Environment and Sustainable Development - The Supply Chain of Clothes

1. Environment and Sustainable Development - The Supply Chain of Clothes Engert, Wimmer, Scheriau

2. The Supply Chain of Clothes Topics: • The Economic Aspects • The Ecological Aspects • The Social Aspects

3. Economic Aspects • Cloth production in developing countries • less qualified workers • small costs of material transport • Importance of commercial agreements and legal regulations • Biggst producers: China, India, Russia, America and Indonesia

4. Economic Aspects • Infulences on the market of clothes: • the demand on the clothes market, • costs of production, • technological change and • political developments

5. Economic Aspects • China`s role: • most importent exporter of textiles • cheap labor – 0.7 $ per hour • minor legal consequences concerning environmental pollution • supply of synthetic and natural resources • 2006: producing textiles in the value of 250 billions Euro

6. Economic Aspects • India`s role: • textile industrie: 4 % of gross national product • global export rate about 14% in the textile sector -second largest employer • third largest supplier of textiles for the US and the european market

7. The Ecological Aspects • Ressources • Advantages of organic cotton • cotton production is the dirtiest crop in the world • aldicarb, parathion and methamidopho are the three acutely hazardous insecticides to human health • biotechnology is the fastest adapted technology in the history • organic farmers use natural fertilizers like compost and animal manure, which reduces both the pollution problem and the N2O emissions

8. The Ecological Aspects • Problems in Production • coloration of textiles which are extremely harmful to the environment and the health of the factory workers because of the adoption of synthetic substances

9. The Ecological Aspects • Transport • the transportation is a big problem, which is very harmful to the environment because of the emissions • one of the primary determinants of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from mobile sources is the amount of carbon in the fuel

10. The Ecological Aspects • Transport • ways to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions • an alternative to diesel for trucks are gas, because electricity-mobility is not suited for trucks • a training for driving energy efficiency • better planning of routes and logistic, also in international shipping • better propellers for ships • better engine technology • more fuel efficient airplanes • hydraulics of airplanes can be replaced with electric engine • flight speed can be reduced

11. The Ecological Aspects • Utilisation • the adoption of everybody is very important • customers have the responsibility to mind in a natural and eco-friendly production and support the ecological sustainability in the textile industry

12. The Ecological Aspects • Disposal • What happens with clothes and other textiles after using? • often the clothes were burned • there are several Organisations in Austria, like “Das Rote Kreuz” or the “Caritas” which are very thankful for clothing donations

13. The Ecological Aspects • Ecological Certification • Oeko Tex Standard 100 • Global Organic Textile Standard • Clean Clothes Campaign • Ethical Trade Initiative • Fairtrade International • Greenpeace International • International Cotton Association

14. The Social Aspects • Cotton Production

15. The Social Aspects • Sweat Shops

16. The Social Aspects • Sweat Shops • Wages below the subsistence level • Dangerous working conditions • Child labor • Corporal punishment • Pregnancy controls • Etc.

17. The Social Aspects • Sweat Shops → Example: Jeans Who receives how much on average of one sold pair of jeans? • 50% retail, administration, sales tax • 25% brand name, administration, advertising • 13% material, profit of the factory in a low-wage country • 11% transport, taxes, import • 1% worker

18. The Social Aspects • Child Labor UNICEF defined eight circumstances under which child labor is harmful and exploitative: • Full-time job at an early age • Too many working hours per day • Inadequate payment • Dangerous working conditions • Work with too much responsibility • Work with physical and psychological strain • Work that harms the dignity and self-esteem of the child • Work that hinders the school attendance

19. The Social Aspects • Child Labor

20. The Supply Chain of Clothes Our Video: Ausbeutung zum Schnäppchenpreis: Discounter-Angebote und ihre Folgen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=785jO7HIv0g&feature=related#

21. Thank your for your attention!