ESG Report2025 v2 - Flipbook - Page 31
SMI: ESG REPORT 2025
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(LCA):
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO EMISSION
REDUCTION & SUSTAINABILITY
The product LCA is a systematic methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts of
a product, process, or service throughout its entire life cycle. It assists businesses in de昀椀ning
speci昀椀c objectives, such as reducing carbon emissions or enhancing supply chain sustainability.
By outlining clear boundaries, an LCA can focus on di昀昀erent scopes, such as cradle-to-grave
or cradle-to-gate, depending on the analysis goals. LCA data is essential for tracking our
sustainability performance and enables comprehensive ESG scoring. It provides insights into the
product’s lifecycle, from production to end-of-life, and supports our broader goals of reducing
carbon emissions and waste.
SMI utilises a cradle-to-grave approach, assessing all stages of a product’s life. This includes
analysing carbon emissions from fuel and energy used during the extraction and transportation of
raw materials to manufacturing facilities, as well as emissions from manufacturing, distribution,
usage, and eventual disposal or recycling. To provide actionable insights, SMI measures the
emissions associated with each unit produced, enabling precise identi昀椀cation of opportunities for
emission reduction.
ESSENTIAL PHASES OF A PRODUCT LCA
1. RAW MATERIAL
EXTRACTION:
In the textile industry, raw material
extraction involves sourcing 昀椀bres such as
cotton, wool, polyester, or other natural and
synthetic materials. This stage is crucial
as it signi昀椀cantly contributes to the overall
environmental impact of textile production.
Natural 昀椀bers: Cultivation of cotton
and other plant-based 昀椀bres requires
signi昀椀cant water, land, and pesticide use,
leading to high water consumption and
potential soil degradation.
Synthetic 昀椀bers: Production of synthetic
昀椀bres like polyester, nylon, and acrylic
relies heavily on petrochemical processes,
contributing to greenhouse gas emissions
and reliance on non-renewable resources.
Blended materials: Combining natural
and synthetic 昀椀bres often increases
environmental complexity due to
challenges in recycling and disposal.
2. MANUFACTURING:
Evaluation of energy, water, and materials
used during production. Having an in-depth
insight across the di昀昀erent manufacturing
styles for instances leather footwear
manufacturing includes leather cutting,
stitching, shaping, attaching soles, and
昀椀nishing. It is also labour-intensive, with much
of the process involving skilled workers for
precision tasks.
Leather footwear manufacturing
contributes to greenhouse gas emissions,
particularly methane from livestock and
CO₂ from energy-intensive processes.
Leather tanning is a water-intensive
process, with the global leather industry
consuming billions of litres annually.
Tanning processes often release harmful
chemicals, including chromium, sulphides,
and other toxins, which can contaminate
soil and water if not properly managed.
30
