Source of Good

How do you build sustainability programs that are both robust enough to last and flexible enough to adapt to a partner's needs? According to Amanthi Perera, Head of Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings, it starts with embedding sustainability targets into the core business strategy. Amanthi also shares the importance of verified data, and milestones in the company's ambitious roadmap to net zero b...

Chris Dearing began working at Coats on color — 28 years later, he's Vice President of Group Sustainability, but still thinks like a chemist. Coats supplies threads and structural components to the textile and footwear industry and, in this episode, Chris walks us through in great detail, how the company implemented energy- and water-reducing strategies across its global facilities and demonstrate...

What does it take to turn sustainability from a long-term aspiration into measurable business strategy? Emily Gigot, director of sustainability at SanMar explains how one of the world’s largest suppliers of blank apparel is embedding sustainability across its operations — from factory engagement and Higg FEM adoption to Better Buying transparency and science-based climate targets. Emily shares why...

As the consumer goods industry races to make good on decarbonization targets, Dr. Delman Lee, Vice Chair of TAL Apparel Limited and a longtime Cascale Board Member, has thoughts. In this episode, he demonstrates how sustainability can evolve from a compliance exercise into a company’s core purpose. He also reflects on the realities of decarbonization, the business case for strategies like solar, w...

Komar’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Thiwanka De Fonseka, explains how the company turns sustainability from a checkbox into measurable impact. By aligning teams, engaging suppliers, and using Higg Index data to inform decisions, Komar is building a more collaborative and accountable approach to supply chain sustainability. In this episode, we explore what it takes to move beyond compliance a...

Busana Apparel Group turns 50 with a clear philosophy: think in generations. In this episode, CEO Sunil Shewakramani breaks down how the company prioritizes worker wellbeing while raising the bar on environmental performance. We also explore what it would take to scale collaboration across the consumer goods industry.  Busana Apparel Group: www.busanagroup.com Produced by Cascale and Hueman G...

Levi's is a pioneer in more than just denim. In this episode, Jennifer DuBuisson, Senior Director of Sustainability at Levi Strauss & Co., explains how the company's Water<Less® innovation became the industry standard for water reduction. Now, the heritage brand’s 2030 Beyond the Blue strategy is raising the bar even further, while their Wear Longer Project teaches Gen Z about emotional dur...

To kick off Season 4, we're diving in on the topic at the forefront of global apparel industry conversations: EU sustainability regulation. Our guest Marina Prados Espínola, director of policy coordination & stakeholder engagement at the Policy Hub, gives us the inside scoop on what's current and coming for eco-design, waste regulation, extended producer responsibility (EPR), and more. To lear...

How we talk about sustainability is just as important as whether we talk about it at all. Anne-Laure Descours, former Chief Sourcing Officer of Puma and current board member at Gildan, has spent decades identifying and closing gaps within the apparel industry. Today, she explains why sustainability isn't just good for people and the planet – it’s good for business.  Check out Anne-Laure’s Lin...

David Forsgate grew up in the apparel industry, and one of the lasting lessons he learned while watching his father Brian run the sourcing company ERALDA was this: nothing beats building trust through face-to-face relationships with clients, suppliers, and workers. Now serving as ERALDA's Chief Representative Officer, David shares what that people-first approach looks like amid increasingly compli...

Have you ever heard of "emotionally durable" gear? We hadn't either, until this conversation with Greg Gausewitz, Senior Manager of Sustainability at REI Co-op, who explained how falling in love with your sleeping bag can maximize its positive impact. In this episode, join us to explore how to implement physical and emotional durability in product design, and how REI's new partnership with circula...

Rather than chasing silver bullets, Jayanth Kashyap, Investment Lead at the Good Fashion Fund, explains how this first-of-its-kind initiative helps shift the textile and apparel industry by financing practical, high-impact production technologies in Asia — including a $4.5 million investment to modernize equipment and expand solar capacity at Pratibha Syntex. Learn more about Good Fashion Fund at...

