Link:	https://www.mabo.it/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZGayDGIehM&t=29s
Industry sector:	Sustainable sourcing
Location:	Mabo has 5 operational centers, 2 offices in Italy, in Grumello and Telgate, Bergamo, other plants are in the United Kingdom, Romania, Ukraine and China.
Description:	The company produces 100% sustainable COROZO buttons. Corozo is a material made from the seeds of a palm tree, Phytelephas macrocarpa, which thrives in Ecuadorian microclimates. Corozo nuts contain a fluid material that solidifies when dried and takes on characteristics similar to ivory. Corozo: ·   comes from renewable sources; ·   is harvested from wild forests, without risks for biodiversity or dangers of deforestation; ·   has a reduced environmental impact; ·   is biodegradable; ·   its processing takes place without chemicals; ·   is dyed with a responsible water cycle.
Impact in numbers:	COROZO buttons are 100% sustainable.
Environmental benefits:	Each product is tagged by 5 icons defining its peculiar sustainability characteristics: sustainable chemistry; cobalt free; recycling; responsible water cycle; materials with low environmental impact. In addition the company has adopted several strategies for environmental sustainability: ·   has a corporate Code of Ethics; ·   has signed a REACH commitment; ·   has signed the DETOX-Greenpeace commitment for the elimination of toxic substances; ·   carefully plans waste and scrap management; ·   reduces water waste, by regenerating and recycling industrial wastewater.
Social & economic benefits:	The company selects suppliers of raw materials according to corporate sustainability standards.

Name:	Funky Buddha
Link:	https://www.funky-buddha.com/
Industry sector:	Sustainable sourcing
Location:	Greece
Description:	The brand has introduced a special sustainable clothing line, identifiable by a dedicated label, available both in stores and online. By the end of 2025, Funky Buddha aims to have over 1/3 of its products made from organic raw materials, including organic and BCI cotton, linen, recycled polyamide, lyocell, modal, and more. They provide training to designers on sustainable design and production, and collaborate with a clothing repair service that offers 20% discount to Funky Buddha customers.
Environmental benefits:	Since 2020, Funky Buddha provide training to all designers on sustainable production to achieve company’s objectives towards sustainability: By the end of 2023, Funky Buddha aims at zero-use of single-use plastics, and adoption of green-only packaging.  By the end of 2025, the collections will make the highest possible use of sustainable fabrics and Funky Buddha will try to achieve maximum renewable energy use for its HQ and stores all over the world. Manufacturing is placed (when possible) near the actual material sources.
Social & economic benefits:	Social benefit by employees’ upskilling Funky Buddha has brought the production of T-shirts, shorts, and sportswear back in Greece to ensure localization of supply chains.

Name:	HNST
Link:	https://www.letsbehonest.eu/
Industry sector:	Sustainable sourcing, Design for material cyclability
Location:	Belgium
Description:	HNST Studio is a trailblazer in sustainable fashion, driven by circular design principles and a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its products. The brand’s innovative approach covers various aspects, from materials and processes to ethical practices and circular consumption to create truly circular denim products. The brand’s commitment extends to educating designers on circular economy principles, reducing harmful processes, and ensuring transparency throughout the supply chain.
Impact in numbers	HNST produced denims with: –        56% recycled cotton, –        23% Greek cotton, and –        21% Tencel.  HNST denim only requires 361 litres of water per pair, which means this Belgian brand is reducing water consumption by 95% compared to industry standards. A pair of HNST jeans produces 4.16 kg of CO2 instead of 7.86 kg of CO2 produced by a conventional pair of jeans
Environmental benefits:	HNST Studio’s materials are exclusively recycled, organic, or responsibly sourced. The brand eliminates the use of fiber from endangered forest areas, maximizes renewable energy sources, and implements eco-friendly procedures in storage, transportation, and distribution. HNST Studio collaborates with Fabric Republic to manage surplus clothing through distribution to non-profits and recycling. The brand’s vertical supply chain transparency and emphasis on traceability demonstrate a commitment to innovation. HNST Studio’s unique manufacturing process encompasses seven steps, including harvesting, shredding, spinning, weaving, design, sewing, washing, and circular consumption. The brand’s circular design approach includes innovative features such as embroidered rivets, unscrewable and reusable buttons, and cellulose-based back patches, all contributing to a 100% natural and circular product.
Social & economic benefits:	Commitment to fair wages, ethical working conditions, and supporting a positive work environment reflects HNST Studio’s dedication to ethical practices. The brand’s entire supply chain is within the European Union, ensuring adherence to high social and environmental standards.
Other remarks:	HNST Studio not only embraces circular design but also educates consumers about its impact. The brand encourages customers to participate in circular consumption by offering repair services and a recycling program. HNST Studio’s commitment to transparency is evident in its detailed impact data and product pages, providing consumers with a clear understanding of the brand’s sustainable practices and materials.

Name:	O My Bag
Link:	www.omybagamsterdam.com
Industry sector:	Sustainable Sourcing, Innovations in Textile Production
Location:	Amsterdam, Netherlands & Kolkata, India
Description:	Focuses on ethical practices and social impact through their operations in India. Emphasizes environmentally sustainable and socially responsible production. O My Bag uses premium-quality eco-leathers, tanned without harmful chemicals like chromium and the newly introduced vegan leather alternative made from apple waste.
Impact in numbers:	1004 fairly paid jobs in India 12500 l recycled water during leather tanning process  2221 bags saved from landfilling  The average percentage of female employees in the main factories in India is 19,2% compared to the industry average of 7% 36% of shipping is done by sea, and the brand’s shipping emissions are offset with the GoodShipping Program, ensuring carbon-neutral international shipping.
Environmental benefits:	Carbon-neutral shipping for a significant portion of their supply chain. The brand uses certified recycled and organic cotton for its lining and canvas collection, and environmentally friendly tanned leather.. Premium quality leather is tanned without chromium, and instead, vegetable tannins are used, verified by independent laboratories. O My Bag collaborates with Leather Working Group (LWG) certified tanneries, ensuring responsible management of water, wastewater, air emissions, and energy use. The brand’s stores and office run on renewable electricity, reflecting a commitment to environmental sustainability.
Social & economic benefits:	Provides fair jobs and positively impacts lives through social projects in India.
Other remarks:	They focus on sustainable materials and reducing their environmental footprint, suggesting responsible sourcing practices. This includes ensuring that the materials used in their products are sourced in an environmentally and socially responsible manner​​. O My Bag’s B Corp certification, traceability of tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, and engagement in impact partnerships highlight its dedication to ethical and sustainable practices.