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The textile industry has a complex supply chain that lacks transparency. It is also faced with serious sustainability challenges: water and energy use, greenhouse gases, pollution and poor working conditions.
As a buyer, what can you do to help bring about a circular supply chain? There's no ready-made solution, but collaboration throughout the chain pays dividends and often leads to new and better solutions.
A clear plan with feasible goals also makes it easier to make good choices within your organisation for your specifications. Read our tips and examples for purchasing sustainable workwear, protective equipment and linen.
Some examples
Circular strategies
Ensure that every employee has the right amount of clothing, based on what is actually needed. Have suppliers take measurements digitally to avoid incorrect orders.
Use a good tracking system to keep track of where clothes are, what condition they are in and how long they last. That way, you can also take back clothing when employees leave.
Signing up to a rental or leasing system can be a worthwhile choice, provided it is verified that the owner of the clothes has sufficient commitment to extending the useful life. Clear agreements on reuse and processing are essential for clothes being used longer, closing the loop and avoiding waste. When choosing between leasing or buying, various factors must be carefully considered.
Go for less volume and material types in the design, without skimping on function and comfort. Limit inventories and give priority to basic pieces that can be used by other customers. That way, you avoid waste when logos change or if you enter into other contracts that stipulate uniformity.
Reduce production waste by efficiently cutting patterns and making good use of off-cuts.
Pay attention not only to fuel consumption during transport, but also to cleaner fuels during maintenance. When choosing materials, you need to take into account performance, maintenance and longevity. The Motiv buying guide provides good information. Talk with people in the chain and discuss your organisation's priorities.
Insight into the materials used: EU labels show the fibre composition but not whether it is recycled, biobased or virgin. Ask the supplier for a materials passport if there is one.
Use more recycled materials: consult with suppliers to set out achievable requirements. Possibilities vary by fibre type. Differentiate between consumer waste and manufacturing waste. Certifications such as BQA-CER and Global Recycled Standard help with verification.
Use more biobased material: consult the Guide to Circular Business Textiles and EU GPP Criteria for information on biobased fibres and their environmental impact.
Reduced transport impact: include criteria for transport if relevant. Keep packaging to a minimum, but make sure it protects from contamination and damage. For example, ask for reusable coat hangers and covers for hanging transport. Use the generic criterion for packaging and EU GPP criteria as inspiration.
Make contractual arrangements for maintenance and repair; for example, with an industrial laundry or in-house service instead of washing at home. Good maintenance and timely repairs extend the life.
Design with a long lifespan in mind: include requirements for colour and shape fastness and strength of material and seams (see EU GPP criteria). Keep the design simple with fewer parts to avoid defects. Consciously choose extra reinforcement where needed. Only apply post-treatments that extend the useful life without making recycling tricky.
Think about repair and maintenance: stipulate that spare parts must be available for at least two years and ask for a price list. Take into account washing durability and ease of care, as these are decisive for the useful life and cost of use. For example, state how many washes the product should be able to withstand. When choosing fibre, also consider energy consumption for washing, drying and ironing.
Opt for modular/changeable design: make sure parts susceptible to wear are easily replaceable.
Ask advice on use: have the supplier provide instructions for optimal maintenance, including for employees who wash their own clothes.
Design for disassembly: ensure that buttons, zips, names, logos, etc. can be easily removed or reprinted. Consider velcro or dissolvable thread instead of embroidered names or grades on work clothes.
Make agreements regarding take-back: include in your requirements that the supplier takes back used products for reuse. Ask for assurances and openness to be sure that clothing is actually being reused. Make sure there is clean, dry storage, and make agreements about removing logos and names. It is important to have a good internal or external system for collecting used clothing.
Encourage circular business models: enter into contracts with recycling centres or reuse centres. They can give usable products a second life, while the rest is collected by licensed processors. That way, good clothing gets a new use and the rest is processed responsibly.
Design for recycling: make sure buttons, names, logos are easily removable. Choose one type of material (mono-material) and group parts with similar materials. One type of fibre means that fibre-to-fibre recycling is possible, where the material is processed back into yarn. That is better than low-grade applications such as insulation material. Be careful with a mix of colours or integrated electronics that make recycling difficult.
Know your materials: in your requirements, ask for a list of the materials and chemicals used. That way, parts can be subsequently separated for recycling. Ask for a technical data sheet or materials passport. Consult with recycling companies, if necessary, when drawing up your requirements.
Make agreements regarding take-back: agree in writing that the supplier will take back products at the end of their useful life. You can also make your own arrangements with a licensed textile collector. Ask for guarantees of high-quality recycling. Make sure there is a good internal or external system for collecting used clothing.
Reduce harmful substances: toxic and environmentally hazardous substances make recycling more difficult. Limit the use of these in your requirements. Bear in mind that REACH only applies within the EU (see EU GPP criteria). The Öko-tex label is often used to show that textiles are free of harmful substances.
Practical considerations
Safety first: follow the product safety directive (2001/95/EC) and protective equipment directive (EU 2016/425). These come before sustainability. Discuss this with your safety advisor. For example, check Sioen for information on chemical versus mechanical recycling of technical textiles.
Track your clothes: keep track of how often items are washed and repaired, how long they last and what users think of them. Specify when clothing can be disposed of, taking into account safety requirements and user satisfaction. With that information, you can improve future purchases.
Be careful with logos: prevent misuse by taking back work clothes when employees leave. Make sure logos can be removed and ask for guarantees that they have been destroyed or recycled.
Involve employees: get them to think along about their needs and test products. Ask for feedback and explain why you opt for sustainable solutions. Set up a simple collection system that encourages effective use.
Work together for innovation: the industry is evolving rapidly. Start an information request or market consultation in good time. Describe your needs at the function level and have suppliers help think about materials. Suppliers, processors and laundries are aware of new developments. Also think about your procurement process and contract duration.
Criteria for purchasing textiles
These tools will put you on the right track:
EU GPP website: extensive file with criteria for textiles
SRPP criteria tool: criteria for corporate clothing and cleaning (cluster office facilities and services)
Guide to sustainable procurement: sheet on textiles
Product sheet textiles and clothing of the Flemish government: overview and framework agreements.
Labels and standards
Labels and standards
In your specifications, you can include labels as a technical requirement, with room for equivalent alternatives. That way, suppliers can prove that they meet the criteria. Be selective and make sure your choice is in line with your organisation's priorities.
The advantage of labels is the guarantee that conditions are met. The disadvantage is that certification can be expensive and time-consuming, which may put off smaller companies and novel solutions. Labels often focus on traditional products. Consider requiring certification only after a contract is awarded, possibly with penalty clause to ensure compliance.
Human rights
Forced labour and human rights violations do occur in the textile sector. This is not only an ethical problem, but can also discredit your organisation if abuse in the chain comes to light. On the website of the Flemish government, you will find guidelines to address this issue in your tenders.
Life-cycle costs
The Procurement Act stipulates that a contract has to be awarded to the most economically advantageous tenderer. You can calculate the total life cycle cost in this regard, not just the purchase price. This includes operating and disposal costs, and environmental and social costs.
With textiles, maintenance represents a large part of the total cost: washing, repair, special treatments (sterilising, making water repellent) and distribution. Think about these aspects in your comparison. The Higg index offers tools to measure the sustainability impact throughout the supply chain. Learn more at Fedustria, bAwear-score and Creamoda.
