EARTH DAY 2023
Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22nd April, it’s the day people come together to appreciate our planet and the impact that our actions have on the environment and in turn, ways we can protect it for future generations.
This year's theme, "Invest in Our Planet” focuses on everyone being accounted for and accountable. This means the responsibility of protecting our planet doesn’t fall solely on individuals, but also businesses and corporations.
For lasting positive changes, we believe that a global scale call to action is imperative to restoring our ecosystems, preserving natural resources, and protecting our environment.
According to Clean Clothes.org three out of five of the one hundred billion garments made in 2018 ended up in landfill within a year, with some of those items never even reaching an end consumer. Many of the one hundred billion textiles end up in dump sites, burnt for faster decomposition, where the remnants of the textiles and harsh chemicals end up in local water streams and the ocean.
The fashion industry is known for its significant contribution to environmental pollution, and we must work harder to reduce our waste and save our planet.
Now more than ever, our planet needs our help. Brands, manufactures, retails and traders must do their due diligence when it comes to environmental issues, but how?
OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS® certifies the management system of a company and assesses to what extent due diligence obligations regarding human rights and environmental criteria are implemented in the company and their global supply chains. It is broken into the below 7 elements –
1. Business policy
2. Risk analysis
3. Integration of appropriate actions
4. Continuous monitoring
5. Transparent communication
6. Complaint mechanism
7. Environment (companies can map to what extent a climate strategy has been defined)
The goal of OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS® is to see long term positive changes regarding human rights and the environment in the textile and leather industry. By certifying a brand or brand group as compliant with measures surrounding due diligence, supply chain transparency and appropriate management systems, the OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS® certification helps companies make the right decisions for their business and the environment. A certified OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS company looks beyond its own operations and ensures high standards throughout its global textile supply chain.
These efforts will serve to improve the world and your business.
Visit here for more information on OEKO-TEX® RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS®.