Nike, NASA, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development kicked off their two-day LAUNCH 2020 summit to discuss the sustainability of materials and unveiled the LAUNCH 2013 Challenge Statement open call for innovation to transform the system of producing fabrics. 150 materials specialists, manufacturers, scientists and entrepreneurs convened to kick off the summit at the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon, all focused on improving sustainability within the supply chain by seeking innovation in material production. Read more…

Some companies are suddenly realizing that they haven’t complied with a disclosure law that went into effect a year ago in the state of California. That law, the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010, requires every company that does business in the State and has over $100 million in annual revenue to disclose their efforts to identify and eradicate human trafficking and slavery in their supply chain. It’s an effort by California to make consumers aware of the role that companies play in addressing this human rights issue … and some companies have let the effort go unnoticed. Read more…

Maker and seller beware! The European Union’s “RoHS” hazardous-substances restriction scheme is undergoing a significant recast and it’s critical that manufacturers and distributors of electrical and electronic equipment in EU markets familiarize themselves with the new rules and prepare accordingly. We’ve been watching these developments and offer the following observations and advice.

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There has been a good deal of publicity about the efforts of certain companies in the apparel industry to address the complex sustainability challenges facing this group.

But just what is a “sustainable” apparel company, from an environmental responsibility standpoint? At a high level, it’s a company that mitigates the four primary environmental impacts associated with all types of business activity: greenhouse gas emissions; water quality and availability; chemicals/toxins and waste. From a more detailed perspective, here are some of the hallmarks of a sustainable apparel business:

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One of the key components in getting senior management to green light strategic and tactical work in environmental and social responsibility is a well-supported business case. Some areas of sustainability are readily subject to a fairly traditional ROI-based business case, but in some other instances you’ll need to make some “soft” arguments as well. And in some areas, your case will rest heavily on the risk mitigation and/or brand value benefits from your sustainability work. Let’s look at best practices in building your business case in each of these situations.

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