EN1: Materials used by weight or volume
Fabric Manufactured at Anvil's Honduran Textile Plant
In 2010, our overall production increased by about 36%, as did usage of most materials across the board. A nearly 40% increase in yarn is consistent with this production growth. A nearly 50% increase in the use of dye and chemicals, however, reflects a shift in the ratio of our product mix. In the last two years, Anvil focused on increasing sales of dyed t-shirts and products versus white or bleached ones. (In 2008, the ratio of dyed to bleached was 49-51%; in 2010, it was 59-41%.)
The amounts listed in the below chart depict quantities of materials used in the production of our products. Note that the yarn figure includes that which is used in Anvil-manufactured goods—including our outsourced production—as well as estimates for the yarn required to manufacture finished goods Anvil sources from third-party providers. The remaining categories reflect materials that relate only to goods manufactured at our facilities, which represents the majority of our product line.
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Also not included in the chart are various secondary materials present in our final products, such as labels, nor process materials, such as machinery lubricants and needles. These are purchased by our individual plants and not always aggregated on a company-wide basis. In last year’s disclosures, we reported our efforts to implement a system that would allow us to document, track and analyze materials purchases. This remains an on-going effort.
EN2: Percentage of materials used that are recycled input materials
While our commitment to introducing recycled fibers remains strong, they declined as a percentage of overall sales due to some sourcing challenges for such yarns in colors that the market demanded this season. This unfortunately this factor drove down our overall usage of recycled inputs from .87% of total yarn in 2009 to .57% of total yarn in 2010. We continue to evaluate the use of recycled thread and, as reported in last year’s disclosure, we hope to introduce it into certain additional products next year.
AnvilSustainable(tm) Now Available in Unisex & Women's Styles
It is noteworthy, however, that our AnvilSustainable® t-shirt which includes recycled polyester from recycled plastic bottles is very successful.
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AF18: Programs to replace organic-based adhesives and primers with water-based adhesives and primers
Anvil does not use adhesives and primers in products.
AF19: Practices to source safer alternative substances to those on the restricted substances list, including description of associated management systems
Anvil follows its own Restricted Substance List (RSL), which is based upon the AAFA’s RSL. In addition, Anvil complies with several private label customers’ RSLs. The nature of its products, which are primarily cotton t-shirts, do not include substances typically found on RSLs. However, Anvil has adopted an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program to promote products and services or vendors that offer better solutions for the environment or have better environmental policies. The EPP allows us to favor suppliers who provide energy efficient options, as well as others who have established environmental management programs or who are simply environmentally sensitive in their daily operations.
In 2011, several major brands responded to a recent challenge posed by Greenpeace to reduce and eliminate industrial releases of all hazardous chemicals in their supply chain and production procedure within the next decade. This campaign was based on a report of the operations of a factory in Asia however this campaign has now brought major brands in the apparel industry to re-evaluate their wet processes and assess whether any chemicals are released into the environment and not merely retained in the finished garment. While we have adopted the Oeko-Tex(r) Standard 100 for our products which ensures they are tested for levels of over 100 harmful chemicals, this doe snot completely address the issue of zero discharge in the supply chain. Therefore, we have engaged a third party consultant to evaluate our chemical management system and implement his recommendations to ensure that we continue to review the material safety of all our chemicals and dyes and processes in our production system.
AF20: List of environmentally preferable materials used in apparel and footwear products
Please see our response to questions EN2 above and EN6 under the Energy Aspect for information on the environmentally preferable materials we use.
