The Lycra Company has completed the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) self-assessment at all six of its Lycra fibre manufacturing sites. The robust impact assessment – which reviews environmental management systems, energy use, emissions, water usage, wastewater, and waste and chemical management at the facility level – helps manufacturing locations establish an environmental baseline to pursue continuous improvement.
The company’s Maydown site, located in the North West of Northern Ireland, piloted the module more than a year ago. Based on initial learnings, the remaining five production facilities completed self-assessments simultaneously.
Modules posted to the Higg portal in December 2020 and can now be shared securely with customers upon request through the Higg platform, offering insights into the company’s sustainability performance and reinforcing its commitment to transparency.
Nish Vasavada, Global Director of Environment, Health And Safety (EHS) for The Lycra Company, said his team is developing a plan for an approved independent third party to audit the site modules this year. “This would give us confirmation of our performance and likely provide new insights as to how and where we can improve,” Vasavada noted.
The Higg Index suite of tools was developed by The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). It gives manufacturers, brands and retailers a clear, holistic picture of facility-specific environmental performance and impacts. Assessments help identify and scale opportunities for sustainability improvements that protect the well-being of factory workers, local communities and the environment. The LYCRA Company, the only spandex (elastane) producer member of the SAC, plays an active role on several sub-committees of the coalition.
Third-party assessments such as the Higg FEM are a key component of The Lycra Company’s sustainability platform, Planet Agenda, which spans all aspects of business operations through three core pillars: corporate responsibility, manufacturing excellence and product sustainability. Additional certifications include Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification of the company’s EcoMade family of recycled products; Standard 100 certification by OEKO-TEX for Lycra, Lycra T400, Coolmax and Thermolite fibres; and Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard Material Health Certificates (Gold Level) for 25 Lycra fibre products.
