Case Study: US Nonwovens Roadmap and Data Collection Protocol Development

Development of a roadmap and data collection protocol for US Nonwovens - download our case study here

Client’s objectives

Prior to completing the Walmart Sustainability Index, USN had not engaged its supply chain on sustainability. USN needed a road map to approach suppliers about the overall environmental impact of its products, as well as the chemicals used in production. The company was motivated to work with suppliers both to increase its understanding of its overall environmental performance and improve its Sustainability Index score.

The project

Working with Anthesis, an initial roadmap and data collection protocol was developed, allowing USN to ascertain which impact areas it needed to prioritize in order to improve. From the initial roadmap, it became clear that USN had to focus on its own environmental performance and disclosure alongside supplier transparency.

Key services delivered

• Engagement with internal stakeholders to set energy and waste reduction targets, developed in accordance with the metrics most important to Walmart.
• Interaction with USN and their suppliers to begin tracking their environmental performance.
• Determination of immediate goals and identification of knowledge and communication gaps within the supply chain.
• Calculation of the baseline data for energy use, water consumption, chemicals management, and applicable industry certifications, collected from over 20 suppliers.
• Engagement with USN suppliers to discover whether they had communicated with their own suppliers on environmental issues.

Project impacts

As a result of our work with the client, USN has doubled its score on the Walmart Sustainability Index in two categories, and improved its score by 15% in a third. USN has also begun developing guidance communications for suppliers, including a written supplier code of conduct outlining areas of expectation and compliance for suppliers. The new policy will also outline requirements for supplier chemical disclosure. Going forward, USN will focus on decreasing waste and increasing its recycling diversion rate.

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