COPENHAGEN – Danish womenswear label Ganni has become the latest brand to sign an offtake agreement with Ambercycle, claiming it will replace ‘over 20%’ of its annual virgin and bottle recycled polyester with ‘Cycora’ branded fibre. No replacement…
TSURUOKA – A group of 13 companies from across the fashion and textile supply chain, including Stella McCartney, Marzotto Wool Manufacturing, Archroma and Fashion for Good, have joined the BioCircular Materials Alliance, the industry coalition set…
UTRECHT - The garment and footwear industries are showing both promise and pressing challenges in the global push for living wages and incomes, a new report suggests. The 2023-2024 annual report from the Platform Living Wage Financials (PLWF) shows…
LIMA – Peru-based apparel brand Paka is to set up a new charitable foundation which will see a portion of its total annual revenue donated back to the Peruvian communities where much of its raw material sourcing and manufacturing takes place. The…
ESPOO - A European Union (EU) funded research project that was launched with the goal of developing new solutions to reduce textile waste by as much as 80% has embarked on its key second phase. Led by the Finnish state-owned VTT Technical Research…
WASHINGTON - Despite US efforts to curb apparel imports made with forced labour, goods produced with forced labour may still be entering the US supply chain through indirect routes, such as from countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam, according to a…
WASHINGTON – The US government has published its first-ever ‘Trade Strategy to Combat Forced Labor’ policy, which outlines the country’s approach to using trade tools to combat forced labour. The document outlines a number of goals and priority…
BEIJING – Cotton production in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is set to strengthen despite a range of forced labour-related existing and impending sanctions, according to Chinese State-run media outlets. The Beijing-based news organisation…
SINGAPORE - Fast fashion giant Shein has announced the establishment of a new charitable foundation, along with a multi-million dollar donation to the Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) Foundation, a social enterprise that has developed a used textiles…
WASHINGTON DC – US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is to make changes to the de minimis rules, which can allow the parcels of Chinese-owned online retailers such as Shein and Temu to evade import tariffs and customs checks. The move comes ahead…
LEIDEN - IKEA’s parent company, the Ingka Group has announced plans to invest €1 billion into a series of recycling infrastructure projects that will include schemes for the clothing and home textiles sectors. According to the Ingka Group, the…
CAMBRIDGE - The Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) at the University of Cambridge, in partnership with the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) and the UK’s Textile Recycling Association (TRA), has published new…
MONTREAL – Loop Industries, which offers technology that can chemically recycle low-grade polyester, has terminated its agreement with a subsidiary of the Korean chemical giant SK Group to deploy Loop’s technology in Asia through several new…
WASHINGTON DC - The outgoing Biden administration has added another 37 Chinese companies to the list of those banned from exporting into the US because of alleged links to forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China. They include textile giant…
TREVISO – Italian denim finishing specialist, Everest Textile Technologies has become a system partner of chemical management specialist Bluesign. Bluesign works with its system partners, which include brands, manufacturers and chemical suppliers,…
COPENHAGEN - The British Fashion Council has teamed up with the organisers of Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW) to align work on advancing sustainability measures across the Nordic and British fashion markets. As part of the collaboration, the BFC…
WASHINGTON DC - Formaldehyde, which is used in textile finishing and to bind dyes to fabrics, presents an “unreasonable risk" to human health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The US government agency's long-awaited 'final…
MADRID – Spanish textile manufacturer Nextil has partnered with recently-founded tech firm Xatena Innovare (Xain) to create a new company which aims to measure, certify and offset CO2 emissions in the industry. The new venture, NextVain, aims to…
ZURICH - Chemical management specialist Oeko-Tex has announced new regulations for 2025, including an expanded Oeko-Tex Eco Passport programme that will now include commodity chemicals and biodegradability verification. Further key changes include…
BRUSSELS - The cost of cleaning up PFAS pollution in the environment across Europe could be as high as €2 trillion ($2trn) over 20 years, according to a new investigation. The Forever Lobbying Project is behind the report which accuses the plastics…
