Certification can't solve problems, shift in industry mindset essential
Bluesign Technologies AG was founded in Switzerland in 2000. Bluesign provides a unique combination of expertise in key segments of the textile and apparel industry, such as chemistry, textile technology, environmental technology, supply chain management and brand corporate social responsibility (CSR). CEO Jill Dumain talks at length about certification beyond environment health and safety (EHS), the growing potential in India and offers a sneak peek into Bluesign's fifth conference in Milan in an interview with Fibre2Fashion.
Tell us about your latest collaboration with the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Foundation (ZDHC), a group of apparel and footwear brands and retailers working together to lead the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. What common goals do you plan to achieve through this?
We share the common goal with ZDHC of cleaning up the chemical and textile industry on a global scale. There are some very good textile companies working in our industry but many that need to build their knowledge and capacity. Our goal for the industry is to create the opportunity to meet these needs and determine the best requirements for chemical management that will put the industry on a path to the highest level of protection for the people in the supply chain as well as the environment. Bluesign is proud to be the first and the only level 3 certifier in the ZDHC Gateway with an existing holistic chemical management system that has been proven for the last 18 years.
How do you ensure certified companies maintain sustainability standards? What is the frequency of inspection and audits that you run in a year with a partner?
We do not certify companies, we certify products. The Bluesign system was set up intentionally as a partnership that provides the ability to companies to manage risks and comply with the Bluesign criteria as part of a mutually agreed upon roadmap. This is the document that guides companies through their journey that is created following the first assessment. During the implementation phase, we maintain close contact with the company to ensure that the agreed actions are implemented. A company has to solve the critical issues before it can go forward into a system partnership and then continue to provide data on an annual basis. We guide and coach them through the process and do a follow up on-site assessment every three years. This allows the company the time to implement the more complicated initiatives.
This segment is beginning to get crowded. What is the USP of your company?
The USP is the systemic and holistic approach of the Bluesign system; the very thing we pioneered 18 years ago. The foundation of the system is the unique approach to Input Stream Management throughout the value chain. The support, insight and acceptance by the chemical industry builds a strong foundation for the entire industry. As a solution provider providing services, Bluesign is less seen as a control organisation, but more as a valuable partner to support companies on their journey towards more sustainable and transparent practices.
Traceability is also one of the key USPs of the Bluesign system. We can track a Bluesign approved garment from the fabric lot to the chemicals used in textile processing to the chemical supplier that supplied them. We have the Bluesign Academy to ensure that the system is updated with new emerging knowledge and findings to keep us relevant to the very dynamic textile chemical industry. And lastly but maybe the most important are our system partners. These partners with their expertise and experience help enrich this system. Thus, our system is a network of the frontrunner 'sustainable' organisations across the textile value chain and with its use, it becomes much easier for our system partners to comply with new regulations, findings and requirements in this ever changing world.
How has the sustainability certification industry evolved? Has it moved beyond EHS?
The good news is there are many initiatives today and that points to a lot of interest and concern in the sector. But that also makes it challenging to understand the different services that are being offered by so many certifications. The industry has evolved to still include EHS but also a broader range of topics. Consumers are increasingly interested to know where and how their products are made and therefore, transparency in the supply chain is becoming more important. For transparency, a company needs traceability. The Bluesign system provides the most robust traceability in the industry with the ability to work from brand to textile manufacturers to chemical suppliers.
The system was built so that information can flow up and down the value chain in a manner that allows any of the Bluesign system partners to be transparent with its own information. The traceability of the system enables transparency. Also EHS shouldn't be minimised because so few certifications go for an onsite assessment the way Bluesign does. The best protection for the people in the supply chain and the environment is done by visiting all the manufacturing locations to ensure that they produce in a responsible manner. Chemical exposure can lead to chronic health issues as well as immediate ones. Therefore, it is critical for the protection of these people that proper practices are in place when they are working with chemicals.
Which segments within the textile industry is Bluesign gaining traction - brands, manufacturers, processing houses?
