Utenos Trikotazas : Trikotažas passed another Greenpeace exam – still the only one in the world

Utenos Trikotažas of the SBA Group has received the approval of the Greenpeace environmental organization to extend the Greenpeace Global Textile Procurement Trial Standard awarded to the company in 2020 for another year. Utenos Trikotažas continues to be the first and only company in the world to work entirely according to the stringent requirements of the standard and the only Greenpeace textile partner on a global scale.

The Greenpeace Global Textile Procurement Trial Standard covers a wide range of environmental and social responsibility requirements, which apply throughout the production process - from naturally grown fibres, the use of chemicals in production and their environmental impact, and the characteristics of the garment, to fair remuneration and complete transparency of the production process. This is ensured through complex certification tools and testing throughout the production process.

'Top range standards are never awarded for a long time. In order to meet all Greenpeace requirements we must work continuously responsibly selecting suppliers of raw materials, testing wastewater, ensuring chemical product control, monitoring production processes and managing them properly. Constant efforts have allowed us to earn the trust of the most influential environmental organization for the second consecutive year and we are proud to be the only company in the world to have achieved the highest level of sustainable manufacturing,' said Petras Jasinskas, CEO of Utenos Trikotažas.

In Utena, Greenpeace continues its textile manufacturing - the product range is expanded, the third large order has recently been completed and new production stages are planned. Utenos Trikotažas produces T-shirts, jumpers, dresses, pyjamas and bedding for Greenpeace.

A decade ago, Greenpeace initiated the Detox My Fashion campaign to curb the use of harmful substances in textile manufacturing, one of the most polluting industries. Environmentalists identified 11 groups of chemicals widely used in the textile industry, which are of particular concern for their impact on humans and environment, and demanded that by 2020 major manufacturers would eliminate the use of these hazardous chemicals.

In 2018, Utenos Trikotažas successfully implemented the pilot project for Greenpeace production. This led to the development of the new Textile Procurement Trial Standard and, a year later, to the production of the first industrial-scale textile collection.

Since the start of the project, over 80 various textile companies, such as H&M, Nike, Adidas, Puma and many others, have joined Detox My Fashion. All participants of the campaign account for only 10-15% of the global textile market.