Best Practices for Suppliers

It is highly recommended that background of sustainability compliance manager includes at least, the following issues: 

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in textiles and/or leather wet manufacturing processes. 
• Knowledge of machinery and manufacturing processes related to textiles and/or leather manufacturing.
• Knowledge of chemicals commonly used in textiles and leather manufacturing as well as the restricted substances risks associated to their use.
• Basic knowledge of product health and environmental legislations as well as the testing methodologies for restricted substances control.

In case that an INDITEX direct supplier is vertically integrated and has several mills in different geographical locations, it is highly recommended to have a sustainability compliance manager in all of them.

Sustainability compliance manager should attend the meetings periodically organized by INDITEX in order to inform, train and make suppliers aware in the compliance of INDITEX sustainability policies requirements.

INDITEX direct suppliers should periodically organize workshops about the requirements associated to INDITEX sustainability policies for their internal staff and also for the sub-suppliers and wet processing mills included in their supply chain. Workshops records should be maintained for at least 2 seasons (12 months approximately).

Sustainability compliance manager should attend the technical audits performed to the sub-suppliers and wet processing mills included in the supply chain of the corresponding INDITEX direct supplier in order to be aware about their performance and to be involved in the implementation of all corrective actions provided (if any).

In order to ensure proper transportation of chemical products samples sent to external laboratories for testing, the recommendations below should be followed:

• Use double cap plastic containers.
• Do not use containers with a capacity higher than 100 mL or 100 g.
• Use insulating tape around each container to avoid leaks.
• Make sure all plastic materials used are free of phthalates.

In the same way, chemicals applications and finished articles should be wrapped up individually in aluminium foil and enclose them in a phthalates free plastic bag.