Varcotex Zero km – Close to you
Restarting from a short supply chain to respect the Earth
Whether operating in fabrics or components, textile businesses today must recognise that sustainability is not just about production; it is also about revolutionising the way they think and shaping all their actions accordingly. What does sustainable mean other than necessary? But how to make that change? Any number of routes can be taken and supply chain businesses know it. We must all face up to the change – some enduring it, others seeking it.
In the latter camp, Carpi-based company Varcotex, the fashion labelling and brand protection manufacturer, is taking a stand with a short supply chain and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Restarting here and now. The new campaign, dedicated to the short supply chain and to transparency, points out very simply that, “Sustainability is also a matter of distance. Keep it low by choosing local manufacturers”. Closely linked with the ethics of transparency, this approach is the response to the challenges posed by the industry to the manufacturing sector.
“We are here, we are these machines, these heads, these people – this is us. Made in Italy, Designed in Milan, Made in Carpi,” continues CEO Paolo Munari.
“We are so firmly rooted in the territory that you can ‘see us in it’, and if you look closely you will notice the green heart that is becoming an increasingly large part of our vision, philosophy and approach,” he says. The Earth is calling on us to rethink our ways, but we can’t embrace an idea of responsible ecology if we continue to shift the burden of sustainability onto others. Reworking the company management, rethinking our attitude to place and to non-delocalised production. So that we can be truly carbon positive.
Varcotex CEO Paolo Munari is clear on the matter. After a career spent protecting local jobs and the ethics of Italian work, he points out the contradictions that often conceal good practice in the sector.
“Varcotex makes over 90% of its sales in Italy”.
Producing elsewhere can make a company lighter. But the impact of importing on CO2 levels is what makes the difference for a company management focused on going green. To quote Greta Thunberg, ‘we have to acknowledge this climate emergency and do something to reduce emissions and try to save what we can’.
Here are a few stats: 150 hang tags or 1500 woven labels weigh about one kilogram, which means 1.5 trees must be planted to offset shipping that weight from the other side of the world. The average air shipment of 50,000 hang tags and 50,000 woven labels generates over 3,000 kg of CO2, which is equivalent to planting over 140 trees. Perhaps this is the only way to understand the deception of light industry.” (https://www.ateneoverde.it/calcolo-co2/.)
The alarm call issued by the company is a way of raising awareness among its stakeholders and customers about the all too easy possibility of ending up in the wrong hands, i.e. companies who “offload” the issue of environmental impact to sub-suppliers that aren’t always traceable. It’s an important topic that is increasingly rising to the fore now, in the face of a never-before-seen emergency.
What is it committing to for the future? Against high-impact delocalisation. Against greenwashing. Against fast-sustainability practices. Against sustainability as a box-ticking exercise.
As big media campaigns such as #whomademyclothes have demonstrated, consumers want to know who is behind even the smallest part of a finished garment. This means brands have to pay attention to the credibility of their partners and embrace transparency in their production processes and workforce. This is why Varcotex has been talking to its stakeholders for some time to inform them of the various initiatives and certifications it has achieved (from Global Recycled Standard to Oeko-Tex Standard 100, FSC to quality and environmental certifications ISO 9001 and ISO 14001).
“Not only have we achieved these important certifications; we have also begun offsetting our CO2 emissions here in Carpi”.
“Our Varcobosco, our local woodland launched in 2019, is another way of offsetting our impact and a genuine commitment to reclaiming the industrial territory.”
What tools can be used to counter superficiality in the sector?
The three big projects in the pipeline to raise the brand’s visibility among clients and stakeholders are all part of its Corporate Social Responsibility ethos. For transparency and authenticity.
Varcotex will continue to go green through the Social Budget tool, which enables it to relay its passion and commitment to the environment with authenticity and credibility.
In addition to achieving even more certifications than it already has, the company will also begin the process to convert to a B-CORP and position itself as a company of people in a world made up of people.