In a bid to accelerate the use of sustainable materials and chemicals in its products, Japanese sporting goods giant Asics has announced a strategic partnership with textile chemicals management system Bluesign Technologies.
The move, which sees Ascis become the first Japanese brand system partner, grants the company access to Bluesign’s Bluefinder and Blueguide assessment tools for chemical management throughout its supply chain.
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“Asics is determined to further improve the sustainability of our products and supply chain by focusing on sustainable, high quality and safe materials,” says Joji Yoshimoto, general manager of CSR sustainability department at Asics. “Partnering with Bluesign offers us the opportunity to shift our focus from restricting hazardous chemicals towards providing insight into positive chemicals that our suppliers can use. This positive approach is in line with our ambition to collaborate more closely with our suppliers to achieve our common sustainability goals.”
The Bluesign system, a solution for sustainable textile production adopted by more than 500 leading companies worldwide, eliminates harmful substances right from the beginning of the manufacturing process and sets and controls standards for environmentally friendly and safe textile production. This ensures the final products meet very stringent consumer safety requirements and also serves as a reliable indicator of sustainability for consumers.
With the Bluefinder, suppliers can access a database of chemicals that have received Bluesign approval following a thorough analysis of hazards and risks, enabling them to effectively manage the chemicals they use and ensure sustainability.
The Blueguide meanwhile, supports Asics with the selection of sustainable materials by providing access to a database of Bluesign approved fabrics, accessories and trims, which are produced with safe chemicals at verified factories. These tools will be applied throughout Asics’ global supply chain.
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By GlobalDataThe company, which designs and manufactures sporting goods including performance athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, has set sustainability targets it aims to achieve by 2020. One of the goals is to expand its supply chain management scope to include Tier 2 suppliers, which includes material and trim suppliers.
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Joining Bluesign allows Asics to work towards these targets in a very efficient way, focusing on all issues related to Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) and chemical management in particular, it says. Bluesign offers a reliable framework for supplier certification that can ensure EHS issues, including chemicals, are managed properly.
“We are honoured that Asics is our first brand system partner in Japan,” says Bluesign CEO Jill Dumain. “Asics has demonstrated a strategic approach to their sustainability work and we are proud they have chosen Bluesign technologies as one of their partners. Their commitment as a company is evident in their many initiatives from creating innovative products to reducing the impact of their supply chain and investing in communities. We thank Asics for showing leadership in the Japanese market and welcome them to the Bluesign community.”