DÜSSELDORF / NEW YORK – German blockchain start-up Retraced has teamed up with traceability supplier R-pac to help brands comply with new legislation. The partnership aims to help brands comply with laws such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention…
GUANGZHOU - Garment workers in a neighbourhood of a Chinese city - which has become known as 'Shein Village' because of its links to the ultra fast fashion giant - are illegally working 75 hours a week, according to the BBC. The British broadcaster…
JYVÄSKYLÄ - Spinnova has partnered with technology giant Siemens to help accelerate fibre production at Woodspin, its joint venture with pulp manufacturer, Suzano. The deal will see the installation of Siemens Xcelerator automation and software…
SPONSORED CONTENT - Archroma’s roadmap to sustainability and business resilience The textile industry’s path to sustainability is becoming more complex and challenging. Brands, mills, and suppliers today face mounting regulatory pressure, escalating…
TOKYO – Nantong Teijin, Japanese fibre manufacturer Teijin’s polyester manufacturing and processing company, has been commended for its efforts to conserve water in China's Yangtze River delta region. Nantong Teijin has been recognised by China’s…
GLOBAL - Influential industry bodies Textile Exchange, Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Cascale and ZDHC have published a report on aligning their language on climate change. The four organisations, which together make up the Apparel Alliance…
TOKYO – Apparel fastening solutions manufacturer YKK has had its net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company now aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its supply chain by 2050.
MADHYA PRADESH - Global brands including Adidas, H&M and Inditex have sourced cotton from Indian farms which employ child and forced labour, according to a report from Transparentem. An investigation by the US-based NGO into the working conditions…
SEOUL – Korean apparel manufacturer ShinWon Corporation has had its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company says it aims to reduce its direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2)…
MARYLAND - Researchers at the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new artificial intelligence-based database aimed at increasing textile recycling and reducing waste. According to NIST, many new types of…
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has appointed David Kennedy, the founding chief executive of the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC), as its new CEO replacing Luiz Amaral who stood down last summer. SBTi's chief legal…
LOS ANGELES - Chinese recycled textile specialist Shenghong Holding has announced a strategic partnership with US materials science company Ambercycle to scale the production of regenerated filament yarns made with the latter's Cycora-branded…
LONDON - The chairman of the UK's influential Business and Trade Committee this afternoon accused ultra fast fashion giant Shein of behaviour "bordering on contempt" in refusing to give evidence. Yinan Zhu, Shein’s general counsel for Europe, the…
TEL AVIV – Researchers have developed a fibre that changes colour when exposed to toxic gas. The fibre, developed by a team at the Department of Polymer Materials Engineering at Shenkar College, changes colour from yellow to green when exposed to…
BRUSSELS - The RegioGreenTex project, which was set up to support innovation investments in small and medium-sized textile enterprises across 10 regional industry clusters in Europe, has developed an interactive platform designed to support…
ODENSE - New research into the role of social compliance audits in Bangladesh's garment industry suggests that their effectiveness is partially dependant on the attitudes of factory owners towards them. The study, by academics at the University of…
MEMPHIS – The US Cotton Trust Protocol has opened its enrolment process for 2025 with signatories also able to apply for the Climate Smart Cotton Program for the upcoming crop year. Created to enable growers to demonstrate their commitment to…
LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE - Clothing rentals can actually encourage increased consumption among certain types of consumers, according to a new study by researchers in France and Belgium. Academics at Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and French…
PARIS - Pili, the French manufacturer of bio-based dyes and pigments, has partnered with California-based denim brand Citizens of Humanity and Turkish denim mill Orta, to launch a denim collection dyed with Pili bio-based indigo. Pili’s bio-based…
LONDON - Chinese-owned ultra fast fashion retailers Shein and Temu will tomorrow be grilled by a British parliamentary committee on the rights of workers in their supply chains. The companies are among those giving oral evidence to the all-party…
