The Italian National Chamber of Fashion publishes the third document on mixtures and chemicals in the production chains of the fashion industry following those of 2016 and 2018.
A project realized in collaboration with a team of experts including Associazione Tessile e Salute, SMI, Federchimica, UNIC – Unione Nazionale Industria Tannaria, Quantis Italy, YKK Italia and CIMAC – Centro Italiano Materiali di Applicazione Calzaturiera. Not only experts at those tables but also the influent fashion brands like Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Gucci, Prada and Versace. The document, sponsored by the Ministry of Ecological Transition, is at the service of the entire Italian fashion industry.
Good manufacturing practices – guidelines on the use of chemicals in the fashion production chain
The document aims to rebuild the production chain under the banner of sustainability, starting from mixtures and chemicals that are almost invisible but have a huge impact on the environment, people, and final product.
Outlining common guidelines is essential to support and encourage companies in the implementation of efficient criteria and controls along the entire supply chain. This is useful to create quality processes and products, as explained by Carlo Capasa, President of NCIF:
This is a system document that gives more and more centrality and value to the Italian supply chain so that all companies can move towards zero environmental impact. We are perceived as the country that makes the most sustainable fashion, we are the first high-quality producers in the world and have a great responsibility.
carlo capasa
CNMI reiterates its committment to Sustainable Fashion
The Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana continues in its mission to make the national fashion industry a pioneer of sustainable development. This long journey, which began in 2012 with a far-sighted and concrete commitment when the “Manifesto for Sustainability” was published.
Sustainability is of paramount importance to pursue growth strategies for one of the leading industries of our country. It is essential to combine economic, social, and environmental aspects. The people and the planet are the real protagonists of this transformation process, as well as the architects of a better future.
The importance of creating a system
Sustainability is an ecosystem, a circle in which each actor has a unique value and the power to contribute to the revolution. CNMI has always been a landmark in Italy and abroad for the whole fashion system; therefore it plays a fundamental role in the affirmation of sustainability, thanks to its wide network and its visionary perspective.
It is necessary to act as a system because sustainability must be integrated into the entire supply chain, from the selection of raw materials to packaging and distribution of the product to the end customer. All the workers must be trained and involved in these production processes to ensure environmental protection but also their safety and wellbeing.
Measurement and evenness for a more sustainable fashion
To achieve the many goals set by the CNMI, it is essential to define standard measurement methods and ensure uniformity.
Quantifying impact is important to understand the emissions generated, as well as those saved thanks to innovative business models and technologies. This information, along with all the specifications of raw materials, substances, and mixtures used, must be transcribed and communicated in detail on appropriate documentation; the latter enables the product’s history to be traced and rediscovered.
Traceability and documentation are crucial for clear communication with the supply chain and the final consumer; therefore they need to be homogeneous throughout the national and international fashion systems.
What are the guidelines for green fashion?
With the document “Good Manufacturing Practices”, CNMI wants to outline the guidelines to be followed for the use of chemicals in the production chain of clothing, footwear, leather goods, and accessories.
Comprehensive documentation that helps to meet the growing regulatory pressure related to the increasing attention of the European Union to these issues.
A team effort also to protect and promote the value of Made in Italy and the Italian fashion industry, which has always excelled in combining art and culture with innovation and quality.
A comprehensive document that explores and proposes concrete actions for the entire production chain, accordingly to the category of the product covered. To meet the most advanced sustainability requirements in the fashion industry, it is not enough to know the chemical parameters to be respected. It is important to consider good manufacturing practices to minimize environmental and social risks. CNMI has deepened the packaging phase in its technical and creative variables, illustrating its influence both in energy consumption and in the result of the finished product.
The future of fashion is circular economy
The document defines guidelines but also clear objectives such as circular economy, which is crucial to the future of the fashion industry.
It constitutes the only alternative to the unsustainable linear system that has been adopted to date, generating considerable environmental and social impact. The transition to the circular economy is a zero waste journey where waste is converted into resources. This is an important challenge for an industry such as fashion, which has always produced enormous quantities of textile and non-textile waste.
The circular economy requires an overall vision based on the sharing of resources, know-how, and waste.
An approach that must be measured at every stage through processes such as the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which maps the life cycle of a product from its conception, a key moment for sustainability, to the end of its useful life. In this regard, the document proposes alternative solutions ranging from eco-design to the extension of the useful life of a product: take-back and rental services, fiber regeneration, recycling, and reuse of the product.
The president of the CNMI, Carlo Capasa, said:
“Every waste is a value. We are tackling this issue from a technical point of view, with a stable table with our brands that will be able to bring companies closer to this type of process”.
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