As part of its sustainability goals and initiatives, Hanesbrands said Thursday that the company has renewed its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) SmartWay Transport program.
A program partner for three years, Hanesbrands had recently submitted data on shipping and energy-conservation efforts associated with the transportation of raw materials and distribution of finished products required under the EPA program. The SmartWay Transport program reviewed and validated this information before approving the company’s partnership renewal.
The SmartWay Transport program was developed in 2003 by the EPA, industry stakeholders and environmental groups. Since its inception, the partnership estimates that the program has helped save nearly 280 million barrels of oil, or more than 5.3 billion gallons of gas annually along with $38 billion in fuel costs. Additionally, emissions have been reduced by 134 million tons.
Since 2008, Hanesbrands said it has reduced carbon emissions from transportation by more than 50 percent.
“We’re very proud to participate in the U.S. EPA’s SmartWay Transportation program, as it is integral to being successful in our overall environmental sustainability program,” Robin Hager, director of global logistics, freight and customs at Hanesbrands, said.
Hanesbrands uses SmartWay’s tools and innovative approaches to assess the environmental and energy efficiency of shipping within its supply chains and help reduce fuel use and associated emissions, the company said. SmartWay has more than 3,000 partners, including manufacturers, shippers, logistics companies, and truck, rail, barge and multimodal carriers.
In its 2018 Carbon Disclosure Project 2019 Climate Change Report released this summer, Hanesbrands said it saw a 34 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from its 2007 baseline, nearing its 2020 goal of a 40 percent reduction. Bolstered by the significant jump in use of renewable energy, the company posted a nearly double-digit decrease versus 2017.
Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., Hanesbrands is a marketer of everyday basic innerwear and activewear apparel in the Americas, Europe, Australia and Asia-Pacific under brands such as Hanes, Champion, Bonds, Maidenform, Bali, Playtex, Bras N Things, L’eggs, JMS/Just My Size, Lovable, Wonderbra and Gear for Sports.