La Sportiva North America, makers of the world’s finest mountain products, announces that it has been accepted as a member of the bluesign program. Since the introduction of its technical ski mountaineering apparel line at the 2012 OR Winter Market, SIA Snowshow, and ISPO Munich tradeshows, La Sportiva has become an official member of bluesign. This certifies that the La Sportiva textile supply chain complies with internationally recognized environmental and social criteria.
“La Sportiva’s entry into the technical apparel market is a significant growth opportunity for the company,” states Jonathan Lantz, president of La Sportiva North America. “However, that growth must be managed responsibly and our acceptance into the bluesign program verifies our commitment to a socially and environmentally sound supply chain. This membership will further strengthen our position in the apparel market in the eyes of our customers.”
The bluesign standard brings together the textile manufacturing chain to reduce the ecological footprint of the entire textile industry. Instead of focusing on finished product testing, the bluesign standard analyzes all input streams including raw materials, chemical components and resources with a sophisticated “Input Stream Management” process. Prior to production, components are assessed based on their ecological impact. Through this process, potentially harmful substances can be eliminated before production even begins.
A key aspect of the bluesign standard is to never compromise product functionality, quality or design. In cases where product performance conflicts with social or environmental responsibility the bluesign standard is designed to provide solutions along the entire textile manufacturing chain. Properly managing the manufacturing process using bluesign’s “Best Available Technology” (BAT) process reconciles any potential conflicts.
Rather than imposing strict guidelines or restricting use of certain substances, the bluesign standard provides components, processes and best practices. This collaboration allows La Sportiva to produce high-performance technical apparel with verification that the highest environmental and social criteria are being met.
