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FACE TO FACE
company needed to back up its claims. “The organic Continental helped develop the methodology and turned out that really, in terms of clothing items, it is
standard was easy. In our case, it’s the Soil based calculations on primary data collected in the of no importance whether you produce your T shirt in
Association that is certifying the product under the field. Birmingham, in Portugal, or China. It really is
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS),” says “So if we wanted to know the impact of the negligible in terms of distances provided you don’t fly
Mariusz. “In terms of ethical trading, we have the transport of the cotton from the fields to the factory, it in, but you ship it by sea.”
SA8000 and it is certified by the SGS, which is the we knew the registration of every single truck that Sustainability, he argues, is not only about minimizing
global leader in auditing certification. carried that cotton. We knew what make they were negative impacts but also about maximising positive
“Then it was a question of the climate change issue and what the emissions were,” says Mariusz. “The impacts. “So your choices are not only about
– and there wasn’t an existing standard. There was main challenges were inputs that were outside of our reducing the harm, but also to bring out as much
nothing that you could benchmark against. At the controls.” good as possible and by doing that you can help
time, there wasn’t even an agreed way of calculating Approaching chemical companies for data, CCC had local economies. You can help global economies
the effect on climate,” he continues. to explain their rationale, and that there would be ultimately.
The impact of every part of the manufacturing benefits to them as well. “It’s only about how you make it, rather than where
process had to be calculated, from planting the you make it, and that is the bottom line.”
seeds, transporting the cotton and analysing the The bulk of CCC’s products are made in Turkey, with
dyes, to the footprint of the effluent. a small factory in China making sweatshirts.
“It was difficult to set the boundary,” says Mariusz. “The one common aspect and the starting point to
“At what stage did we stop? Did we calculate the sustainable manufacturing and ethical clothing is
footprint of the sewing machine itself? Was that part traceability. If you cannot trace your product all the
of the product?” way back to the field, you have lost your battle.
“We wanted to know ourselves, what difference it “We have full traceability of all our products in
made – the fact that we had all our electricity Turkey. We have completed the first stage of
generated by renewable sources. Whether it was a collecting data in the field to carbon footprint all our
worthwhile difference, or was it just a gimmick?” production. So by doing that, we know where the
CCC also wanted to communicate its findings to cotton comes from. We know some of the growers
others. At that point, they joined the Carbon Trust’s personally,” he adds.
pilot programme. “They were developing the “We are fairly unique and the reason for that is in
methodology for calculating the footprint of products the way our supply chain is set up. We produce from
and services in conjunction with the British Standards one factory in Turkey with whom we have had an
Institute and DEFRA, and they were piloting the intimate relationship for many years. They only make
footprinting of some products,” continues Mariusz. “There would be lessons to draw from it. We would for us.
“There were only three products at the time Walkers share the data with them, so there would be Our business profile is such that we can produce at
crisps, Botanics shampoo by Boots, and Innocent something in return, and basically we explained to full capacity all the time, with very little fluctuation in
smoothies. All three were relatively simple products them that this would be the right thing to do,” says the production volume, which is very very unusual for
to calculate in terms of their life cycle. But a textile Mariusz. “And they all agreed.” a clothing supply chain because there are always
product has a lot more to it. Fujifilm even disclosed the full make up of all their seasonal ups and downs.”
“So we joined that because rather than devising our inks, both water-based and discharge. Continental as a company is also carbon neutral, as it
own methodology we wanted to adopt something “It was very encouraging and everybody in the chain offsets 36 tons through the Sichuan province
that others had already thought about. of processes involved in collecting the data was very hydropower project which is local to its factory and a
“It was a case of ‘here are the boundaries and this is enthusiastic, helpful and eager,” recalls Mariusz. further 90 tons through the largest windfarm in
what you have got to calculate’ – and as it Developing the range was one thing, but the other Turkey, close to its Turkish factory. However, Mariusz
happened the methodology was remarkably close to thing was what to do with all the information that plays down its significance, and rather concentrates
our way of thinking about it. was amassed. on the actual reductions achieved in the
“Secondly,” he adds, “we needed to independently “First, we footprinted the products, then we manufacturing.
verify our claim because we knew that if we brought footprinted the screenprint which goes onto them, “The idea of offsetting is fine in the short term but at
a product to the market without solid credentials, now we have completed and launched the final the same time it is very easy to misuse. It opens the
there would immediately be others copycats who consumer label where we footprinted the user door to so-called greenwash,” says Mariusz. “A
would launch something and make similar claims, contribution to it – your washing, your drying, couple of new T shirt brands on the market say that
knowing that there was no way of substantiating your ironing, your disposal and so on, to they are carbon zero – in fact they are carbon neutral
it.” have a complete picture from cradle to because they calculated the carbon footprint and
Verification was important in terms of how grave. they offset it.
much the product would impress itself on the “We know what makes a real difference “So, essentially, the key is not offsetting; the key is
new market, adds Mariusz. and we know what the myths are. In a way, reduction. Because ultimately, we have to reduce, not
“If we say ok, here is a product and it would be completely unethical on our offset.
it’s 90% reduced C02, and the part to keep the information to ourselves. “You really need to know what you are doing and do
Carbon Trust have calculated it, it “So we are writing a full report that will it for the right reasons, rather than to have just a
has a completely different be useful to everyone involved, starting piece of paper.”
dimension to it. with the people who grow cotton, For more information visit
“The carbon footprinting was an through garment designers, graphic www.continentalclothing.com
incredibly important missing piece designers, logistic managers, production
of the jigsaw. It wasn’t meant to managers – everyone throughout the
stand on its own. It was meant to chain, including retailers and consumers.”
complete the holistic approach.” To make something truly ethical, Mariusz
Under the current British standard, believes you have to look at it on
the carbon footprint is verified balance. “You have to say: where are
once every two years. “To get re- the trade-offs? Where are the choices?
certified, you have to show at least And by doing that, very often you
a 5% reduction. They have this break down myths and
policy of ‘reduce it or lose it’,” adds misconceptions.
Mariusz. “People are talking, for example, about
Because of the way their supply food miles and this thing that the same
chain was set up, and because they applies to clothes,” Mariusz continues. “But
have full control and transparency, when I did our CO2 life cycle analysis, it
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk July 2009 | 69 |
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