Sustainable Apparel Initiative
Sustainable Apparel Initiative
The University of Delaware Sustainable Apparel Initiative promotes environmental sustainability and social responsibility in the apparel and retail industries. Established in 2008 by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies in partnership with key industry partners, UDSAI leverages the department's extensive expertise in apparel and textiles sustainability and social responsibility, consumer behavior, and apparel design to research, design, create, and demonstrate a framework of guidelines, practices, programs, and solutions to shape the character of the apparel and retailer industries in their evolution toward sustainability. We aim for our work to have positive economic, environmental, and social benefits for the world and its people.
UD Courses
The Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies has integrated sustainability topics into its undergraduate programs in apparel design and fashion merchandising.
The Department also offers an innovative and award-winning graduate certificate in Social Responsibility and Sustainability that is taught entirely through the web.
Training for Industry
The Department also extends its educational expertise to the apparel industry by creating and delivering customized training programs on sustainability topics for companies. Additionally, our Brief Courses in Social Responsibility and Sustainability offer focused content on critical topics. For example, over 2,000 supply chain professionals from 29 countries have successfully completed the University of Delaware's Risks of Human Trafficking and Slavery short course. Over 70 companies have used the course to train their employees or teams, in industries including apparel, footwear, pharmaceutical, biotech, manufacturing, food processing, jewelry, retail, packaging, electronics and telecommunications. UD is the only on-demand online training provider on this topic.
For additional information or to discuss your company's training needs, please contact Dr. Huantian Cao at hcao@udel.edu.
Sustainability Research- Business
Recently published in the Journal of Corporate Citizenship, a study by Marsha Dickson, Yazbehl Waters, and Dilia Lopez-Gydosh brings to light the interest and environmental concerns of three groups that are influential stakeholders in the apparel industry.
Research conducted by Yazbehl Waters as part of her master's thesis focused on U.S.-based stakeholder groups' expectations for the environmental performance of apparel brands and retailers. Recently published in the Journal of Corporate Citizenship, the study brings to light the interest and concerns of the three influential groups in the apparel industry: the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Organic Exchange (now Textile Exchange), and Ceres. Working with Marsha Dickson and Dilia Lopez-Gydosh, case studies were developed for each group. Looking across the research, the groups share the belief that apparel brands and retailers need to address the issues of water usage, chemical use and management, and carbon footprint measuring and reduction. In-depth supply chain management is believed to be key to tackling these environmental issues. In-depth supply chain management includes company representatives familiarizing themselves with each layer within their supply chain, from the farm to the factory to the store, and then investing in their supply chain with clear communication, capacity building, education, training, steady order placement, and stakeholder engagement.
Apparel and Footwear from Renewable Resources
Students in the ACRES (Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources) group in CHEG develop thermoset resins, composites, and foams from plant oils and chicken feather. ACRES students also coat bio-based resins on different textile substrates that will be used as leather substitute. Students in FASH use these materials from renewable sources to design and develop apparel, footwear, and other products.
The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty and students in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies (FASH) and the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CHEG). It is funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Students in the ACRES (Affordable Composites from Renewable Sources) group in CHEG develop thermoset resins, composites, and foams from plant oils and chicken feather. ACRES students also coat bio-based resins on different textile substrates that will be used as leather substitute. Students in FASH use these materials from renewable sources to design and develop apparel, footwear, and other products. Mechanical properties of these bio-based materials are evaluated in accordance with ASTM standards. Human subject tests are used to evaluate the product comfort, and consumer acceptance of our products. The objectives include: (a) developing and evaluating bio-based materials, i.e., thermosetting polymer resins, resin-coated textile fabrics, polyurethane foams, and chicken feather composites, for apparel and footwear products and accessories; (b) designing and producing garments, shoes and accessories with different styles using bio-based materials; (c) evaluating the comfort, consumers' acceptance, and cost of our design and product; (d) evaluating the lifecycle environmental impacts of the materials we developed, and (e) revising the design based on evaluation results and developing educational tool.
Cascale formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The University of Delaware's Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies has joined Cascale formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an industry-wide group of leading apparel retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and non-governmental organizations formed in 2011 to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products.
The coalition is in the process of developing the Apparel Index, an industry tool taking a life-cycle view of the entire production chain. An important long-term task in addressing social and environmental impacts will be educating future industry professionals about these impacts and how information from the Index can be used in making decisions that improve conditions.
UD's Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies is a global leader in sustainability education and its nearly 400 undergraduate students majoring in apparel design and fashion merchandising all achieve an integrated core of sustainability knowledge.
