Sustainability - It’s a journey not a destination
With a focus on sustainability in recent years, SBD was engaged by one of our existing clients to assist them with improving transparency in their supply chain and the inherent social and environmental impacts. With a focus on raw material sourcing, manufacturing and packaging, the brand was committed to working with suppliers that shared the same sustainable goals and transitioning to more sustainable practices.
SBD’s initial enquiries in the market resulted in many barriers such as green washing, false claims and band-aid solutions. Discussions with varied suppliers would yield the same response including product limitations, unverified certifications, excessive MOQ’s or inaccessible prices. Perseverance in researching and educating in this space however has proven critical in SBD finding suppliers who are aligned with the brand’s values and sourcing materials that meet quality, performance and pricing requirements.
With a continued focus, SBD has successfully implemented improvements for the brand in raw material sourcing, manufacturing and packaging. The brand is now using raw materials from reliable sources including suppliers licensed by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Leather Working Group (LWG), has achieved full transparency to tier 3 in their supply chain and working with manufacturers agreeable to regular social and environmental audits in alignment with SEDEX. The brand has also recently launched their new sustainably sourced and designed packaging.
As experienced by this brand, it can be overwhelming to know where to start when setting out to create a transparent and sustainable supply chain. With all the information available in this space it can be difficult to pinpoint what will add value to your brand. For any size business, mapping out your supply chain and assessing each tier is the best place to start.
Look at the pros and cons of each element and identify any gaps in information. Areas that need attention or the ‘low hanging fruit’ will normally become visible in this process and any improvements implemented will make an impact to the business. For example,
Do you know where your raw materials are sourced from and have they been certified?
Are your suppliers audited regularly for workers conditions and environmental management issues such as emissions or waste disposal? Have they agreed to work under your brand’s environmental, social and ethical policies?
Are you currently using virgin paper or plastic packaging? Can it be recycled easily by the customer?
Do you have a take back scheme for customers to return unwanted garments?
It is important to remember that it is a continual journey, one that needs regular review and adjusting or refining your goals. With this in mind, set immediate tangible goals for improvement and also long term strategic goals to be reviewed as your brand grows.
If you think SBD can assist you with your brand’s sustainable journey, we welcome you to get in touch.