TEXTILES IN SPORTS APPAREL – A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

M Gopalakrishnan
Associate Professor, Department of Textile Technology, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology,
Sathyamangalam -638401, email: gokin_m@yahoo.co.in
V Punitha
Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Technology, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology,
Sathyamangalam -638401
D Saravanan
Professor, Department of Textile Technology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore
S Mounika
Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Technology, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology,
Sathyamangalam -638401
C Mohan Bharathi
Assistant Professor, Department of Textile Technology, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology,
Sathyamangalam -638401

Sports clothing is manufactured in large volumes for a shorter life cycle, leading to a huge waste when
disposed to earth. Synthetic fibres are majorly used in sports apparel for better comfort properties. The latest
techniques and manufacturing processes are adopted to produce sustainable sports apparel. Digital concepts
have been adopted to minimize material waste, ensuring resource exploitation. In this chapter, along with
environmental aspects, social and economic aspects of sustainable development through triple bottom line study,
effective material selection with digitalization in the supply chain, and the influence of slow fashion in waste
reduction are also discussed.
Keywords: Sustainable manufacturing, life cycle assessment, triple bottom line, digitalization, sports fashion.
Introduction
Sports textile manufacturing is carried with technical textiles and keeps eyes on technology in addition
to divergence of fibre market to bring better comfort and functions to clothing. Sportswear industries not only
include garment production, but also fibre, fabric production and chemical treatment processes. At every stage
of textile manufacturing nearly and above 20 thousand litre of water is being consumed along with carbon
emitting chemicals, for the production of 1kg of cotton clothing. The clothing used for sports demands more
performance and this impact more in every part of life cycle of the product.
The Manufacturers are challenged with the need of reducing the consumption of water and energy
along with environmental impacts of waste disposal and gas emissions. The sustainable development can be
brought in all manufacturing sections through various approaches from raw material to manufacturing processes
and selection of intermediate supply chain management through digital environment and waste management.
Now a days sportswear consumers are aware of the sustainability and their imprint on environmental concern,
and are ready to even spend more for buying sustainable products.
Any approach in industrial practice might not bring sustainable changes in all of the sudden and
timeline and targets are very important along with monitoring the performance, uphold the standards and
benchmarks for implementing the practice.
Increasing concerns among consumers on planet and environmental health strengthen the industry
adopting sustainable manufacturing approaches and many brands of sport apparel creating interests among
consumers through their labelling and/or slogans and stories on the products and goods.
Standards and best practices to achieve this sustainability in sports apparel manufacturing. Pilot
methods
Sustainable Manufacturing
Strategy/Framework development
Sustainable manufacturing depends on infrastructure, workforce, management practices and technology
level. To implement sustainable strategies in an industry, the supply chain capability should be analysed through
a framework to identify the potential. And the framework must analyse three levels of capabilities:
environmental aspects and standards, industrial practices and practical implementation of environment standards
in the industry. The environmental aspects and standards are energy and water consumption, emission of
greenhouse gas, waste water and solid waste disposals, noise level and chemical usage. The level of
environmental aspects and standards to be decided by the management to initiate the sustainable manufacturing
approaches.
 Fig. Sustainable Manufacturing framework
Achieving the following practices can lead an industry to sustainable manufacturing process.
 Resource utilization measurement: energy and water
 Hotspot analysis: emission-intensive processes
 Cause analysis: Identification of reasons and resource for emission-intensive performance
 Cost/Benefit analysis: Business management for sustainability improvement by considering
environmental along with social and economic factors into account in order to improve their
manufacturing processes in sustainable aspect
 Targets setting: Selection of internal environmental targets with the help of quality standards, setting up
strategies along with timelines for achieving the targets.
 Critical Decision making: Establishing a decision-making system for taking company-based measures
at critical issues while achieving the targets
 Auditing and monitoring system: Continuous auditing of the performance to monitor the implantation
process also important to achieve the environmentally sustainable manufacturing process and to verify
the performance with environmental standards.

The hotspot and cause analysis involves certain questionnaire practice as follows
WHICH: Identifying the process that truly falls under emission-intensive category
 WHY: Identifying cause of the emission from that process or resource and clarifying the reason.
 WHAT: Identifying the benefits and costs for the environment concerned alternate or mofication in the
process.
 HOW: Comparing various alternates and process modifications and selecting most suitable option
through triple bottom line approach with socio-economic and environmental aspect.
Sustainability practices are not being implemented by consistently in all the manufacturing sections due to their
limitation in infrastructure.
Triple bottom line (tier-based supply chains)
Sustainable development can be achieved by imposing strategies for sustainable framework in entire
sequence with social, economic and environmental dimensions. But there is always conflict with these
dimensions and to be compromised when single dimension attains the focus. In supply chain management, the
main approach is waste management associated with waste reduction indeed fetches great cut in cost and
environment impact. In sustainable development all the three faces of triple bottom line theory should be in
focus rather than on single face of generating revenue to the industry.

