Materials & Production News
-
Thursday, 03 December 2020Podcast: Textile traceability: is blockchain the answer?
WAKEFIELD – Former BBC producer Phil Berman hosts our latest Ecotextile Talks Radio Show to find out how blockchain can be an important new tool for clothing retailers to provide real-time transparency in their supply networks when sourcing clothes… -
Thursday, 03 December 2020Infinited Fiber Company partners with Andritz
ESPOO – Machinery manufacturer Andritz has struck a deal with textile recycler Infinited Fiber Company with its process and equipment solutions. The pair have undertaken trials over the past year to determine whether they’re compatible and,… -
Thursday, 03 December 2020Forced labour: US bans XPCC cotton imports
WASHINGTON DC - The US has banned cotton imports from the powerful Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) over concerns about the use of forced labour by Uyghur Muslim prisoners in China. The XPCC, a state-owned economic paramilitary… -
Thursday, 03 December 2020Textile Exchange creates Biodiversity Benchmark
VANCOUVER – Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber and Materials Benchmark (CFMB) programme will beta test a new tool that can help fashion and textile industry stakeholders address their impact on biodiversity. Developed alongside the Biodiversity… -
Wednesday, 02 December 2020ILO report highlights COVID impact on wages
GENEVA – The COVID-19 pandemic has forced global wages down - particularly for women and low-paid workers - according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO's Global Wage Report 2020/21 found that wages fell - or… -
Wednesday, 02 December 2020Aquafil expands carpet recycling ambition
PHOENIX – Nylon manufacturer Aquafil has partnered with carpet collections network Planet Recycling as it looks to close the loop on carpet recycling and make a dent in the estimated four billion pounds of flooring textiles which enter US landfill… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020GM cotton uptake increases in Africa
AFRICA – The number of countries now growing genetically-modified (GM) crops such a cotton and maize in Africa has doubled since 2018, new figures show. Ethiopia, Malawi and Nigeria have joined South Africa, Sudan and Eswatini in adopting a… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020Reimagine Fashion contest winners announced
BRUSSELS - The European Commission has revealed the identities of the winners of its 2020 European Social Innovation Competition - this year held on the theme of 'Reimagine Fashion'. The three winners of the contest - launched to find early-stage,… -
Tuesday, 01 December 2020
BCI admits 'mass balance' system could go
GENEVA - The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has revealed that its controversial 'mass balance' system could eventually be replaced with full traceability following concerns over its failure to uncover forced labour issues in China. An independent… -
Monday, 30 November 2020New bid to size fashion's carbon footprint
WASHINGTON DC - A new multi-stakeholder project has been launched to put a more accurate number on the size of the carbon footprint of the global fashion and textiles industry. Called 'Roadmap to Net Zero', it involves the World Resources Institute… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Nigeria to promote cleaner energy in textiles
ABUJA – Nigeria’s federal government and the United Nations’ Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have outlined plans to increase the use of cleaner energy in industries including textiles, steel, food and petrochemicals. The steering… -
Monday, 30 November 2020Garment workers 'hit hardest by pandemic'
NEW DELHI - The Indian government has been urged to step up social protection after a new survey revealed that garment workers have been the hardest hit financially by the coronavirus pandemic. One in five garment workers - who normally earn… -
Friday, 27 November 2020Radici Group releases 2019 sustainability report
BERGAMO - Italian chemicals and advanced textiles manufacturer, the Radici Group, has published its latest sustainability report. Highlights include the launch of the company's Renycle range of yarns, made from recycled nylon, which claims huge… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Transparency 'barriers remain in Bangladesh'
DHAKA - Brands, manufacturers and garment workers still face significant barriers to achieving greater transparency in the Bangladesh apparel industry, according to a new study. Entitled 'Transparency Assessment: Examining the transparency journey… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Sustainable cotton challenge winner named
TEL AVIV - Israeli agricultural-tech start-up Agritask Ltd has been named the winner of the Better Cotton Initiative's global challenge for sustainable farming innovations. Agritask offers a customisable mobile app which allows farmers to adopt… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Chinese spinner adopts Dutch traceability tech
ZHEJIANG - Chinese recycled cotton spinner Tiancheng Recycolor has signed a deal with Dutch start-up The Movement to use its Aware authentication technology to track products throughout the supply chain. Based out of Amsterdam, The Movement's… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Cambodian activist denied bail, claims “injustice”
