Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

193

Practices for Environmental Sustainability in the

Textile, Clothing and Leather Sectors: The Italian Case

Volume 20, Number 3

September 2014, pp. 193-225

Barbara Resta
Stefano Dotti
Roberto Pinto
University of Bergamo
([email protected])
([email protected])
([email protected])
Romeo Bandinelli
Rinaldo Rinaldi
University of Florence
([email protected])
([email protected])
Filippo Emanuele Ciarapica
Polytechnic University of Marche
([email protected])

The fashion supply chain is one of the most polluting industries in the world,
being a huge consumer of water, electricity and chemicals, and discharging
massive quantities of wastes to land. Stakeholders and customers pressure on
sustainability has pushed companies to transform general environmental
sustainability concepts into business practices. However, a few contributions
have offered a comprehensive analysis of the practices employed in the fashion
supply chain to reduce its environmental impact. In this paper, a theoretical
framework for mapping practices for environmental sustainability
implemented in the fashion system is presented. The framework is then used to
analyse the Italian scenario.
Keywords: Environmental sustainability, Textile Clothing and Leather (TCL)
sectors, Practices, Italy, Content analysis.

1. Introduction
The European Textile, Clothing and Leather (TCL) sectors embody several value
chains, essential for the European economy. Companies operating in these sectors are
active in the production and trade of textiles and leather, design, development of
technical textiles, creation of clothing, footwear and leather-goods, tanning of hides
and skins, as well as laundry and dry-cleaning services.
In 2011, the European TCL sectors accounted for over 2.5 million direct jobs in
230,000 businesses, representing 4% of total production, 7% of jobs in European
manufacturing, and generating a turnover of more than 210 billion Euros (ESC,
2012). According to the last available disaggregated data from 2010, the largest
activity within the sector is the manufacture of textiles, which accounted for 41% of
sectorial value added. Just over one third (37%) of value added is generated by the
EU-27s manufacture of clothing, with the remainder (22%) being generated by
leather manufacturing (Eurostat, 2013a; Eurostat, 2013b; Eurostat 2013c). More

194

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

specifically, within the EU-27, Italy is the principal textiles, clothing and leather
manufacturing Member State, generating 18.7 billion Euros of value added, which is
the equivalent of more than one third (35.2%) of EU-27 value added in these sectors
(Eurostat, 2013a; Eurostat, 2013b; Eurostat 2013c).
One of the downsides of this economic success story is represented by the
substantial negative environmental footprint across the TCL global supply chain
(DEFRA, 2011), as analysed by several authors and organisations (Allwood et al.,
2006; COTANCE, 2012, DEFRA, 2008; Dickson et al., 2009; Fletcher, 2008;
Gardetti and Torres, 2013; Gwilt and Rissanen, 2011; Slater, 2003). Summarizing
these contributions, the negative environmental impacts associated with the TCL
sectors can be grouped into five main categories: i) energy use in laundry, in the
production of primary materials (especially man-made fibers), in yarn manufacturing
of natural fibers, in yarn and fabric finishing, and in leather tanning; ii) use of toxic
chemicals which may harm human health and the environment; iii) release of
chemicals in water especially in wet pre-treatment, dyeing, finishing, tanning and
laundry; iv) solid waste arising from yarn manufacturing of natural fibers, making
up, and disposal of products at the end of their life; and v) CO2 emissions,
particularly related to transportation processes.
Undoubtedly, the EU has a strategic interest in shaping how the environmental
sustainability concept is understood in global policy terms. This is pursed via
multilateral agreements to prevent damage to the Unions economic competitiveness
(Backer, 2000). To this extent, several European directives related to the environment
directly affect the TCL industry, in particular those relating to waste management,
industrial emissions and chemicals use, as Integrated Pollution Prevention and
Control (IPPC), Emission Trading System (ETS), Regulation on Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the Water
Framework Directive 2000/60/EC.
In such a context, stakeholders and customers pressure, coupled with business
drivers as high-price volatility and short term discretionary rationed access to
production capacity and resources, have pushed companies to engage with
sustainability. However, the management of sustainability is unbalanced: while many
companies commit to sustainability, few put their commitment into actions, and even
fewer communicate their actions and results (Deloitte, 2013).
In literature, a few contributions have offered a comprehensive and structured
analysis of the different practices that have been employed in the TCL sectors to
reduce their negative impacts. De Brito et al. (2008) suggested different practices to
pursue environmental sustainability objectives, in terms of both a single company
and the whole supply chain. Chi (2011) analysed the development, achievements,
and challenges of sustainability practices in the Chinese textile and apparel industry.
Caniato et al. (2012) presented the results of exploratory case-based research aimed
at identifying the drivers that push companies to adopt green practices, the
different practices that can be used to improve environmental sustainability, and the
environmental KPIs measured by companies.
Thus, the aim of this paper is twofold: i) to propose a comprehensive classification
framework for environmental sustainability practices, and ii) to map the practices
implemented by companies operating in the Italian TCL sectors, as the principal
European Member State in this industry.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

195

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the

methodology adopted, while Section 3 describes the theoretical background of the
paper and a systematic analysis of the literature related to practices for
environmental sustainability adopted by TCL companies. Section 4 introduces the
theoretical framework, and Section 5 presents the application of the theoretical
framework to the Italian TCL companies. Finally, conclusions, limits of the study
and further development are presented in section 6.

2. Methodology
The purpose of the paper is to gain an understanding of the environmental
sustainability practices adopted within the TCL supply chain. Given the relatively
new and unexplored nature of the phenomenon, this study adopts an inductive
research strategy (Eisenhardt, 1989) based on qualitative research techniques (Miles
and Huberman, 1984). In doing so, the research process was divided into three
phases.
First of all, a systematic literature review was undertaken to investigate the
practices adopted by companies operating in the TCL supply chain. The outcome of
this phase was a theoretical framework, in which the practices were summarised and
categorised.
In the second phase of this research, the framework was generalised and refined by
analysing the performance and practices of the European sustainability leaders,
selected according to the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index (DJSI Europe). The
DJSI Europe tracks the performance of the top 20% of the 600 largest Austrian,
Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Irish, Italian,
Luxembourg, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss, and UK companies
in the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index that lead the field in terms of
sustainability. These 600 companies represent the eligible universe for the DJSI
Europe, and are assessed using the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) on an
annual basis (S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC & Robecco SAM AG, 2013). The CSA is
designed to capture both general and industry-specific criteria covering the
economic, environmental and social dimensions. This way, the research was
conducted considering the top ten European companies as resulting at the end of
May 2013 (S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, 2013). Information regarding the
environmental practices communicated by the companies on their corporate websites
was collected. Content analysis (Bryman, 2004) was the research tool used for
analysing the published information. Content analysis is a technique for making
inferences by objectively and systematically identifying specified characteristics of
messages (Holsti, 1969), transforming written text into highly reliable qualitative
data. In particular, it is used to analyse if certain words and concepts are present
within texts. This kind of analysis was widely adopted in corporate social and
environmental responsibility research, such as in Dahlsrud (2008), Jenkins and
Yakovleva (2006), Maignan and Ralston (2002), Niskanen and Nieminen (2001),
Orlitzky et al. (2003), Wolfe (1991). In this study, we considered the environmental
practices communicated to the stakeholders as a proxy of the practices adopted by
the companies (Jose and Lee, 2007) as it is more difficult to make false declarations
where there is the possibility of verifying public available information (Toms, 2002).
The theoretical framework, resulting from the combination of the results from both
the first and the second phase, was then used to guide the third research phase.

196

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

During this phase, the list of Italian companies operating in the TCL supply chain
was retrieved from the AIDA (Analisi Informatizzata Delle AziendeItaliane)
database, held and provided by Bureau van Dijk that covers one million companies
in Italy. AIDA provides comprehensive information such as company financials,
number of employees, trade description, stock data for listed companies, and so
forth. Firms under the NACE Rev. 2 Division 13 (Manufacture of textiles), Division
14 (The manufacture of wearing apparel and the dressing and dyeing of fur), and
Division 15 (The manufacture of leather and leather products including footwear),
were selected for our purposes. A detail of NACE Divisions considered in this study
is presented in Table 1.
Table 1 NACE Divisions Considered in the Analysis
NACE

Denomination

13

Manufacture of textiles

13.1

Preparation and spinning of textile fibers

13.2

Weaving of textiles

13.3

Finishing of textiles
Manufacture of other textiles (e.g. knitted fabrics, carpets, non-wovens, technical
textiles
Manufacture of wearing apparel

13.9
14
14.1

Manufacture of wearing apparel, except fur apparel

14.2

Manufacture of articles of fur

14.3

Manufacture of knitted and crocheted apparel

15

Manufacture of leather and related products

Tanning & dressing of leather; manufacture of luggage , handbags , saddlery &
harness; dressing & dyeing of fur
Manufacture of footwear

15.1
15.2

The number of the Italian companies belonging to the three NACE sectors 13, 14
and 15, at the time of the analysis (April 2013), was 18283. Among this initial
sample, 2804 firms belong to Division 13, and were all included in the final sample.
Considering Division 14 and 15 (15479 companies in total), a big portion of this
sample population (11596) is represented by micro-companies, characterised by a
turnover lower than 2 million euros. Because of the high number of such companies,
a sample analysis was conducted on the 5% of the population (i.e. 2300 companies).
This analysis revealed that only the 7.2% of the sample (i.e. 40 companies) has a
public website, whilst the 0.74%, (4) has at least one practice of sustainability
adopted. Due to this sample analysis, we deemed the companies with a turnover
lower than 2 million euros as negligible for the analysis; therefore, only the
companies with a turnover greater than 2 million euros were included in the final
sample. Then, firms in liquidation and companies that actually do not belong to the
TCL sectors were excluded from the analysis. Consequently, the final sample
counted for 5692 companies. Considering this sample, all the companies websites
were content analysed based on the practices for environmental sustainability
identified in the theoretical framework, to understand the maturity degree of the

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

197

Italian TCL industry with regards to sustainability. In particular, we followed an a

priori coding approach, where the categories were established prior to the analysis
(Weber, 1990). Such categories correspond to the practices defined in the theoretical
framework during the first and the second phase of the research.

