Eton adopts a proactive approach to waste reduction
Eton Shirts is a Swedish shirtmaker founded in 1928. The company is known for its high-quality, classic-fitting shirts. Eton Shirts are made from the finest materials and are tailored to perfection. The company offers a wide range of styles to suit every occasion, from dress shirts to casual shirts. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, Eton’s Head of Sustainability Lina Ödeen discusses the company’s robust commitment to sustainability, its strategies for achieving this through supplier audits, employee education, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and collaborative industry involvement.
How does Eton Shirts integrate sustainability into its manufacturing processes?
We uphold stringent ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) standards for both our operations and our suppliers. These standards are clearly articulated in our Code of Conduct and Sustainability Policy. To ensure supplier compliance, we proactively engage with them and conduct regular audits and dialogues.
We maintain a comprehensive understanding of our supply chain, with dedicated Eton employees embedded in production roles, and we routinely visit our partner sewing factories. This fosters transparency and allows us to direct our actions towards areas where they will have the most significant impact.
By tracking energy and water consumption in production, we can pinpoint which suppliers require closer monitoring and provide them with support in their transition towards reducing their environmental impact.
As a brand that is certified and prioritises more sustainable materials, we include all our sewing factories within our scope for material certifications. These include certifications for the Organic Content Standard (OCS), the Recycled Content Standard (RCS), and the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). This commitment reinforces our dedication to upholding robust ESG standards.
Could you provide some examples of sustainable materials used in the production of your products?
We use more sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, recycled polyamide, recycled polyester, organic linen, Tencel and RWS wool.
What initiatives have you taken to reduce the environmental impact throughout your supply chain?
I have led educational webinars for our tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, highlighting the crucial role of transitioning to renewable energy. I view our work with suppliers as a collaborative endeavour, where we aim to provide support throughout their transition journey. Furthermore, we have conducted assessments of energy and water consumption at all our partnering sewing factories. This facilitates ongoing dialogue about setting targets and implementing improvements. Additionally, we are vetting all potential new suppliers for sustainability requirements before entering into partnerships.
Are there any specific measures in place to ensure fair labour practices within your manufacturing facilities?
Our long-standing relationships with our suppliers are an integral part of our commitment to promoting a safe and secure work environment for all employees. Together, we strive to ensure optimal working conditions. To guarantee this, we conduct comprehensive audits covering areas such as Labour, Wages & Hours, Health and Safety, Management Systems, Environment, and Business Practices. All supplier agreements for our products include our Code of Conduct as an attachment, which mandates adherence to health and safety regulations, fair working conditions, just compensation, freedom of association, the right to a collective bargaining agreement, and anti-corruption measures.
Eton adheres strictly to national legislation in all countries where we operate, proactively implementing measures to prevent any direct or indirect violations of human rights, labour laws, environmental laws, competition laws, and anti-corruption laws. Our Code of Conduct aligns with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and relevant international agreements: the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization Conventions, the UN Convention against Corruption, and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.
We assess our suppliers based on whether they have signed our Code of Conduct, and new suppliers undergo scrutiny through a sustainability tender questionnaire. During our audits, we have not identified any operations or suppliers at risk of infringing upon the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, child labour, or forced labour.
We are proud of our local employees who support our sewing factories and of our close collaboration with our suppliers. Eton has a whistleblowing system in place through an application called Whispli, which allows organisations to provide a secure space for employees to anonymously ask questions or share sensitive information and issues. We also encourage our suppliers to implement a whistleblowing system and are currently tracking this KPI.
How do you approach the issue of waste reduction in your manufacturing operations?
Eton adopts a proactive approach to waste reduction. We actively monitor our textile waste with an ambition to reduce its quantity and find viable uses for discarded textile waste.
Can you tell us about any partnerships or collaborations you have established to promote sustainability in the fashion industry?
By proactively participating in industry forums, presentations, and roundtable discussions, I get the opportunity to share and gain knowledge, expertise, and ideas. Collaboration is paramount to overcoming our shared challenges and succeeding in our endeavours. We strive to lead when appropriate, and learn from others when they are at the forefront. By doing so, we extend our own capabilities and amplify our overall impact.
We are proud members of STICA (The Swedish Textiles Initiative for Climate Action) and TEKO, a Swedish trade and employers’ association representing member companies in the textile and fashion industry. In early 2022, Eton joined the Learning & Innovation Network (LIN) launched by the Sustainable Fashion Academy (SFA).
Additionally, our greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), demonstrating our commitment to mitigating our environmental impact.
What steps have you taken to ensure transparency and traceability in your supply chain?
We have successfully mapped all our tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, and even some of our tier 3 suppliers. To enhance access to our sustainability impact data, we have invested in a robust sustainability reporting system. This system allows us to track our progress effectively, including creating visualisations and projecting scenarios. Notably, in 2022, we managed to calculate our emissions using 99 per cent actual data, marking a significant accomplishment in our sustainability efforts.
Do you have any plans to incorporate circular economy principles into your business model?
Yes, we have implemented some initiatives to enhance product circularity, for instance, we have piloted a ‘take back’ system in Sweden this spring, and are implementing it in all European stores now. Furthermore, we have successfully launched the first ‘Eton Archive’ collection, a curated limited-edition capsule of shirts created from fabrics from our archive. Lastly, we have undertaken a project aimed at gathering our textile waste from two of our sewing factories which is sent to one of our long-term fabric suppliers to be shredded and spun into new yarn for weaving fabrics which we incorporate in our collections.
How does Eton Shirts communicate its sustainability efforts to customers and stakeholders?
We publish an annual Sustainability Report where we openly disclose our environmental impact and progress. This report is publicly accessible to our customers and stakeholders, offering them insight into our sustainability efforts. This review serves as an exhaustive overview of our sustainability journey and the actions we are taking to improve.
Besides the report, we have established a dedicated Sustainability Steering Group at Eton, which I lead. The group comprises representatives from all Eton functions, who also act as ambassadors for our sustainability efforts. This further emphasises our commitment to and transparency in our pursuit of sustainability.
What goals or targets have you set for your company’s sustainability initiatives in the coming years?
Here’s a glimpse into what we are working towards: By 2025, we aim to have 100 per cent organic or recycled cotton in all our products. We have also committed to have 100 per cent more sustainable fabrics in our products by 2030. And we are not stopping there – our target is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. To get there, we are aiming for a 50 per cent reduction in emissions (Scope 1-2) by 2030 and a 30 per cent reduction in our Scope 3 emissions by the same year. Additionally, we are adamant in ensuring safe work environment that upholds labour rights, free from any form of harassment or discrimination, within our supply chain, year after year.
Interviewer: Shilpi Panjabi
Published on: 16/06/2023
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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