118
P. S. dos Santos and L. M. S. Campos
(Tomasin et al. 2013; Zhu et al. 2007). From the external point of view, factors that
encourage adoption of green practices in the supply chain include a significant need
for adequacy of laws and regulations, customer demands, brand image, and technological offerings from partners (Tomasin et al. 2013).
In short, to achieve a full realization of economic benefits and to establish a meaningful diminution of negative environmental impacts, it is important that companies
strive to improve their adoption of green practices. Actions such as performance measurement systems, continual improvement practices, and benchmarking may provide
an overview of how companies and their supply chains are progressing ecologically
(Zhu et al. 2008).
2.2 Sustainability in the Fashion Supply Chain
A vital feature of the fashion supply chain is its complexity in manufacturing and
distributing products which differ in their structure and nature. In other words, the
process of delivering a T-shirt and a shoe is completely different in terms of the materials involved, the manufacturing process, and packaging and delivery requirements
(Brun and Castelli 2008).
In addition, the fashion supply chain is particularly sensitive to sustainability due
to its high environmental impact during production process (e.g., use of chemicals and
pesticides in the production of raw materials and disposal of toxic dyes in effluents
during manufacturing process) (Turker and Altuntas 2014).
Indeed, sustainability in the fashion supply chain must go far beyond nonintegrated business management or supply chains. It must involve the whole supply
network, given the wide range of intra-sectors working in production of a fashion
item (Allwood et al. 2008). Such concern can be based on the pressures imposed by
international and local regulations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), clients,
and competitors (Turker and Altuntas 2014).
Due to the complex and dynamic nature of the supply chain in the fashion industry,
literature resources have created (Allwood et al. 2006; EURATEX 2004) a sector
map that prioritizes business networking and existing structures and technology in
the activities of raw material extraction, yarn, fabric and finished fabric, retail and
final customers; the map is depicted in Fig. 1.
In the extraction and yarning of raw material stages, the most predominant and
cultivated fabrics are cotton and polyester. About one-third of the world’s exports
of cotton from the US is used in the fashion industry. Polyester fabric is a synthetic
fiber whose manufacture requires oil and releases pollutant emissions such as organic
compounds and gases (e.g., hydrogen chloride) (Nagurney and Yu 2012).
At the fabric and finished fabric stages, there is a high concern with integration
and sharing of information due to costs incurred by small and medium-sized (SME
and SMEE) companies in the sector. Smaller companies end up suffering disparities
compared to larger players because they lack the most up-to-date skills to forecast
P. S. dos Santos and L. M. S. Campos
(Tomasin et al. 2013; Zhu et al. 2007). From the external point of view, factors that
encourage adoption of green practices in the supply chain include a significant need
for adequacy of laws and regulations, customer demands, brand image, and technological offerings from partners (Tomasin et al. 2013).
In short, to achieve a full realization of economic benefits and to establish a meaningful diminution of negative environmental impacts, it is important that companies
strive to improve their adoption of green practices. Actions such as performance measurement systems, continual improvement practices, and benchmarking may provide
an overview of how companies and their supply chains are progressing ecologically
(Zhu et al. 2008).
2.2 Sustainability in the Fashion Supply Chain
A vital feature of the fashion supply chain is its complexity in manufacturing and
distributing products which differ in their structure and nature. In other words, the
process of delivering a T-shirt and a shoe is completely different in terms of the materials involved, the manufacturing process, and packaging and delivery requirements
(Brun and Castelli 2008).
In addition, the fashion supply chain is particularly sensitive to sustainability due
to its high environmental impact during production process (e.g., use of chemicals and
pesticides in the production of raw materials and disposal of toxic dyes in effluents
during manufacturing process) (Turker and Altuntas 2014).
Indeed, sustainability in the fashion supply chain must go far beyond nonintegrated business management or supply chains. It must involve the whole supply
network, given the wide range of intra-sectors working in production of a fashion
item (Allwood et al. 2008). Such concern can be based on the pressures imposed by
international and local regulations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), clients,
and competitors (Turker and Altuntas 2014).
Due to the complex and dynamic nature of the supply chain in the fashion industry,
literature resources have created (Allwood et al. 2006; EURATEX 2004) a sector
map that prioritizes business networking and existing structures and technology in
the activities of raw material extraction, yarn, fabric and finished fabric, retail and
final customers; the map is depicted in Fig. 1.
In the extraction and yarning of raw material stages, the most predominant and
cultivated fabrics are cotton and polyester. About one-third of the world’s exports
of cotton from the US is used in the fashion industry. Polyester fabric is a synthetic
fiber whose manufacture requires oil and releases pollutant emissions such as organic
compounds and gases (e.g., hydrogen chloride) (Nagurney and Yu 2012).
At the fabric and finished fabric stages, there is a high concern with integration
and sharing of information due to costs incurred by small and medium-sized (SME
and SMEE) companies in the sector. Smaller companies end up suffering disparities
compared to larger players because they lack the most up-to-date skills to forecast