APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR INTERNATIONAL RSL MANAGEMENT GROUP

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Mission Statement

To reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain.

Vision Statement

AFIRM is a recognized global center of excellence, providing resources for sustainable, self-governing RSL implementation across the apparel and footwear supply chain.  The supply chain has knowledge about RSL and chemical safety, assuring that consumers and workers are safer from the impact of harmful substances and the environment is cleaner.  This improves customer confidence and the public’s perception of apparel and footwear companies.

Purpose

To provide a forum to advance the global management of restricted substances in apparel and footwear, communicate information about RSL to the supply chain, discuss concerns, and exchange ideas for improving RSL management, to ultimately elevate consumer satisfaction.

Guiding Principles

  • Chemical product safety must be understood in the global supply chain as an integrated whole, from workplace to consumer.
  • Chemical product safety can only be achieved through partnership among retailers, suppliers and manufacturers.
  • Retailers must encourage suppliers’ and manufacturers’ self-governance of chemical product safety within their spheres.

Achieved By

  • Meeting in person on an annual basis in order to provide a forum for discussion, exchange and professional development.
  • Participating in telephone conference calls.
  • Organizing task forces that explore and report out on special topics (e.g., Vendor Event, Toolkit).
  • Presenting seminars for the apparel and footwear supply chain.
  • Developing solutions for sharing information in order to continually improve our current practices.
  • Finding and optimizing benchmarking opportunities.

Core Values

  1. 1. Integrity - Keeping our promises, “doing the right thing,” not unduly influencing someone and not withholding information.
  2. 2. Knowledge-based – The Group has the most current and applicable knowledge on topics included in our workplace and restrictions; and the Group makes decisions based on our quantitative criteria rather than subjective, emotional, or solely qualitative criteria.
  3. 3. Practical – Topics discussed, information or materials developed, and recommendations are useful in the real world and able to be implemented.
  4. 4. Collaboration – AFIRM companies work together within AFIRM to achieve agreed-upon objectives and complete tasks, keeping other values and assumptions in mind.  Also, AFIRM companies and AFIRM work with outside entities to further the mission of reducing the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain.  Finally, AFIRM works with other apparel and footwear brands to increase awareness of harmful substances, the need for RSLs and their effective implementation, and assist them in establishing their own programs.
  5. 5. Transparency – Clear to all within AFIRM how decisions are made, the basis for decisions, and the final decisions.  AFIRM’s objectives, tasks, and activities are clear to the outside world and interested parties.
  6. 6. Sharing of Information - All information that is shared among AFIRM companies is valid, all relevant information is shared, and all discussions are confidential.
  7. 7. Free and Informed Choice - Representatives of AFIRM companies hold authority to make decisions, and when individuals vote, they support the decision they voted for.
  8. 8. Internal Commitment - AFIRM members support the decisions of AFIRM.
  9. 9. Compassion – Listening with empathy for the position or viewpoint of others is essential, knowing the high level of integrity of all participants.
  10. 10. Voting Rules – Every effort is made to achieve unanimity on AFIRM decisions.  The following are the AFIRM Voting Rules:
    1. 1. Voting shall be conducted by email announcement to all member companies, which are entitled to one vote each.  The announcement shall state the following rules:
      1. 1.1. There is a two-week time limit for response.
      2. 1.2. If no response from a company is received by the specified deadline date, the company’s vote is presumed to be in the affirmative.
      3. 1.3. If a company is opposed, it must respond with a negative vote by the specified deadline date.
    2. 2. Approval of decisions on subjects other than the three specified under (3) below requires at minimum a simple majority of the members.
    3. 3. Approval of decisions on the following three subjects requires at minimum a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the members:
      1. 3.1. Documents posted to www.afirm-group.com, or written material officially released to press/media.
      2. 3.2. Changes to AFIRM’s mission and/or vision, decision making rules, and logo.
      3. 3.3. AFIRM projects, activities, and expenditures that are estimated to exceed a total annual cost of 30% of the total AFIRM annual budget.  Votes shall be taken on each project, activity, or expenditure estimated to exceed 30% of the total annual budget under the following conditions:
        1. 3.3.1. Prior to the beginning of each membership year for inclusion in the calculation of annual membership dues for that fiscal year;
        2. 3.3.2. During the membership year, if a new project, activity, or expenditure estimated to exceed 30% of the total AFIRM budget is proposed, whether or not the sum requires a supplementary charge to the membership or can be drawn from any reserve funds with no additional charge to the membership.
        3. 3.3.3. Funding responsibility
          1. 3.3.3.1. When such a project is approved by a two-thirds majority, all companies shall share responsibility for the full project cost.
          2. 3.3.3.2. When a project is not approved by a two-thirds majority, individual companies may pursue it at their own expense under the AFIRM logo, provided the membership agrees to the use of the AFIRM logo by simple majority vote.
          3. 3.3.3.3. Individual companies are encouraged to indicate their willingness to use their own funding on a project in advance of the two-thirds vote.  This can help inform the prioritization process for projects funded by the entire group.

Criteria for AFIRM Membership

  1. 1. Textile or footwear brand;
  2. 2. Multi-country supply chain;
  3. 3. Competent technical resource (chemist/toxicologist/job duties that cover chemical compliance) [Note:  Resource for AFIRM may be external to the company if that is how the brand manages the program, but the primary company representative to AFIRM must be internal to the company.];
  4. 4. A Restricted Substance Program with a written procedure to assure compliance that is in line with AFIRM’s mission to reduce the use and impact of harmful substances in the apparel and footwear supply chain; and
  5. 5. Payment of the annual fee.