Analysis of green certification standards related to recycled materials involving textiles based on life cycle thinking
Journal
Sustainable Production and Consumption
Journal Volume
41
Date Issued
2023-10-01
Author(s)
Lin, Hsin Ju
Abstract
Enterprises have been increasingly required by international brands to obtain green certification. As green certification has become an important tool for evaluating suppliers and securing environmental performance along the supply chain, and textile-related recycled materials are one of the most affected industries, this study aims to examine the differences among various certification schemes in the recycled materials industry involving textiles. We identify a set of clear and consistent evaluation metrics for the criteria in green certification, and investigate the standardized contents of green certifications for recycled materials-related industries based on life cycle thinking. It is found that “requirements on recycled material content” are required by all the green certifications examined. From the perspective of life cycle stages, the “raw material stage”, “manufacturing stage” and “disposal stage” are emphasized by the green certifications related to the recycling industry. Finally, this study combines an environmental perspective incorporating life cycle thinking (LCT) with a social and economic perspective of implementation feasibility to provide ways to strengthen certification regimes related to recycled materials and promote long-term product life cycle management and supply chain management.
Subjects
Green certification | ISO 14040 | Life cycle thinking | Recycled materials
Type
journal article