The LYCRA Company, a global leader in developing innovative fibre and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, announced today that its manufacturing site located in Maydown, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, has completed its third-party verified Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM). Facilities use the scored assessment to characterize the social and labor conditions at their sites and identify areas for continuous improvement.
The Maydown site scored an 83 on the assessment, placing it in the upper quartile. The LYCRA Company will roll out the Higg FSLM to all its manufacturing sites over the next three years as part of a larger effort to track social progress at its facilities. Over 300 questions are included in the Higg FSLM self-assessment, providing a comprehensive review of a company’s social and labour policies and practices. The independent verifier reviewed original source material and interviewed 20 employees, individually, or part of a group, as part of the verification process.
“Our Planet Agenda sustainability platform is based on three key pillars – Product Sustainability, Manufacturing Excellence and Corporate Responsibility, which focuses on supporting our employees as well as the communities where we operate,” said Seamus McIntyre, European regional operations manager at The LYCRA Company. “One of our goals within Planet Agenda is to be an employer of choice. Understanding where we have opportunities for improvement and how we can enhance our employees’ experiences are key to enacting policies that can help us achieve that goal.”
As part of its commitment to manufacturing excellence, all six global LYCRA® fibre manufacturing sites have also completed the Higg Facilities Environmental Module (FEM), a robust impact assessment that establishes an environmental baseline to pursue continuous improvement. The Foshan, China site was verified in 2021, with additional sites in line to be verified this year.
Located in County Londonderry, the Maydown plant first opened in 1957. The manufacturing site produces LYCRA® fibre for apparel and LYCRA HyFit® fiber for personal care products and employs about 350 people. In addition, 13 unique LYCRA® fibre types made at Maydown are Gold Level Material Health certified by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
Higg FSLM is part of a suite of tools developed by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a global, nonprofit alliance of over 270 stakeholders in the fashion industry.
