Materials & Production News
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Wednesday, 16 June 2021Trial returns textile waste to cotton fields
GOONDIWINDI - Textile waste is being spread on cotton fields in a groundbreaking trial in Australia which aims to test whether shredded cotton could improve soil health and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The project, led by circular… -
Tuesday, 15 June 2021Industry roundtable to inform microfibre roadmap
The outcomes of an online roundtable session hosted by The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) are now being collated for use in a new roadmap for the textile industry to reduce the impact of microfibres on the environment. The recent, invitation-only… -
Tuesday, 15 June 2021Report maps path for circularity in Canada
OTTAWA – Sustainability organisation Fashion Takes Action (FTA) has published a new report focusing on Canada’s textile waste issue that outlines recommendations for scaling recycling infrastructure, improving collection services, introducing… -
Tuesday, 15 June 2021Cambodia continues post-pandemic rebuild
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia is continuing its post-pandemic rebuild by paying almost US$15 million to establish three new manufacturing sites in the country. The factories are expected to generate upwards of 3,000 jobs, adding to the 800+ that two new… -
Monday, 14 June 2021Scientists seek sustainable cotton in space
MADISON - Scientists are attempting to grow cotton in space for the first time in an experiment which scientists hope could lead to the development of more robust varieties that require less water and pesticides. Fashion company Target is funding… -
Friday, 11 June 2021German parliament passes supply chain law
BERLIN - The German parliament has approved a new supply chain law which will make larger companies legally responsible for human rights and environmental abuses within their global supply chains. Under the act, companies in Germany above a certain… -
Thursday, 10 June 2021Adidas invests in fibre innovator Spinnova
HERZOGENAURACH - Sportswear giant Adidas is investing €3 million (US$3.65m) in Finnish innovator Spinnova which makes textile fibre out of agricultural waste. Spinnova confirmed that Adidas has agreed to be a cornerstone investor in return for… -
Thursday, 10 June 2021Israel becomes first country to ban sale of fur
LONDON – Israel has become the first country to ban the sale of animal fur, in a move welcomed by animal rights activists. Minister of Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel signed the bill into law almost eight months after Israel outlined its… -
Thursday, 10 June 2021Government 'rejects calls to act on Xinjiang'
LONDON - MPs say the British government has rejected most of their calls for action to ensure forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China plays no part in the supply chains of UK companies. The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)… -
Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Microfibre emissions pervasive during production
CALIFORNIA – New research by the Nature Conservancy on textile microfibre emissions during the pre-consumer stages of the supply chain has found that the equivalent of one in every 500 t-shirts manufactured is lost in microfibre pollution. The… -
Wednesday, 09 June 2021Accelerating Circularity begins US trials
NEW YORK – Accelerating Circularity has announced that it has begun the testing of commercial textile-to-textile supply systems in the US with financial support from Walmart. The initiative, which aims to speed up the textile industry’s move from… -
Wednesday, 09 June 2021Mongolian cashmere programme to support women
LONDON – The Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), with support from US apparel brand J.Crew, has launched its Women Empowerment Programme in Mongolia, in a bid to lift women towards leadership roles in the country’s cashmere sector. The non-profit,… -
Tuesday, 08 June 2021A&E Integrity expands to authenticate recycled fibre
STONY BROOK – Industrial thread manufacturer American & Efird (A&E) has reignited its partnership with molecular technologies specialist Applied DNA (ADNAS) to add ECO100 recycled fibre to its A&E Integrity range of materials. Already, A&E has… -
Monday, 07 June 2021George names most sustainable garment supplier
COLOMBO - Sri Lankan apparel manufacturer Hela Clothing, which also has factories in Kenya and Ethiopia, has been presented with the 'Most Sustainable Factory' award at the Asda- and Walmart-owned George brand's first Global Sustainability… -
Monday, 07 June 2021Only one in 50 garment workers vaccinated
DHAKA - Only two per cent of garment workers in Bangladesh have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 and the vast majority do not know how to gain information about accessing jabs, according to a new study. The report, by the South Asian Network… -
Friday, 04 June 2021BGMEA urges government to vaccinate garment workers
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the government to bump the country’s garment workers up its COVID-19 vaccination priority list, describing them as “front liners”. Bangladesh, the world’s… -
Friday, 04 June 2021Presence of microplastics to be measured in homes
