Textiles

Textile supply chains are often complex: there are numerous processing steps between the raw material and the finished item of clothing. Creating transparency along the entire supply chain is the basis for managing production risks. We insist on compliance with social and ecological requirements during processing in order to ensure the responsible manufacture of textiles. These requirements are specified in our guidelines.

Own-label textile production facilities

Coop publishes a list of production facilities that produce clothing and home textiles for Coop own-label brands on Open Supply Hub. These are the facilities where the last processing step is performed, i.e. where the articles are made (sewn). The published facilities cover 90% of the purchasing volume for our own-label textiles. The details of the production facilities are updated yearly.

STS2030

Coop is among the first companies in Switzerland to commit to the sustainability targets of Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 (STS2030). Through this commitment, Coop agrees to implement measures that will enable it to achieve the following targets: 1. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 2. Promotion of fair pay and humane working conditions for all. 3. Promotion of innovative business models for a circular economy. 4. Transparency to ensure that sustainable purchasing decisions can be made.  

Social standards in textile supply chains

In accordance with our Guideline on Sustainable Sourcing, we require all our business partners to ensure compliance with country-specific legal provisions and the relevant conventions and guidelines of the United Nations (UN), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with regard to working conditions and human rights. Where Coop own-label brands are produced in a risk country according to amfori BSCI, proof of compliance with the social requirements by means of an amfori BSCI audit or at least an equivalent standard accepted by Coop must be provided. Over 90% of our textile suppliers from risk countries provide proof of a social audit or certificate as required.

Chemical management

Since 2012, in our Guideline on Sustainable Sourcing, we have been regulating the use of chemicals that are rated as hazardous by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). In 2013, we became the first Swiss retailer to sign a declaration of intent with Greenpeace with the aim of reducing hazardous chemicals in textile production. 

The requirements for chemicals management are set out in the above-linked Guideline on Textiles and Leather and Guideline on Chemical Use, Supply Chain Transparency and Textile Quality. Coop expects compliance with the current version of the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (ZDHC MRSL) and its own Restricted Substances List for Products (Coop PRSL). These list chemicals that may only be used to a limited extent or that may not be used at all during production owing to their negative impact on human health and the environment.

At the wet process facility (e.g. dyeing, printing), compliance with the specific requirements for chemical use is monitored with audits in addition to waste water and sewage sludge analyses.

Conscious reuse and recycling

We want to help ensure that clothing and home textiles can remain in circulation for as long as possible. Together with Quantis and in collaboration with Swiss textile collectors, we initiated an eco-audit on the reuse and recycling of clothing. The audit found that, from an environmental perspective, the most sensible option is to pass on discarded clothing and continue using it as clothing.

Carefully considered product development

Timeless design and long-term wearability are key when developing our own-brand fashion. Our models are distinguished by the fact that they are easy to mix and match and can be worn for more than one season. This sets our own-label brands apart from fast fashion.

Gentle care for textiles

Customers play a key role in the responsible use of textiles: by washing, ironing, drying and caring for them properly, they can influence the energy and water requirements of textiles during their life cycle while also ensuring their longevity. Information on proper care can be found on the garment's care label.

Long-standing collaboration with Tell-Tex

Customers can deposit unwanted clothes and shoes in the Tell-Tex collection containers located at more than 500 Coop sales outlets, so that they can be reused. Part of the proceeds go to Coop Aid for Mountain Regions, which uses 100% of this contribution to support projects in mountain regions.

Tell-Tex AG is one of Switzerland's biggest clothing collectors. The collected clothes are exported abroad, where they are processed by different companies and sorted according to various criteria. Sixty-five percent of the clothes are still wearable and are passed on to the population by local traders at reasonable prices. Clothing that is no longer wearable is turned into cleaning rags or raw materials.

Future-proof research projects

The “Texcircle” research project directed by the Lucerne School of Art and Design was launched in collaboration with Coop, Rieter, Rohner, Ruckstuhl, Texaid and workfashion. Funded by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, the project aims to devise a vision for an exemplary textile circular economy in Switzerland by developing and manufacturing new textile products from old, used textiles.