ACCRA - The Or Foundation has committed $1 million to emergency relief efforts after a fire destroyed the Kantamanto used clothes market in Ghana - the world’s largest secondhand market. The environmental organisation, which campaigns against…
SOUTHAMPTON - Scientists claim to have made a breakthrough in the development of wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) that are both sustainable and biodegradable. Researchers at the University of Southampton and UWE Bristol tested a new…
NEW YORK – The Collective Fashion Justice NGO has released a report criticising the leather industry for what it describes as social-media-led disinformation campaigns. It also accuses the leather sector of using greenwashing tactics and lobbying…
YORK – Season’s greetings to all our readers. It’s that time of the year again when we look back on some of the more memorable stories from over the last 12 months in our review of the year. Back in January, one of our more popular stories was an…
BRUSSELS - An investigation by the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) has raised environmental concerns about the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) to make products, including textiles, less flammable. ECHA found that non-polymeric aromatic…
YORK – The last 12 months have been a memorable time for the Ecotextile Talks team with our podcast hosts joined by a series of industry experts and key decision makers, all discussing the major issues around environmental stewardship in the fashion…
DHAKA - Automation has already replaced 31% of garment workers in Bangladesh, according to a new study by Solidaridad Network Asia, the Bangladesh Labour Foundation and the country's BRAC University. Unskilled 'helpers' were the most likely to have…
PARIS - The RISE (Reimagining Industry to Support Equality) programme claims to have reached 400,000 workers this year in its work to improve gender equality in the garment, footwear and textile industries. RISE, a joint programme by Gap's PACE…
NAIROBI - The Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya (MCAK) trade body is calling on global stakeholders to combat what it calls "misinformation" about the secondhand clothing industry in Africa. MCAK says that the industry employs and clothes…
HAMBURG - The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has revealed that it expects that the first Indian cotton certified to its new Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS) will soon be on the market. The nonprofit, which also runs the Cotton Made in Africa…
WASHINGTON – Fast fashion giant Shein has joined the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Section 321 Data Pilot programme, which enlists companies to voluntarily submit additional import entry information about packages and shipments entering the…
YANGON - Myanmar's garment workers are under siege from the combined impacts of economic hardship and forced military conscription, according to a report from the Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc). The hybrid think tank and…
ARKANSAS - US retail giant Wal-Mart has confirmed it is likely to miss its previously announced 2025 and 2030 interim climate targets. Writing in its latest ESG update, Walmart said that while it was continuing to work towards its “aspirational…
NEW YORK – Luxury fashion company Tapestry, which owns brands such as Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman, claims to have reduced its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 84% this year against its 2021 baseline. Scope 3 emissions -…
CLERMONT-FERRAND - Biotech firm Carbios has postponed the construction of its PET biorecycling plant in Longlaville, France, for between six and nine months. The postponement has been attributed to “delayed funding pending completion of additional…
LONDON - Ultra fast fashion retailer Shein's work to tackle forced labour in its global supply chains falls "significantly short" of sector leaders - a red flag for investors ahead of the company's anticipated public listing in London, according to…
YORK – Our podcast host Philip Berman sits down with Marie-Jeanne Gaertner, project and policy officer at RREUSE (Reuse and Recycling European Union Social Enterprises) to find out why the textile reuse and recycling sector in the European Union is…
AMSTERDAM – The ZDHC Foundation has welcomed two new signatories to its programme which aims to replace hazardous chemicals with safer ones in fashion and textiles production. US sportswear brand Under Armour, which joined ZDHC’s Roadmap to Zero…
BALTIMORE / BÖNNIGHEIM - Sportswear brand Under Armour, textile testing company Hohenstein and measuring device provider PPT Group have teamed up to publish a standardised test method to determine microfibre release from textiles under simulated…
PASADENA - The CottonConnect social enterprise has opened a consultation on its plans to transition its flagship Reel programme into a certified standard. Announced at the recent Textile Exchange annual conference in Pasadena, California, the move…
