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D. Machek et al.
15.1 Introduction
Textiles have been an essential component of human society, both for the maintenance
of humans’ basic physical needs, as well as, as a conveyer of various societal signals
such as personal identities, wealth, power and social status. As the name “the Silk
Road” suggests, textiles have been traded globally over centuries: as of 2017, textiles
and clothing constituted 6% of the value of manufactured goods exported globally
(World Trade Organization 2018).
15.1.1 Sustainability Problems of Textile Supply Chain
Despite its importance, clothing industry has been also known for its various environmental and social impacts. The EU’s Joint Research Centre reported that, clothing
contributes to 2–10% of environmental impacts among products consumed in Europe
(Beton et al. 2014). Some of the most notable environmental impacts such as those
related to carbon footprint, water and chemical usage, as well as social impacts related
to poor working conditions, occur during the production phase of textile products
(Beton et al. 2014; Roos et al. 2016; Fujita and Nakamura 2018).
The negative impacts arising from the production phase of clothing industry is
exacerbated by rapidly increasing consumption and over-production. A global survey
in 2013 reported the increase in apparel fibre consumption by almost 80% in less
than 20 years, from 38,889 million tons in 1992 to 69,728 million tons in 2010 (Food
and Agriculture organization of the United Nations International Cotton Advisory
Committee 2013). Recent news highlighted that some of the new garments do not
even reach the first user and are incinerated (BBC 2018; Nakamura and Fujita 2018).
The necessity of addressing environmental and social impacts related to upstream
of clothing industry has been advocated for the last few decades, as manifested in,
among others, Clean Clothes Campaign launched in 1989, Better Cotton Initiative
started in 2005 and the like (Clean Clothes Campaign 2018; Better Cotton Initiatives
n.d.). Together with the (then) emerging notion of corporate social responsibility,
these pushed industry to extend its conventional supply chain management practices and incorporate environmental and social consideration. The concept, often
referred to as sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), thereby integrates the
triple bottom line approach when brand-owning companies work with the upstream
suppliers, in line with system and life-cycle thinking (Chkanikova 2012; Carter and
Rogers 2008; Seuring and Müller 2008). In addition, concerns regarding clothing
supply chain have induced various discussions and activities at different level of
governments (e.g. national, Nordic, EU—see Sect. 15.2).
D. Machek et al.
15.1 Introduction
Textiles have been an essential component of human society, both for the maintenance
of humans’ basic physical needs, as well as, as a conveyer of various societal signals
such as personal identities, wealth, power and social status. As the name “the Silk
Road” suggests, textiles have been traded globally over centuries: as of 2017, textiles
and clothing constituted 6% of the value of manufactured goods exported globally
(World Trade Organization 2018).
15.1.1 Sustainability Problems of Textile Supply Chain
Despite its importance, clothing industry has been also known for its various environmental and social impacts. The EU’s Joint Research Centre reported that, clothing
contributes to 2–10% of environmental impacts among products consumed in Europe
(Beton et al. 2014). Some of the most notable environmental impacts such as those
related to carbon footprint, water and chemical usage, as well as social impacts related
to poor working conditions, occur during the production phase of textile products
(Beton et al. 2014; Roos et al. 2016; Fujita and Nakamura 2018).
The negative impacts arising from the production phase of clothing industry is
exacerbated by rapidly increasing consumption and over-production. A global survey
in 2013 reported the increase in apparel fibre consumption by almost 80% in less
than 20 years, from 38,889 million tons in 1992 to 69,728 million tons in 2010 (Food
and Agriculture organization of the United Nations International Cotton Advisory
Committee 2013). Recent news highlighted that some of the new garments do not
even reach the first user and are incinerated (BBC 2018; Nakamura and Fujita 2018).
The necessity of addressing environmental and social impacts related to upstream
of clothing industry has been advocated for the last few decades, as manifested in,
among others, Clean Clothes Campaign launched in 1989, Better Cotton Initiative
started in 2005 and the like (Clean Clothes Campaign 2018; Better Cotton Initiatives
n.d.). Together with the (then) emerging notion of corporate social responsibility,
these pushed industry to extend its conventional supply chain management practices and incorporate environmental and social consideration. The concept, often
referred to as sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), thereby integrates the
triple bottom line approach when brand-owning companies work with the upstream
suppliers, in line with system and life-cycle thinking (Chkanikova 2012; Carter and
Rogers 2008; Seuring and Müller 2008). In addition, concerns regarding clothing
supply chain have induced various discussions and activities at different level of
governments (e.g. national, Nordic, EU—see Sect. 15.2).