SUSTAINABILITY

Application of Sustainability in Fashion and Textile Industry

Debjit Biswas, Gautam Bar

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhubaneswar, India.

Abstract Fashion and Textile Iindustry go through several processes, starting from conversion of fiber to yarn, yarn to fabric and fabric to garment. During these processes, there are ample opportunities in the fashion and textile producers to give attention to the sustainable practices. With the rising awareness about sustainability, the fashion and textile industries have taken initiatives to implement some sustainable solutions in their production process. In order to meet the sustainability criteria, there are a range of approaches taken by stakeholders, from fiber production to garment manufacturing and supply chain management. Fashion goods made using sustainable practices contributes socially and economically towards a Green Earth. This analysis presents the findings gathered from the related Review and Research Papers on sustainable fashion and textile manufacturing. This paper examines recent developments in sustainable fashion and textile production at different stages of the production of fiber, yarn, fabric and clothing. In addition, the responsibilities played by different regulatory bodies, suppliers, retailers and customers in the development of sustainable fashion and textiles are addressed. Introduction Issues related to sustainability are rising in several manufacturing sectors; including textiles due to in-

COVER STORY APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY creased consumer awareness and strict global legislations [1-3]. Several fashion manufacturers are taking the advantage of increased environmental awareness in developing countries to achieve low production costs [4]. Various fashion and textile industries are struggling in production, with varying degree of environmental and social problems [5]. The production in the industry largely impacts the environment, due to excessive amount of energy and water consumption. It also results in greenhouse gas emission, waste generation and discharge of toxic effluent containing dyes, finishes and other chemicals to the ecosystem [6,7]. The social impacts of the development of fashion include the use of child labor, precarious working conditions, long working hours, low wages and threats to health and safety [8]. The fast fashion is appealing to many customers, who want fast fashion. To constantly alter their fashion style, thereby sacrificing Sustainable manufacturing. Businesses such as Zara, Uniqlo and H&M is based on fast fashion to meet the desires of customer’s demands. While many customers today, are aware of sustainability, the constant rise in demand from the youth. The product of newer quick fashion is a mass market that produces waste-cloth piles. Slow fashion, though (using sustainable development and greener technologies) meets social transparency and environmental expectations of sustainability. The trend to achieve fashion that is sustainable is the method is very sluggish, as there are complexities involving many producers and a great deal of idealism [9]. Textile and apparel processing have a serious impact on the environment. Natural and synthetic fibers are used along with a considerable amount of water and energy for the production. Secondly, the use of chemicals, auxiliaries, energy and water during fabric processing, have a negative impact. Thirdly, a considerable amount of water and energy is consumed for the treatment and preservation of clothes during their use [10]. There are many steps that can be taken to achieve sustainable development of fashion and textiles, starting from choosing the raw materials to the EOL of a commodity. Sustainable development of fashion incorporates eco-friendly and non-depleting content; the range includes eco-friendly methods of production; green supply chain, retail and distribution; and ethical customers [11,12]. Chemical processing of cotton, can be done with the highest environmental efficiency by implementing newer technologies. The effect can be made greener by the use of enzymatic processing; applications for plasma; and usage of specialized and auxiliary chemicals. In addition, the fashion industry needs to meet environmental protection, to attain the other foundations, social and economic sustainability, in the development of sustainable fashion. Sustainability Requirement In the past, to meet rising demands and growing profits many fashion producers in the industry have used unsustainable practices. With an increased worldwide awareness about sustainable fashion, several new brands are incorporating sustainable activities [13,14]. Social responsibility in fashion and garment manufacturing, the economic aspects of many nations, is a global issue. The fashion items produced by sustainable practices were thought to be in addition to ecological and social stresses, it may alleviate offering sustainable-conscious consumers, an ethical alternative sustainable product transaction [15]. Fashion Consumption and Consumer Attitude Consumers from all over the world discard fashion items more often, even though the items can be used in future. when fast fashion is considered, the consumer awareness of sustainability techniques is low. Therefore, the concept of sustainable fashion is termed ‘unfashionable’ which led to an increase in disposal of fashion products after a limited use [16]. This process is named as “throwaway culture”, which has been a result of easy availability of low-priced clothing and the success of the major brand retailers. The garment is discarded. if they are out of fashion or lose their dimensional stability as well as durability [17]. These garments comply with landfill or leads to waste generation; if not reused, depending on the degree of wear, physical condition, form of garment and composition of fibre. The economic viability of recycling and reuse is based on the recycling facilities and technologies available. The market ethics to counter the "throwaway culture" has played an important role in the recent years [18]. Responsible consumers consider the impact of consumption of a product on the environment and its adverse effect on humans and animals [19]. The consumers are focusing on sustainable ideology and practices, but some recent study reveals that many consumers are yet to adopt these sustainable practices in their day to day life for certain products [20]. 1.Yarn and Fabric Manufacturing Yarn and fabric include a large amount of energy and they generate waste, dust and noise [20]. The energy consumption in a textile industry can be calculated and split accordingly as 34% in spinning, 23% in weaving, 38% in chemical processing. Research reveals that the energy consumed during the maintenance of a cloth is almost four times as compared to the energy consumed for the production [21]. The worldwide focus on sustainability has led to the creation of machines for the processing of yarn and fabric that use less energy, operate more effectively and produce less dust and noise. As a result, spinning (such as open-end rotor and air jet spinning), weaving (rapier, bullet, air jet, multi-phase and waterjet looms) and knitting (high-speed circular knitting, computerised flatbed machine, seamless knitting) have produced several

