Botto Giuseppe Reflects on Sustainability Practices, Every Choice Makes an Impact

Through a set of steadfast ethical values and transparency, Botto Giuseppe has remained at the forefront of creating quality and luxurious textiles. Since 1876, the weaving mill has emphasized the importance of an economy focused on circularity, recycling and optimizing energy costs, working only with renewable and biodegradable fibers. Over its 148 years, commitment has only increased, taking on new goals to progress its contribution to a more sustainable future with key investments and increased management of resources.

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Over the past two decades, Botto Giuseppe has concentrated efforts on research and sustainable development across all areas including product, ethical and environmental policies. Special attention has been paid especially to the management of water resources with the creation of projects to quantify water use, reduce consumption and recover water used in production processes.

As its work to meet ESG goals continues, Botto Giuseppe has already seen progress including adding certifications to its practices. Today, the company’s products, woven yarns, jerseys and fabrics are Cradle to CradleTM certified and have undergone LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) studies.

Here, Silvio Botto, chief executive officer of Botto Giuseppe, talks to Fairchild Studio about Botto Giuseppe’s history of sustainable practices, its progress toward its ESG goals and what more needs to be done in the fashion industry to secure a better future.

Fairchild Studio : Can you share what progress Botto Giuseppe has made in terms of sustainability over the last few years?

Silvio Botto: In terms of reaching our goals, we can report that we have added to the number of farm partners. Owned by the same families through four to five generations, these farms are responsible wool certified (RWS), have higher animal welfare and land management standards and use different regenerative agriculture practices.

We increased the percentage of certified raw materials used in the past three years from 25 percent to 68 percent and the percentage of sustainable packaging used in the past two years from 38 percent to 50 percent.

We decreased the number of different types of chemical products used from 850 to 530, as well as increasing the usage of level 3 ZDHC products from 40 percent to 55 percent. The objective for the following years in this perspective will be to reach full traceability of the chemical batch. New solar panels have increased energy efficiency across facilities from 68 percent to 85 percent, improving our sustainable footprint.

Our future targets are going to be reached through new investments and energy-saving policies, striving towards 90 percent renewable energy consumed in Botto Giuseppe’s production.

Fairchild Studio: Can you walk us through the efforts, improvements and investments that Botto Giuseppe has made in terms of sustainability and complying with ESG?

S.B.: We can divide our investments into three categories: energy reduction, water reduction and CO2 reduction.

We have increased our energy production from renewable sources through the solar panels placed on the roofs of the two different locations, for a total of 3 million kWh/year. At the same time, we have improved energy savings by replacing the old generation machinery with newer, more efficient equipment.

Then, with our investments in water reduction, we have seen improvements with decreased water consumption by 15 percent while increasing its recycling by 15 percent – by 2025 we aim to improve by 30 percent through the installation of water recycling system in the internal wastewater plant.

Last, to improve our C02 emissions we calculated the LCA and found that 90 percent of our carbon footprint is generated at the farm level. To address this, we have started a project to reduce emissions directly with our farm partners.

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Fairchild Studio: From your perspective, where does the most work need to be done in terms of sustainability practices across the industry?

S.B.: The fashion industry represents an important part of our economy, employing more than 75 million people worldwide. It is also one of the most polluting industries (following electricity and oil). It is responsible for 20 percent of global water usage and 10 percent of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions,
which are in great part a consequence of the production shifts.

The sector has seen incredible growth over the past decades. Clothing production has increased by 400 percent as people are buying more clothes today than ever before. Products are often only kept and used for half as long as they once were. For this reason, we need to support slow fashion, with products that last longer and raw materials as well as production that respects both humans and nature.

To change this unsustainable fashion industry, we must work with the consumers and change their mindsets, explaining why it is important to buy less and buy better. It is key to educate in this direction both new-generation consumers and designers, as they impact 80 percent of final product decisions.

Fairchild Studio: Why is it important to be transparent and traceable to the consumer?

S.B.: Transparency and traceability are the foundations of true sustainability. Concerning this matter, Botto Giuseppe has a vertical and integrated production that offers an important advantage in reaching better transparency and traceability requirements that are essential for the luxury market to ensure that their products are made ethically and responsibly.

Traceability is the watchword of the coming decade for fashion and the textile sector. Soon, labeling will become fundamental. The inside tags will require all the information related to the value chain to be listed as well as the impact of the products used, this will help consumers make informed choices and hopefully lead to more sustainable consumption.

Botto Giuseppe is transparent about sourcing practices as well as the manufacturing process and is engaged in social responsibility initiatives.

Fairchild Studio: Looking ahead, how is Botto Giuseppe working toward greater ethical practices?

S.B.: An ethical textile industry includes all aspects of textile production. This encompasses farming practices, animal welfare, working production, safe and sustainable conditions, the environmental impact of production, and finally the life of the product after its use.

Botto Giuseppe has launched a “Code of Practice,” an ethical code that identifies a set of values to guide employees in their everyday cohesive workspace. This also includes guidelines on how to engage with customers and third parties. The company ensures that all workers are paid fair wages and have up-to standard and safe working conditions. We prioritize the usage of environmentally friendly and sustainable materials to conduct ethical production.

Unfortunately, zero impact does not exist. Every choice we make generates somewhat of an impact. Botto Giuseppe, through investments, has reduced CO2 emissions by more than 60 percent. This is not our destination but a starting point from which we need to improve in the future.

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