Abstract
Consumer products such as clothes and footwear sometimes contain chemical substances with properties that pose a risk to human health and the environment. These substances, restricted by law or company policy, are in focus for chemicals management processes by textile retailers. However, complex and non-transparent supply chains, and limited chemical knowledge, makes chemicals management challenging. Therefore, a function-based approach for life cycle management (LCM) of chemicals was developed, based on results of previous projects and evaluated using a two-step Delphi process. The resulting approach aims to help retailers identify and substitute hazardous substances in products, and consists of three parts: (i) a function-based chemicals management concept model for different levels of chemical information within the supply chain, (ii) tools for non-chemists which explain chemical information, and (iii) a continuous provision of knowledge to stakeholders (e.g., retailers) in a network. This approach is successfully implemented by over 100 retailers in the Nordic countries, providing the textile industry with practical and robust tools to manage and substitute hazardous chemicals in products and production processes. We conclude that the developed approach provides an explicit link, communication, and knowledge sharing between actors in the supply chain, which has proven important in chemicals LCM.
Highlights
Life cycle management (LCM) is intended to provide an operational discipline to produce, deliver, support, and retire product offerings in a sustainable manner, by considering the environmental aspects along the entire product life cycle [1,2]
The results show that the value statements that received the highest ranking by the network members relate to support regarding highly practical issues, such as keeping up to date with regulations and other developments, as well as receiving support regarding advanced issues in chemicals management (Figure 5)
This paper provides a detailed example of implementation of a function-based chemicals LCM approach by Nordic textile and leather retailers from theory to practice
Summary
Life cycle management (LCM) is intended to provide an operational discipline to produce, deliver, support, and retire product offerings in a sustainable manner, by considering the environmental aspects along the entire product life cycle [1,2]. This paper will argue that the current LCM tools and practices are not enough to support the textile industry in the management of chemicals throughout the supply chain in a satisfactory way. Despite the lack of literature on chemicals LCM, such practice has been performed as part of a collaboration including Nordic textile and leather retailers. These retailers experience market competition, this collaboration has been considered a fruitful approach. The chemicals are produced by humans or nature and intentionally added to the process They are seldom detected in high concentrations in the end product
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