MUNICH - Targeted psychological interventions on the environmental impact of fashion returns can change shoppers' behaviours, according to the largest study of its kind. The study of more than 220,000 customers and more than 100,000 orders in eight…
PARIS - The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a research paper calling for the faster adoption of extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies as a means to embedding circular economy principles in the…
DURHAM – The AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists) has partnered with The Textile Association India (TAI) to improve alignment for manufacturers working towards textile standards while also providing joint educational and…
WASHINGTON DC - US government agencies need to work together to tackle the environmental impacts from the growing problem of textile waste, according to a new report from a watchdog. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO), US Congress's…
MUNICH - A one day event focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is to be held before the Performance Days trade fair in Munich next year. Called 'Day 0', the event on 4th March is aimed predominantly at design and development teams who…
ZURICH - The fashion industry is facing a reckoning. A new report from Swiss watchdog Public Eye calls for a radical overhaul of the fashion system to create a just and sustainable industry within planetary boundaries. One-Earth Fashion outlines 33…
GLOBAL - An alliance of multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) set up to explore responsible purchasing practices to reduce the negative impacts of the fashion industry on garment workers and suppliers, has published it initial findings. The…
LONDON / BERLIN / HAMBURG - Retailers ASOS, Boozt and the Selfridges Group have joined the Fashion Leap for Climate initiative, while Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, has become a strategic partner. Fashion Leap for Climate was…
MONTREAL – Loop Industries, which offers technology that can chemically recycle low-grade polyester, has received a €10 million investment boost with the sale of its first technology licence in Europe. The deal with Reed Societe Generale will also…
SIAM REAP - A new $45 million multi-agency initiative to reduce the environmental impacts of the fashion industry, and also construction, in eight countries has been launched in Cambodia. The six-year 'Eliminating Hazardous Chemicals from Supply…
TASHKENT - Forced labour risks and other human rights concerns in Uzbekistan’s cotton sector remain high despite the abolition of state-imposed forced labour, according to a new report by human rights campaigners. The study, from the Uzbek Forum for…
AMSTERDAM - Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, has formed a US policy member expert team (MET), an advisory group that will help shape the organisation’s approach to addressing key challenges and opportunities for the textiles,…
NEWARK - While some global brands and retailers are improving their costing practices, others continue to put financial pressures on suppliers - and could actually be making things worse, according to new research by the Better Buying Institute.…
AMSTERDAM - The ZDHC Foundation has published two new guidelines to address sustainable chemical management requirements for recycled polyester. The aim of the Recycled Polyester Guidelines V1.0 and the Industry Standard Implementation Approach V1.0…
ARTEIXO – Zara owner Inditex has announced positive financial results for its third quarter, and the company is now investing in UK biotech start-up Epoch Biodesign which uses enzymes to break down textile waste at room temperature. Inditex’s sales…
SINGAPORE – The organisers of next year’s ITMA Asia + CITME exhibition have confirmed the addition of a further 10,000 square metres of hall space, following an unexpected surge in applications. Scheduled to be held at the Singapore Expo from 28th…
SEATTLE - Outdoor retail giant REI has been accused of links to “gross violations of labour and human rights” in its global supply chain, in a new report from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Center and Students for International Labor…
SEATTLE - The Stand.earth Research Group (SRG) says it has unearthed evidence that shows that more than 100 high profile fashion giants are using raw materials that have a link to fracked oil and gas in the Permian Basin in Texas. The SRG…
LONDON - Global fashion giants, including H&M, Ralph Lauren, ASOS, Mango, Michael Kors, Coach and Gucci, have been linked to labour rights violations in their supply chains by new research released today. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre…
DHAKA - Increasing levels of automation in Bangladesh’s garment industry have led to 3% drop of female workers over the last 10 years, according to a new report. The report, ‘Technology Upgradation of the RMG Industries in Bangladesh’, says that…
