Sustainable Supply Chains: Tier 2
Choices your Company Can Make in Tier Two of the Supply Chain To Reduce Its Environmental Footprint
From raw material to finished product, the supply chain is like a giant “choose your own adventure” book, where every decision comes with its own set of consequences. Companies must carefully weigh factors such as cost, quality, environmental impact, resource use, and worker health, whether they are deciding how to process raw materials or how to assemble the final product. We would like to acknowledge that the responsibility falls on suppliers as well as brands, but the brands often need to be the driving force behind these movements.
There are four key tiers in the supply chain:
Tier 1: Finished product assembly (manufacturing)
Tier 2: Material production (dyeing, finishing)
Tier 3: Raw material processing (preparing fibers, spinning yarns)
Tier 4: Raw material extraction (growing cotton, extracting petroleum, raising wool)
Today, we are zooming in on Tier 2, which packs a serious environmental punch. It is responsible for 52% of the supply chain’s greenhouse gas emissions. It boils down to three main processes: Pre-treatment, Coloration (think dyeing and printing), and Finishing.
Each choice made here has consequences, not just for profits or product quality, but for the planet and people too. Unfortunately, current industry practices are not cutting it. But there is good news. If companies switched to more conscious dry processes, they could slash greenhouse gas emissions by up to 89% and reduce water consumption by 83-95%. That is HUGE untapped potential.
The Bar Is Rising… But Not Fast Enough
Yes, the industry is making progress. Standards are creeping upward, but we are still light-years behind where we could be. With incredible new technologies emerging, it is time to raise the bar higher. Many innovations are already available that use fewer resources, emit less greenhouse gas, and outperform outdated methods.
Let us dive into some cutting-edge, eco-friendly innovations your company can adopt. Reach out to your supply chain and ask what is available, and what it would take to invest in sustainable technology. If you are a consumer, these are the ones you can encourage your favorite brands to transition to. Here are some of the latest technologies that can help drive those changes:
Plasma/Laser Finishing
Plasma and laser treatments offer a sustainable alternative to traditional fiber pretreatments like cleaning and bleaching. These methods reduce water usage, cut down on energy consumption, and produce no harmful effluents. Plasma treatment, in particular, creates specialized coatings on textiles that can enhance properties like water repellency, stain resistance, durability, and color fastness further extending their lifespan.
Solution/Dope Dyeing
Typically, dye is applied to a finished woven fabric. In solution dyeing, synthetic materials are colored before they are spun into yarn. This can use up to 60% less water, 90% less chemicals, and produce fewer CO2 emissions than traditional methods. Another benefit is that the pigment is embedded in the fibers, resulting in superior color fastness.
Supercritical Fluid Dyeing
This process uses liquid CO2 instead of water to dissolve dyes. It takes about two hours and is highly efficient. It uses less energy, eliminates the need for drying, produces no wastewater, and uses non-toxic supercritical CO2, which allows for faster and more effective dyeing.
Water Based Coatings
PolyCores’s water-based PU coatings offer significant environmental and health advantages over traditional solvent-based coatings. By eliminating carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic (CMR) solvents and PFAS chemicals, they prevent the release of harmful VOCs that contribute to air pollution and endanger workers’ health. For every yard of fabric coated with a water-based coating prevents over 40 pounds of CO2e from entering our atmosphere.
C0 DWR
C0 DWR finishes offer significant environmental benefits compared to C8 and C6 finishes. Since they are non-toxic, they are also easier to recycle or repurpose, further reducing their environmental impact. While they may require more frequent reapplication due to lower durability, C0 finishes remain a greener, more responsible choice.
It’s Time to Blaze a New Trail
The textile industry holds massive potential to reduce its environmental and social impact. With these groundbreaking innovations, companies have the power to make smarter, more responsible choices that benefit both the planet and their bottom line. Here at PolyCore, we’re proud to be a part of this movement. We are one piece of the puzzle in driving change for a better, more sustainable future.