Three years ago, the company decided to start obtaining a series of environmental sustainability certifications. It was a non-trivial path, having been started when few companies were interested in this type of process. This choice, Fausto explains, arose from the need to meet new market requirements to enable the company’s principals (who operate as subcontractors) to work according to the certification standards required in the textile sector today. Sabrina also points out that both of them have always been environmentally aware people and the possibility of reconciling environmental concerns with the demands of suppliers to acquire sustainability certifications pushed them in this direction.
The company has obtained the Global Recycle Standard (GRS); the standard of this certification recognises the importance of recycling for the growth of a sustainable production and consumption model, to encourage the reduction of resource consumption (virgin raw materials, water and energy) and increase the quality of recycled products. GRS provides for the issuance of a third-party verified environmental declaration that ensures the recycled material content of their products, both intermediate and finished, the maintenance of traceability throughout the entire production process, restrictions on the use of chemicals, and compliance with environmental and social criteria at all stages of the production chain, from the recycling of materials to the subsequent manufacturing stages, and the labelling of the finished product.
The company also obtains two other important certifications. The first is the Global Organic Textile Standard, which envisages the issue of a third-party verified environmental declaration certifying the content of natural fibres from organic farming in both intermediate and finished products, the maintenance of traceability throughout the entire production process, restrictions on the use of chemical products, and compliance with environmental and social criteria at all stages of the production chain, from the harvesting of natural fibres in the field to the subsequent manufacturing stages, and the labelling of the finished product.
The second is the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), a voluntary global standard that addresses the welfare of animals and the land they graze on. It is a no mulesing certification and for a product to be RWS-labelable, it must contain 100% RWS-certified wool.RWS certification guarantees that the wool comes from responsibly managed sheep farms, demonstrating compliance with the Five Freedoms for the Protection of animal welfare . The RWS standard ensures the traceability of the entire production process from the livestock farm to the seller of the final business-to-business transaction, as all sites must be certified.
The costs involved in obtaining certification were not trivial and involved ongoing expenses as they have to be renewed annually. Before starting this process, Fausto dealt with other contractors and now has an intermediary to support them and help them with the certification bodies. The positive effects of this process can be seen more in the long term, Fausto explains, and today, there has been an increase in customer requests precisely because the company is one of the few in the area with these certifications.
Due to the type of machinery it uses, the company only uses 100% green hydroelectric energy, which has allowed it to obtain S4 certification. The company is also installing a photovoltaic system that will enable it to generate its electricity.
