Labels & Legislation
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Friday, 06 September 2024NFTC warns scrapping loophole would backfire
WASHINGTON DC - US proposals to scrap the ‘de minimis’ loophole - which allows ultra fast fashion giants Shein and Temu to evade paying tax on their direct to consumer packages - are not practical, according to a report. A study published by groups… -
Wednesday, 04 September 2024Oeko-Tex reports leap in certifications
ZURICH - Testing and certification organisation Oeko-Tex has confirmed that the number of certificates and labels issued under its Made in Green sustainability programme leapt by 52% to 16,687 in the year July 2024. The company's latest annual… -
Tuesday, 03 September 2024California passes landmark textile recovery bill
SACRAMENTO - The American Apparel & Footwear Association has welcomed the passage of SB-707, also known as the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, in California. The landmark US bill, which will accelerate the implementation of an extended… -
Monday, 02 September 2024Textile Standards & Legislation book launched
YORK – The ninth edition of the Textile Standards & Legislation guidebook has now been published by MCL News & Media – the publisher of Ecotextile News. Readers can now download an abbreviated, sample version of the 128-page guidebook HERE, which… -
Wednesday, 28 August 2024
AAFA removes opposition to textile recycling bill
SACRAMENTO – The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has withdrawn its opposition to a landmark US bill to implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework and ramp up textile recycling in California. Bill SB-707, also known… -
Friday, 23 August 2024Project offers briefing on CSDDD contracts
NEWARK, NJ - The Responsible Contracting Project (RCP) has published a policy briefing to help companies comply with the European Union's (EU) new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The briefing focuses on commercial contracts… -
Monday, 19 August 2024Testex joins ITMF as corporate member
ZURICH - Swiss textile testing and certification institute Testex has joined the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) as a corporate member. Founded in 1846, Testex was originally known as the Silk Conditioning Institute. It tests,… -
Monday, 19 August 2024Lawmakers target loopholes exploited by Shein
Policy makers around the world are looking to introduce legislation to limit Chinese-owned online retailers, such as Shein and Temu, from taking advantage of 'de minimis' loopholes to evade import duties and customs checks on their direct to… -
Friday, 16 August 2024Biden urged to include fashion in task force
WASHINGTON DC - President Joe Biden is being urged to include representatives of the US fashion and textiles industry in his recently announced White House Task Force on Climate and Trade. Both the Slow Fashion Caucus, recently established by… -
Thursday, 15 August 2024Textile Exchange suspends certification body
LONDON - The Textile Exchange has suspended Intertek Testing Services as an approved certification body for its Organic Content Standard (OCS) in India. The suspension follows a similar move by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which earlier… -
Tuesday, 13 August 2024Turkey shakes up duties to take on Shein, Temu
ANKARA - Turkey has slashed its 'de minimis' exemption and increased import duties in a move apparently aimed at helping local online retailers compete with Chinese-owned rivals such as Shein and Temu. President Erdoğan issued a decree cutting de… -
Monday, 12 August 2024NCTO backs new customs legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C – The National Council of Textile Organizations has welcomed the introduction of a bill in the US that would eliminate the ‘de minimis’ exemptions for import-sensitive products, including the majority of textile and apparel imports.… -
Friday, 09 August 2024Guidance for companies on EU CSRD requirements
BRUSSELS - The European Commission has published guidance to help companies comply with the European Union's (EU) new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) with the first reports due next year. Under the legislation, companies will be… -
Monday, 05 August 2024Aid by Trade plots 2023 progress
HAMBURG – The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) has published its latest annual report in which it reflects on the progress of its Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA) standard and other initiatives. The 2023 report outlines how the AbTF successfully… -
Thursday, 01 August 2024GOTS partially suspends Intertek as certification body
STUTTGART - The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has partially suspended Intertek Testing Services as an approved certification body, amid concerns over what it calls “serious lapses” in their internal systems. The suspension relates to… -
Wednesday, 31 July 2024GRI partners on biodiversity reporting
AMSTERDAM – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which is currently developing a standard for the textile and apparel sector, has teamed up with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) on a joint mapping tool. The GRI says… -
Monday, 29 July 2024Canada adopts new ‘greenwashing’ law
