To Örebro University

Modern industrial society has transformed the textile sector. Brand-owning companies today seldom own the production process but instead rely on global supply chains consisting of a myriad of suppliers and sub-suppliers. The global scope of this sector, along with the complex and uncertain health and environmental risks associated with textile production, create extensive challenges for companies striving for sustainability. This paper explores the possibilities for responsible management of high-risk chemicals in textiles and focuses on a case study of a Swedish outdoor company. The concept of reflexive responsibility is used to understand and discuss potential possibilities and challenges. The paper describes the process and illuminates the complexity, balancing acts and avenues for upstream responsibility faced by a brand-owning company. It contributes to an understanding of how important steps towards responsibility can be taken. It also addresses the limits of responsible supply chain management of one organization, albeit a highly committed one.