3. Systematic Literature Review on Sustainability Practices

The first phase of the research consisted in developing a theoretical framework
supporting the analysis of the state of the art of the implementation of environmental
sustainability practices within the TCL industry. To this end, a systematic literature
review was conducted (Tranfield et al., 2003), aiming to gather and classify the
sustainability practices documented in the available body of scientific and
practitioner literature. In contrast to a traditional narrative literature review, a
systematic literature review reduces researcher bias concerning the inclusion or
exclusion of studies, and clearly communicates how the review was performed
(Deyner and Neely, 2004), allowing for a high level of transparency (Crowther and
Cook, 2007).
The systematic literature search was conducted in relevant literature databases
including Emerald, Metapress, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science, using
keywords such as practices, sustainability, green, fashion, textile,
apparel, clothing, footwear, shoes, leather.
Afterward, different filters helped identifying and selecting substantively relevant
studies constituting the core set of articles for data synthesis and analysis. The filters
were defined as follows:
Filter 1. Ensure substantive relevance, defined as adequacy of the articles in
addressing, and capturing the phenomenon under investigation (Brinberg and
MacGrath, 1985), by requiring that they contain keywords search in their title,
abstract or keywords;
Filter 2. Consider only English-language articles.
Filter 3. Remaining abstracts should be read for substantive relevance.
Filter 4. Remaining full articles should be read for substantive relevance.
No time limit or limit in publication type was employed in these searches.
Through the application of the first two filters to the keyword search phase, 154
papers were identified, of which 43 were defined as relevant (Filter 3 and 4) for this
literature review study (as of July 2013).
This phase was followed by a backward search, reviewing the references in the
articles yielded from the previous keywords search (Levy and Ellis, 2006). Finally,
an Internet search using Google Scholar identified further publications from the
industry side, which are out of the scope of academic databases, but can still be
classified as relevant. In order to capture this body of knowledge, publications from
quarterlies and internal publications of consultancy firms and associations were also
taken into consideration. With the backward and the Internet search 31 new
publications were added to our review.
In the end, 74 publications formed the basis of this literature review. These
publications, in a first evaluation step, were classified according to descriptive
dimensions (i.e., distribution of publications across time and main journals). Then,
the practices described in the papers were collected and analysed, conceptualised,
and categorised into a theoretical framework. The analytical categories were

198

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

developed from the analysed papers by generalization. In particular, the classification

proposed by Caniato et al. (2012) was used as a starting point. Papers were then
classified accordingly, where the dimensions and the categories were revised during
the analysis.
3.1 Descriptive Analysis
The body of literature identified comprises 74 papers. The time allocation of the
publications is shown in Figure 1. The first published papers found were from the
year 1995. Higher numbers of publications are found in the last two years, showing a
growing interest towards this topic.

Figure 1 Distribution of Publications per Year1

Environmental and sustainability related journals (25 papers), and journals

associated with the textile, clothing and leather sector (20 papers) capture the highest
numbers of papers, while traditional management journals remain in the minority (11
papers). A final group of 10 papers are published in journals of a technical nature.
Remaining publications refer to conference proceeding, reports and books. Table 2
reports the journal titles, along with their classification and the number of papers.
This analysis shows a very fragmented situation, with 6 articles published on Journal
of Cleaner Production and the remaining 68 articles spread over 50 journals, from a
vast array of backgrounds.
Table 2 Journal Distribution of Publications
Environmental and
Sustainability
Journal of Cleaner
Production (6 papers)

Social Responsibility
Journal (1 paper)
Ecological Indicators
(1 paper)
1

Management
International Journal
of Entrepreneurship
and Small Business
(1 paper)
Supply chain
management: An
international journal
(1 paper)
Journal of Retail &
Leisure Property
(1 paper)

Textile, Clothing
and Leather
AATCC Review:
the magazine of the
textile dyeing,
printing, and
finishing industry
(1 paper)

Technical
Construction and
Building Materials
(1 paper)

ATA Journal
(1 paper)

Energy Conversion
and Management (1
paper)

AUTEX Research
Journal (1 paper)

Biomacromolecules
(1 paper)

2013 publications refer to the period January-July only.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

Industrial Ecology
(1 paper)

International Journal
of Production
Economics (2 papers)

International Journal
of Retail &
Resources, Conservation
Distribution
and Recycling (4 papers)
Management (1
paper)
Family and Consumer
Fresenius Environmental
Sciences Research
Bulletin (1 paper)
Journal (1 paper)
Greener Management
International (2 papers)
The International
Journal of
Environmental, Cultural,
Economic and Social
Sustainability
(1 paper)
Clean Technologies and
Environmental Policy
(1 paper)
Environmental science
& technology (2 papers)
Journal of Polymers and
the Environment (1
paper)
The International
Journal of Life Cycle
Assessment (2 papers)

Production Planning
& Control (1 paper)

Journal of Business
and Globalisation (1
paper)
Journal of
Organizational
Excellence (1 paper)
Transportation
Research Part E:
Logistics and
Transportation
Review (1 paper)

Clothing and
Textiles Research
Journal
(4 papers)
International
Journal of Clothing
Science and
Technology (1
paper)
Journal of Textile
and Apparel,
Technology and
Management
(2 papers)
Journal of the
Society of Leather
Technologists and
Chemists (1 paper)

199
Industrial crops and
products (1 paper)

Polymer composites
(1 paper)
Work: A Journal of
Prevention,
Assessment and
Rehabilitation
(1 paper)
Key Engineering
Materials (1 paper)

Journal of the
Textile Institute (1
paper)

Journal of hazardous
materials (1 paper)

LBD Interior
Textiles (1 paper)

Trends in
Biotechnology (1
paper)

Textile Research
Journal (1 paper)

Journal of materials
processing technology
(1 paper)

Textile View
Magazine (1 paper)
Textile World
(1 paper)

Energy Efficiency
(1 paper)

The Journal of the

American Leather
Chemists
Association (2
papers)

Business Strategy and

the Environment
(1 paper)

Colourage (1 paper)
Coloration
Technology (1
paper)

3.2 Towards a Theoretical Framework

The general description of the core set of papers is followed by an in-depth analysis
and classification of their content. Performing this activity, the following categories
were identified:

200

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

Product design: a first set of papers refers to practices implemented to minimise

the environmental impact by designing sustainable products (Curwen et al.,
2013; Farrer and Finn, 2009). The Cradle to cradle apparel design (C2CAD)
developed by Gam et al.(2009) provides practical guidelines for apparel
designers and manufacturers to sustainability in addition to functional,
expressive, and aesthetic considerations. Fowler and Hope (2007) extend
beyond the use of Life Cycle Analysis to a product-stewardship strategy, based
on the integration of key external stakeholders into decisions on product design
and development. The use of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) for sustainable
design is discussed by Pan et al. (2012), whereas Veitch and Davis (2009)
illustrate the use of 3D and 1D anthropometric data for manikin and clothing
design as a way to develop the sustainability of the apparel industry. Moreover,
the 12 Principles of Green Engineering are proposed as a framework within
which to examine existing product and guide their redesign as well as to
evaluate new product solutions (Segars et al., 2003). Finally, Borchardt et al.
(2011) focus on eco-design and its application in the footwear industry to
identify how it can be applied to the redesign of a shoe component in order to
minimize the environmental impact and simultaneously reduce costs of
production and assembling.
Product materials: a second set of publications analyse and discuss the
utilization of less conventional eco-friendly fibers (Fletcher, 2008), such as
hemp (van der Werf and Turunen, 2008), bamboo (Waite, 2009), pineapple,
banana, soyabean protein fibers (Dawson, 2012), and organic cotton (Fowler and
Hope, 2007; Goldbach et al., 2003), as well as materials made from biopolymers
rather than polymers derived from petrochemicals (Bogoeva et al., 2007).
Further attempts are being made to use lignocellulose agricultural by-product
such as cornhusks, cornstalks, and pineapple leaves as alternative sources of
cellulosic fibers (Reddy and Yang, 2005). Additionally, fibers regenerated from
waste (Poole et al., 2008) as from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
bottles (Shen et al., 2010b), are presented.
Process, technology and processing materials: a third group of practices refers to
new processes (Phong, 2008; Wiengarten et al., 2012), technologies (Peng et al.,
2011; Sivaramakrishnan, 2007), such as nanotechnology (Qian and Hinestroza,
2004; Sawney et al., 2008; Wong et al., 2006), plasma technology (Shishoo,
2007), and processing materials (Saravanabhavan et al., 2008; Zouboulis et al.,
2012) which hold the promise of reducing pollution and water use, increasing
energy efficiency and minimising waste. In particular, great attention is being
paid to dyeing and finishing of yarns and fabrics (Easton, 2007; Rupp, 2008;
Visa et al., 2011), and leather tanning (Money, 2010), especially the selection,
substitution and reduction of dyes and chemicals (Bechtold et al., 2003; Chen
and Burns, 2006; Kumar et al., 2011; Thanikaivelan et al., 2006).
Waste management: waste management represents the core topic of the fourth
subgroup. Waste produced by the TCL supply chain can be classified as either
pre-consumer or post-consumer (Council for Textile Recycling, 1998). Preconsumer waste consists of by-product materials from the textile, fibre, leather
and clothing industries. Each year, 750,000 tons of this waste is recycled into
new raw materials for the automotive, furniture, mattress, home furnishings,

