Mitigating toxic chemicals across fashion amidst shifting tariffs & global policy change
In Episode 331, Kestrel welcomes Ben Mead, the Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute America, to the show. In Ben’s role, he serves as the company’s liaison with government agencies, industry collaborations and trade associations, and he also oversees OEKO-TEX® responsibilities for the U.S.
“You can’t make any real good decision around chemistry or you know how a product is made, if you don’t know who’s making it and what’s going into it.”
-Ben
MAY THEME —
HOW TOXIc Chemicals FROM OUR CLOTHES MOVE AROUND THE WORLD
It is a tumultuous time when it comes to policy, and policy that is specifically impacting global supply chains. Not only immediately, when we think about tariffs and the unclear, yet very real, impacts they will have on fashion businesses, but also legislation across the world that has either passed or is on the table, and requires fashion companies to be more tuned in to the actual impacts of their supply chains.
These bills have without a doubt brought fear and stress to many fashion brands, because if they haven’t been mapping their supply chains previously, it’s going to prove very difficult for them to comply with some of these new requirements.
What should brands know about these changing regulations? How can they navigate the shifting landscape, and what should they be doing now? As this week’s guest reminds us, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are things brands can be doing to rethink their supply chains and expand their approach to sustainability.
This week’s episode is brought to you by
For over 30 years, OEKO-TEX® has set global standards for chemical safety, responsible production, and supply chain transparency, ensuring that textiles and leather products are tested for harmful substances.
OEKO-TEX® is celebrating a decade of their MADE IN GREEN label – which supports both better working conditions and a healthier planet. You can track the path of a MADE IN GREEN labelled by scanning its QR code, helping bring more traceability and transparency to the behind-the-scenes of your products.
