"The action plan we have just passed includes, on the one hand, our existing activities to promote more sustainable textiles, which we also intend to uphold going forward, and on the other, new agreed objectives. In total, the action plan comprises 100 objectives. In this respect, I am delighted to be already disclosing our action plan in anticipation of the final publication next year. Through this disclosure, we are demonstrating both our commitment to the Partnership and our willingness to provide transparency about our objectives," said Torsten Stau, managing director Non Food at Rewe Group.
One of the objectives included in the action plan is to initiate training courses in 2017 with selected factories in China and Bangladesh to improve chemicals management. A training programme is also being developed in relation to social standards. Within the partnership for Sustainable Textiles, the company is also taking part in the chemicals and environmental management expert panel to formulate common standards and in a task force for joint training measures for local factories.
The company has already succeeded in increasing the proportion of textiles manufactured from more sustainable cotton from 56 per cent (in 2015) to 70 per cent (in 2017). "This represents a significant achievement. We intend to increase this percentage further in the future," Stau added.
For the year 2017, the company intends to identify a suitable provider for an environmental management programme to subsequently start a pilot project. (RR)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India