PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS
DTP: ANOTHER STEP IN EPSON’ S SUSTAINABLE LEGACY
When Manufacturing Digital interviewed Taranpreet Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson UK, for its December 2024 issue, its discussion centred on lean philosophy.
At the unveiling of Epson’ s new Textile Innovation Centre in Lutterworth, she shared more examples of how the company has pivoted to keep its production both lean and clean.
“ Sustainability is important to us and really is ingrained in our products as well,” she explains.“ Back in 1987 for example there was a big conversation about CFCs and how the ozone layer was depleting because of them.”
Chlorofluorocarbons( CFCs) are halogenerated hydrocarbons that contain carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine, procured as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane and propane.
CFCs possess low toxicity, reactivity and flammability – hence their former use in a range of industrial applications. Once it was highlighted how profoundly they contribute to ozone depletion in the earth’ s upper atmosphere, they were phased out under the International Montreal Protocol initially agreed in 1987 and updated throughout the 1990s.
“ We were able to eliminate CFCs from our entire supply chain itself. So CFCs were no longer being used by us at a time when they were still very rampant,” Taran concludes.
Emerging textile manufacturers are doing this, fueling the rise of microfactories.
Microfactories and mitigating fast fashion“ I’ ve gone and visited quite a few micro-factories myself which have been set up by the actual brand owner,” Duncan explains.
“ This is very prevalent in the sportswear industry, especially in cycling. Cycling is very big across Europe and what you tend to have is a lot of brands making their own branded cycling wear, often offering an angle of customisation as well.
So they’ ll not just make their own brand, but also allow buyers to customise their lycra for their cycling club for example.”
SMEs are currently forced to compete in a market dominated by a highvolume, low-quality production model. Duncan argues that with DTP they have a key differentiator that gives them the operational freedom to pursue the benefits of JTI.
“ It gives them the potential to grow a business with their own perspective, model and designs. They have the ability to start small and grow their manufacturing base in line with business growth,” he explains.“ You no longer have to over-invest and then be beholden to manufacturing volume for the sake of it, which was the old business model.”
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