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ESG and Sustainability Solutions for The Textile Industry

“At SgT, we believe that a deep on-the-ground manufacturing experience brings pragmatic solutions to your sustainability challenges.”

The Reality of Textile Production & the Environment

Despite increased awareness about sustainability, the fashion industry’s environmental impact remains significant. Those statistics are staggering and have led to a significant increase in regulations related to the issue. This rising regulatory pressure, together with increasing expectations from consumers and other stakeholders, has led to many companies establishing sustainability targets.

 

Adopting sustainable practices can give businesses a competitive edge, attract eco-conscious customers, and position them as industry leaders as regulations and consumer preferences evolve.

 

However, setting targets is only the first step. Companies need to take action to achieve their goals and monitor their progress towards them. By doing so, they can ensure that they successfully meet their sustainability targets, avoid the risk of negatively impacting their reputation or facing compliance issues, and prevent the unethical practice of “greenwashing”.

 

Our sustainability vision is centered around our commitment to helping our customers make their sustainability promises a reality.​

 

SgT believes that sustainability plays an important role in the success of any business. We are committed to providing innovative solutions that support sustainability efforts. ​

 

Sustainability is deeply ingrained in the DNA of our organization. We want to inspire our customers and the supply chain to take action. We share in-field knowledge and industry expertise and offer practical solutions to help deliver real progress.

The reality of textile production to the environment

SgT’s Solutions for Sustainable Textiles

Based on our on-the-ground experience in the textile industry, we have developed a range of Textile Sustainability Services, to help you overcome manufacturing challenges and achieve your sustainability goals.

1) Manufacturing ESG Services

  • Social Audits:
    • SLCP – The Social And Labor Convergence Program
  • Environmental audits:
    • Environmental Assessment Tool (developed by SgT)
  • Facility Chemical Management Audit (FCMA)
  • Higg FEM Verification:
    Cascale which develops the Higg Index has approved SgT’s verifiers to:
    • Verify and validate the self-assessment score of a factory that is using the Higg FEM 4.0.
    • Provide a performance improvement plan as per Higg FEM 4.0 verification protocol.

2) Product Sustainability Services

SgT’s experts work with you to identify opportunities to improve a product’s environmental performance, with the following services:

  • Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040/14044): full or screening data confirmation, modelling and reporting to assess a product’s environmental impact either from cradle to grave or from cradle to cradle.
  • Life Cycle Assessment Critical Review: fair and reasonable 3rd party evaluation of your LCA to ensure its transparency and credibility.
  • Product Carbon Footprint (ISO 14067) / Water, Energy and Ecological Footprints

3) Substantiating environmental claims

An environmental claim, also called a green claim, is an assertion made by brands, retailers and suppliers about the environmental qualities or characteristics of their goods or processes.

  • Recycled Polyester Lab Verification: Scientific proof to verify, quantify and validate the recycled polyester in your products.
  • Green Claims Verification: Verify and validate the assertions made about the environmental qualities and impact of your materials, products or processes.
  • Testing of SVHC
  • Testing of MOSH, MOAH, BPA and Phthalates

4) Supply Chain Traceability Services

  • Supply Chain Traceability: assessment and validation of the percentage of post-consumer, post-industrial or total recycled content.
Technical advisory

5) Sustainable Textiles Academy

A comprehensive set of training for internal teams, suppliers and factories. Available in English or your local language. SgT offers training to improve your team’s knowledge on sustainability in textiles and fashion:

  • Environmental Management & Assessment
  • Chemical Management & Assessment
  • Carbon Footprint in Textiles & Fashion
  • Environmental Footprints (Carbon, Water, Energy and Ecological footprints)
  • Textiles Product Life Cycle Assessment
  • Cascale-approved Higg Index FEM 4.0 Training
  • Social Compliance Training
  • Health and Safety training
  • Traceability training

SgT also provides extra help with reading materials like blogs, newsletters, and e-books for further research on training topics.

The Benefits of Sustainability:
Why Does Sustainable Fashion Matter?

1) Environmental Compliance & Risk Management

Become a proactive industry leader in environmental compliance. As environmental, social, and governance (ESG) transparency grows in importance, fashion companies will need to do more. Getting ahead of the requirements will also make it easier to comply with any new future regulations.

2) Save Costs with More Efficient Production Methods

Lower Energy & Resource Usage

It may require some initial investment to implement ‘green’ production processes. However, successful initiatives in energy and resource reduction have demonstrated that sustainability can reduce production expenses.

3) Increased Sales

Today’s consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious. 66% of global consumers say they are willing to pay more for sustainable apparel brands. Differentiate your products from your competitors and appeal to sustainability seekers by implementing initiatives for sustainability and improving the quality of your textiles and apparel.

4) Improved Positive Impact on the Planet

We can all agree that reducing the environmental impact of our products is good for the planet. Climate change and pollution are becoming more visible. This makes it even more important to take action.

5) Brand Reputation and consumer loyalty

In today’s world of social media, a brand’s reputation is more delicate than ever before. Consumers are quick to express their opinions, and negative publicity can spread rapidly. Sustainable practices can help fashion brands build an authentic image. This can foster customer loyalty and attract those who value the company’s positive impact.

Why Choose SgT?

  • Cross expertise: CSR + Sustainability + Technical departments working closely together. Combining knowledge and expertise to provide CAP to factories.
  • Field Experience: Our experts visit mills and factories daily. We understand manufacturers and factories, industry practices, and what to look out for. Additionally, we conduct regular on-site training to keep up with industry/factory evolutions.
  • Analyze Issues: Understand the root causes of issues identified on-site
  • Sustainability training/seminars