28 new techniques. efficiency, as compared to the con- the consumption of 200- 400L of In the Yarn manufacturing process, the ring spinning, rotor spinning and air jet spinning requires a lot of energy [22]. The ring spinning uses maximum amount of energy, therefore it releases maximum amount of energy onto the environment. Increasing the spindle speed, lightweight bobbins, advanced ring and efficient driving system is helpful to reduce the impact on the environment. Rotor spinning has a comparatively lower impact on the environment compared to ring spinning. The of air jet spinning technology can rapidly produce yarns. However, the energy consumption is higher. The other advantages of air jet spinning is the lower space needed for the setup. Thus, less climatic control is needed hence, air jet spinning has the lowest impact on the environment. Similarly, fabric production also requires a lot of energy. The total electrical energy consumption estimated as per linear metre of fabric is 0.45- 0.55kWh and the thermal energy is approx. per linear metre of fabric is 18.8- 23 MJ [22]. Thus, it is evident that energy is one of the core factors influencing the cost. Therefore, energy efficient technologies can be incorporated to help ventional weaving technologies. It also generates less waste. In the process of fabric production, if weaving and knitting is compared, the former has the higher impact on the environment than the latter. The additional processes such as sizing, desizing, and warp preparation for weaving, is not required in knitting. The sizing and subsequent desizing requires a large amount of water along with the energy. The material used in traditional sizing is highly polluting, which is being replaced with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [23]. The use of seamless manufacturing of garments contributes in lowering the impact on the environment [24]. In seamless technology the 3D outfit is produced by avoiding the steps of fabric manufacturing i.e. weaving or knitting, cutting and sewing. Hence, the process consumes approx. 30-40% less time and saves a huge amount of energy as compared to the traditional process. Also, seamless technology reduces labor cost and eliminates the waste involved in cutting of pattern pieces. 2.Fabric Chemical Processing Fabric chemical processing also known as wet processing is the most environmentally harmful process water. In many developing countries, water pollution produced by the textile industries is a reason of major concern [25]. In addition to the pollution, there is an increase in demand for water usage in textile and clothing production. Also, the direct discharge of the chemical infested water into the water systems is resulting in scarcity of clean water. Some of the Chemicals used are listed in Table I. According to Khatri et al., a research, development in the dyeing of cotton fabrics using reactive dyes reduced water pollution. Use of alternative dyeing techniques substantially reducing the effluent. As effluent treatment requires extra investment and maintenance, textile industry should focus on incorporating recent technologies. Approaches such as the use of innovative processes with new dyestuffs and modern equipment for dyeing will help minimise environmental issues. Some of the processes include low liquor-tomaterial ratio dyeing, low volumes of padding troughs, pad dyeing technology, urea and salt-free dyeing, micelle dyeing, dye fixation polymerization techniques and use of biodegradable organic compounds as dye liquor. The integrated desizTable 1. Some commonly used toxic chemicals in chemical processing

in sustainable production. Recent weaving technologies such as air jet, waterjet, projectile, rapier and multi-phase looms consume less amount of energy and give good among all the textile processes. It uses a huge consumption of water, energy and toxic chemicals. According to Marcucci et al. the production of 1kg of processed fabric includes ing, bleaching and reactive dyeing method can lead to lower costs due to decreased use of chemicals and resources.