The department's thought leadership in sustainability is underscored by its role in founding the international consortium of Educators for Socially Responsible Apparel Business, which has served as a catalyst for faculty at colleges and universities around the world to launch sustainability-related education and research initiatives. The department is also active with a wide range of key stakeholders including the International Textile and Apparel Association, the American Apparel and Footwear Association and the Fair Labor Association.
"Joining SAC is a natural extension of the work we are doing as part of our Sustainable Apparel Initiative," remarked Marsha Dickson, professor and department chair. "This initiative leverages our expertise in apparel and textiles sustainability and social responsibility, consumer behavior, and apparel design to research, design, create, and demonstrate a framework of guidelines, practices, programs, and solutions to shape the character of the apparel and retail industries in their evolution toward sustainability."
In support of the department's admission into SAC, Bob Buck, a Technical Fellow at DuPont, said, "I wholeheartedly supported UD joining the coalition. Having academic members in the coalition is so very important and uniquely additive. Membership provides a direct connection for students to learn and understand the industry's sustainability aspirations and see how they can play a role in achieving them."
Jason Kibbey, executive director of SAC, said, "We are really excited for the department's participation. They have been an excellent leader in sustainability issues in fashion for quite some time and they're going to be great partners for us."
Industry Engagement
Fair Labor Association
Dr. Marsha Dickson serves on the board of directors of the Fair Labor Association, which combines the efforts of business, civil society organizations, and colleges and universities to promote and protect workers' rights and to improve working conditions globally through adherence to international standards. Dickson also chairs the Monitoring Committee where FLA policies are put into practice.
American Apparel and Footwear Association
Dr. Huantian Cao serves on the AAFA Environmental Committee, which provides a forum for apparel, footwear, and textile executives; labs and testing companies, and other solution providers to discuss proper environmental stewardship and best practices. The committee has presented numerous domestic and international seminars on restricted substances and environmental auditing best practices, and is now tracking new regulatory and legislative developments in China, Europe, the United States and elsewhere. Several of our students have attended the committee's meetings with some presenting their research to the committee's members.
Dr. Marsha Dickson serves on the AAFA Social Responsibility Committee, which identifies and studies global social responsibility issues and trends that affect the U.S. apparel and footwear industry and disseminates that information to committee members. The committee meets regularly to discuss these issues, share best practices and, when necessary, develop the industry's plan of action in response to specific issues. Recently, Dr. Dickson presented her research on company disclosures under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act to the committee.
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, an industry-wide group of leading apparel retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, academics and non-governmental organizations formed in 2011 to reduce the environmental and social impacts of apparel and footwear products. Our faculty are active on several of the Coalition's working groups that have developed version 1 of the Higg Index
Student and Alumni Sustainability Profiles
Tiffany Rogers
Fair Labor Association, Accreditation Associate
As the Accreditation Associate, I assist with due diligence activities for FLA affiliates, including Participating Companies, Participating Suppliers, and Category B Licensees. The Accreditation Department is responsible for evaluating companies’ compliance programs. The department conducts company assessments and headquarters visits to examine compliance programs and provides feedback to assist companies in maturing their programs. Day to day, I can be doing anything from reviewing company’s self assessments, assisting in webinars to guide companies on how to prepare for a FLA visit, working with companies on any concerns they may have in regards to FLA procedures, or writing assessments of company’s compliance programs. It’s an exciting time to be at the FLA right now, as we are expanding into industries beyond apparel and receiving interest from other well-known brands.
As an undergraduate at UD, I was exposed to various labor issues in apparel factories that stuck with me as I pursued my dream of becoming a fashion designer. After a few years of working in New York, it became evident to me that I needed to go beyond working with clothing and dive deeper into the labor and social issues of the apparel industry. The Masters of Fashion and Apparel Studies at UD prepared me for working at the FLA by greatly exposing me to the world of corporate social responsibility in the Social Responsibility and Sustainability in Apparel Business Certificate program. Not only did the certificate expose me to the background of CSR, but it also showed me the challenges in motivating factories and companies to commit to due diligence. I was also lucky enough to be able to intern with the American Apparel and Footwear Association that not only exposed me to real world problems, but gave me introductions to some of the CSR colleagues I would work with in my role at the FLA. While I have a great deal to learn in my role in the Accreditation Department, I feel prepared in taking on the challenges of the role with the concrete amount of knowledge I absorbed during my masters program at UD.
Graduated in 2014: Masters of Science in Fashion and Apparel Studies and Graduate Certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Apparel Business. Graduated in 2005: Bachelor of Science in Apparel Design.