LEEDS – A team of researchers have kick-started a first of its kind study in the UK, which will measure the presence of microplastics and textile microfibres within people’s homes. Teams at the University of Leeds and University of the West of… -
Thursday, 03 June 2021Cambodian factory owners reject wages plea
PHNOM PENH - Garment factory owners in Cambodia have rejected a request from their workers, who have been unable to work during the country's current lockdown, to be paid in full. It comes as a new survey reveals that four-in-ten garment workers… -
Wednesday, 02 June 2021AAFA shares concerns over California wage bill
CALIFORNIA – The American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has expressed concerns about the current draft of California Senate Bill 62 (SB 62) in a letter to Senator Maria Elena Durazo. In particular, the association’s president and CEO,… -
Wednesday, 02 June 2021Lenzing and Södra to pool efforts on recycling
LENZING/VAXJO – In a bid to divert more textiles from landfill, cellulosic fibre specialist Lenzing and wood pulp supplier Södra have today signed a joint agreement to scale-up the production of pulp from post-consumer textile waste to make Tencel… -
Tuesday, 01 June 2021
‘Call for evidence’ issued on fur in fashion
LONDON – The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has launched a ‘call for evidence’ on animal fur’s use in fashion, as it looks to gauge the thoughts of both stakeholders and consumers in order to “inform future… -
Tuesday, 01 June 2021Kingwhale eyes recycled fibre uptake
TAIPEI – Taiwanese textile manufacturer Kingwhale has vowed to increase the volume of recycled fibre used in its range of performance fabrics, and will leverage a chemical processing technology to repurpose masses of pre-consumer, post-consumer and… -
Tuesday, 01 June 2021Accord agreement extended for three months
DHAKA - Global unions and international fashion brands have come to a last minute deal to extend the legally-binding agreement behind the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh for another three months. Leading brands, including H&M,… -
Friday, 28 May 2021Accelerating Circularity launches in Europe
WAKEFIELD – Accelerating Circularity has launched a new project based in Europe backed by industry players such as Inditex, Zalando, the European Outdoor Group and German service provider GIZ, among others. The initiative, which aims to speed up the… -
Thursday, 27 May 2021Report details progress on preferred fibres
VANCOUVER – Global industry non-profit Textile Exchange has launched its latest Material Change Insights Report summarising how the industry is progressing in its shift to preferred materials. Aiming to provide data-backed analysis of fibre and… -
Thursday, 27 May 2021Lenzing further reduces carbon emissions
LENZING – As man-made cellulosic fibre supplier Lenzing looks to achieve carbon neutrality across the group, the company has completed the construction of its €40 million (US$48M) air purification and sulphur recovery facility in Austria. The… -
Wednesday, 26 May 2021Dutch Agreement clarifies member requirements
AMSTERDAM - The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has clarified what it expects of participating garments and textile companies in terms of responsible business conduct. It includes guidance on helping companies to take steps… -
Tuesday, 25 May 2021New blockchain toolkit backed by 56 countries
GENEVA - A total of 56 countries have backed a new blockchain-based transparency toolkit for tracking any garment or item of footwear from raw components to the point of purchase. Launched by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and… -
Tuesday, 25 May 2021Nanollose ships first cellulose batch to Birla
PERTH – Nanollose has shipped its first batch of refined microbial cellulose feedstock to its Indian partner Birla Cellulose ready to be blended and spun into lyocell fibres for textiles and clothing. Rather than using wood pulp as the raw materials… -
Monday, 24 May 2021ACT publishes commitments on Myanmar
YANGON - Members of the ACT initiative - which include leading brands such as H&M, Zara owner Inditex and Primark - have published guidance on how to treat their suppliers in crisis-torn Myanmar. ACT (Action, Collaboration, Transformation) says the… -
Monday, 24 May 2021Higg marks second anniversary claiming wins
SAN FRANCISCO - Sustainability technology platform Higg says it has helped manufacturers improve their environmental scores by nearly 20 per cent in the two years since it formed. Higg, which enables companies to measure, manage and share the social… -
Friday, 21 May 2021Garment workers shot by police in Lesotho
MASERU - A total of 12 people, including two children, have reportedly been injured after police opened fire on garment workers protesting for more pay in Lesotho's capital city, Maseru. Trade union officials claimed that live rounds were fired at… -
Friday, 21 May 2021BCI accused of deleting Xinjiang statements
LONDON - The Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region has attacked the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) which it accuses of deleting all public statements and references to its decision to exit the Xinjiang region of China over forced… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021Backing for 'polyester from food waste' start-up