COVER STORY APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABILITY 3.Garment Manufacturing Garment manufacturing process requires a huge amount of energy and there is a wide scope of sustainable practices in areas of garment manufacturing to reduce the energy usage [26]. This emphasize on the energy efficient tools, machinery for cutting, sewing, pressing and packaging, and the use of ecofriendly processes is required to improve the production of sustainable fashion [9]. The waste generated during the production process such as paper, plastic, fabric remaining, cardboards and wire coat hangers should be recycled and should not be discarded. Also, other strategies should be incorporated to save energy and water. For example, installing water efficient fixtures, training sessions for the staffs/ labor on energy efficiency skillsets, energy efficient heating/cooling devices, lighting systems, and rain-water harvesting setup for non-drinking purposes and other uses, can also help in achieving sustainable fashion. Choosing suitable raw materials with a lower ecological footprint i.e. renewable, biodegradable and non-degradable, and processes that are energy efficient will help reduce the impact on the environment. Use of green energy, saving energy wherever possible, reducing air emissions, recycling hard waste and paying attention to social responsibility will lead to the achievement of fashion sustainability. The sustainable production process followed in an apparel/ garment industry is illustrated in Fig. 1. [25]. By embracing the philosophy of Lean Manufacturing, which focuses on reducing process waste, increasing efficiency, empowering workers with greater contact, and turning the enterprise into a learning organization, the operating costs in garment manufacturing can be reduced [22]. By avoiding over output, excessive motion, inappropriate inventory management, and over processing, process waste can be minimized. The core concept of lean manufacturing is continuous improvement (generally known as the Japanese term ‘Kaizen’). ‘Kaizen’ encourages constant and required improvements to achieve the desired objective. Recyclability As discussed above, fast fashion items are disposed more rapidly, and this has become a keen area for young consumers pay no attention to reuse or recycle when disposing of a product. After a certain timeframe, fashion products become unusable, resulting in an EOL product. In the past, EOL items were disposed of to get

Figure Sustainability factors associated with full life of a fashion product the researchers [23,25]. Consum- rid of them, or used for seconders should conscious about of the hand garments, wiping fabrics, or principle of reuse or recycle, while reclamation of fibre. As sustaindiscarding fast fashion items. Con- ability is becoming increasingly relsumers should be encouraged by evant, sustainable solutions, such manufacturers and retailers to buy as recycling or reuse, are required environmentally friendly goods and to minimise adverse environmental recycle waste. Three key factors in- impacts and minimise the use of reclude: intrinsic factors (related to sources. This will also aid in reducthe style of the product, age, con- ing the rate of emissions and energy dition, value, cost and durability); consumption. psychological factors (related to decision-making), including mood, Eco-Labelling personality and social awareness; An eco-label is described by the and situational factors (extrinsi- Global Eco-labelling Network as cally related to the product, such “a label that identifies a product’s as changes in fashion, finances and overall environmental preference storage space) that explain the “dis- within a product category based posal” actions. A research analyzed on consideration of the life cycle” the reactions of consumers to dis- [16]. Eco-labels provide customers carding a product and found that with knowledge about eco-friendly

goods that can help reduce the environmental effect on their everyday activities. Consumers are able to compare different goods made using eco-friendly technologies, so that they are aware of the harmful effects of use and disposal. In the production of sustainable fashion goods internationally, eco-labelling plays an important role and distinguishes retail markets for ‘go green’ consumers [27]. Conclusion Due to the global demand for sustainable goods, and increased consumer awareness of sustainability, sustainable fashion production is gaining significant importance. Some apparel manufacturers in developing countries are taking advantage of lenient legislation and low environmental awareness in order to reduce production costs. However, in their manufacturing, supply chain, and retail management, many prominent fashion brands such as H&M, Adidas and Uniqlo incorporate sustainable practises. The sustainability focus of these brands helps to achieve improved labour standards that produce socially acceptable goods and services and a safer climate. Several international organisations and private corporations are working to track the efficiency of apparel producers and retailers, assist and assess them. These organisations work on aspects of sustainability, such as licencing, permitting and compliance requirements for waste, energy and water management. In addition, several standards to include recommendations promoting the three pillars of sustainability have already been established. Consumers play a significant role in sustainable fashion, in addition to fashion designers, retailers and international organisations. Consumers can choose or reject a product if it is not produced under socially acceptable conditions, with adequate labour and resource consumption. Although some customers are prepared to pay higher prices for sustainable fashion products, due to budget constraints, preference and attitude, many of them may not be

