PROJECT STORY
The challenge
We developed a program to bring Dutch clothing brands closer to their supply chains in China, and helped them to improve on sustainability as well as the environmental, health and safety practices of their dye houses.
Dye House Improvement Program
Improving sustainability in the textile sector
The solution
Arcadis focused on pollution prevention, resource consumption and occupational health & safety of 9 dye houses and developed Corrective Action Plans to improve on their practices and their understanding of risks at their facilities.
The impact
Arcadis helped the dyehouses minimize risk of occupational diseases, improve chemical management practices, reduce resource consumption, and provided valuable insights for improvement of other supply chain partners in the future.
69
corrective actions closed
9
plans delivered for future action taking
The challenge
Through the support of the Dutch Government, Arcadis was engaged to partner with the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Shanghai and the Sociaal Economische Raad (SER) to work with the Chinese textile sector in improving the sustainability of supply chains of Dutch clothing brands.
The solution
Arcadis identified 3 focus topics to assess the dye houses, namely, Pollution Prevention, Resource Consumption and Occupational Health & Safety. Pollution prevention including topics such as wastewater treatment and hazardous substance management, Resource consumption which studied water conservation efforts, chemical use and energy consumption amongst others and lastly Occupational Health and Safety required to ensure the safety and health of personnel working at the facilities, through hazard assessment, training and awareness raising and PPE as a few examples of subjects discussed.
The Dye houses were not always aware of the risks and the lack of control measures was often not due to an unwillingness to support their workers and facility but lack of structured guidance on sustainable management systems. The Arcadis Corrective Action Plan helped to reduce these challenges and this program lays the groundwork for brands and suppliers in the textile sector to continue making improvements.
The impact
The program aimed to not only support the dye houses in China but also help bring clothing brands closer to their supply chains, helping them understand not just their Tier 1 suppliers but also Tier 2/3 suppliers. The program identified several issues such as non-specific management systems where facilities did not have a detailed assessment of their processes, improper chemical management systems, over usage of resources, and low awareness of managing occupational risks. By providing practical supporting materials and with virtual progress meetings, Arcadis consultants also supported the dye houses in implementation even throughout the COVID19 period.
