Back in the office

It has been almost two weeks since I came back to the office after the holidays. That I didn’t work too much during christmas did not really coma as a surprise, but coming back from the lazyness (and massive colds that hit me!) was a bit overwhelming. I realized that I still had a lot of work to do before the presentation, almost everything to be honest, since I’d been waiting for the last survey entries for a couple of weeks. In the beginning of my last week I finally received the last entry, so now it was time to start putting everything together and start analyzing.

From 9 invitations to take part in the study 6 companies answered, quite a good amount compared to the response I’ve received as “only a student”. It is obvious that the SSNC is an important stakeholder, with whom companies want to keep a good relationship. Of course it’s a bit scary when one of the largest environmental organizations want to discuss your company’s sustainability practices. I’m happy with the answers I received even though it would be interesting to have at least one more fast fashion company, or at least more thorough answers from the one who took part in the study. In the end, the study consisted of 3 outdoor brands, 2 slow fashion brands and 1 fast fashion brand.

As mentioned previously the study focused on the definitions, drivers and communication strategies regarding sustainability in these companies, aiming on mapping the different concepts of corporate sustainability in the fashion industry as well as describing the situation and ambitions of today.

Part of what I found out was:

• Theoretical concepts such as Triple Bottom Line and CSR is well understood and is the foundation of companies’ sustainability definitions. Continuity and long-term perspectives are also important concepts.
• Sustainability, long-term thinking or sense of responsibility is expressed in 4 out of 6 companies business ideas.
• Sustainability is one of the most prioritized business areas today
• Code of conduct and auditing is the most prioritized sustainability issue today. Philantrophy and charity is not prioritized sustainability issues from a Swedish business perspective.
• Corporate sustainability has become more strategic in the last years
• The main drivers for corporate sustainability are internal, such as the owners interest, sense of responsibility and hopes of contributing to a better world. Sustainability as a commersial precondition as well as risk reduction are also identified drivers.
• The focus area for the future is to minimize the negative impacts of products, which is why goals and key figures are mainly about the amount of BlueSign-certified products, recycled products, and recyclable products among the studied companies
• The main barriers to a more sustainable business is the conventionality of the industry and consumption of fashion and textiles
• Transparency and simplifying complex issues are keys to communicating sustainability
• A global, uniform, covering and easy-to-understand form of reporting, as well as for a certification system, is requested to guide both companies and consumers
• Companies drive the development, consumer behavior is still not responding enough to the sustainability issues of fashion and clothing 

Accept from the study I've had two other tasks during my fieldstudy time. A couple of days in december I spent on researching potential licencees for the certification Bra Miljöval (Good Environmental Choice) among different kinds of textile companies in fashion, childrens wear and home decoration. I also helped out planning an event that the SSNC is having together with the Textile museum in the end of January. The event is called “Länge leve kläderna!” (“Long live the clothes!”) and is based on a debate article from the chairman of the SSNC, published in a Swedish news paper last year. The aim of the event is to raise questions about what both companies and customers are responsible to do in order to prolong the life of garments, in order to achieve a more sustainable textile consumption. There will be short speaches from three companies, the head of department of the SSNC office for environmental consumption, as wella as the head of the Textile museum. There will be a panel discussion and exhibitions from the organisations taking part in the event as well. The invitation for the seminar is for industry representatives and media only, but in the afternoon the museum will be open for the public to see the exhibitions and ask questions. The time for the public part of the event is the 29/1 17.00-19.00 on the second floor of the Textile museum in Textile Fashion Center.

I'm just about to leave the office after my last day here, even though my work with them doesn't really end until after the event. I'm greatful for the time that I've spent here, the people I've gotten to know and everything that I've learned. But it's been a lot of work, and quite a warm up for the coming thesis period...

Emelie