Fig. Triple Bottom line principle

Sustainability Assessment for Enterprises (SAFE),
Sustainability Competency and Opportunity Rating and Evaluation (SCORE) system
Sustainable Fashion
Eco-Design
Eco-design is variety of designs that concern more on environmental aspect and playing a significant
impact in sustainable supply chain from material selection, designing, manufacturing process, distribution to
retailing outlets. Many brands developing elements of eco-designs for sports apparel with increasing awareness
in fashion industry. Recycled, organic and traceable (in their lifecycle) materials are used in the eco-designs for
environmental sustainability. The concept of Eco-design covers design for sustainability, design for
Environment and Designs for recycling individually to influence the consumers based on their lifestyle and
habits in fashion industry. One or other way, all these concepts are contributing for sustainable product
development.
The focus of eco-design is not only following aesthetic demands and fashion trends to sustain in the
market, but majorly on eliminating harmful processes, resources and method which makes the methodology
more suitable for sustainable practice.
Patagonia is an American outdoor sports brand founded in 1973 that mainly sells sustainable outdoor
clothing
In this eco-design, manufacturers follow cradle to cradle model which state that waste for a process
becomes food for another process through recycling or reusing concept. This model is greatly applied in the eco-
design process where manufacturers encouraged to work with designers for sustainable fashion at every stage of
sample production to final product along the supply chain members especially at fabric selection. New product
design, improvement in existing design and alternate materials for the design are key decision categories for the
eco-design process. Eco-design further classified into functional and aesthetic based on consumer lifestyle. Both
aesthetic and functional performance of sportswear have greater impact on the decisions in manufacturing
process and supply chain in terms of sustainability.
Many researches argued that this eco-design addresses in main aspects of sportswear manufacturing
stages, and they are raw material or resource selection, production process and finally the treatment at end of the
product life. Apart from designing and producing new products, industry adopting second-hand retails in which
used products recycled and exhibit for consumer usage rather than disposing.
Eco-labels
The eco-labels are defined as labels containing details of the raw materials used to create the product
along with certification logos and slogans received for the product through following the sustainable measures.
This eco-labelling system highly contributing in creating awareness and attracting consumers towards
environmental sustainability. The information available in eco-label is certified and approved content which
thrives strong desire towards purchase decision on eco-design products and reduces concern on product price.
The information available on eco-label also guides the consumers on the care system of the product that helps in
extending the lifespan of the product. Labels having information of manufacturing method, especially hand-
made indication is strongly believed by the consumers as a sustainable production by reducing energy.
 The eco-label includes slogan or statement of stories telling the consumer about their sustainable
inspiration on sustainability and how the products are occupying the stores with great concern on triple bottom
line theory. And the system of label tells the ethics followed and the raw materials used along with sustainability
certifications and the benefits and concerns of achieving sustainability.

Sustainable Supply chain

The main problem in not having sustainable product is lacking of knowledge between producers and
designers about the consumer need. The supply chain management connects between requirement and
production with environmental aspects.
Life cycle Assessment
End of the product life requires treatment, cleansing and or recycling and finally safe disposal. Life cycle
assessment is one of the major parts in sustainable approach in textile manufacturing. In this life cycle
assessment, the emissions and carbon footprint can be evaluated and the assessment will be used by the
designers and manufacturers to select a proper sustainable material. In eco-design, the supply chain members
must be aware of stages that a product undergoes during its life span. The stages are:
1. Frequency of washing
2. Laundering conditions (Temperature)
3.
The life span of a textile sports clothing depends on factors;
1. Durability (wear and tear)
2. Aesthetic (Boredom)
3. Garment Fit (Poor fit)
4. Cost of the product
5. Possibility of repair and recycle
To increase the life span, designers need to concentrate on functional quality with longevity in aesthetic and
fashion trend supported by color and style. The problem in implementing sustainability in manufacturing comes
by poor supply chain management, unaware of consumer needs for the designer followed by industrial practice
that lagging in life cycle assessment.
Techniques
1. Eco-labels with symbols of sustainability logos
2. Eco-friendly Chemicals for coloring the apparel
3. Transparency in supply chain
4. Detachable or Removable designs and accessories
Sustainable standards and certifications
Blue sign
Blue-sign label is attached to new products, designers design the product with consideration of consumer safety,
water emissions, occupational health and safety; when Fair Trade-certified is attached, designers may use
recycled accessories, such as zips, buttons and waistbands, and attach the recycled heritage label to convey the
sustainable consciousness [50]. In this paper, we focused on examining the case of Patagonia, whose eco-design
is well-known and representative in the fashion company.
Fair trade

Digitalization

Sustainability in Material Selection

In textile and fashion, material selection plays major role as different fibre material consumes energy and
water at different level. Manufacturing a shirt using viscose actually consumes less water compared to the
process of making shirt using cotton fibre.
[Sustainability 09-01136]
Upcycled fibres (ocean plastic)
Recycled fibres
Organic fibres
Biobased materials