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Selecting the Right Fit for the Role

Rajiv Misra

All of us who have recruited, selected and hired employees have gone through the experience, when someone we thought was the perfect fit for the role, starts struggling with the deliverables of the role R Square Consulting within 3-4 months of being hired. Then it is a long cycle of feedback, coaching, frustration, negotiations and finally an emotionally draining and at times unpleasant exit of the role holder. Wrong hires can cost your organization at least one year’s compensation of the employee as well as an opportunity loss for your business. One of the challenges that owners / MDs / business leaders face is, how to assess the best fit for a role in their organization. For most of us, making the selection from a number of profiles which are presented to us is a simple process. Do an initial screening of CVs , find someone with the right qualifications and experience and then select the best candidate – right? Wrong… do read on. My experience working with Founders / Owners / MDs specially in the SME space is that the selection is more based on perception and less based on objective criteria of selection. Most of us tend to assess candidates and get a sense that a certain candidate will be a good fit for the role. We believe that once the right candidate comes in front of us, we will know. The “Halo effect” of some candidates who put up a good show can be misleading. In most cases we tend to fit the role to the candidate who impressed us, rather than the candidate to the

role. Here are a few tips to help you make better selections : Firstly, you need to be clear about what are the required qualifications, experience and behavioural competencies required to succeed in the role. The first two are normally easy to list out, however, the behavioural competencies are tricky ones, especially in case of mid and senior roles. So what are behavioural competences? In simple words, these are the desired behaviours exhibited in a work situation which leads to improved outcomes/results. Examples of behavioural competencies could be communication skills, interpersonal effectiveness, customer focus / centricity, team work, collaboration etc. Once you have identified the qualifications and experience required to fulfil the role requirement, take some time to understand what are the key behaviours which the role incumbent must exhibit on a daily basis, to be successful in the role. If you are looking for a sales role, effective communication to include active listening, interpersonal effectiveness, customer focus and negotiation skills are key requisites to be successful in the role. Another way is to thinking of your best performer who has consistently done well? What makes him successful in your organization? These different behaviour form the base of your competencies. The next step is, to understand the level of competence you need in each of the behavioural competencies to be successful. It is obvious that the communication skills required to be successful as a sales executive, are going to be very different in level to those required by a VP of Sales. Once the level of competency required is defined comes the critical piece- how do we assess if the person being assessed has the required level of that specific competency. A classic interview conducted by an MD / Owner / Business head has a predictability of success of approximately. 10-12%. Shocked? Predictability of success is the notion that, when you feel at the end of the assessment, that you have the perfect candidate for the role; there is a 10-12% chance that he/ she will be as good in the role as you have assessed. A trained interviewer in the technique of competency based interview or a behavioural event interview can take this predictability of success to 18- 20%. So, if our most trusted method of selection has such low success ratio then what can a busiHR UPDATE 32 ness owner do? Few tips: a. Based on your analysis of the role, please list out the qualification, experience and behavioural competencies required to succeed in the role. b. Make a list of behaviours and their level, which you are looking for in the ideal candidate for that role. c. Make a plan of how you will assess the required behaviours - through questions or any other method. A smart way is to frame a situation and ask the candidate to deal with it. These situations could be created through role plays, mock client presentations, dealing with an issue at work etc. At least use three situations to assess the competencies and associated behaviours. This obviously will mean that you may spend 3-4 hours in assessing one candidate, however, this is time well spent as else you would be spending more time, effort and energy in managing a poor hire in the next 6-12 months. d. See if more than one person can be part of the assessment panel to average out positive or negative bias. These could help in selecting the right fit for the right role!

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