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

201

paper, and other industries (Aspiras and Manalo, 1995; Briga-S et al., 2013;
Chen et al., 2006; Hayes, 2001). In the footwear and leather sector, Ferrer et al.
(2012) describe an industrial cluster developed in TresCoroas (Brazil), where a
solid waste collection process with the long-term goal of recycling all the
collected industrial refuse was implemented. Post-consumer waste consists of
any type of garments, shoes, household articles discarded. They are sometimes
given to charities but more typically they end up in landfills (Koch and Domina,
1999). Finding alternative methods for the disposal of post-consumer waste has
assumed greater importance during the last years (Domina and Koch, 1997;
Woolridge et al., 2006). For example, Boujarwah et al. (2009) reports the Dress
for Succes (D4S) system, a web-supported vending machine for school uniform
reuse.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): several SEA tools (Thrivel and
Brown, 1999), such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) (Rebitzer et al., 2004),
have been used to analytically evaluate the environmental burdens of
fibers(Muthu et al., 2012; Shen and Patel, 2008; Shen et al., 2010a), products
(De Saxce et al., 2012; Jacques and Guimaraes, 2012; Nowack et al., 2012),
processes (Garcia-Montano et al., 2006; Kalliala and Talvenmaa, 2000),
technologies (Cetinkaya et al., 2012; Gabarrell et al., 2012) and infrastructure
(Fieldson and Rai, 2009).
Supply chain: a major challenge is to ensure that commitment to
environmentally responsible practices is not limited to a single company but is
echoed throughout the industrys long and highly complex supply chains.
Upstream, environmental requirements and improvement programmes for
suppliers (Goworek, 2011; Styles et al., 2012), as well as the development of
strongly collaborative network (MacCarthy and Jayarathne. 2012; Svensson,
2007), are presented as means to encourage suppliers to improve their
sustainability (Fowler and Hope, 2007). Downstream, great efforts are being
paid to increase awareness among consumers about the green credentials of the
products they buy. To this extent comprehensive labeling including not only raw
material sources but also processing information (Power, 2012; Styles et al.,
2012) and external communication systems play a great role in providing such
information.
A synthesis of the practices found in literature through this systematic review is
presented in Table 3. It represents the first version of the classification framework
that was then refined in the second phase of the research.
Table 3 Practices for Environmental Sustainability -Towards a Theoretical Framework
Category
Product
design

Practices
Cradle to cradle apparel design
(C2CAD)
Product-stewardship strategy
Human Computer Interaction
(HCI) for sustainable design
Use of 3D and 1D
anthropometric data
12 Principles of Green
Engineering

References
Gam et al., 2009
Fowler and Hope (2007)
Pan et al., 2012
Veitch and Davis, 2009
Segars et al., 2003

202

Product
materials

Process,
technology and
processing
materials

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

Ecodesign

Borchardt et al., 2011; Curwen et al., 2013;

Farrer and Finn, 2009

Eco-friendly fibers (bamboo,

hemp, banana, pineapple,
soyabean protein fibers)

Dawson, 2012; Fletcher, 2008; van der Werf and

Turunen, 2008; Waite, 2009

Organic cotton

Fowler and Hope, 2007; Goldbach et al., 2003

Biopolymers
Lignocellulose agricultural byproduct

Bogoeva et al., 2007

Fibres regenerated from waste

Poole et al., 2008; Shen et al., 2010b

New process
Low and non-waste
technologies (LNWT)
Nanotechnology and Plasma
technology

Phong, 2008; Wiengarten et al., 2012

Processing materials
Dyeing, finishing, tanning
Selection of dyes and
chemicals

Waste
management

Pre-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste

Strategic
Environmental
Assessment
(SEA)

Supply Chain

Footprint Assessment / LCA

for:
Fibres
Product
Processes
Technologies
Infrastructure
Environmental requirements
and improvement programmes
for suppliers

Reddy and Yang, 2005

Peng et al., 2011; Sivaramakrishnan, 2007

Qian and Hinestroza, 2004; Sawney et al., 2008;
Shishoo, 2007; Wong et al., 2006
Saravanabhavan et al., 2008; Zouboulis et al.,
2012
Bechtold et al., 2003; Chen and Burns,
2006;Easton, 2007; Kumar et al., 2011; Money,
2010; Rupp, 2008; Thanikaivelan et al., 2006;
Visa et al., 2011
Aspiras and Manalo, 1995; Briga-S et al.,
2013; Chen et al., 2006; Ferrer et al., 2012;
Hayes, 2001
Boujarwah et al., 2009; Domina and Koch, 1997;
Koch and Domina, 1999; Woolridge et al., 2006
Cetinkaya et al., 2012; De Saxce et al., 2012;
Fieldson and Rai, 2009; Gabarrell et al., 2012;
Garcia-Montano et al., 2006;Jacques and
Guimaraes, 2012; Kalliala and Talvenmaa, 2000;
Muthu et al., 2012; Nowack et al., 2012; Shen
and Patel, 2008; Shen et al., 2010a
Goworek, 2011; Styles et al., 2012

Collaborative network

Fowler and Hope, 2007; MacCarthy and

Jayarathne. 2012; Svensson, 2007

Consumers awareness

Power, 2012; Styles et al., 2012

The wide varieties of ways to practice sustainability so far presented highlights as

one of the challenges of sustainable practices is to provide a common framework that
the entire TCL supply chain can embrace.

4. The Proposed Theoretical Framework

In order to further refine and generalise the theoretical framework developed from
the systematic literature analysis, a content analysis of the corporate web sites of the
top 10 DJSI European companies (as of end of May) was carried out (Table 4). This
set of large, visible, European companies that operate worldwide reflects a variety of
practices across different sectors and countries. Evidence was then used to elaborate
on the practices identified through the systematic literature review and to finalize the
theoretical framework. The later were then used to classify and analyse the

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

203

sustainability practices adopted by Italian TCL companies (third phase of the

research).
The resultant framework comprises the following categories: Products and
Services, Supply Chain Management, Production Process, Culture, Governance.
Moreover, a further dimension, named others, was introduced in order to collect
other practices adopted by the companies which could not be classified in the
previous ones.
Table 4 Top 10 DJSI European Companies
Company
1

Nestle SA Reg

Novartis AG Reg

Roche Hldgs AG Ptg Genus

TOTAL SA
British American Tobacco
PLC

Country
Switzerla
nd
Switzerla
nd
Switzerla
nd
France
U.K.

Siemens AG

Germany

Bayer AG

Germany

BASF SE

Germany

Diageo PLC

U.K.

10 SAP AG

Germany

Industry
Consumer
Goods

Super sector
Food & Beverage

Health Care

Health Care

Health Care

Health Care

Oil & Gas

Consumer
Goods

Oil & Gas

Personal
&HouseholdGoods
Industrial Goods&
Services

Industrials
Basic
Materials
Basic
Materials
Consumer
Goods
Technology

Chemicals
Chemicals
Food&Beverage
Technology

Products and Services

The first dimension includes all the practices related to the consumption of resources
required for manufacturing the final product, or to provide a generic service.
Practices which can be included in this dimension are the systematic adoption of
SEA tools (e.g. LCA, Carbon Footprint) related to the final product, the utilization of
methodologies to improve the product design and development process (e.g. Eco
Design), products certifications and in general practices for the improvement of the
products and/or services sustainability.
Consequently, this first dimension includes also practices related to the
consumption of recycled raw materials, produced from renewables, the reduction of
toxic components, and the use of raw materials close to the sourcing point (e.g. zero
km raw materials suppliers).
In this dimension are also included practices related to the use of packaging
produced with recycled materials, the reuse of packaging, and the reduction of
packaging weight and dimension.
Supply Chain Management
The second dimension deals with practices related to the supply chain management.
Supplier selection methodologies, suppliers training programs on green practices,
and certification of suppliers are included within this area. Moreover, the

204

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

optimization of freight transportation (vehicle routing, adoption of zero-emission

vehicles, optimization of utilization rates, warehousing management, etc.) is also
included under this category.
Production Process
The third dimension deals with the production processes. In this topic are included
the use of SEA tools related to the production process (e.g. LCA), biotechnologies,
production performance monitoring and optimization, process and environmental
management system certification (e.g. ISO 14000, EMAS). Practices related to the
energy saving (plant efficiency optimization, energy utilization reduction, renewable
energy production and consumption, etc.), waste reduction (Carbon Capture and
Storage, waste management, waste utilization as energy source, etc.), water (water
utilization reduction, water recycling, etc.), process materials (environment pollution
by process materials reduction, etc.) are also included under this category.
Culture
This dimension deals with the introduction of training programs involving both
internal than external stakeholders, with the goal to spread a green culture.
Governance
This dimension is related to the initiatives whose goal is to manage the green
activities and the relationship with all the stakeholders. Sustainability reports,
Sustainability Advisory Board, dedicated corporate function or business unit, website
dedicated to green activities are all practices which are included in this dimension.
Others
In this dimension all the activities which cannot be categorized in the previous ones
have been collected (e.g. biodiversity preservation, environment preservation, forests
creation in order compensates the CO2 emission, air pollution reduction, remediation
sites, etc.).
The final framework that is depicted in Table 5 was then used to map the Italian
TCL sectors and the practices that are currently adopted by the companies operating
in this industry.
Table 5 The Theoretical Framework
Category
Products and
Services

