RESOURCE CENTRE
A&E Sustainability Report: 2016-2017
INDUSTRY TRANSPARENCY,
TRACEABILITY AND TRUST AT THE CORE
A
merican & Efird (A&E) has
been among the frontrunners
of sustainability over the years, and
its various processes and products
imbibe by the rule. The company
has taken its position as one of the
world’s leading manufacturers and
distributors of industrial and consumer
sewing thread, embroidery thread
and technical textiles, all backed by
a firm commitment to sustainable
practices to create a better world
through responsible corporate actions,
environmentally protective efforts
and numerous contributions to the
communities in which it operates.
The recently released Corporate
Sustainability Report for the
period 2016-2017, reflects the three
concepts that drive A&E’s industry-
leading sustainability programme:
Transparency, Traceability and
Trust, while highlighting A&E’s
accomplishments in the areas of safety,
environmental sustainability and
This year’s
notable
sustainability
highlights
include:
Water Conservation
• Over 1.1 billion litre of
wastewater has been
recycled and reused
since 2013.
• Nearly 1 million litre of
wastewater is recycled
and reused each day of
operation.
• 41% reduction in global
water consumption (litres
per kg of thread) has
been seen since 2006
Solid Waste
• Zero-Waste-to-Landfill
status has grown to 16
global manufacturing
operations and support
facilities in 2017, with 5
other operations over
the 91 percentile mark.
A&E’s global goal is to
achieve this sustainability
designation in every
manufacturing operation
worldwide.
Carbon Footprint
and Energy
Conservation
• 6% reduction of global
carbon footprint (CO 2 e
in kg per kg of thread)
since 2006.
• 44% of the fuels used
to create steam at A&E
dyeing operations were
renewable and carbon
neutral in 2016.
• 10% reduction in global
power consumption
(kWh per kg of thread)
since 2006.
Les Miller, CEO, A&E
corporate social responsibility. With
Asia accounting for a major chunk of its
business today, many of the company’s
production units are in countries like
China, India and Bangladesh.
A&E’s continued improvements,
specifically in global water reduction
and Zero-Waste-to-Landfill efforts,
serve as an example of leadership and
good stewardship throughout the textile
industry. “A core part of our business
strategy is to operate all of our global
facilities in a sustainable manner,” said
Les Miller, CEO, A&E, and added, “It is
not only a good business practice to do
so, but it is the right thing to do for all of
our stakeholders.”
Since 2011, A&E invested over US $ 10
million into state-of-the-art wastewater
recycling systems across the world
and these investments have paid off
through significant reductions in water
use. A&E continues to focus on energy
conservation and has increased its use
of biofuels and clean fuels, resulting in
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, A&E has grown its number
of global operations and support
facilities to 16 in achieving Zero-Waste-
to-Landfill status.
The company regularly evaluates all
of the global yarn spinning, dyeing
and finishing facilities in which it has
ownership to provide the information
conta ined in its annual sustainability
report. Categories measured in this
report include: Water Stewardship, Solid
Waste, Carbon Footprint and Energy
Conservation, Product Stewardship,
Social Responsibility, Employee Health
and Safety, Sustainable Products and
Areas of Improvement. In 2016, A&E
developed and implemented its Product
RSL Environmental Profile (PREP)
form in order to collect Restricted
Substance List and environmental data
on all dyes and chemicals used by its
operations. A&E is on track to comply
with the chemical restrictions contained
in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous
Compounds (ZDHC) Programme by the
end of 2018.
www.apparelresources.com | AUGUST 2017 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
53