Textile Insight

textileinsight.com 30 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2018 INDUSTRY REPORT / FORECAST 2018 are an ingredient brand and our product is made from recycled silver, we continue to work with our partner brands on streamlining the supply chain." Corporate Introspection & Collaborative Efforts Across the board, suppliers are implementing sustainability measures that go beyond chemical footprint to industry collaboration and mutual understanding of navigating an ethical supply chain. Increasingly the job is about helping brands make better choices and bringing to market sustainably focused innovations. PrimaLoft has long been committed to sustaining an ethical and environmentally sound business, and that will continue to be a top priority in 2018, says PrimaLoft president Mike Joyce. "Ninety percent of PrimaLoft insulation products will include at least 50 percent recycled content by 2020, while maintaining the same industry-leading performance levels, as a result of supply chain advancements." In addition, PrimaLoft is expanding its network of global eco partners, including bluesign, Oeko-Tex, Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the Global Recycle Standard, among others. "Responsible sourcing and sustainable practices are not a business strategy, they are a part of our culture," Joyce states. Downlite has recently gone through "a deep dive to better understand who we are, as an organization, and what makes us unique," according to Chad Altbaier, VP Downlite Outdoor. He highlights the company's core value of good stewardship. "In short, doing the right thing even when no one else is looking. This was critical to us in working with our outdoor partners to collaborate and support traceability certification standards that allow our brand partners, their consumers, and Downlite the ability to sleep well at night knowing that no unnecessary harm was done throughout our supply chain." Gore, too, uses its corporate history as a launching point for responsibility goals going forward. Michelle Lea, business leader, consumer oriented fabrics, outlines three fundamentals to Gore's approach to environmental stewardship: Belief in sound science delivering the basis for our decisions and programs; the application of the Life Cycle Assessment as key scientific methodology to understand where the biggest impact in reducing the environmental footprint can be made; and insight from the LCA that enhancing product durability is the best way to minimize the environmental footprint. Gore Fabrics has also established Guidelines on Social Responsibility. "These Guidelines set forth our expectations regarding fair labor requirements, positive working environments, compliance with legal and environmental regulations and other topics. In addition to following these guidelines within Gore Fabrics, we expect our suppliers, business partners, distributors, and any other representatives to maintain this same level of social responsibility," says Lee. Chemours' Buck sums up the situation stating, "Key to all this is that it's great for individuals to do good, but when lots of companies unite to do good, that's when you get the biggest impact." O "When I walk into meetings, what gets mentioned first are certifications like RDS and bluesign. These are the boxes being checked. And then comes product." Chris Parkes, Concept III C O N F I D E N C E I N T E X T I L E S

• Cover