Crispin Wong
Nike, Inc., Director – Road 2 Zero
I lead and coordinate Nike Inc.’s initiative to achieve zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the supply chain by 2020. This includes working on internal and external commitments and projects that will help the company advance towards its goal and promote engagement with suppliers at all tiers of the supply chain.
The UD Certificate program provided me with industry knowledge and know how related to social responsibility and environmental impacts in apparel and footwear supply chains. I was able to take my skills from previous experience and learn how to apply them to the specific issues in the apparel industry around social and environmental issues. In addition, the professors provided their personal industry knowledge and insights and have a vested interest in making sure the students are successful in achieving their career goals.
Graduated in 2012, Graduate Certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Apparel Business
Devin Wardell Cook
MIT, MBA Student
After receiving my undergraduate degree, I worked for four years as a strategy consultant, ultimately planning to apply this business experience to a role in socially responsible and sustainable apparel business. While working on the graduate certificate in socially responsible and sustainable apparel business, I began my career shift. With the help of UD faculty and staff, I won a Fulbright Scholarship to study artisan-based textile businesses in India. I worked primarily with women entrepreneurs, gaining insight into their lives and experiencing my UD course content in action. Now that I am back in the US, I am pursuing an MBA at MIT.
Thanks to UD’s certificate program, I better understand the opportunities for me to drive social and environmental responsibility in the apparel industry through business initiatives. The certificate program inspired me to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to explore artisan businesses, and the course content helped me to write a compelling and informed proposal. I still regularly refer back to my course materials and class discussions for insights!
2012 Graduate Certificate in Socially Responsible and Sustainable Apparel Business.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CREATING A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE APPAREL BUSINESS
When browsing many apparel brands' and retailers' web sites or catalogs, it would be easy to get the idea that the way to lessen the impacts the apparel and retailing industries have on the environment is simply to start using organic cotton in a portion of each brand's or store's product offerings. But you probably know that it's not quite as simple as that. We've heard numerous brands and retailers over the last year say that they want their businesses to be sustainable but that they don't really know what that means. Further, they are afraid to talk about what they are doing because they fear their critics will not believe it is enough.
The University of Delaware's Sustainable Apparel Initiative (UDSAI) worked during 2008 and 2009 to develop a set of policies related to environmental sustainability that would begin to provide answers for the following questions:
• What does it mean to be a "sustainable" apparel business?• What must a company do to call itself sustainable?
When we heard companies asking questions such as those listed above, we knew from the context that they were interested in learning how to reduce their environmental footprint while improving their value as businesses. Sustainability is frequently used in many different ways: in reference to the environment, to workers rights, corporate philanthropy, and the long-term viability of the company. Sustainability is also exchanged with phrases like "social responsibility" or "corporate citizenship." When a term is used in so many ways, it creates confusion and is often overused, but rarely understood.
UDSAI defines sustainability as encompassing social, environmental, and financial aspects of a company. Sustainability is the result of responsible business practices and policies that make a positive impact on all people in the value chain from workers to consumers, maintain the environment for future generations, and result in a more productive and viable company. Thus, to be a sustainable apparel business means a company embraces a vision that includes sustainability and that it does the hard work of achieving that vision.
While sustainability is three-dimensional, in this document we focus on the environmental dimension of the term, narrowing our focus to business practices and policies that result in "environmental sustainability." The pursuit of sustainability regarding workers in the apparel industry has carried on for more than a decade. To be sure there is still much work to be done to assure that those making clothing work in safe conditions and have their rights as workers upheld—that the benefits of their work go beyond simple survival. But there are more established resources available to brands and retailers to guide their work on the social dimension of sustainability. Thus, the policies we describe here only reference people when they involve potential health hazards for workers or consumers that are typically subjected to environmental regulations, such as management of toxins and other substances.
Contributors
Martha Carper, Assistant Professor, The University of Delaware
Huantian Cao, Associate Professor, The University of Delaware
Kelly Cobb, Assistant Professor, The University of Delaware
Marsha Dickson, Professor and chairperson, Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, The University of Delaware
Rick Horwitch, Vice President, Solutions Business Development & Marketing, Bureau Veritas, Consumer Products Services
Hye-Shin Kim, Professor, The University of Delaware
Steve Lamar, Executive Vice President, American Apparel and Footwear Association
Suzanne Loker, Professor Emerita, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, Cornell University
Sharron Lennon, Irma Ayres Professor, The University of Delaware
Rick MacDonald, Considered Apparel Lead, Nike, Inc.
Jennifer McCord, University Honors Program Russell Fellow/ The University of Delaware
Will Phillips, Manager of Corporate Environmental Strategy, Under Armour Performance
Jenna Shaw, Undergraduate honors student, Double major: Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising, The University of Delaware
