Abstract:
In the international trade, the textile and clothing production processes should comply with the
local and international standards. In the Sri Lankan scenario, around 44% of textile and clothing
products are exported mainly to Europe and US. Ecolabel is a tool that promoting a product or a
service with minimum environmental impacts based on its life cycle consideration. Currently
there are no ecolabels developed particularly for the Sri Lankan apparel industry and we are
relying on ecolabels developed internationally. There are four approaches of ecolabels based on
their scopes. They are cradle to grave, cradle to gate, gate to gate, and gate to grave ecolabels.
Major aim of this study is to develop a framework related to a gate to gate ecolabel considering
the raw material processing to fabric manufacturing stages in Sri Lanka. At the beginning, scope
of the ecolabel was identified considering gate-to-gate process stages considering the raw
material (yarn) processing to fabric manufacturing. Based on an extensive review on the global
Eco labels and stakeholder consultation in the apparel industry, potential criteria and suitable
indicators for each of these criteria have been identified. Based on the preliminary studies, key
criteria for an apparel ecolabel related to Sri Lanka is identified as, sustainable chemical
management practices, usage of sustainable materials, energy conservation and management,
water and wastewater management, solid waste management, Green House Gas (GHG)/ carbon
emission management. Weights for each of these criteria and indicators were derived through
consulting sustainability experts in leading apparel export companies in Sri Lanka through a
questionnaire survey. Then a suitable rating scheme has been developed based on these weights
for the ecolabel and a potential framework has been developed for the gate-to-gate ecolabel. The
framework was then tested by applying it to two different fabrics and a rating was given them
based on their sustainability. Final outcome of this study will provide valuable insights in
developing a future ecolabel for Sri Lankan apparel industry which will be helpful to increase the
market share of Sri Lankan apparels in the export market by providing support in informed
decision making related to apparel sustainability for the customers.