BRUSSELS - Campaigners say they are "deeply worried" that European Commission plans to merge and simplify new rules on corporate sustainability will weaken protection of workers, human rights and the environment. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC),…
DHAKA - Garment workers in Bangladesh are to receive a 9% pay rise in a bid to calm the unrest which has disrupted the industry since student-led protests brought down Sheikh Hasina's government in August. The government has decided to add a 4%…
LONDON – A commercial-scale, post-consumer polyester recycling plant, billed as the first of its kind, is using zero-emission hydrogen power technology. Provided by sustainable energy solutions company GeoPura, the hydrogen will support the initial…
HERZOGENAURACH / JYVÄSKYLÄ – Sportswear giant Puma has signed a multi-year letter of intent (LOI) to source sustainable wood-based fibre from a new production plant being developed by Finnish textile innovator Spinnova and Brazilian cellulosic pulp…
MITCHELL - Australian recycling company Samsara Eco, which works in partnership with athleticwear brand Lululemon, has developed enzymes capable of recycling nylon 6. Building on its existing capabilities to infinitely recycle nylon 6,6 and…
SINGAPORE - Ultra fast fashion giant Shein has appointed former CottonConnect chairman Ram Gidoomal as chairman of its new External ESG Advisory Board (EEAB). The Chinese-owned company has also established 'Regional Strategy and Corporate…
HONG KONG - The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) has launched its inaugural Open Lab Global Challenge, an international competition to encourage 'young innovators' to develop sustainable solutions for the fashion and…
HAMBURG - A project aimed at supporting smallholder cotton farmers in transitioning to organic cultivation to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides in Benin has been extended. Launched three years ago, the €1 million ($1.06m) 'Growing Benin's…
NEW YORK - Five major production hubs from across the global apparel supply chain have experienced a 42% increase in high heat days over the last two decades, new research suggests. The analysis by the Global Labor Institute, part of Cornell…
BERLIN – The Free Democratic Party (FDP) has launched a bid to scrap Germany’s Supply Chain Act, arguing it has created a “bureaucratic jungle instead of transparent supply chains”. The bill, introduced to the German Parliament last week, calls for…
AYDIN - Turkey could play a significant role in transitioning cotton growing to regenerative agriculture, according to a new report from the CottonConnect social enterprise. CottonConnect has been working on adapting its REEL Regenerative Cotton…
NORTHAMPTON - Chemical management testing company Eurofins has launched a new clean air check service that is designed to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and additional prohibited compounds in textile manufacturers’ emissions. The CleanAir…
MANCHESTER - Speciality chemical manufacturer John Hogg Technical Solutions has acquired Avocet, the UK manufacturer of textile flame retardants, dyes and high-performance auxiliaries. The move is described as a significant milestone in John Hogg’s…
RABAT - Trade unions are urging the Moroccan government to enter into talks with the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry in the hope it will set up a worker safety programme in the country. The IndustriALL…
HO CHI MINH CITY – Material science firm Cirql has developed a new compostable and biodegradable foam component for the footwear sector. Cirql Zero is made using a proprietary polymer compound and is manufactured using supercritical foaming (SCF)…
BRUSSELS - The European fashion industry is at a "critical juncture" in which it faces increasing demands for sustainability and an avalanche of new legislation aimed at reducing its impacts, according to a new report. The European Fashion…
SPARTANBURG – Technical apparel manufacturer Milliken & Company has been awarded a gold rating for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance from global standard EcoVadis for the third consecutive year. The owner of the Polartec outdoor…
RIYADH - The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification has published a new report aimed at raising awareness of the impact of the fashion and textile industry on land and how fibre choices have a major impact on the environment. The…
LONDON - The Future Fibres Network+ (FFN+), a collaborative effort between UK universities and fashion industry trade bodies, is exploring the potential for the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility. The neoprene recycling initiative is the latest…
OAKLAND - Fashion resale specialist ThredUp has confirmed that it has sold its European business, Remix, to focus on the US market. ThredUp has entered into a binding agreement for a management buyout of the subsidiary led by the Remix's general…