LTP Group has made a commitment to drive sustainable manufacturing, this is why we say Consciously Crafted™ by LTP. Sustainability is the most important of the 3 strategic pillars of LTP’s 5-year corporate strategy, followed by digitalization and D2C. We do not see sustainability as a set of requirements or as a good communication topic. We believe that sustainability must be part of our business model and that it will reach full potential through co-development and joint initiatives. Therefore, LTP has decided to launch a new Value Added Service: Sustainability Solutions Accelerator, to initiate collaboration with our customers and over time integrate a new way of operating in our everyday work.

Discussing the launch of the new Value Added Service, Karin Simondon, Global Sustainability Manager at LTP Group states:

“This new addition to LTP Value Added Services has been an obvious decision for us. It is essential to provide our customers with the tools to drive sustainable product development, and for us to identify ways to jointly reduce our impact. We have all heard many times that real change in the garment industry will take place through collaboration. But for this to turn into reality we need dedicated services from the manufacturing side.”

Bespoke support from basic concepts to actual implementation of solutions

The accelerator typically starts with an introduction workshop, where the customer can build knowledge about chosen sustainability topic(s). An LTP key account manager and sustainability team also participate in the meeting to ensure that the brand and the manufacturer can exchange about how their activities impact or are impacted by the topic(s). Allowing the two parties learn from one another.  

Based on this exchange, LTP works with the customer to identify a specific need or area to investigate further and join forces on with LTP.  

The third, and most important step, is the actual collaboration project, where a solution is found and applied in practice to a new product or as a joint project conducted together as a project team.  

In some cases, brands approach us with a concrete project that has already been defined and if it is a shared priority we naturally integrate it in the service delivery.  

Flexibility to choose among 1+5 sustainability topics with the ambition to focus on the right priorities for each brand

LTP has built the service to quickly develop concrete sustainability solutions on chosen topics that are most material for the garment industry.  

Design: It is estimated that 70-80% of the environmental impact of a product is decided at the design stage. It is therefore crucial that brands learn how to embed sustainable strategies into the design & development process to reduce their products’ environmental footprint across the entire lifecycle.

Materials: Materials cause significant environmental impact across manufacture, use and disposal. Brands’ material substitution & innovation strategies need to aim to reduce this impact through the protection of biodiversity, as well as enabling material waste reduction and implementing circular models.

Manufacturing: The production of apparel products has proven to be highly polluting in terms of land usage, water consumption, and use of chemicals. Lower impact tools and technologies exist to mitigate this impact and allow for more sustainable manufacturing.

Carbon: Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, the most dangerous and prevalent greenhouse gas, are at the highest levels ever recorded. It is estimated that the apparel industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, which makes it a core focus area for all players. It is also expected to see rising regulatory requirements with regards to the topic.

Certifications: For any given sustainability aspect of the fashion supply chain there can be dozens of standards, certifications and audits available to brands and manufacturers. The complexity of the certification landscape makes it very difficult to select most relevant ones and to focus time and efforts in the right way.

Our customers can select 1 or all 5 topics depending on where they wish to focus. If they do not yet know where to focus, an option is also to learn about how to conduct a best practice materiality assessment. The outcome of this assessment will be the brand's own strategic priorities. For more information about a materiality assessment, you can find a dedicated article here: “3 simple rules to identify the relevant sustainability priorities for your own company.”

Integrated team of sustainability experts providing latest market sustainability trends and innovation with first-hand operational expertise

The service is delivered by an integrated team of sustainability experts. The objective is to bring both market and innovative information as well as operational and practical insights.

Karin Simondon, Global Sustainability Manager at LTP Group is driving delivery of the service.  Aurelija Juozapaitiene, LTP Group Global Certifications and Audits Manager, and Laura Didziokiene, LTP Garment Fabric Sourcing and Innovation Manager, are providing direct insights from their daily work at LTP.  

In addition, the sustainable design and innovation expert Anne Prahl, brings her extensive experience working with innovation on sustainable product design and manufacturing.

The latest addition to LTP Value Added Services

This resource bolsters the LTP Value Added Services. The series of extra services are strategically developed to provide customers with the tools to drive new and exciting product developments. This suite includes:

360° Innovation book

Product Design & Development, Creation and Innovation

Seasonal Trend Analysis for the Sport & Outdoor Industry

3D Product Creation

The Sport & Outdoor Apparel Network

Global Innovation from Europe & Asia

As the industry continues to evolve, our goal with these additional services is to ensure our customers remain at the forefront of innovation whilst achieving sustainable growth.

Who to contact to get started

If you have any question regarding this service, please feel free to contact Karin Simondon, LTP Group Global Sustainability Manager at kasi@ltpgroup.com or Alex Ingildsen, LTP Garment Chief Commercial Officer at ali@ltpgroup.com.