For the fifth consecutive year, Bluesign System Partner manufacturers have reduced their environmental footprint across the KPIs of CO2 emissions, energy consumption and freshwater use, with an increased usage of renewable energy and Bluesign approved chemicals.
These sustainable gains are outlined in Bluesign’s 2024 Impact Report, which dives into how the independent third-party verifier is equipping over 900 system partners across the textile value chain (chemical suppliers, material manufacturers and brands) to eliminate hazardous chemicals, reduce emissions, and strengthen operations through science-based standards and digital tools.
Related Stories
Bluesign presented these sustainable achievements against a backdrop of harsh realities, including reports that GHG emissions are rising in the fashion industry and that just one percent of clothes is made of recycled textile, despite efforts to scale recycling.
In 2024, Bluesign carried out more than 300 assessments, underscoring the industry’s commitment to meeting evolving global regulations while driving significant environmental progress.
Nearly half were made with chemical suppliers. These assessments cover the supplier and production site, followed by the chemical products themselves, including additives such as dispersing agents in dye or chemical impurities.
Chemical assessments are conducted using the web-based Bluesign Tool, in which customers enter composition data, application data for safe chemical use, and much more. The Tool calculates the behavior of the chemical on the textile and in the working environment.
Chemicals rated blue exceed requirements and outperform competitors in safety and sustainability. Gray-rated products meet compliance standards and black-rated products are non-compliant and must be removed from the textile manufacturing process. Blue and gray products are considered Bluesign approved chemicals.
In 2024, Bluesign’s work with textile manufacturers focused on tier 2 of the supply chain such as weavers, knitters, dyers, printers and finishers. The firm conducted over 150 manufacturer assessments—each one with specific criteria depending on the type of production at each facility.
Though Bluesign notes “audit and reporting fatigue” from teams, manufacturing System Partners delivered improvements in CO2 emissions (down 17 percent), freshwater usage (down 8 percent) and energy consumption (down 14 percent) compared to 2023. Additionally, manufacturers increased its use of responsible chemicals by 5 percent.
Eliminating PFAs, which persist in the environment indefinitely, has also been a focus area for system partners. Bluesign said this pivot to PFAs-free alternatives highlights its “input stream management” approach “whereby understanding and sustainably managing inputs at each stage of the textile production, allows for end products to be overall more sustainable for the planet and the people.”
The assessment for brand and retailers covers three main aspects: the overall approach to sustainability, supply chain analysis with an emphasis on materials and chemical management; and impact management such as air emissions, health and safety, resource consumption, and management across operations and the supply chain.
Working with brands and retailer has opened Bluesign to the challenges that many face in their sustainability journey, including gaining a greater understanding of chemical management and tier 2 suppliers’ sustainability commitments and health and safety oversight. Bluesign noted a “lack of alignment between frontline teams working with suppliers on the ground and executive teams, as well as uncertainty caused by the evolving regulatory and political landscape.”
However, the effort pays off. Bluesign reports that half of the assessed brands improve their performance when re-assessed three years later.
