Labels & Legislation News
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Wednesday, 22 September 2021Academics address wage bill in letter to California governor
CALIFORNIA – More than 50 design professors from leading fashion schools have signed an open letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, urging that he passes the Garment Worker Protection Act (SB62) and puts an end to wage theft. Earlier this… -
Wednesday, 15 September 2021Euratex shares vision for European strategy
BRUSSELS - European textile and clothing industry trade body Euratex has shared its vision for the European Union's (EU) proposed new strategy for the sector. It says the EU Sustainable Textiles Strategy, due to be published before the end of 2021,… -
Monday, 13 September 2021EU urged to hold social auditors liable
BRUSSELS - Workers' rights campaigners and trade unions are calling on the European Union (EU) to ensure that social auditing companies - which wrongly certify factories as safe - are held to account by new mandatory due diligence laws. A total of… -
Friday, 10 September 2021YKK's emissions targets approved by SBTi
TOKYO – Fastening solutions manufacturer YKK’s emissions reduction targets have been approved as being consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company says the certification is part of its… -
Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Social audit firms 'must be held to account'
LONDON - Social auditing companies should be subject to new mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation, according to a new briefing from the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). The report claims that social audit… -
Tuesday, 07 September 2021Hugo Boss and Lidl face Xinjiang allegations
BERLIN - The European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) non-profit is taking legal action against brands and retailers - including Hugo Boss and Lidl - which it accuses of taking advantage of forced labour in the Xinjiang region of… -
Tuesday, 31 August 2021Oeko-Tex 'Made in Green' certifications soar
ZURICH - Testing and certification organisation Oeko-Tex has revealed that the number of certificates and labels issued under its Made in Green sustainability programme more than doubled last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's 2020/21… -
Tuesday, 24 August 2021Leather Working Group audit standard goes live
NORTHAMPTON - The latest version of the Leather Working Group (LWG) trade body's flagship environmental certification - featuring new social, traceability and chemical management requirements - is now in effect. The Leather Manufacturer Audit… -
Tuesday, 24 August 2021Australian Senate backs forced labour ban
CANBERRA - The Australian Senate has passed a bill, banning imports made using forced labour, which was triggered by concerns about the cotton industry in China's Xinjiang region. Independent senator Rex Patrick, who proposed the bill, said it was… -
Monday, 16 August 2021Allbirds says legal action 'lacks merit'
SAN FRANCISCO - US footwear brand Allbirds has firmly rebutted legal action by a group of consumers who claim the company's marketing messages exaggerate its sustainability credentials. In a complaint filed at the US District Court for the Southern… -
Friday, 23 July 2021Greenwashing ‘rulebook’ looks to curb misleading claims
LONDON – Software solutions provider Provenance has developed a new ‘digital rulebook’ designed to help brands and retailers make more accurate sustainability claims. The tool has been developed to mitigate cases of exaggerated, vague or misleading… -
Tuesday, 13 July 2021Final consultation opens on Green Button 2.0
BERLIN – The second and final stage of public consultation has been launched on version 2.0 of Germany's Grüner Knopf (Green Button) consumer-facing sustainability scheme. Green Button 2.0 aims to increase protection of people and the environment… -
Monday, 12 July 2021Parliamentary group pushes for industrywide action
LONDON – The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion (ESF APPG) has published a new report which details recommendations on how government and stakeholders can address the fashion industry’s environmental impact… -
Friday, 09 July 2021MPs urge UK to ban Xinjiang cotton imports
LONDON - Britain's Foreign Affairs Committee has published a report in which it calls on the government to ban the import of all cotton products known to be produced in whole or in part in the Xinjiang region of China. Entitled 'Never Again: The… -
Wednesday, 07 July 2021Esquel Group sues US over Xinjiang sanction
WASHINGTON DC - Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer the Esquel Group is suing the US government after one of its subsidiaries was sanctioned because of alleged links to forced labour in China's Xinjiang region. The Changji Esquel… -
Tuesday, 06 July 2021UK government failing fashion industry, research suggests
LONDON – New research commissioned by environmental charity Hubbub claims that the UK government has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the environmental and social challenges facing the fashion industry. Figures reveal that just 19 policies in… -
Tuesday, 06 July 2021
Campaigners call for UK due diligence law
LONDON - Campaigners are calling on the UK to follow in the footsteps of European countries, such as France, Germany and Norway, by introducing a mandatory due diligence law which would make companies responsible for human rights and environmental… -
