GENEVA — January 14, 2013 — LYCRA® brand owner INVISTA is delighted to announce that it has joined
the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).
The SAC is a group representing more than 60 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers,
suppliers, nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations working to reduce the environmental and
social impacts of apparel and footwear products around the world. The SAC’s main focus is on
sustainability in the clothing and footwear industries.
To further this goal, the SAC developed a Sustainable Apparel Index tool called The Higg
Index, which enables companies to evaluate material types, products, facilities and processes based
on a range of environmental and product design choices. The Index asks qualitative questions to
gauge environmental sustainability performance and drive behavior for improvement. The Higg Index
is on a continuous development path to improve its measures and counts on the contribution of SAC
members to refine the tool.
INVISTA will collaborate with the SAC to provide data and resources for both The Higg Index
and selected working groups. The business will also work with select partners to better understand
the impact of the manufacturing process, garment performance (durability/longevity) and garment
care and how these factors may be incorporated into the current materials assessment.
Environmental stewardship is a core principle of INVISTA’s operations around the globe and
has been articulated through INVISTA Apparel’s “Planet Agenda” platform for the past five years.
Bob Kirkwood, INVISTA Apparel executive vice president of marketing and technology, said,
“INVISTA pursues its sustainability vision through its commitment to manufacturing processes, our
products and the environment, while seeking to minimize waste and improve the environmental, health
and safety aspects of its products and processes. As a global leader and integrated supplier for
the textile industry, we look forward to working with the SAC to advance environmental stewardship
and sustainability.”
Jason Kibbey, SAC executive director, said, “We welcome INVISTA’s participation in the
coalition and look forward to their input on our global initiatives and their notable
sustainability efforts. Having INVISTA as part of the Coalition widens the scope of our impact and
accelerates the change we are making towards more responsible industry practices.”
Arnaud Tandonnet, INVISTA Apparel global sustainability director added, “INVISTA’s goal is to
create long-term value for its customers and society by utilizing resources more effectively.
Protecting the environment and the safety and health of our employees and others is always at the
forefront of the agenda for us, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of the Sustainable
Apparel Coalition.”
There are currently more than 60 SAC members, the majority of which are global brands and
retailers including: adidas, C&A, Gap, H&M, JC Penny, Kohl’s, Levi’s, L.L. Bean, M&S,
Nike, Nordstrom, Puma, REI, Target, VF Corporation and Wal-Mart. More information on SAC and a full
list of members can be found at www.apparelcoalition.org.
Posted on January 22, 2013
Source: Invista
