The textile industry is always trying to become more environmental friendly. It is a major concern from chemical manufacturers to the brands to provide consumers with products that are safe for them but also safe for the Earth.
Blue Sign® was founded in 2000 in Switzerland. The idea was to unify the whole supply chain for textile manufacturing in order to decrease the impact of processes on people and the environment by having a responsible approach from the use of materials to the use of resources.
Blue Sign® is based on 5 principles:
1. Resource productivity: Sustainability in the choice of raw materials as well as in the choice of resources used to manufacture textiles and optimization of the process.
2. Consumer safety: Customers want the best quality and the best price but they are also more and more aware of the impact their choice make on the environment and people. Therefore, the Blue Sign® label assures that the end-product they purchase is in equilibrium with their ecological and ethical beliefs.
3. Water emission: At each step of textile manufacturing, Blue Sign® requires companies to install a wastewater treatment system that will clean and purify the water coming out of their operation to reduce the contamination of the sewage system and therefore of the whole manmade and natural water systems.
4. Air emission: Just as for water, the air needs to be cleaned of any dangerous components. CO2 emissions also need to be controlled at the factory level by each manufacturer. By making that effort, Blue Sign® encourages companies to be extremely conscious about greenhouse gas emissions and their impact to the climate.
5. Occupational Health & Safety: Blue Sign® has developed strict guidelines to protect workers of the textile industry. Employees need to be protected from chemicals, noise and dust. Training programs are available to increase the employees’ awareness of their own safety and how to prevent accidents.
The NICCA Group has been working for many years toward these principles even before Blue Sign® was created. Therefore it was a validation for the NICCA Group to become a Blue Sign® registered company. Several of our products are already Blue Sign® and our chemists around the world are developing new products that will follow these 5 principles.
Check out Nicca’s registration online on the Blue Sign® website! (www.bluesign.com)