Monday, 05 July 2021NGOs welcome forced labour probe into brands
PARIS - NGOs who are suing fashion giants Uniqlo, Inditex, SMCP and Skechers for allegedly concealing "crimes against humanity" in China's Xinjiang region have welcomed French prosecutors's decision to open an investigation. The investigation has… -
Friday, 02 July 2021Non-profit calls for 'clear' labels for synthetics
LONDON – Environmental non-profit A Plastic Planet has sent a letter to the UK government calling for a 'clear labelling system' on clothing that would highlight the volume of synthetic fibres used. Backed by campaign groups, politicians and… -
Wednesday, 16 June 2021NGOs urge EU to act on fast fashion
EUROPE – A group of 25 European NGOs have launched a new campaign demanding an end to fast fashion in the textile industry. The likes of RREUSE, Plastic Soup Foundation, the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) and Future in Our Hands have… -
Tuesday, 15 June 2021Norway backs 'comprehensive' supply chain law
OSLO - Norway has adopted a new Transparency Act, which makes medium and large companies responsible for human rights issues in their global supply chains, which is said to be the most comprehensive in the world. The Norwegian parliament, Storting,… -
Tuesday, 01 June 2021CMA draft guidance addresses ‘greenwashing’
LONDON – The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published draft guidance that details ways in which British businesses can become more transparent and ensure they aren’t culpable of ‘greenwashing’. Greenwashing is a term increasingly… -
Thursday, 27 May 2021Digital care label aims to boost circularity
GLENDALE — Garment label manufacturer Avery Dennison has teamed up with LA-based garment recycler Ambercycle to launch a new digital care label which aims to increase circularity. The label features a QR code that links to an app which details how… -
Thursday, 27 May 2021Higg impact data to be shared with consumers
SAN FRANCISCO – Major brands and retailers – including Amazon, H&M and C&A – have agreed to adopt a new transparency programme to use data from Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) spin-out Higg to share product-based information on environmental… -
Friday, 21 May 2021Dutch minister proposes EPR for textiles
AMSTERDAM – Extended producer responsibility for textiles and clothing could be on the cards in The Netherlands after a government minister said it would be introduced in 2023 if new proposals were approved by both houses of parliament. In a letter… -
Thursday, 06 May 2021Eurofins announces partnership with BeVeg
NORTHAMPTON - Chemical management testing company Eurofins Chem-MAP has announced a partnership with BeVeg, the world’s only ISO-accredited vegan technical standard, trademark and programme. Eurofins Chem-MAP's vegan apparel and footwear… -
Wednesday, 21 April 2021Textile Exchange launches alpaca standard
VANCOUVER – Global industry non-profit Textile Exchange (TE) has introduced a new voluntary standard to ensure that alpaca wool is responsibly sourced from farmers with high animal welfare standards. The Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS) has been… -
Wednesday, 14 April 2021AGI Denim's HempX wins C2C gold certification
KARACHI - Pakistani textile manufacturer AGI Denim has been awarded gold level certification from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute for it's HempX fabric. The award recognises environmental and social performance across five… -
Friday, 09 April 2021Canada moves towards slave labour action
OTTAWA - Canada is moving forward with new legislation that would see companies face hefty fines if they are caught importing products made with slave or child labour. The Senate, the upper house of parliament in Canada, has given a second reading… -
Wednesday, 07 April 2021Social auditors 'should be liable for reports'
LONDON - Social auditors should be held legally liable for inaccurate reports which fail to uncover health and safety breaches in brands and retailers' supply chains, according to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). A new report… -
Wednesday, 31 March 2021Coalition to back natural fibres' case to EU
SYDNEY - The Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) industry organisation is to form an international coalition to ensure demand for natural fibres is not harmed at the expense of synthetics by new European Union (EU) legislation. It fears that the EU's… -
Tuesday, 23 March 2021Bluesign recognised by German government
BERLIN - Textile chemical management specialist Bluesign has been recognised by the German government as a credible measure of sustainable manufacturing for public procurement purposes. Bluesign said it was proud to be able to contribute to the… -
Monday, 22 March 2021Western countries sanction China on Xinjiang
LONDON - The UK, European Union, US and Canada have jointly announced sanctions on Chinese officials over human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region which supplies more than a fifth of the world's cotton. Up to two million Uyghur Muslims have been… -
Tuesday, 16 March 2021New C2C Certified Product Standard launched
