bluesign® member statements

As Helly Hansen set about creating a more sustainable product line, we very quickly realized that the complexity of our supply chain meant that such an initiative would need strong external partners. To truly reduce environmental impact, it is important to cover all elements of the supply chain and tackle the challenges of each area of the production process one by one. The different challenges and lack of transparency within chemical and fabric use and energy and water consumption amongst others left us feeling that this really was a mountain to climb. Fortunately, we found help with bluesign technologies and their collaborative approach with the entire outdoor industry – these are challenges that no brand, vendor or fabric mill can single handedly solve. So far, we have been impressed by bluesign technologies’ endeavours to help our key fabric mills and vendors with their screening process. This screening will be critical to the long term improvement in our footprint. In addition, we have been grateful for bluesign technologies’ competence and insight in complex chemical  and fabric challenges we have had and which they have helped us solve as part of our partnership.

Richard Collier, Vice President Product, Helly Hansen ASA

As a manufacturer for children’s wear JAKO-O holds a particular responsibility for the future of our children. The company has always worked in line with the highest standards in order to guarantee safety for children and the environment. Most of JAKO-O’s employees are parents. They know exactly how important it is to guarantee clothing that is low in pollutants and an environment-friendly production. The cooperation with bluesign technologies helps JAKO-O to reach this goal. "We know that it is a long way to sustainability", emphasizes Bettina Peetz from the executive board of JAKO-O. "With the support of our new partner we are aiming to optimize production processes, save short resources like water and energy as well as reduce risks for our employees and customers."   

Backround information JAKO-O GmbH
JAKO-O GmbH is part of the HABA company family that employs a total of 1,800 staff. The company was awarded the certificate "berufundfamilie^®" several times for its family-friendly company policy.

Bettina Peetz, general management, JAKO-O GmbH

 MEC has a history of proactively working to reduce our ecological footprint. We’re committed to providing environmental leadership while providing quality products and services for our members. And bluesign technologies ag has proven to be the best choice of partner in this endeavour. Their knowledge of EHS-issues along with their experience in delivering practical solutions to the whole supply chain is a progressive step forward and will help MEC to make the right decisions for our products, our consumers and the environment.  

Greg Scott, Director of Product Integrity, Mountain Equipment Co-op

With its products Orsay addresses a very attractive and strong target group: women. The German fashion label designs outfits for women who follow their very own taste and style, trendy and feminine. At the same time Orsay monitors and coordinates the entire production system – from design to manufacturing to retail. On the international market for 35 years, Orsay owns 570 stores in 24 countries and has two headquarters in Willstätt (Germany) and Wroclaw (Polen).  

But Orsay is not only about international coordination, feminine freshness and the latest trends. It’s about sustainable, social and eco-friendly product lines. This is why Orsay opted for the bluesign^® membership. “The increasing competitive pressure within the past few years calls for a relocation of production sites to countries that so far have not emphasized ecological issues. However, Orsay is well aware of its ecological footprint within the supply chain“, says Marie-Claude König, Orsay CSR Officer. “We decided on the bluesign^® standard as it views all raw materials, substances, processes and emissions that are necessary for production. This not only sensitizes the supplier but also the consumer can be sure to purchase environment-friendly and the most low-polluting products.”  

Background information Orsay GmbH
Orsay stands for young, fashionable, and reasonably priced outfits with which women can individually express their femininity. Orsay understands this principle as a challenge and aligns its daily business and performance according to it. The preservation of values “Orsay­ – The Feminine Style“ is emphasized in the message “Thank God I´m a Woman“. 

Marie-Claude König, CSR Officer, Orsay GmbH

Patagonia is a company that realizes our impact on the environment is a constant, and potentially growing, component of our business. We have taken steps to reduce our Environmental Footprint in many ways but are always looking for ways to lower our impact even further. Once I learned about bluesign technologies ag, I knew we had a very interesting partner for the future of this endeavor. The people that I have worked with at bluesign technologies ag are some of the most sincere, smart and competent people I have ever worked with. They are very knowledgeable about many aspects of the textile supply chain that it makes it easy for us to come with questions on many different topics. We work with the best vendors in the world but they can't all be knowledgeable to this detail on the environmental concerns. To me, bluesign technologies ag is a progressive step forward because they are looking at the beginning of the supply chain which allows us to be proactive in our decision making. Also in their considerations, they are looking at impacts on the environment, occupational health and consumer safety.
 