Sub-category

Products and
Services

RawMaterials

Practices
Methodologies for the environmental impact
assessment along the product life cycle (i.e., Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Footprint, etc.)
Efficient products and services Eco-friendly
products and services Products and services to
improve customers sustainability Product
certification
Eco-design
Recyclable, renewable and recycled raw materials
Sourcing from sustainable sources Reduction of
harmful and toxic raw material use
Use of raw materials close to the sourcing place

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

Packaging

Supply Chain
Supply Chain
Management
Transportation

Process

EnergyManageme
nt
Production
Process
Waste
Management

Water
Management
Processing
Materials

Culture

Governance
Others

205

Use of raw materials to decrease resource utilization

Packaging reuse
Recyclable and renewable materials
Weight and volume reduction
Selection of suppliers based on their environmental
sustainability attitude Pushing suppliers into
adopting sustainability practices Procurement
certification
Distribution network optimization
Route optimization
Use of full-load capacity
Use of alternative vehicles
Promotion and monitoring of a fuel-saving driving
Methodologies for the environmental impact
assessment along the product life cycle (i.e., Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Footprint, etc.)
Biotechnologies
Risk evaluation and monitoring
Development of guidelines
Process certification (i.e., UNI ISO 14000, EMAS,
etc.)
Efficient processes and buildings
Energy production from renewable resources
Use of energy from renewable resources
Energy demand management
Carbone Capture and Storage (CCS)
Scrap elimination
Reduction of waste and air emissions
Hazardous waste reduction
Waste disposal
Waste recovery and reuse
Waste use for energy production
Water consumption reduction
Water waste treatment
Water recycling and reuse
Efficient resource utilization
Reduction of toxic and harmful processing materials
Prevention from environmental contamination
Internal involvement
Promotion of a sustainability culture (internally and
externally)
Stakeholder involvement and partnership with
associations, local communities, etc.
Customer involvement
Documentation and reports
Dedicated business unit/function
Dedicated website
Biodiversity preservation
Climate change preservation
Forest creation for compensation
Measures taken to reclaim
Air quality improvement

206

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

Renewable Obligation Certificates purchasing

5. Practices for Environmental Sustainability in the Italian

TCL Sectors
The final framework presented in Section 4 was used to map the environmental
practices implemented by the Italian companies operating in the TCL sectors.
5.1 The Total Sample
Among the 5692 companies belonging to the final sample, 1882 firms (33%) do not
have a website. Consequently, the analysis was focused on the remaining 3810
companies. Among the latter, only 526 enterprises (14%) have implemented at least
one environmental practice. The following graph (Figure 2) shows the practices
adopted by at least 10% of the companies. It is evident that product certification and
process certification are the most adopted environmental practices. Great attention is
also paid to the use of eco-friendly raw materials and final products, as well as to the
energy efficiency of processes and facilities. Moreover, TCL firms implement actions
directed to reduce and treat emissions of pollutants to land, water and air.

Figure 2 Most Adopted Practices by TCL Firms

The percentages of adoption of the different practices in the three sectors are
reported in Table 6. For each division considered and for each practice, the
percentage in evaluated as the ration between the number of companies
implementing the practice and the number of companies in the specific sample (i.e.
related to the division). These results are further discussed in the following sections.
Table 6 Adoption of Environmental Sustainability Practices by TCL Companies
Category
Products and
Services

Subcategory
Products and
Services

Practices
Methodologies for the environmental
impact assessment along the product
life cycle (i.e., Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA), Carbon Footprint, etc.)
Efficient products and services
Eco-friendly products and services
Products and services to improve
customers sustainability
Product certification

%
Divisi
on 13

%
Divisi
on 14

%
Divisio
n 15

4%

4%

1%

1%

7%

9%

11%

21%

23%

3%

1%

0%

48%

33%

46%

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

Eco-Design
Recyclable, renewable and recycled
raw materials
RawMaterial
s

207
1%

0%

1%

22%

15%

17%

Sourcing from sustainable sources

Reduction of harmful and toxic raw
material use
Use of raw materials close to the
sourcing place
Use of raw materials to decrease
resource utilization

9%

5%

7%

3%

7%

16%

2%

2%

1%

0%

1%

5%

Packaging reuse

1%

3%

2%

Packaging

Recyclable and renewable materials

2%

5%

4%

2%

1%

0%

2%

5%

2%

Supply
Chain

Weight and volume reduction

Selection of suppliers based on their
environmental sustainability attitude
Pushing suppliers into adopting
sustainability practices

4%

4%

5%

Procurement certification

6%

3%

4%

Distribution network optimization

1%

5%

2%

Route optimization

0%

2%

1%

Use of full-load capacity

0%

0%

0%

Use of alternative vehicles

Promotion and monitoring of a fuelsaving driving
Methodologies for the environmental
impact assessment along the product
life cycle (i.e., Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA), Carbon Footprint, etc.)

1%

3%

2%

0%

0%

0%

0%

5%

0%

Biotechnologies

0%

0%

0%

Risk evaluation and monitoring

2%

1%

6%

Development of guidelines
Process certification (i.e., UNI ISO
14000, EMAS, etc.)

1%

4%

4%

22%

22%

46%

Efficient processes and buildings

Energy production from renewable
resources
Use of energy from renewable
resources

16%

19%

20%

15%

1%

0%

1%

9%

6%

Energy demand management

0%

8%

7%

Carbone Capture and Storage (CCS)

0%

0%

1%

Scrap elimination

4%

0%

0%

Reduction of waste and air emissions

13%

4%

2%

Hazardous waste reduction

1%

9%

9%

Waste disposal

8%

1%

2%

Waste recovery and reuse

Waste use for energy production

6%
0%

1%
6%

11%
8%

Supply Chain
Management
Transportatio
n

Production
Process

Process

Energy
Management

Waste
Management

208

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

Water
Management

Processing
Materials

Culture

Governance

Others

Water consumptionreduction

7%

0%

0%

Water waste treatment

12%

6%

9%

Water recycling and reuse

4%

2%

14%

Efficient resource utilization

Reduction of toxic and harmful
processing materials
Prevention from environmental
contamination

2%

5%

7%

11%

7%

7%

0%

7%

12%

Internal involvement
Promotion of a sustainability culture
(internally and externally)
Stakeholder involvement and
partnership with associations, local
communities, etc.

3%

1%

1%

9%

4%

12%

7%

10%

6%

Customer involvement

4%

18%

6%

Documentation and reports

7%

2%

3%

Dedicated business unit/function

2%

5%

6%

Dedicated website

0%

1%

0%

Biodiversity preservation

1%

2%

1%

Climate change preservation

1%

1%

1%

Forest creation for compensation

1%

1%

0%

Measures taken to reclaim

0%

2%

0%

Air quality improvement

Renewable Obligation Certificates
purchasing

0%

0%

0%

2%

0%

1%

5.2 The Textile Sector

This section deals with the manufacture of textiles and includes processes such as
spinning, weaving and the finishing of products, as classified within NACE Division
13.
The final sample had 2617 companies, profiled by sub-division (Table 1), is shown
in Figure 3.

Figure 3 Sample Distributions by Sub-Division

Among the 2617 companies belonging to the sample, 1108 firms (42%) do not
have a website. Consequently, the analysis was focused on the remaining 1509

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

209

companies. Among the later, only 322 enterprises (12%) have implemented at least
one practice, profiled by sub-divisions as shown in Table 7.
Table 7 Application of at Least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Sub-Division
13
.1
18
% of companies that have implemented at least one practice
%

13
.2
23
%

13
.3
17
%

13
.4
42
%

Within each sub-division, the percentage of companies that adopt at least one
practice ranges from 9% (sub-division 13.2) to 15% (sub-division 13.9). This
analysis shows that there is not a predominant sub-division where companies appear
more prone to adopt sustainability practices. On the contrary, the low percentages of
application confirm a limited commitment of textile companies towards the
implementation of environmental sustainability concept in the business strategy and
activities.
The sample of companies that have adopted at least one practice was then profiled
on the basis of the company size. The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME)
definition provided by the European Commission (European Commission, 2005) was
adopted. In particular, the annual turnover (T) threshold was considered. The
percentage of companies that have adopted at least one practice increases moving
from micro to large (Figure 4), as also indicated by previous research (Al-Tuwaijri et
al., 2004; Hackston and Milne, 1996; Patten, 2002).

