With more than 5,000 stores around the globe, Benetton Group is one of the most important fashion companies in the world. Owner of the brands United Colors of Benetton, Undercolors of Benetton, and Sisley, the Group self-defines itself as “a responsible group that plans for the future and lives in the present, with a watchful eye to the environment, to human dignity, and to a society in transformation.”[1]
To them, green is not only the color of their brand but “a philosophy that has permeated the culture of Benetton Group for decades.”[2] Beautiful wording, almost poetic, but… what does “green” even mean? The last time we checked, green was a color and not a philosophy.
By now most of us are aware of the Rana Plaza tragedy (if not, click here), and although the full list of brands that sourced clothes from the building remains unclear, around 29 were identified. Among them: Benetton. So, it seems that their “green” has a bit of a strange shade…don’t you think?
When huge companies use these kinds of terms our alarms go off and we can only wonder: Are we being greenwashed? Let’s find out how sustainable Benetton Group really is!
An overview of Benetton Group’s “360° commitment”
Benetton Group has opted for a “360° commitment”, which means that it is focused on reducing its environmental impact along the entire production chain starting in the selection of sustainable raw materials.
1. Sustainable Materials
According to its website, 80% of the fibers in their garments “are of natural origin and therefore have a lower impact on the environment. In addition, about half of our garments are made of nanofiber material, making recycling easier.”[3]
The Group requires the use of third-party certification schemes to ensure that a “sustainable material” is, in fact, sustainable. The following are some of the standards used:
- Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
- Organic Content Standard (OCS)
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS)
- Recycled Claim Standard (RCS)
- Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
- Responsible Down Standard (RDS)
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
To measure its progress, Benetton Group contributes to the Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB).
Certifications are key in determining how sustainable a material is so it is only natural that the Group has adopted this certification requirement. However, according to its website, it only applies “if available.”[4] With so many certifications available covering every material, why would it need to make this caveat? This leaves us wondering, how seriously is the Group about this requirement?
On the same note, the Group set some goals regarding its materials, namely: by 2025, 75% of the materials used will be sustainable; 100% of the cotton and viscose used will be sustainable; 30% of wool used will be mulesing-free and recycled; and by 2030, 50% of the synthetic materials used will come from recycled fibers. How is the Group going to ensure that those percentages are in line with reality if certifications aren’t mandatory?
2. Transportation
To reduce CO2 emissions linked to its logistical and distribution activities, in 2019 the Group committed to intermodal transportation and, in general, to the use of the least environmentally impacting transportation means. Particularly, it decreased its reliance on air shipments while increasing less-polluting rail transport.[5]
These measures, along with the elimination of pallets (which optimized packaging storage on vehicles) and others enabled the Group to reduce CO2 emissions linked to the transportation of merchandise on the road by 25%.[6]
3. Packaging
It is terrifying the amount of packaging the apparel industry generates, especially considering that most of it is typically designed for single use.[7] Therefore, improving this aspect of the industry is, to say the least, hopeful.
Plastic
To date, Benetton Group uses about 350 tons of plastics for packaging per year and, more worryingly, its polybags are made of 100% virgin plastics. To reduce these quantities, the Group is continuously searching for alternative solutions.[8]
The Group also pledges to take back from their stores the plastic material used during transportation, to reuse or recycle it. It expects that by 2022, the polybags used will be made of 30% recycled plastics and 70% virgin plastics; the additional plastic material collected will be used for the creation of new objects.[9]
Cardboard
The Group saves over 1,300 tons of cardboard (approximately 20,000 trees) thanks to the use of reusable metal baskets. Regarding catalogs and other paper-based communication materials, they are made with paper certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and treated with water-based inks. Indeed, four in six cardboard suppliers are FSC certified and 80% of the Group’s cardboard boxes are made of recycled material. This means a reduction of 1,800 tons of cardboard and 2,340 tons of CO2 emissions.[10]
4. Social and ethical principles
In the Group’s words, “respect for human rights is not only an ethical imperative, but also a pressing demand from consumers as well as a necessary prerequisite for doing business.”[11]
Supplier selection
The Group selects its suppliers based on: (i) product quality; (ii) competitive prices; (iii) transparency; and (iv) compliance with social, ethical, and environmental principles.
