Determining the Contributions in a Denim Fabric Production for Sustainable Development Goals: Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input Approaches

Abstract

In this paper, within the framework of increasing the contributions to sustainable development goals and reducing the water footprint, the sustainable production potential of a factory producing denim fabrics have been studied in association with the sustainable development goals. For this purpose, Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods were used to determine the environmental impact factors of the factory and the existing water footprint. Calculations were made in three different ways, taking the factory’s total production capacity, a selected product, and the wet processes into account. Although the sustainable production potential of the factory is demonstrated with the Sustainable Development Goals, it has been determined that the contribution rates differ according to both the calculation method and the production data taken into account. As a result of the evaluations, it has emerged as a more dominant view that the factory’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals should be evaluated according to the total production capacity. The sustainability evaluation made according to the total production capacity determined that the factory contributed approximately 12% to Sustainable Development Goal 12 in the period examined, according to both Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service methods. Although there is inconsistency in the Life Cycle Assessment and Material Input per Service method results, it was predicted that there are economic and environmental gain potentials related to Sustainable Development Goals 13, 14, and 15, and the sustainable production potential of the factory can be increased.