Figure 4 Percentage of Companies Implementing at least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Company Size

Subsequently, the practices adopted were analysed, as shown in Table 6. The

practice most adopted by textile companies is Product certification (48%), with
particular reference to: i) Oeko-Tex Standard 100 testing for harmful substances; ii)
Seri.co that guarantees the absence of substances toxic or harmful in silk fabrics; and
iii) Ecolabel that identifies products having a reduced environmental impact
throughout their life cycle, from the extraction of raw material through to production,
use and disposal. Remaining in the Product and Service category, discrete attention is
paid also to the selection of eco-friendly raw materials (22% of the companies) that
are recyclable, renewable and/or that come from recycled products, for example for

210

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

used clothes or PET bottles. Also Process Certification is implemented by 22% of

the sample, with reference to the ISO 14001:2004 and the EU Eco-Management and
Audit Scheme (EMAS). Energy efficiency and production of energy from renewable
resources, such as solar and wind power are applied, respectively, by 16% and 15%
of the company. The other practices implemented by more than 10% of the textile
firms are Reduction of waste and air emissions (13%), Water waste treatment
(12%), Reduction of toxic and harmful processing materials (11%) and Ecofriendly products and services. Packaging, supply chain and transportation
practices, as well as the governance of sustainability, are basically neglected by
textile companies.
The distribution of the practice adoption per size is shown in Figure 5. It is evident
that, moving from micro to large enterprises, the attention towards environmental
sustainability shifts from the Products and Services to the Production Process
category. Also the implementation of practices related to Culture and
Governance category is larger for larger enterprises.

Figure 5 Adoptions of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Textile Companies

Distribution by Size

Figure 6 depicts the distribution of practices profiled by sub-division. Spinning

companies (sub-division 13.1) are more prone to adopt practices related to product,
especially product certification and to spread a culture of sustainability, both
internally among the employees and externally towards their stakeholders. Also
waste management is a relevant sub-category, with particular reference to the
collection of process sub-products (waste fibers) and their re-introduction in the
production process. Weaving companies (sub-division 13.2) are characterised by a
higher attention towards energy management as they are intensive energy users.
Finishing firms (sub-division 13.3) are more committed to use eco-friendly and less
harmful chemicals in their processes (as water-based dyes, enzymes, etc.) and to
save, purify, collect and reuse water as they are characterised by high water
consumption. Other textile companies, producing for example technical and nonwoven textiles, are more focused on the selection of eco-friendly materials, on the
reduction and the recycling of wastes, and on avoiding the use of harmful processing
materials.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

211

Figure 6 Adoptions of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Textile Companies

Distribution by Sub-Division

5.3 The Clothing Sector

The second sector analysed is classified as NACE Division 14, and it includes all the
companies working in the wearing apparel and clothing industry. The final sample
counts of 1529 companies, classified as in Figure 7, according to the Table 1.

Figure 7 Sample Distribution by sub-division

Within these companies, 385 (25%) firms do not have a website. Consequently, the
analysis was focused on the remaining 1144. Among the latter, only 96 (9%) has
implemented at least one practice, profiled by sub-division as shown in Table 8.
Table 8 Application of at Least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Sub-Division
14
.1
89
% of companies that have implemented at least one practice
%

14
.2
0
%

14
.3
11
%

Focusing the analysis on each sub-division, the percentage of companies adopting

at least one practice starts from 0% (sub-division 14.2) to 9% (sub-division 14.1). As
previously reported for the textile sector, the low percentages of application confirm
a limited commitment of apparel and clothing sectors towards the implementation of
environmental sustainability initiatives. On the other hand, a predominance of subdivision 14.1 (manufacturer of wearing apparel except fur apparel) emerge from
Table 8.

212

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

As for the division 13, the sample of the companies was then profiled according to
their dimension. As shown in Figure 8, a trend from small to large companies emerge
in the analysis, as indicated by other researches and reported in the previous section.

Figure 8 Percentage of Companies Implementing at least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Company Size

Going deeper into the analysis, the practices adopted were analysed and reported in
Table 6. Focusing on the large companies, which represent the 90% of the total
sample, the practice most adopted by the apparel and clothing companies is
Stakeholder involvement and partnership with associations, local communities,
etc. (38%), followed by Eco-friendly products and services (23%) and
Promotion of a sustainability culture (21%). Others practices follow these ones
starting from Efficient process and buildings and Recyclable, renewable and
recycled raw materials (18%). Analysing the categories proposed in order to
classified the sustainable practices, product and services, production processes
and energy management are the most adopted, whilst the culture one is adopted
only by the big companies. Practices related to governance, packaging and
transportation are applied by a very low percentage of companies.
The distribution of the practice adoption per size is reported in Figure 9. As for the
textile sector, moving from the small to the big companies, the attention toward
environmental sustainability increase, especially for the category culture.

Figure 9 Adoption of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Clothing Companies

Distribution by Size

Figure 10 reports the distribution of practice classified according to their subdivision. Expect for Product and Services, where the companies belonging to the

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

213

14.3 NACE classifications (Manufacture of knotted and crocheted apparel) results

more interested in green initiatives, there is not any significant evidence.

Figure 10 Adoption of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Clothing Companies

Distribution by Sub-Division

5.4 The Leather Sector

This sector deals with the manufacture of leather products and is classified as NACE
Division 15. Within this division, companies operate in the tanning and dressing,
manufacture of luggage, handbags, footwear and in general any final items mainly
made with leather. The final sample is composed by 1546 companies (small, medium
and large), profiled by sub-division according to Figure 11.

Figure 11 Sample Distributions by Sub-Division

Among the 1546 companies belonging to the sample, 389 firms (25%) do not have
the website. This way, the analysis was carried out on a sample of 1157 firms.
Among them, only 108 enterprises (9%) have implemented at least one practice,
profiled by sub-divisions as shown in Table 9.
Table 9Application of at Least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Sub-Division
15
.1
69
% of companies that have implemented at least one practice
%

15
.2
31
%

Focusing on the two sub-division, there is a significant difference between the

percentage of companies with at least one practice adopted in the tanning and
dressing, manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddler & harness sub-division (10%)
and the manufacture of footwear (3%). As a general result, a limited commitment

214

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

of leather companies towards the implementation of environmental sustainability

concept in the business strategy and activities comes out from the analysis.
The sample of the companies that have adopted at least one practice was profiled
on the basis of the company size, and the results are reported in Figure 12. Once
again, as for the previous sectors, the percentage of companies that have adopted at
least one practice increases moving from small to big companies.

Figure 12 Percentage of Companies Implementing at least One Sustainability Practice Distribution by Company Size

Going forward in the analysis, the practices adopted were analysed (Table 6).
Product certification and Process certification are the most adopted (50%),
followed by Eco-friendly products and services (25%), Recyclable, renewable
and recycled raw materials (18%), Reduction of harmful and toxic raw material
use (17%), Water waste treatment (15%), Reduction of harmful and toxic
processing materials and Internal involvement (13%) and Waste recovery and
reuse (12). Other practices are adopted by less than or equal to the 10% of the
companies.
The distribution of the practices adoption per size is shown in Figure 13. Analysing
these results, it is evident how, moving from the small to the large companies, the
adoption of practices related to Production process, Energy management and
Culture increases. Whilst for the latter the reason can be attributed to the
dimension of the company, the first two categories are strictly related with the energy
and water consumption of this industry.

Figure 13 Adoption of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Leather Companies

Distribution by Size

In the end, Figure 14 describes the distribution of practices profiled by subdivision. As previously anticipated, companies belonging to the 15.1 sub-division
(which include tanning and wearing) are more interested in Production process and

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

215

Water management. On the other hand, companies belonging to the 15.2 subdivision (footwear) are more prone to adopt practices related to Energy
management in comparison with the previous ones.

Figure 14 Adoption of Environmental Sustainability Practices by Leather Companies

Distribution by Sub-Division

5.5 Discussion
Despite the exploratory and descriptive nature of the research, some observations
could be proposed. As a general result, the proposed classification framework
highlighted the rather scattered approach to the implementation and communication
of sustainability practices in the TCL sectors. Analysing the percentage of
implementation both inside each sector and across the sectors, it does not emerge a
prevalent consensus on the main practices to be implemented. Therefore, all the three
sectors present a limited commitment towards the implementation of sustainability
practices, with few exceptions. For example, process certification is implemented in
the 46% of Division 15 companies, but only in the 22% of the companies in Division
13 and 14. On the other hand, the production of energy from renewable resources is a
practice adopted by the 15% of Division 13 companies, while it lags far behind in the
other two divisions. Furthermore, it emerges that the companies belonging to
Division 15 are more interested in implementing practices related to the categories
Waste management, Water Management and Processing Materials. This could
be due to the presence of toxic substances (e.g. chrome) in the tanning and dressing
processes.
Even inside each Division, companies behave differently according to both their
size and the sub-division they belong to, as discussed in the previous sections.
According to our understanding and knowledge on the TCL sectors, this may be due
to technological differences among them. Considering the textile sector, for example,
the four sub-divisions display substantially different patterns of practice
implementation, probably due to the different requirements of the production
processes adopted. Water management is more relevant in sub-division 13.3
(Finishing of textiles) than in sub-division 13.9 (Manufacture of other textile) since
they use huge quantities of water. Similarly, analysing the leather industry, the two
sub-divisions display different practices implementation probably because of the
different production process. Whilst the companies belonging to sub-division 15.1
(Tanning & dressing of leather; manufacture of luggage, handbags, saddlery &
harness; dressing & dyeing of fur) have to manage toxic substances and large
quantitative of water, companies belonging to 15.2 (Manufacture of footwear)
require more energy than the first ones. On the other hand it is important to highlight

