Chapter 5 — full chapter
5.4.1 Set Environmental Requirements and Evaluate Production Partners
Before placing an order, a brand or SME must translate its product and sustainability objectives into a manufacturing brief and supplier-selection criteria. This upstream decision should define required performance rather than prescribe a technology without evidence. Requirements may cover restricted substances, input traceability, process and product certification, water and energy data, wastewater quality, greenhouse-gas reporting, waste segregation, worker safety, quality, lead time and improvement plans.
Candidate production partners should demonstrate capability with facility-specific evidence, valid certificates, sample results and agreed KPIs.
OECD garment and footwear due-diligence guidance: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/due-diligence-guidance-for-responsible-business-conduct/responsible-garment-and-footwear-supply-chains.html; EU Textiles BAT conclusions: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/2508/oj/eng; ZDHC Wastewater Guidelines: https://www.zdhc.org/zdhc-wastewater-guidelines
Key actions
- Define measurable environmental and social requirements for the production brief.
- Request facility-specific evidence, including scope, baseline, units and reporting period.
- Evaluate production partners against capability, compliance, transparency and improvement criteria.
- Agree KPIs, responsibilities, corrective-action procedures and data-sharing requirements before ordering.
PARTNER CASE STUDY: Tintex (Pedro Magalhães). Topic: Dyeing & Finishing. Tintex is a Portuguese textile manufacturer specialised in sustainable dyeing and finishing, including low-impact processes and digital textile printing. It is a concrete example of how production processes can be upgraded to reduce water, energy and chemical use. See PARTNERS CASE STUDIES_MAPPED.xlsx.