Isko is taking steps toward making better choices for its supply chain, and it wants the rest of the industry to follow its lead.
The Turkish denim mill has completed Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) of its entire denim range to assess and quantify the environmental footprint of its products from raw material to finished product. More than 25,000 denim products have obtained LCA in line with International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
ISO is an independent, non-governmental organization that brings together members’ areas of expertise to create international standards for best practices. By understanding its product’s environmental impact, Isko said it’s able to identify areas where improvements can be made, and allow its customers to make more informed decisions.
In order to ensure the validity and replicability of the LCAs, Isko has produced publicly available Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in line with the ISO 14025 standard. The independently verified and registered document communicates transparent and comparable information about products’ life cycle environmental impact.
Isko is the first denim manufacturer globally to obtain pre-certified EPDs for all of its products, grouped into nine categories. The results of these industry first EPDs are being used to create independently devised Product Category Rules (PCR).
The guidelines, due November 2018, are devised to drive consistent and comparable assessments of denim across the industry. The goal, Isko said, is to enhance the industry’s transparency, improve consumer awareness and increase overall environmental improvement.
Isko’s commitment to sustainability is carried throughout its product lines, including Isko Reform, a stretch technology that eliminates the need to frequently wash the jeans for shape retention, and Isko Cottonized, a Tencel and rayon denim made without the use of any cotton.