Bengaluru: Page Industries, India’s leading apparel manufacturer and the exclusive licensee of Jockey and Speedo in India, launched an industry-first sustainability initiative by unveiling its Chemical Management Policy and Restricted Substances List (RSL) for its supply chain. At a curtain raiser event attended by Page’s leadership team and 120 vendors from its strategic supply chain, the company unveiled its Chemical Management Policy and laid down the roadmap for the implementation and monitoring process of RSL.
The event was attended by the senior leadership of Page Industries including Mr. V.S. Ganesh, CEO and Executive Director; Mr. Sharmir Genomal, Deputy Managing Director; and Mr. Chandrasekar, Chief Financial Officer.
Developed by a special working group of the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s (AAFA’s) Environmental Task Force, the RSL is a practical tool that provides apparel companies and their supply chain with information related to regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished apparel products around the world.
With the implementation of RSL, Page aims to ensure that there are no hazardous chemicals in the finished product, zero incidences of product safety-related issues and an enhanced product and manufacturing experience for all stakeholders along the value chain.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. V.S. Ganesh, CEO and Executive Director, Page Industries said, “At Page, sustainability is a way of life and helps us grow our business in the most ethical, responsible, and environmentally friendly way possible. As part of this endeavour, we have established a long-term strategy that seeks to embed sustainability at the core of our operations, through interventions in areas like climate, responsible chemical management, supplier sustainability, diversity, and equal opportunity, etc. But sustainability is a shared responsibility, and we are actively working with our partners and suppliers to achieve these collective targets.”
Over the last few years, Page Industries has implemented several incremental practices in line with its sustainability commitment including establishing Supply Chain Standard and Responsibility Code, adopting Responsible Sourcing Policy, conducting sustainability assessment for strategic suppliers, and capacity building for strategic suppliers on GHG emissions accounting, among others.
For implementation and monitoring of this RSL initiative, Page Industries has also tied up with Bluwin, the holding company of “STS-Sustainable Textile Solutions,” which aims to reduce the adverse impacts of the manufacturing process of fashion, textile, and footwear industries on the planet.
(India CSR)