TORONTO - Sustainable fashion and biotechnology startup Alt Tex - which seeks to turn food waste into a plastic-free alternative to polyester - has raised CAN$1.5 million (US$1.24m) in a pre-seed funding round. The company aims to use a novel… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021Higg MSI scores highlight Radianza fibre benefits
MUMBAI – Radianza, a brand of gel-dyed acrylic fibre from Aditya Birla’s Thai Acrylic Fibre Company (TAF), has received its impact scores from Higg’s Material Sustainability Index (MSI), which highlight that the textile has significantly less of an… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021Spinnova develops fibre from leather waste
JYVÄSKYLÄ – Textile innovator Spinnova has created a new fibre from leather waste which it says can be used to make footwear, garments and leather accessories without the use of harmful chemicals. Spinnova developed the fibre - which is said to… -
Thursday, 20 May 2021Kalpona Akter joins Annie Lennox's The Circle
DHAKA - Bangladeshi workers' rights activist and former child garment worker Kalpona Akter has joined The Circle, the global NGO founded by singer Annie Lennox, as an ambassador. Akter will add her voice to The Circle's call for legislation to… -
Wednesday, 19 May 2021LCA confirms new fibre's low climate impact
ESPOO - Finnish forest industry group Metsä says that an independent life-cycle assessment (LCA) test has confirmed its new sustainable wood-based textile fibre, Kuura, has a lower impact on climate change than any commercially-available cellulosic… -
Wednesday, 19 May 2021Valentino to go fur-free by 2022
MILAN – Luxury fashion firm Valentino has confirmed that it will go fur-free by 2022, in a move hailed by animal rights group PETA. The company joins the likes of Burberry, Gucci, Michael Kors and Macy’s in distancing itself from using such… -
Wednesday, 19 May 2021FFG project to develop ‘sustainable’ concept garments
AMSTERDAM – Global sustainability organisation Fashion for Good (FFG) has welcomed six young creatives to its ‘Grow’ talent project, a three-month programme that’ll allow the aspiring professionals the opportunity to develop ‘sustainable’ garments… -
Tuesday, 18 May 2021
Brands urged to step up for garment workers
SOUTH ASIA - Brands are being urged to step in to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic's impact on garment workers as a third wave of infections hits India and supply chain countries across South Asia. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is urging brands… -
Monday, 17 May 2021Podcast: The Higg MSI and Scaling Sustainability
WAKEFIELD – In our latest Ecotextile Talks radio show, Jeremy Lardeau, vice president of the Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), and Cash East, director of analytics at tech firm Higg discuss their work developing the Material… -
Monday, 17 May 2021
Garment factories hit by COVID third wave
COLOMBO - Human rights campaigners in Sri Lanka are calling on the government to act to limit a third wave of COVID-19 which is spreading rapidly in the country's garment factories. Hundreds of garment workers have tested positive for the virus and… -
Monday, 17 May 2021Construction underway on new Spinnova production site
JYVÄSKYLÄ – Fibre innovator Spinnova and its partner Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer, have announced that construction is underway on their new smart factory in Finland that is expected to produce one million tonnes of Spinnova fibre… -
Monday, 17 May 2021Tchibo backs call for new Accord agreement
DHAKA - German retailer Tchibo has become only the second company sourcing from Bangladesh to back calls for a legally-binding agreement to underwrite the new tripartite body which has taken over responsibility for garment factory safety in the… -
Friday, 14 May 2021OCA launches guidelines on GMO contamination
AMSTERDAM - The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative has launched new guidelines for seed producers anxious to prevent GMO contamination of organic cotton. The OCA says its 'Non-GM Cottonseed Production Guidelines' provide the textile sector… -
Friday, 14 May 2021CmiA reports uptake growth of 120% in 2020
HAMBURG – The Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative has reported record gains for the year 2020, in which uptake of its sustainably produced material grew by 120 per cent on the previous year. The programme works with more than 60 retailers and… -
Thursday, 13 May 2021Dutch authority investigates greenwashing claims
AMSTERDAM – The Dutch consumers’ authority ACM has launched an investigation into companies in the apparel, energy and dairy sectors, over allegations of greenwashing. The term greenwashing refers to exaggerated sustainability claims that aren’t… -
Thursday, 13 May 2021
Unions to pull out of worker safety body
DHAKA - Trade unions have given notice that they will pull out of the new tri-partite body which has taken over responsibility for garment factory safety in Bangladesh unless brands agree to back it with a legally binding agreement. They say that… -
Wednesday, 12 May 2021Scientists create 'leather' from silk proteins
BOSTON - Scientists have created a leather-like material from silk proteins which they say offers similar qualities to the real thing but from a more sustainable source. Researchers at the Tufts University School of Engineering in Boston,…
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