216

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

that companies belonging to 15.2 are usually bigger, in terms of number of

employees and turnover, than the ones belonging to 15.1. The dimensional factor
could explain the predominance of the practice culture. Regarding the apparel
sector (Division 14), no significant differences emerge between the sub-division.
Notably, the supply chain area appears as one of the most uncovered, especially in
SMEs, despite the role globalization has assumed in the last recent years. This
increasing globalization has at least two major impacts, from the sustainability
standpoint. From the one hand, companies are increasingly held accountable for their
own sustainability performance as well as for the sustainability performance of their
suppliers and subcontractors. Therefore, the inclusion of sustainability criteria the
supplier scouting, evaluation and selection processes are becoming an increasingly
mandatory aspect. From the other hand, global supply chains imply transportation,
one of the costliest and most environmentally damaging factors in modern supply
chain management (Dubey and Bag, 2013). Given the high greenhouse gas impact of
transportation, this area requires greater attention from companies operating in the
TCL sectors.
The reasons underlying the lack of focus of TCL companies on SCM and
transportation practices are not straightforward to discern. Nonetheless, a possible
cause is related to the lack of contractual power these companies experience in the
supply chain where the focal company detains all the decisions related to
transportation. Indeed, the data confirm that SCM and transportation sustainability
practices are usually more implemented in larger companies than in smaller ones (see
Figure 5, 9, and 13).
Another substantially neglected area is the area of packaging. Packaging impacts
on the sustainability performance in two different stage of its life cycle: when it is
produced (consuming resources) and when it is disposed, contributing to the
generation of wastes. Despite the relevant impact of this area on sustainability
performance, the focus on this aspect still requires a substantial improvement.
Finally, considering the culture sub-category, the framework identifies a rather
irregular pattern of practices adoption. In many of the subdivisions, this area is
scantily addressed; nonetheless, cultural aspects seem more relevant in large
companies. Several explanations could be hypothesised: i) firm size provides useful
proxy for the amount of public pressure and, consequently, they are more likely to
provide environmental disclosures and to involve their stakeholders (Cormier and
Magnan, 2003; Neu et al., 1998); and ii) large firms are associated to a higher
employees average education level, that could result in a deeper sustainability
awareness (Waldman et al., 2006).

6. Conclusions
In this paper a theoretical framework for mapping the practices for environmental
sustainability implemented in the TCL sectors is presented and used in order to
analyse the Italian scenario as the principal European Member State in this industry.
The research was carried out taking into consideration only the information reported
on the website of the companies. As one of first research devoted to understanding
the practices for environmental sustainability in the Italian TCL supply chain,
although it is exploratory in nature, some interesting findings can be hypothesized
from this study.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

217

First of all, among the approximately 5700 companies belonging to the final
sample, the 33% do not have a website. Consequently, the analysis was focused on
the remaining approximately 3800 companies. Among the latter, only the 14% have
implemented at least one environmental practice, while the practice most adopted by
companies is related to the product certification. This means that, as a general result,
Italian TCL companies do not seem very interested in sustainability activities, or at
least only a few percentages of them has already undertaken some practices on this
area. In general, companies behave differently according to both the sub-division
they belong to, probably for their differences in their production processes, and their
size (in terms of turnover). This result could be interpreted in two different ways.
Even if a first analysis could lead to a general indifference of the TCL companies on
such topics, on the other hand this correlation could be justified by the difficulty to
invest in green activities by small and medium companies.
Because of the nature of the research, several areas could be investigated in order
to achieve further results. A future research step could be the extension of this
analysis to other countries, in order to compare the results of Italian companies with
the others. At the same time, another research methodology approach (e.g. the case
based analysis or empirical survey) could be used in order to validate the results
obtained with this research. Although companies naturally want to publicize their
environmentally-friendly actions, they are often surprisingly hesitant to promote
their environmental successes or to issue detailed environmental reports. This way, a
direct contact with companies could lead to different results from this study.

7. References
1.

2.

3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

Allwood, J.M., Laursen, S.E., Malvido de Rodriguez, C.M., and Bocken, N.M.P.
(2006), Well dressed? The present and future sustainability of clothing and
textiles in the United Kingdom, Cambridge: Institute for Manufacturing,
University of Cambridge. Available from: www.ifm.eng. cam.ac.uk.
Al-Tuwaijri, S.A., Christensen, T.E., and Hughes II, K.E. (2004), The relations
among environmental disclosure, environmental performance, and economic
performance: a simultaneous equations approach, Accounting, Organizations
and Society, Vol. 29 (56), pp. 447471.
Aspiras, F.F., and Manalo, J.R.I. (1995), Utilization of textile waste cuttings as
building material, Journal of materials processing technology, Vol. 48(No. 1),
pp. 379-384.
Baker, S. (2000). The EU: Integration, Competition and Growth and
Sustainability, W. Lafferty, & J. Meadowcroft, Eds.Implementing Sustainable
Development, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bechtold, T., Turcanu, A., Ganglberger, E., and Geissler, S. (2003), Natural
dyes in modern textile dyehouseshow to combine experiences of two
centuries to meet the demands of the future?, Journal of Cleaner Production,
Vol. 11(No. 5), pp. 499-509.
BogoevaGaceva, G., Avella, M., Malinconico, M., Buzarovska, A., Grozdanov,
A., Gentile, G., and Errico, M.E. (2007), Natural fiber eco-composites,
Polymercomposites, Vol. 28(No. 1), pp. 98-107.
Borchardt, M., Wendt, M. H., Pereira, G. M., and Sellitto, M. A. (2011),
Redesign of a component based on ecodesign practices: environmental impact
and cost reduction achievements, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 19(No.
1), pp. 49-57.

218

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

Boujarwah, F. A., Mogus, A., Stoll, J., and Garg, K. T. (2009), Dress for
success: automating the recycling of school uniforms. In: CHI09 Extended
Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 2805-2810.
Briga-S, A., Nascimento, D., Teixeira, N., Pinto, J., Caldeira, F., Varum, H., and
Paiva, A. (2013), Textile waste as an alternative thermal insulation building
material solution, Construction and Building Materials, Vol. 38, pp. 155-160.
Brinberg, D., and McGrath, J.E. (1985), Validity and the Research Process.
Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.
Bryman A (2004), Social Research Methods (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Caniato, F., Caridi, M., Crippa, L., and Moretto, A.. (2012), Environmental
sustainability in fashion supply chains: an exploratory case based research.
International, Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 135, pp. 659670.
etinkaya, E., Rosen, M. A., &Diner, . (2012), Life cycle assessment of a
fluidized bed system for steam production, Energy Conversion and
Management, Vol. 63, pp. 225-232.
Chen, H. L., and Burns, L. D. (2006), Environmental analysis of textile
products, Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 24(No. 3), pp. 248-261.
Chi T. (2011), Building a sustainable supply chain: An analysis of corporate
social responsibility (CSR) practices in the Chinese textile and apparel
industry, Journal of the Textile Institute, Vol. 102, pp. 837848.
Cormier, D., and Magnan, M. (2003), Environmental reporting management: a
continental European perspective, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy,
Vol. 22(No. 1), pp. 43-62.
COTANCE (2012), Social and Environmental Report- the European leather
industry,
Available
from:
http://cotance.com/socialreporting/europeanreporting/european-ser.html.
Council for Textile Recycling. (1998),Dont overlook textiles, Available from:
http://textilerecycle.org
Crowther, M.A., and Cook, D.J. (2007), Trials and tribulations of systematic
reviews and meta-analyses, Hematology, pp. 493497.
Curwen, L. G., Park, J., and Sarkar, A. K. (2013), Challenges and Solutions of
Sustainable Apparel Product Development A Case Study of Eileen Fisher,
Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 31(No. 1), pp. 32-47.
Dahlsrud, A. (2008), How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis
of 37 definitions, Corporate social responsibility and environmental
management, Vol. 15(No. 1), pp. 1-13.
Dawson, Tim. (2012), Progress towards a greener textile industry, Coloration
Technology, Vol. 128(No. 1), pp. 1-8.
De Brito, M., Carbone, V., andBlanquart, C. (2008), Towards a sustainable
fashion retail supply chain in Europe: organisation and performance,
International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 114 (No. 2), pp. 534553.
De Saxce, M., Pesnel, S., and Perwuelz, A. (2012), LCA of bed sheetssome
relevant parameters for lifetime assessment, Journal of Cleaner Production,
Vol. 37, pp. 221-228.
DEFRA (UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (2008),
Sustainable Clothing Roadmap Briefing Note December 2007: Sustainability
Impacts of Clothing and Current Interventions, London: DEFRA.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

