Green manufacturing practices in the fashion supply chain: lessons from Italian case studies

Companies are forced to undertake initiatives fitting within the scope of a green strategy, notwithstanding only a few of them dedicate their attention to environmental issues. The paper aims at exploring green manufacturing practices in the Italian fashion industry, by answering these research questions: To what extent are green manufacturing practices implemented among Italian fashion companies? Which are the reasons for embracing environmentally friendly practices? Are stakeholders conscious of environmental issues? A questionnaire was designed and used as a guideline for 15 case studies. From the analysis of the case studies, the main reasons why there is still a limited attention paid to environmental issues and some key guidelines for the implementation of green manufacturing practices in the fashion industry were identified. Findings provide managers with a picture of the adoption of environmental friendly practices, as well as with some useful guidelines for companies wishing to undertake environmental initiatives.