Labor conditions in the consumer goods industry have improved — but serious problems remain. How do we solve them? According to Annabel Meurs, Executive Director of Fair Wear, it begins with stronger worker representation, more formal brand-supplier agreements, and a willingness to listen to all stakeholders. But that’s just the start. Discover how alignment across initiatives can reduce duplicati...

How does Uniqlo ensure ethical working conditions across its global supply chain?  Eshan Chan, Supply Chain Sustainability Manager at Fast Retailing (Uniqlo's parent company), explains their approach: a dedicated Human Rights Committee, worker hotlines in factories, and the Japanese philosophy of "zen-in keiei." What does that mean? Tune in to find out. Learn more about Uniqlo's actions on de...

For more than 30 years, Dr. Marsha Dickson has worked to make fashion more fair. From research and teaching to launching the Better Buying Institute, she’s led the change to center supplier voices and responsible purchasing in the pursuit of decent work. Now, as she steps away from day-to-day leadership and into a much-deserved retirement, Dr. Dickson reflects on what’s changed — and what still ne...

Today, supply chains are more complex than ever. But that doesn’t mean they have to be difficult to navigate. That’s why our guest, Lukas Puender, co-founded Retraced, an online platform that connects thousands of apparel suppliers and brands and allows them to seamlessly share their supply chain data. More data also means more transparency, a key component of sustainability.  Learn more abou...

Sustainability isn’t only about climate — it’s also about people. In this episode, John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and author of The Just Transition , explains why workers’ rights must also be at the center of sustainability efforts. He also shares what a “just transition” to a sustainable industry looks like, with measures that ensure no one is left behind...

On Source of Good, we go beyond the label of your favorite products to show you all the ingenious ways they are being made better for the environment, better for people, and better for our future. Season 3 comes out on Tuesday, September 30th! Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, instead of a regular Source of Good episode, we're sharing one from another show we think you'll love. Sustainability Defined looks at what’s working to address the world’s most critical environmental and social challenges, by tackling one concept (and one bad joke) at a time. In this episode, hosts Cecilia Rios and Nethra Rajendran dive into the chocolate supply chain, which is just as com...

Manufacturers and brands excel at working together to create the products consumers love — so why hasn’t that same spirit of collaboration translated to decarbonizing their operations? Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, Senior Manager of Sustainability, Facility and Engineering at Hanesbrands, shows that it absolutely can. In this episode, she shares the inspiring story of how she’s spearheading collaborative...

Can your old pair of jeans fight climate change? Turns out—they can. In this episode, Dr. Jesse Daystar, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Cotton Incorporated, explains how cotton clothes can store carbon through regenerative agriculture, circularity, and a lifetime of TLC. It’s the science, strategy, and soul behind one of the world’s most iconic fibers. To learn more about Cotto...

Almost a century after they invented the self-adhesive label, Avery Dennison’s products and solutions are everywhere. But what do stickers have to do with sustainability? Kelsey McCabe, Sustainability Manager at Avery Dennison, explains how the company is cutting emissions, its innovative use of RFID technology, and even some very useful label recycling tips. To learn more about Avery Dennison, vi...

Our guest turned a teenage passion for chemistry and the outdoors into a 30-year career in sustainable manufacturing. Today, Jimmy Summers, Chief Sustainability Officer at  Elevate Textiles, talks about circularity, the wonders of wastewater management, and that one time he proved all the skeptics wrong.  To learn more about Elevate Textiles, visit www.elevatetextiles.com   Check out&nbs...

In this episode, Nikhil Hirdaramani, director at Hirdaramani Group, talks about his family’s fourth-generation apparel manufacturing company – the first in Sri Lanka with approved science-based targets for greenhouse gas reduction. Hirdaramani Group's long-term commitment to sustainability includes significant investments in renewable energy, innovative partnerships with global brands like ASICS,...

To decarbonize the consumer goods industry, production must switch to renewables, fast. But for companies whose supply chains span the globe, multiple factors make this transition a challenge. That’s why Eric Jen founded Ren Energy, a powerful platform that helps companies plan, procure, and monitor to help scale renewables, even in the most complex markets. How? Stay tuned.  To learn more ab...