Code of Conduct
The Group adopted a Code of Conduct (CoC) which is based on the fulfillment of human rights and environmental protection. Any individual or company interested in doing business with the Group must comply with its CoC. Alongside this CoC, and to support suppliers in their operational implementation, Benetton Group has produced the Guidelines for Benetton Group Code of Conduct for Manufacturers.
It is, indeed, a crucial step towards a more sustainable production to have a CoC. Yet, this in no way is enough! Empty words without action are the same as having nothing. And therefore, we applaud Benetton for implementing an audit program to monitor adherence with its CoC. This audit program is designed to verify working conditions, environmental protection, transparency, and compliance with the applicable local and international regulations.[12] To pass the audit, a final score of 80/100 is needed and the checklist includes the following sections:
| Child Labor | Forced Labor |
| Non-discrimination | Coercion and Harassment |
| Association | Workers’ Contracts |
| Working Hours | Remuneration |
| Migrant Workers’ Rights | Health and Safety |
| Risk Assessment | Reference to National Law |
| Conventions and Agreements | Environmental Protection |
| Chemical and Hazardous Materials | Waste and Water Management |
| Transparency and Cooperation | Monitoring and Compliance |
Zero-tolerance policy
Benetton Group has a zero-tolerance policy towards the following topics:
- Child labor
- Forced/prison/bonded labor
- Discrimination in employment, training, promotion, compensation, welfare, dismissal, and retirement, etc.
- Physical or verbal abuse
- Prohibition of association
- Absence of workers’ contracts
- Irregularities and abuse towards migrant workers
- Structurally unsafe buildings
- Not communicated use of sub-contractors
- Lack of cooperation during the audit [13]
This zero-tolerance measure had been long-awaited after the Rana Plaza tragedy. However, as said before, we have no use for empty words, and we will have to wait for a prudent period of time to see if this is really the case. Remember that following the tragedy in April 2013, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh was launched. Several brands, trade unions, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and various nongovernmental organizations adhered to it immediately after its creation. However, Benetton did so only in December 2017. It seems that fast reactions are not a Benetton thing…
Green B
True to its “360 commitment”, last April Benetton Group launched GREEN B, “a project that brings together all the sustainability initiatives of the company’s brands.” From product conception to the supply chain, it proposes a rounded vision that “formalizes the commitment to the environment and people that constitute one of the company’s constant values.”[14]
Through this project, the Group pledges to, “over the coming years,” distribute “more sustainable products, create a supply chain that is ever more respectful of the environment and workers’ rights, and increase the efficiency of its headquarters and stores in terms of energy use and waste management.”[15]
When we say that companies sometimes use filler words and fluffy explanations when it comes to sustainability, this is exactly what we are talking about. Nothing concrete emerges from the excerpt of the above paragraph. It is just words. “Over the coming years” … When? “More sustainable products” …Which ones? Who will make them? How?
Final thoughts
Although it calls itself “green” (whatever that means…), Benetton is not entirely so. The Group has made unforgivable mistakes such as having contracted with one of the factories located in Rana Plaza or having delayed for years the compensation payment to those affected in the accident.
Yet, it is only fair to say that its efforts to vindicate itself are valuable. As stated before, the Group is committed to minimizing negative social and environmental impacts in the entire production chain. The information disclosed is in line with this and is certainly broader and more exhaustive than what we usually see from other brands. This, together with the inauguration of a new sustainable shop in Florence last March, is a sign of a promising future ahead.
The moment of the truth: How sustainable is Benetton Group? Pretty sustainable. The Group is moving in the right direction but there is still a lot to do and, unfortunately, their past mistakes will not be easily erased.
What are your thoughts on Benetton Group? Have you ever shopped at one of their stores? Let us know in the comments below!