OTTAWA - The Canadian government has made amendments to the country’s Competition Act, a law regulating trade, mergers and marketing practices in the country, in a bid to reduce greenwashing and better manage environmental claims, including those… -
Tuesday, 16 July 2024Cascale, Worldly release report on EU CSDDD
SAN FRANCISCO – Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and its technology partner Worldly, have released a 'deep dive' report on the implications of the European Unions's (EU) new Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive… -
Tuesday, 16 July 2024Bipartisan bill seeks consumer awareness uptick
WASHINGTON DC – Republican and Democrat congressional representatives have joined forces to introduce a bill aimed at bridging the gap between consumers and apparel producers when it comes to understanding a garment’s environmental impact.… -
Tuesday, 16 July 2024PFAS regulation piles up in the USA
In just five short years since 2019, nearly 20 US states have taken significant steps to regulate PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as “forever” chemicals, that are often found in textiles and clothing.Out of these states,… -
Friday, 12 July 2024Global Standard to expand beyond GOTS
STUTTGART – Global Standard, the NGO behind the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), plans to launch a new standard for ‘sustainable’ synthetic and natural fibres that goes beyond organic yet uses the existing GOTS framework. No branding or… -
Friday, 12 July 2024Companies turn to tech to combat forced labour
WASHINGTON DC - More than 95% of US companies have started using technology and verification tools to check for forced labour risks in their supply chains since the introduction of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), according to the US… -
Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Textile recycling bill advances in California
SACRAMENTO - A landmark bill to implement an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework and ramp up textile recycling in California has passed a key stage following a 9-3 approval from the state assembly’s Natural Resources Committee. As… -
Tuesday, 02 July 2024Podcast: Can we trust textile factory audits in China?
WASHINGTON – Fresh from his high-profile appearance at a recent US Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Workers Rights Consortium in Washington DC, gave Ecotextile Talks a hard-hitting interview… -
Monday, 01 July 2024Refusal to probe Xinjiang cotton 'illegal'
LONDON - Campaigners are claiming a "landmark victory" after a court ruled that the UK National Crime Agency’s (NCA) refusal to investigate forced labour links to cotton imported from China was unlawful. Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the… -
Friday, 28 June 2024Slow Fashion Caucus launched in US Congress
WASHINGTON DC - A 'Slow Fashion Caucus' has been established by politicians in the US Congress, in partnership with stakeholders including brand Patagonia and resale specialist ThredUp, in a bid to rein in the fast fashion industry. Democrat Chellie… -
Friday, 21 June 2024Policy Hub outlines textile labelling modifications
AMSTERDAM – The Policy Hub industry initiative has published a series of recommendations that it would like to see included in the upcoming revision of the European Union’s (EU) Textile Labelling Regulation (TLR). The initiative – a coalition… -
Monday, 17 June 2024New York Fashion Act backers to fight on
ALBANY - Supporters of the New York Fashion Act have vowed to continue their fight to introduce new legislation to hold the industry accountable for its environmental and human rights impacts. The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act… -
Thursday, 13 June 2024EU takes aim at textile cleaning solvents
BRUSSELS – The European Commission has adopted an EU-wide restriction on a certain class of ‘greener’ solvents that are used for dry cleaning textiles. The recent adoption of a restriction on siloxanes could well be a headache for some luxury… -
Tuesday, 11 June 2024EU urged to target ultra fast fashion on EPR
BRUSSELS - Austria, Finland, France and the Netherlands are calling on the European Union (EU) to allow member states to penalise ultra fast fashion e-tailers, such as Shein and Temu, for the impacts of their products. The four countries have… -
Monday, 10 June 2024GRI consults on updated labour standards
AMSTERDAM – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has announced a public consultation to update its labour-related standards. The three standards under review – ‘Labour/Management Relations’, ‘Employment’ and ‘Market Presence’, monitor how well… -
Tuesday, 04 June 2024US officials crackdown on import loophole
WASHINGTON DC - US officials are cracking down on a loophole which allows overseas online retailers, such as Chinese-owned Shein and Temu, to send their packages direct to US consumers without them being checked by customs officers. Politicians fear… -
Thursday, 30 May 2024Skin sensitisers not priority for UK REACH
LONDON – Unlike their counterparts in Brussels, UK chemical regulators appear to have parked their concerns about skin sensitisers in textiles and other consumer goods – for now at least. This decision is revealed in UK REACH's latest priority list… -
Tuesday, 28 May 2024Final approval for European ecodesign law