OAKLAND - The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has released the fourth version of its Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard which it claims is its most ambitious to date. The institute will begin accepting new applications to… -
Friday, 05 March 2021German cabinet approves supply chain law
BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet has backed plans to introduce a new law which would make companies legally responsible for human rights and environmental issues throughout their global supply chains. It would mean that larger… -
Tuesday, 23 February 2021Leather Working Group updates flagship certification
NORTHAMPTON - The Leather Working Group (LWG) trade body has released the seventh version of its flagship environmental certification featuring new social, traceability and chemical management requirements. The LWG Environmental Audit Protocol has… -
Tuesday, 16 February 2021
Germany reaches deal on supply chain law
BERLIN - German plans to introduce a new law which would make companies legally responsible for human rights and environmental issues throughout their global supply chains look set to go ahead. It follows a hard-fought compromise, described as a… -
Thursday, 11 February 2021New bid to reduce audit and standard fatigue
ZURICH – A new initiative to reduce audit and standard fatigue has been announced jointly by the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the International Apparel Federation (IAF). The Standards Convergence Initiative (SCI) was… -
Wednesday, 10 February 2021Labs approved to test for GM cotton
AMSTERDAM – A total of 14 laboratories worldwide have now been approved to carry out a global test for the presence of genetically modified (GM) cotton throughout the organic cotton value chain. Laboratories in China, Germany, India, the Netherlands… -
Friday, 05 February 2021EEB responds to European textiles roadmap
BRUSSELS - Europe's largest network of environmental citizens' organisations is urging the European Commission to acknowledge that a sustainable textiles industy is not possible under existing business models. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB)… -
Friday, 05 February 2021Brexit deal blocks textile waste exports
NORTH SHIELDS - Some textile recyclers in Britain are struggling to export used clothes to Europe over confusion caused by the UK's new trading relationship with the European Union (EU) outlined in Boris Johnson's Brexit deal. Some countries are… -
Thursday, 04 February 2021Textile Exchange licenses standards to new Bangladeshi partner
DHAKA – Industry organisation Textile Exchange has announced Bangladeshi certification services provider GSCS International as its latest member. The pair are now formalising a licensing agreement that will entitle the Dhaka-based firm to accredit… -
Thursday, 04 February 2021Hohenstein approved for Green Button testing
BÖNNIGHEIM – Textile testing provider Hohenstein has been authorised to verify brands' compliance with Germany's Grüner Knopf (Green Button) government-run certification for sustainable textiles. The German Ministry of Development (BMZ), which set… -
Tuesday, 26 January 2021Eurofins Chem-MAP develops vegan apparel test
NORTHAMPTON - Chemical management testing company Eurofins Chem-MAP has developed a vegan apparel and footwear verification testing programme that has been registered with the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. The verification test will give… -
Thursday, 21 January 2021Green Button scheme responds to criticisms
BERLIN – Germany's Grüner Knopf (Green Button) government-run sustainability scheme has responded to criticisms from NGOs that it is failing to meet its promises on ensuring brands address social and environmental concerns. Two NGOs, the Swiss… -
Friday, 15 January 2021Call to stop brands destroying unsold clothing
DENVER - The US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) federation of non-profit public advocacy groups has launched a campaign for action to stop fashion companies from destroying unsold clothing. US PIRG says much of the clothing and textiles sent… -
Thursday, 14 January 2021US bans cotton imports from Xinjiang
WASHINGTON DC - The US has banned imports of all cotton products from China’s Xinjiang region - which provides more than a fifth of global supplies - over forced labour concerns. The move comes days after the UK government announced steps to block… -
Wednesday, 13 January 2021Europe seeks feedback on plans for textiles
BRUSSELS - The European Commission is inviting feedback after publishing a roadmap on its plans to boost the textiles industry post-COVID and to transform textile waste collection, sorting and recycling across member states. The European Green Deal,… -
Tuesday, 12 January 2021Britain to act on Xinjiang forced labour
LONDON - Britain is to seek to block the import of goods suspected of being made using forced labour in China’s Xinjiang province where up to two million Uyghur Muslims are being held in so-called 're-education camps'. It is the latest international… -
Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Green Button scheme accused of 'deficiencies'
BERLIN – Germany's Grüner Knopf (Green Button) government-run sustainability scheme has been accused of failing to meet its promises to deliver clothes and textiles made in line with social and environmental standards. Two NGOs, the Swiss…
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