Bluesign has enjoyed growth in all sectors in the last few years. We have had numerous conversations with brands and retailers that are outside of our traditional sector of sports and outdoor and much more focused on fashion. The Bluesign system is perfect for this sector because we have proved we can operate in the most complex chemical and textile processes. These brands make the request to their textile manufacturers to use Bluesign approved chemistry from our chemical suppliers thus growing this foundation. We work to have all three sectors strong so that there is a broad range to choose from when sourcing new products. We are having our fifth Bluesign conference in October this year and will focus on helping everyone - both system partners and non-system partners - to build a network for sourcing and fulfilling customer requests.
Where does India stand when it comes to sustainability in clothing and textiles?
India has a deep relationship with textiles from a social and cultural point of view. I think India has the ability to very much impact the future of the sustainability movement in the clothing and textile industry. There is great hope for the textile industry in India.
Bluesign started in 2015 with one chemical supplier in India. By the end of 2017, we had five Indian suppliers in our system with more on their way. If this trend continues, 10 per cent of our chemical suppliers will be from India by 2019. We are well equipped in India and are convinced there is a future market for Bluesign, especially in the cotton industry, and look forward to working with more textile companies to be part of India's sustainable future.
Also with the central government's "5F" vision declared in 2017 of Farm to Fibre to Fabric to Fashion to Foreign for sustainable textile value chains, India is taking the right steps on the path towards sustainability. The industry needs guidance to understand the vast amount of chemistry used that may pose a risk to the people and environment as well as the consumers. With expertise in chemistry, textile manufacturing and CSR, the Bluesign system is the only practical way to have sustainable and safe production with our approach of input stream management. Sustainability is a continuous journey and involves collaboration of expertise of various stakeholders in the complex textile supply chain. Bluesign with its expertise, vast network of system partners and various tools, such as Bluefinder, a search engine for 10,000+ safe dyes and chemicals for textile, Blueguide, a search engine for Bluesign-approved fabric, and BlueXpert, a resource-saving calculator, is looking forward to partnering with the Indian textile industry to achieve true sustainability.
Can certifications solve the issue of keeping the supply chain transparent and clean?
Certifications can help, but just a certificate will not solve the problems of the industry. A shift in the mindset of the industry is necessary if we are going to stop the polluting practices. The adoption of the best available techniques in textiles will be critical to reduce pollution and decrease resource use with resources becoming scarcer around the world.
How many brands and manufacturers are Bluesign certified?
We will surpass 600 system partners, including chemical suppliers, this year.
Where do Bluesign certified companies hail from? What is the size of the companies?
The partner base of Bluesign reflects the globalisation of the textile industry with all sectors of system partners represented in most areas in the world. The majority of the brands are in Europe and North America but Asia is now starting and we hope India will soon too! Textile manufacturers are clustered in Asia but they are also located in Europe and the Americas. The chemical suppliers are also diversified, coming from Europe, the Americas and Asia.
We are able to work with companies of different sizes from huge global enterprises to small and medium ones as well. The ability to work with the smaller ones that have fewer resources is an area that is important to us with brands, textile manufacturers and chemical suppliers.
What will be the agenda for the 5th Bluesign conference in Milan?
We are excited for the 5th Bluesign conference where we will focus on TraceAbility-NetworkAbility-TransformAbility. Given the size of the Bluesign system today, we believe there is a great opportunity to achieve all of these. There will be ample opportunites to build up personal networks up and down the value chain and we will have a wide variety of speakers who are expected to open the way we all think about the future of our industry, the health of the people in it and the planet we all dwell in. And to conclude with a favorite quote from Gandhi: "Be the change you want to see in the world". (HO)
What is the amount a company needs to invest to get certified? What is the return on investment? How much time does it take to change the process and get products verified?
As the Bluesign system is a holistic approach and based on site compliance and not just a product certification, the investments for companies depends on their current level of sustainable performance. The investment for the Bluesign services and consultancy is dependent on the size and complexity of a company, but it is usually the smaller part of shifting business practices to a more sustainable model.
The RoI for a company is a function of how much work the company needs to do to fulfill the Bluesign criteria. In addition to monetary savings, risk minimisation and image improvement are also parts of the RoI. With textile manufacturers and chemical suppliers, the time depends on the ability of the company, but it is typically at least a year-long process. For brands, we work on a long-term roadmap with them that usually becomes a part of their overall sustainable strategy.