Jill Dumain, Environmental Analysis Director, Patagonia Inc.

The environment, health and safety of people and the planet are very important to us. However, our ability to ensure our products have environmental integrity is limited if we only employ a compliance, restrict and test strategy. What is so different about the bluesign® standard methodology is that it understands ensuring best practices is part of a massively complex system and the best way to effect good performance is to design the integrity in. You can’t inspect quality into products; in the same way you can’t do the same for the environmental integrity. In addition to brands and retailers, there are provisions and responsibilities of chemical suppliers, mills and factories in the bluesign® process. Brands however are a critical link, being that they are the consumer facing and product ideation hub. As such, brands control the overall direction for materials utilized in products. By becoming a bluesign® member a product development professional has access to resources which assist in making smart choices regarding EHS throughout the textile supply chain. In addition, members are expected to actively participate in the implementation as well as the evolution of the bluesign® standard, demonstrating their commitment to a collaboration towards a greater good. There are excellent efforts underway to understand and quantify the complete environmental footprint of products—some by individual companies, as well as the entire North American outdoor industry. The bluesign® standard fits in very well with these strategies by providing a solid footing for measuring material impacts—whether water, waste, chemical or climate lenses. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and by going with the bluesign® standard we are taking a critical step towards better understanding and thereby reducing our product’s environmental impact.

Kevin Myette, Director of Product Integrity, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)

The North Face is proud to be a bluesign® member. The bluesign® standard looks at all of the environmental inputs and outputs of our manufacturing process. As part of its process, it evaluates the chemical make-up of our product at the beginning of the product life-cycle. It ensures that all the inputs to our products are safe for human health and the environment. The North Face is quickly adopting bluesign® certified materials and encouraging its supply chain to adopt this standard so we can all be better environmental stewards and bring products to market that not only meet our performance expectations but also our environmental ones as well.

Adam Mott, Sr. Manager, Corporate Sustainability, The North Face

Bikes, beach, and a lot of style – that´s Qloom. The young label from Switzerland attaches great importance to clothing that satisfies the highest demands of bikers as well as surfers. Qloom bike- and surfwear combines comfort, technology, and design. “We develop and produce textiles for leisure- and fun-mountainbiker“, says Dieter Rüegg, Qloom managing director. “Our company’s philosophy is sustainability. Social sustainability, with an open, friendly, and fair relationship with our staff, suppliers as well as partners, but also ecological sustainability when choosing product suppliers that produce in line with the latest ecological standards.“  

Qloom’s sustainable way of thinking is the best precondition for a collaboration with bluesign technologies. Rüegg emphasizes: “It is part of our responsibility to leave Planet Earth worth living on for our future generations. bluesign techonologies faces the environmental problems of the textile industry and works on solutions. This deserves utmost respect.“ Qloom communicates the new “bluesign^® membership“ discreetly, as: “We didn´t become bluesign^® member in order to advertise it“, says Rüegg and clarifies: “The membership is more a principle, an ideology.“  

Background information Qloom Sports GmbH
“Surf Meets Bike“: Qloom offers bike- and surfwear that spreads fun. Highest standards of the technichal product generate functional outfits the customer enjoys wearing. When it comes to styles, colours and designs Qloom gets its inspiration from the incredible feeling of biking and surfing. The collection 2011 will include approx. 60% bluesign^® certified textiles. 

Dieter Rüegg, CEO Qloom Sports GmbH

VAUDE sees itself as a partner of the environment. Early on we have recognized our responsibility toward man and nature and hence started to support the bluesign® standard as early as 2001: VAUDE was the first sporting goods brand to produce an entire product range (base layer) in accordance with the bluesign® criteria.
We see the bluesign® standard as a holistic, sophisticated and consistent standard for a production in the textile industry that is low on harmful substances and uses the least amount of resources. It is our goal to produce the entire VAUDE collection step by step at the highest ecological stage. This is a high demand and the road will be long. We can only meet our ambitious goal with an independent, competent partner – and this partner is bluesign technologies. We’re happy about the expert support of this unique standard and our membership as the first European outdoor company.

Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co. KG