219

26. DEFRA (UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) (2011),
Sustainable Clothing Roadmap: Progress Report 2011, London: DEFRA.
27. Deloitte (2013), Fashioning Sustainability 2013, Copenhagen: Deloitte
StatsautoriteretRevisionspartnerseleskab.
28. Denyer, D., and Neely, A. (2004), Introduction to special issue: innovation and
productivity performance in the UK, International Journal of Management
Reviews, Vol. 5/6, pp. 131135.
29. Dickson, M., Loker, S., andEckman, M. (2009), Social Responsibility in the
Global Apparel Industry, New York: Fairchild.
30. Domina, T., and Koch, K. (1997), The textile waste lifecycle, Clothing and
Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 15(No. 2), pp. 96-102.
31. Dubey, R., and Bag, S. (2013), Exploring the dimensions of sustainable
practices: An empirical study on Indian manufacturing firms, International
Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management, Vol. 19 (No. 2), pp. 123146.
32. Easton, J. (2007), Supply chain partnerships for sustainable textile production,
M. Miraftab ed., Ecotextiles: The way forward for sustainable development, pp.
5057, Cambridge, England: Woodhead Publishing.
33. Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989), Building theories from case study research,
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14(No. 4), pp. 532-550.
34. European Commission (2005), The new SME definition - User guide and model
declaration, Available from: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/files/
sme_definition/sme_user_guide_en.pdf.
35. European Skills Council (ESC) (2012), Report n 4: Recommendations of the
Skills
Council.
ESC
Annual
Report,
Available
from:
http://europeanskillscouncil.t-c-l.eu/eng/structure/general/results.html.
36. Eurostat (2013a),Manufacture of textiles statistics - NACE Rev. 2 - Statistics
Explained, Available from:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Manufacture_of_
textiles_statistics_-_NACE_Rev._2.
37. Eurostat (2013b), Manufacture of wearing apparel statistics - NACE Rev. 2 Statistics Explained, Available from:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Manufacture_of_
wearing_apparel_statistics_-_NACE_Rev._2
38. Eurostat (2013c), Manufacture of leather and related products statistics - NACE
Rev. 2 - Statistics Explained, Available from:
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Manufacture_of_
leather_and_related_products_statistics_-_NACE_Rev._2
39. Farrer, J., and Finn, A. L. (2009), The power of a single prototype: sustainable
fashion textile design and the prevention of carcinogenic melanoma, In:
Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, Proc. VR@P4, Leiria,
Portugal. Boca Raton.
40. Ferrer, G., Cortezia, S., and Neumann, J. M. (2012), Green City, Journal of
Industrial Ecology, Vol. 16(No. 1), pp. 142-152.
41. Fieldson, R., and Rai, D. (2009), An assessment of carbon emissions from
retail fit-out in the United Kingdom, Journal of Retail & Leisure Property, Vol.
8(No. 4), pp. 243-258.

220

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

42. Fletcher, K... (2008), Sustainable fashion and textiles: design journeys, London,
England: Earthscan.
43. Fowler, S. J., and Hope, C. (2007), Incorporating sustainable business practices
into company strategy, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 16(No. 1),
pp. 26-38.
44. Gabarrell, X., Font, M., Vicent, T., Caminal, G., Sarr, M., and Blnquez, P.
(2012), A comparative life cycle assessment of two treatment technologies for
the Grey Lanaset G textile dye: biodegradation by Trametesversicolor and
granular activated carbon adsorption, The International Journal of Life Cycle
Assessment, Vol. 17(No. 5), pp. 613-624.
45. Gam, H. J., Cao, H., Farr, C., and Heine, L. (2009), C2CAD: a sustainable
apparel design and production model, International Journal of Clothing
Science and Technology, Vol. 21(No. 4), pp. 166-179.
46. Garcia-Montano, J., Ruiz, N., Munoz, I., Domenech, X., Garcia-Hortal, J. A.,
Torrades, F., and Peral, J. (2006), Environmental assessment of different photoFenton approaches for commercial reactive dye removal, Journal of hazardous
materials, Vol. 138(No. 2), pp. 218-225.
47. Gardetti, M.A., and Torres, A.L. (2013), Introduction, M.A. Gardettiand A.L.
Torres eds., Sustainability in Fashion and Textiles: Values, Design, Production
and Consumption, pp. 1-20, Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishing.
48. Goldbach, M., Seuring, S., and Back, S. (2003), Co-ordinating sustainable
cotton chains for the mass market, Greener Management International, Vol. 43,
pp. 65-78.
49. Goworek, H. (2011), Social and environmental sustainability in the clothing
industry: a case study of a fair trade retailer, Social Responsibility Journal, Vol.
7(No. 1), pp. 74-86.
50. Gwilt, A., and Rissanen, T. (2011), Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the
Way We Make and Use Clothes, London: Earthscan.
51. Hackston, D., and Milne, M.J. (1996), Some determinants of social and
environmental disclosures in New Zealand companies, Accounting, Auditing &
Accountability Journal, Vol. 9 (No. 1), pp. 77108.
52. Hayes, L. L. (2001), Synthetic Textile Innovations: Polyester Fiber-to-Fiber
Recycling for the Advancement of Sustainability, AATCC Review: the
magazine of the textile dyeing, printing, and finishing industry, Vol. 11(No. 4),
pp. 37-41.
53. Holsti, O. (1969), Content analysis for the social sciences and humanities,
Reading: Addison-Wesley.
54. Jacques, J. J., and Guimares, L. B. (2012), A study of material composition
disclosure practices in green footwear products, Work: A Journal of Prevention,
Assessment and Rehabilitation, Vol. 41, pp. 2101-2108.
55. Jenkins, H., and Yakovleva, N. (2006), Corporate social responsibility in the
mining industry: Exploring trends in social and environmental disclosure,
Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 14(No. 3), pp. 271-284.
56. Jose, A., and Lee, S. M. (2007), Environmental reporting of global
corporations: a content analysis based on website disclosures, Journal of
Business Ethics, Vol. 72(No. 4), pp. 307-321.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

221

57. Kalliala, E., and Talvenmaa, P. (2000), Environmental profile of textile wet
processing in Finland, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 8(No. 2), pp. 143154.
58. Koch, K., and Domina, T. (1999), Consumer textile recycling as a means of
solid waste reduction, Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, Vol.
28(No. 1), pp. 3-17.
59. Kumar, M., Aravindhan, R., Sreeram, K., Rao, J., and Nair, B. (2011), Green
Chemistry Approach in Leather Processing: A Case of Chrome Tanning,
Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, Vol. 106(No. 4), pp.
113-120.
60. Levy, Y., and Ellis, T.J. (2006), A systems approach to conduct an effective
literature review in support of information systems research, International
Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, Vol. 9, pp. 181-212.
61. MacCarthy, B. L., and Jayarathne, P. G. S. A. (2012), Sustainable collaborative
supply networks in the international clothing industry: a comparative analysis of
two retailers, Production Planning & Control, Vol. 23(No. 4), pp. 252-268.
62. Maignan, I., and Ralston, D. A. (2002), Corporate social responsibility in
Europe and the US: Insights from businesses self-presentations, Journal of
International Business Studies, Vol. 33(No. 3), pp. 497-514.
63. Miles, M.B., and Huberman, A.M. (1984), Qualitative Data Analysis, Beverly
Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
64. Money, C. A. (2010), Leather Working Group Audit Considerations, Journal
of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists, Vol. 94(No. 5), pp. 185189.
65. Muthu, S.S., Li, Y., Hu, J.Y., and Mok, P.Y. (2012), Quantification of
environmental impact and ecological sustainability for textile fibers,
Ecological Indicators, Vol. 13(No. 1), pp. 66-74.
66. Neu, D., Warsame, H., and Pedwell, K. (1998), Managing public impressions:
environmental disclosures in annual reports, Accounting, Organizations and
Society, Vol. 23(No. 3), pp. 265-282.
67. Niskanen, J., and Nieminen, T. (2001), The objectivity of corporate
environmental reporting: a study of Finnish listed firms' environmental
disclosures, Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 10(No. 1), pp. 29-37.
68. Nowack, M., Hoppe, H., and Guenther, E. (2012),Review and downscaling of
life cycle decision support tools for the procurement of low-value products,
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Vol. 17(No. 6), pp. 655-665.
69. Orlitzky, M., Schmidt, F. L., and Rynes, S. L. (2003), Corporate social and
financial performance: A meta-analysis, Organization Studies, Vol. 24(No. 3),
pp. 403-441.
70. Pan, Y., Roedl, D., Thomas, J. C., and Blevis, E. (2012), Re-conceptualizing
fashion in sustainable HCI, In: Proceedings of the Designing Interactive
Systems Conference, pp. 621-630.
71. Patten, D.M. (2002), The relation between environmental performance and
environmental disclosure: a research note, Accounting, Organizations and
Society, Vol. 27(No. 8), pp. 763773.
72. Peng, W.L., Qin, Z.B., Zhang, W.N., and Tan, J.J. (2011), Research on the
Application of Green Technology to Leather Shoes in their Life Cycle, Key
Engineering Materials, Vol. 480, pp. 1221-1224.

