Corporate Social Responsibility Report - KappAhl

SECTION 5 ENVIRONMENT
Climate analysis: “1.0 kg t-shirts better
than 1.1 kg beef”
As far as we know we were first in the
industry to carry out a comprehensive
climate analysis of garments, from cotton
growing via manufacture, transportation,
sale to using the garment for two years. It
turns out that our garments stand up well
in comparison with many other products
that we consume in a far shorter period.
The climate analysis, which was conducted in
2008, was on t-shirts and trousers throughout
the supply chain to the end customer, who
was assumed to use the garment for two
years. The purpose was to find the greatest
environmental impact. It turns out that a
large part of the emissions; 22 per cent for
t-shirts and 37 per cent for trousers, are from
washing and drying the garments.
“WASH RIGHT” – A SIDE EFFECT
Consequently we produced a brochure
“Wash right”, which gives specific advice on
how to look after clothes to reduce emissions.
Its advice includes how to wash and dry garments
in an environmentally friendly way.
INTERESTING COMPARISONS WITH
OTHER PRODUCTS
It may also be interesting to compare the climate
effect with other products and services
that we use every day. It is evident that 1 kg
t-shirts, which is about three t-shirts, has a
climate impact equivalent to 27 kg of carbon
dioxide. This is the same environmental
impact as 1.1 kg of beef, 6 kg of chicken and
120 kilometres driving in a car – over the
entire lifecycle. One kg of trousers has a
climate impact equivalent to 16 kg of carbon
dioxide over its lifecycle. The same effect is
achieved via 0.7 kg beef, 3.5 kg chicken and
80 km car driving. The tests show that customers
have a greater influence over the
climate impact of the trousers seen over the
entire lifetime. The production process plays
an important role here – the factories where
the trouser tests were carried out are modern
Production
Transportation
Trade
Production
Transportation
Trade
and have effective processes, which gives less
climate impact from production.
The ambition is to go further with new
climate analyses in coming years.
Climate impact – the entire life cycle
Washing and
tumble-drying
Washing and
tumble-drying
1 KG T-SHIRT = 27 KG CARBON
DIOXIDE
Production: 65 per cent
Transportation: 10 per cent
Trade: 3 per cent
Washing and tumble-drying: 22 per cent
1 KG TROUSERS = 16 KG CARBON
DIOXIDE
Production: 44 per cent
Transportation: 14 per cent
Trade: 5 per cent
Washing and tumble-drying: 37 per cent
30 K A P PA H L C S R R e P O RT 2 0 1 0