BRUSSELS - The destruction of unsold textile products will be banned throughout the European Union (EU) following final approval of the EU's new 'ecodesign' regulation which sets sustainability requirements for products. The European Council this… -
Friday, 24 May 2024Final approval for EU due diligence law
BRUSSELS - Ministers of the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) have today given the final sign off to new legislation which will make larger companies liable for human rights and environmental issues in their global supply chains. The… -
Friday, 17 May 2024US adds 26 textile firms to Uyghur region blacklist
WASHINGTON – The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the addition of 26 China-based textile companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. With goods produced by the newly listed firms now restricted from… -
Thursday, 16 May 2024EU Textile Strategy event raises more concerns
BRUSSELS – In a webinar today, European political mandarins laid bare how the EU Textile Strategy 2030 needs science-based objectivity, and showed that serious questions still remain about how the sustainability credentials of textile products will… -
Monday, 13 May 2024SBTi releases Net Zero Standard update plans
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has unveiled its plans for a major revision to its flagship Corporate Net-Zero Standard which could include the controversial use of carbon credits to offset scope 3 carbon emissions. SBTi… -
Thursday, 09 May 2024Tests highlight Xinjiang cotton concerns
STONY BROOK - CHAMPAIGN - DNA and isotopic testing has revealed that 19% of all textile-based products tested contained cotton from the Xinjiang region of China which is banned in the US over forced labour concerns. Molecular technologies specialist… -
Tuesday, 07 May 2024Garment workers laid off due to UFLPA
MANILA — More than 5,000 garment workers have been laid off so far this year in the Philippines due in part to the impact of US legislation aimed at blocking imports from the Xinjiang region of China. The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA)… -
Friday, 03 May 2024Denmark to ban PFAS in clothing and footwear
COPENHAGEN - Denmark has announced plans to ban the sale of clothes, shoes, and waterproofing products that contain PFAS (Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances). The country’s Ministry of the Environment said the proposed ban would take effect from 1st… -
Friday, 03 May 2024Cradle to Cradle unveils new product standard
AMSTERDAM - The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has released the latest version of its product standard that is widely used in the apparel, textile and footwear industries. Version 4.1 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product… -
Tuesday, 30 April 2024Annual report outlines GOTS milestones
STUTTGART - The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification organisation enhanced its reach in 2023 with an 8% increase in certified facilities to 14,676 across 89 countries. The upsurge reported by the non-profit, which aims to offer a… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024Muted welcome for final approval of CSDDD
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has today given its final approval to legislation that will make larger companies responsible for human rights and environmental issues in their global supply chains. Approval for the European Union's (EU) landmark… -
Tuesday, 23 April 2024European Parliament backs forced labour law
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has approved rules to ban the sale, import and export of goods made using forced labour from the European Union (EU). The regulation, driven by concerns about human rights in the Xinjiang region of China, would be… -
Friday, 19 April 2024Cascale sets out 2024 policy priorities
SAN FRANCISCO - Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, has outlined its main areas of policy focus for this year when several major nations face key national elections. Countries including the US, UK, India and Pakistan, as well as the… -
Friday, 12 April 2024AAFA backs bid to extend African trade deal
WASHINGTON DC – The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) trade body has welcomed moves to extend the trade agreement between the US and eligible Sub-Saharan African countries for another 16 years. AAFA, which represents more than 1,000… -
Thursday, 11 April 2024Call to add textile waste to Basel Convention
BRUSSELS - European Union (EU) states France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Austria are calling for textile waste to be covered by the Basel Convention to restrict exports to developing countries. They urged the EU Environment Council to support… -
Monday, 08 April 2024Australia to make firms reveal climate risks
SYDNEY - ESG risk management company Fair Supply has produced a report to help companies stay onside of proposed new Australian legislation which would require companies to disclose their climate change-related financial risks. The Treasury Laws… -
Monday, 08 April 2024US urged to speed up sustainable procurement rules
WASHINGTON DC – US civil societies are urging the US government to swiftly implement its previously announced raft of sustainable procurement rules for buyers across all federal departments, while also calling on the European Union to implement a…
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