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A ROAD MAP GOING SOMEWHERE
15
There is now an industry Joint Roadmap toward Zero
Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals and the companies
involved with this initiative include Nike, Puma, Li Ning,
C&A and H&M, as well as the adidas Group. The latter
has published a detailed individual roadmap that it is
contributing to the joint plan.
Far more complex than a glib slogan
In the real world, a company such as adidas works with
more than 1,200 contract factories in no less than 69
countries around the globe. While the company may
support the idealism of Greenpeace, it has to work within
a complex and tiered network of material and chemical
suppliers, agents, buyers and distributors. As the
company points out, material and chemical suppliers, as
well as dyeing and finishing facilities, are shared among
dozens of other international brands in the sporting
goods, fashion and retail industries. Working through
such a complex structure, the micro-management of a
multi-layered supply chain is an extraordinary challenge
and one that cannot be solved with the wave of a
banner at an international football match.
The same is true of the other global players and it
would be difficult to find a chemical company that has
as its mission statement to supply hazardous or toxic
chemicals to an unsuspecting consumer.
Sustainable practices and global
supply chains
Long before the current Greenpeace campaign, the
adidas Group had established a strong track record in
running leadership programmes that have reduced and
minimised the use of chemicals in its products and along
its supply chain. It is worth detailing some of its
achievements. In 2000, the company was a pioneer in
the phasing out of PVC materials from its products. In
the same year the company kicked off the VOC 2000
initiative to significantly reduce volatile organic
compounds in athletic footwear manufacturing. By
using innovative bonding and cementing systems, for
instance, the VOC content per pair was reduced from
around 140g/pair in 1999 to 25g/pair in 2010.
By the time that the EU initiative known as REACH,
concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation
and restriction of chemicals, came into play in mid-2007,
the comprehensive restrictive substances policy for
product materials that adidas had in place was nine
years old. It effectively prohibited the use of chemicals
considered as harmful or toxic. The policy not only
covered the strictest local requirements, but it also
included best practice standards as recommended by
consumer organisations.
The group also expected its business partners to take
a proactive stance in improving the environmental
impact of the materials they supply. Improving the
environmental impact means ensuring that materials
and components supplied are non-toxic in use and
disposal and their use in manufactured products does
not involve toxic releases or damage to ecosystems.
The company policy is regularly reviewed and
updated in consultation with non-governmental
organisations (including Greenpeace). Adherence to this
policy by material suppliers is strictly checked by
external auditing institutes.
With the launch of its Environmental Strategy 2015, a
detailed environmental sourcing policy was rolled out
by adidas; this happened at the end of 2009. It’s built on
in-depth risk assessments of suppliers at different tiers
in the supply chain and the use of tailored tools for
factory assessments and performance rating. In 2010,
nearly 100 environmental audits were conducted across
its supply chain, with mills and dye-houses primary
targets for these environmental audits.
The whole question of sustainability, protection of the
environment and the safety of consumers is clearly
taken seriously by major corporations around the world.
These concepts need to be carried out in such a way
that the livelihoods of people are not jeopardised
through precipitate action. It seems that the players in
the global market had seen this particular road sign and
road map a long while ago. While standards can always
be improved, at least they are not standing still and just
pointing the way forward. They are actually travelling
the road to a safer future.
Adidas’ global corporate headquarters in Herzogenaurach,
Germany. Last year the company responded to the ‘Detox’
campaign and approached other international apparel
brands, to help develop and coordinate an approach that
they believe will meet Greenpeace’s challenge.
CREDIT: ADIDAS GROUP