222

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

73. Phong, M. (2008),More than words, ATA Journal, Vol. 19(No. 3), pp. 100-113
74. Poole, A.J., Church, J.S. and Huson, M.G. (2008), Environmentally sustainable
fibers from regenerated protein, Biomacromolecules, Vol. 10(No. 1), pp. 1-8.
75. Power, E.J. (2012), Sustainable developments in knitting, International
Journal of Business and Globalisation, Vol. 9(No. 1), pp. 1-11.
76. Qian, L., and Hinestroza, J.P. (2004), Application of nanotechnology for high
performance textiles, Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and
Management, Vol. 4(No. 1), pp. 1-7.
77. Rebitzer, G., Ekvall, T., Frischknecht, R., Hunkeler, D., Norris, G., Rydberg, T.,
Schmidt, W.P., Suh, S., Weidema, B.P., and Pennington, D.W. (2004), Life
cycle assessment Part 1: Framework, goal & scope definition, inventory
analysis, and applications, Environment International, Vol. 30(No. 5), pp. 701
720.
78. Reddy, N., and Yang, Y. (2005), Biofibers from agricultural byproducts for
industrial applications, Trends in Biotechnology, Vol. 23(No. 1), and pp. 2227.
79. Rupp, J. (2008), Ecology and economy in textile finishing, Textile World, Vol.
158, pp. 38-41.
80. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC &RobecoSAM AG (2013), Dow Jones
Sustainability Europe Index Guide Version 2.12, Zurich, Switzerland:
RobecoSAM
AG,
Available
from:
http://www.sustainabilityindices.com/images/djsi-europe-guidebook_tcm1071-337250.pdf
81. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (2013), Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index
Factsheet, Available from:
http://djindexes.com/mdsidx/downloads/fact_info/Dow_Jones_Sustainability_E
urope_40_Index_Fact_Sheet.pdf (last access: 13 06 2013)
82. Saravanabhavan, S., Thanikaivelan, P., Rao, J. R., Nair, B. U., and Ramasami, T.
(2008), Sodium metasilicate based fiber opening for greener leather
processing, Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 42(No. 5), pp. 17311739.
83. Sawhney, A.P.S., Condon, B., Singh, K.V., Pang, S.S., Li, G., and Hui, D.
(2008), Modern applications of nanotechnology in textiles, Textile Research
Journal, Vol. 78(No. 8), pp. 731-739.
84. Segars, J.W., Bradfield, S.L., Wright, J.J., and Realff, M.J. (2003), EcoWorx,
green engineering principles in practice, Environmental Science & Technology,
Vol. 37(No. 23), pp. 5269-5277.
85. Shen, L., and Patel, M.K. (2008), Life cycle assessment of polysaccharide
materials: a review, Journal of Polymers and the Environment, Vol. 16(No. 2),
pp. 154-167.
86. Shen, L., Worrell, E., and Patel, M.K. (2010a), Environmental impact
assessment of man-made cellulose fibers, Resources, Conservation and
Recycling, Vol. 55(No. 2), pp. 260-274.
87. Shen, L., Worrell, E., and Patel, M.K. (2010b), Open-loop recycling: A LCA
case study of PET bottle-to-fibre recycling, Resources, conservation and
recycling, Vol. 55(No. 1), pp. 34-52.
88. Shishoo, R. (Ed.) (2007), Plasma technologies for textiles, Bosa Roca: CRC
Press Inc.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

223

89. Sivaramakrishnan, C.N. (2007), Insights into specialty chemicals: A look at the
various chemicals and auxiliaries used in textile wet processing, Colourage,
Vol. 54(No. 2), pp. 60-62.
90. Slater, K. (2003), Environmental Impacts of Textiles: Production, Processes, and
Protection, Cambridge, UK: Woodbridge Publishing Limited.
91. Styles, D., Schoenberger, H., and Galvez-Martos, J.L. (2012), Environmental
improvement of product supply chains: A review of European retailers
performance, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 65, No. 57-78.
92. Svensson, G. (2007), Aspects of sustainable supply chain management
(SSCM): conceptual framework and empirical example, Supply Chain
Management: an International Journal, Vol. 12(No. 4), pp. 262-266.
93. Thanikaivelan, P., Chandrasekaran, B., Bharath, C.K., Saravanabhavan, S.,
Anandhi, C., Rao, J.R., and Nair, B.U. (2006), Single step hair removal and
fiber opening process: Simultaneous and successive addition of protease and amyiase, The Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, Vol.
101(No. 11), pp. 388-398.
94. Thrivel, R., and Brown, A.L. (1999), Methods of strategic environmental
assessment, Handbook of environmental impact assessment, Vol. 1, pp. 441464.
95. Toms, J. S. (2002), Firm resources, quality signals and the determinants of
corporate environmental reputation: some UK evidence, The British
Accounting Review, Vol. 34(No. 3), pp. 257-282.
96. Tran field, D., Denier, D., and Smart, P. (2003), Towards a methodology for
developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic
review, British Journal of Management, Vol. 14(No. 3), pp. 207222.
97. van der Werf, H.M., and Turunen, L. (2008), The environmental impacts of the
production of hemp and flax textile yarn, Industrial Crops and Products, Vol.
27(No. 1), pp. 1-10.
98. Veitch, D., and Davis, B. (2009), Practical Application of 3D Data for Apparel
Industry use, in: 17th World Congress on Ergonomics: International
Ergonomics Association.
99. Visa, M., Pricop, F., and Duta, A. (2011), Sustainable treatment of wastewaters
resulted in the textile dyeing industry, Clean Technologies and Environmental
Policy, Vol. 13(No. 6), pp. 855-861.
100.Waite, M. (2009), Sustainable textiles: the role of bamboo and a comparison of
bamboo textile properties - Part 1, Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology
and Management, Vol. 6(No. 2), pp. 1-21.
101.Waldman, D. A., de Luque, M. S., Washburn, N., House, R. J., Adetoun, B.,
Barrasa, A., ... &Wilderom, C. P. (2006), Cultural and leadership predictors of
corporate social responsibility values of top management: A GLOBE study of 15
countries, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 37(No. 6), pp. 823837.
102.Weber, R. P. (1990), Basic Content Analysis (2nd ed.), Newbury Park, CA:
SAGE Publication.
103.Weingarten, F., Pagell, M., and Fynes, B. (2012), Supply chain environmental
investments in dynamic industries: Comparing investment and performance
differences with static industries, International Journal of Production
Economics, Vol. 135(No. 2), pp. 541-551.

224

International J. of Opers. and Quant. Management

104.Wolfe, R. (1991), The use of content analysis to assess corporate social

responsibility, Research in Corporate Social Performance and Policy, Vol. 12,
pp. 281-307.
105.Wong, Y.W.H., Yuen, C.W.M., Leung, M.Y.S., Ku, S.K.A., and Lam, H.L.I.
(2006), Selected applications of nanotechnology in textiles, AUTEX Research
Journal, Vol. 6(No. 1), pp. 1-8.
106.Woolridge, A.C., Ward, G.D., Phillips, P.S., Collins, M., and Gandy, S. (2006),
Life cycle assessment for reuse/recycling of donated waste textiles compared to
use of virgin material: An UK energy saving perspective, Resources,
Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 46(No. 1), pp. 94-103.
107.Zouboulis, A.I., Samaras, P., Krestou, A., and Tzoupanos, N.D. (2012), Leather
production modification methods towards minimization of tanning pollution:"
green tanning", Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, Vol. 21(No. 8), pp. 24062412.

About Authors
Barbara Resta got a Master Degree in Management Engineering (2008) and a Ph.D.
in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (2012) at the University of Bergamo
with a dissertation on the servitization phenomenon. During her studies she was
enrolled in the Master of Engineering in Logistics & Supply Chain Management at
MIT-Zaragoza Logistics Center (Spain) in 2009. The following year she spent a
semester at the Cranfield School of Management (UK). Since 2012, she is a
Research Assistant at the Department of Engineering of the University of Bergamo.
Currently, she is involved in research activities related to the application of
sustainability principles to the textile sector.
Romeo Bandinelli achieved his Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering and his
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering at Florence University. He is currently a contract
researcher at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Florence
and responsible of PLM projects for the LogisLab laboratory. He is author of more
than 40 papers published on peer reviewed national and international proceedings
and journals. His research topics mainly focus on Product Lifecycle Management,
Supply Chain Management and Process Management. Currently he is involved in the
luxury fashion industry.
Filippo Emanuele Ciarapica is Associate professor in Industrial Plants at
University of Ancona, graduated with distinction in 1999 in mechanical engineering
at the University of Ancona. In 2003 he has got Ph. D. in Energy Management at the
University of Ancona. From 2002 he has been giving courses of Industrial Logistic
and Industrial Facility Management at the University Politecnica delle Marche,
Ancona, Italy. He is author of more than 80 papers that have been published on
national and international proceedings and journals. His research topics mainly focus
on industrial plants design, operation management, reliability and maintenance.

Resta, Bandinelli, Ciarapica, Dotti, Pinto, Rinaldi

225

Stefano Dotti holds a Master degree in Management and Economics at the

University of Bergamo in 1982. Since 2002, he is Researcher and Lecturer at
University of Bergamo, where he teaches Textile Materials and Textile Industry
Technology in the Management Engineering degree course (Management in
Textile & Fashion Sectors path). Currently, he is Director of the Master Programme
Technologies and processes for the textile supply chain, designed to develop a high
level of understanding of modern textile technology. He is involved in several
industrial projects in the textile area, acting as a bridge between the academic and the
industrial world.
Roberto Pinto is Assistant Professor at the University of Bergamo (Italy), graduated
in Management Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano, and received his PhD in
Design and Management of Integrated Production-Logistics Systems at the
University of Brescia. He leads the research activities in the Supply Chain
Management Area of the CELS Research Group on Industrial Engineering,
Logistics, and Service Operations at the University of Bergamo. His current research
interests include logistics and supply chain management topics, with a specific focus
on supply chain risk management and supply chain optimization.
Rinaldo Rinaldi is associate professor of Supply Chain Management at the
University of Florence. He teaches Supply Chain Management and Project
Management for the courses of Mechanical Engineering and Economics. His
research areas are related to the logistic systems design and optimization, production
planning and control, process optimization. In last years he has been involved in
several projects in the area of Track & Trace and Anti-Counterfeiting technologies
for the luxury industry. He is the founder and scientific director of the laboratory of
the University of Florence LogisLab - Laboratory for logistic process management
and intelligence systems development."