Ensuring Integrity in the Ensuring Integrity in the

Textile Supply ChainTextile Supply ChainA review of standards and strategies to

support sustainability claims for textiles

Anne Gillespie

2011 International Forum of

Sustainability in Textile

Industry

Taipei - October, 2011

• 9: South America

• 5: Australasia

• 50: Europe

• 10: Africa

What we do.

We inspire and equip We inspire and equip We inspire and equip We inspire and equip

people to accelerate people to accelerate people to accelerate people to accelerate

sustainable practices in sustainable practices in sustainable practices in sustainable practices in

the textile value chain. the textile value chain. the textile value chain. the textile value chain.

Integrity is the backbone

of all our efforts to create

a more sustainable

textile industry.

Integrity in business is about more than just purity of

intentions: it means understanding and taking all of the necessary

steps to ensure that positive change is being achieved for the

environment and/or communities. This involves understanding the

sustainability issues being addressed, having a life-cycle approach,

taking steps to verify the truth and accuracy of all claims being made,

and being transparent.

What is certification?Who is everyone?What tools do we have?What are the issues?What are the solutions?

What is certification?

• independent standard

• professional 3rd party certification bodies

• planned and unannounced inspection visits

to companies:

• interview staff

• view operations

• verify paperwork

• check procedures

• evaluation and certification by a separate

certifier

• annual renewal

Yarn Spinners

Fabric Mill

GarmentMaker

Brand

RM

RM

RM

RM

RMRM

RM

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

TC

GinsRaw Material Source

RM

RM

RM RM

RM

RM

RM

RM

RM

RM

RM

OC

TC

Brand

Standard

+

Certification Body

Who is everyone?

• Farmers, collectors, processors, spinning mills, knitters,

weavers, converters, sewing factories

• Traders, wholesalers, brands, retailers, consumers

• Standards owners, certification bodies, accreditation

agencies

• Industry organizations, ngo’s, government agencies

What tools do we have?

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCS

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCS

B2B

Verification

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCS

Content Claim

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCS

Product Claim

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCSFull Production

Claim

• OE 100 and OE Blended

• CCS + organic farm certification +

logo/labeling guidelines

• All organically produced materials

• 3rd party certification

OE Standards v3

• CCS + recycled input certification + logo/labeling

guidelines

• Will apply to all recycled inputs

• 3rd party certification

RC 100 and RC Blended

GRS v3

• Working group: Textile Exchange, Levis, H&M,

Central Textiles, Hong Kong Non-Woven, ICEA,

Control Union and Martex

• CCS

• Chemicals

• Source certification and FTC definition

• 3rd party certification

GRS v3

What are the issues?

• Certification costs

• transparency of costs

• overlapping standards

• transaction certificate costs

• Understanding of the supply chain

• Consumer recognition

• Big picture view is missing

• Inconsistent requirement and interpretations of standards

• varying formats for tc’s and sc’s

• certification bodies apply the standards differently

• differences in terminology

• Fraud

What are the solutions?

• Understanding of the supply chain

• Consumer recognition

Educational tools, training seminars, resources, outreach

• Certification costs

• transparency of costs

• overlapping standards

• transaction certificate costs

• Big picture view is missing

• Inconsistent requirement and interpretations of standards

• varying formats for tc’s and sc’s

• certification bodies apply the standards differently

• differences in terminology

• Fraud

Collaboration among standards organizations and certification

bodies, greater transparency, new systems, use of common

standards when possible

Content Claim Standard

• The CCS is a third-party certified standard that verifies

the amount of a given raw material in a product.

• It is being used as a foundation for recycled and organic

cotton standards, and can also be used on its own.

• It is a chain of custody standard that allows companies

to stand behind the claims they are making about their

products.

• It requires that each organization along the supply chain

takes sufficient steps to ensure that the integrity and

identity of the raw material is preserved.

• The CCS can be used to support any raw material input

• It does not validate any claims about a product beyond

the amount of a specific material that is in it.

• There is no consumer-facing logo for the stand-alone

CCS.

Being able to verify a specific content claim is a fundamental step in

ensuring product integrity.

Su

pp

ly C

ha

in c

ert

ifie

d t

o C

CS

Yarns

Fabrics

Sewn Goods

Dyeing/Finis

hing

Final Product

for sale to

consumers

Designated

Raw Material

RC100

RC BLENDED

• water emissions

• air emissions

• resource productivity

• OHAS

• chemicals

• energy use

RC BLENDED

RC100

CCS

Labeling Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

Chemical

Social

CCS

Enviro

Labeling

CCS

Labeling

Labeling

Organic farm

standardOrganic farm

standard

Recycled input

standard

Recycled input

standard

CCS

TC’s

SC’s

Centralized

Database

Brands,

Manufacturers

(companies receiving

goods certified to the

given standard

Standards Body

(owner of the given

standard)

Certification Bodies

(certifying to the

given standard)

Filter

Aggregate Reporting

Centralized Database

Thank You!