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s Supreme Court has denied a bail application from prominent labour leader Rong Chhun who was contentiously arrested back in late July for speaking out on “politically sensitive matters” relating to the government’s handling of… -
Thursday, 26 November 2020Scientists bid to turn crops and waste into textiles
YORK - Scientists at the University of York are working on a £5.4m project with the Royal College of Art to transform household waste, crops and old fabrics into new textiles. The aim is to reduce the amount of fabric sent to incinerators and… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020Residues ‘extremely low’ in Australian wool, research shows
SYDNEY – New research out of Australia looking at the prevalence of chemical residues in greasy wool has found levels to be ‘extremely low’, which it’s believed will validate the increasing efforts of apparel rating agencies’ to address toxicity in… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020Bid to develop textile recycling in Bangladesh
DHAKA - The Global Fashion Agenda initiative is to launch a new 12-month project - the Circular Fashion Partnership - in Bangladesh in a bid to reduce waste by developing recycling in the country's huge garment industry. The multi-stakeholder… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Oxfam report finds mixed brand labour standards
CANBERRA – Oxfam has published a new report which assesses the efforts of fashion brands and retailers in Australia to ensure adequate labour rights standards are attained for their supply chain workers in Bangladesh. The Shopping for a Bargain… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020Higg Co to partner with Dedagroup Stealth
SAN FRANCISCO - Sustainability technology company Higg Co has announced a new partnership with Milan-based Dedagroup Stealth which helps more than 60 per cent of Italy’s best-known fashion brands manage their supply chains. It means that Higg's… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020Recycled yarn producer to integrate tracing tech
BHAGWANPUR – Indian yarn manufacturer Usha Yarns has entered into a strategic partnership with Dutch tracing solutions provider The Movement, whose Aware authentication technology will be used to track the former’s recycled products throughout the… -
Wednesday, 25 November 2020Podcast: Is the SAC making a difference?
WAKEFIELD – Nearly a decade on from the establishment of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), this podcast explores the impact on sustainability of this innovative industry collaboration and speaks with the author of a recent report to find out… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020‘Unsustainable’ packaging a deal breaker, consumer survey says
LONDON – New research conducted by packaging firm DS Smith has highlighted the need for companies across industry to adopt more sustainable forms of product packaging, with almost a third of respondents indicating that they have stopped buying from… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Interest grows in post-consumer recycled nylon
SEOUL – Hyosung says that brand interest in its GRS-certified recycled nylon yarns made from pre-consumer waste is growing as it also continues to explore new ways to use post-consumer waste to make its yarns. Brands such as Fat Face and Osprey are… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Industry consortium to demo closing the loop
AMSTERDAM – A consortium of companies spanning the fashion supply chain have partnered for a project that will demonstrate the plausibility of creating a circular economy around textiles. The ‘New Cotton Project’ convenes an innovative textile… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Garment factory fire survivors continue fight
DHAKA - Eight years after a deadly factory fire killed at least 117 garment workers in Bangladesh, the survivors are continuing their fight for full justice The fire in the Tazreen Fashions factory in Dhaka trapped hundreds of workers in a building… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020Australian initiative tackles composite polyester recycling
VICTORIA – A new industry-driven initiative in Australia hopes to divert as much as 1.5 million tonnes of scrap composite polyester fabrics from landfill, having been granted funding by the country’s government. The Specialised Textiles Association… -
Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Second wave lockdowns hit Bangladesh
DHAKA - Orders to garment suppliers in Bangladesh for the next four months are 30 per cent lower than last year as second wave COVID-19 lockdowns begin to bite, according to a new survey. The Bangladesh Garment and Manufacters Association (BGMEA)… -
Monday, 23 November 2020
BCI trains 2.3 million cotton farmers
GENEVA - The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) says it provided training on more sustainable farming practices to more than 2.3 million cotton farmers in 23 countries during the 2018/19 cotton season. The figures are revealed in the BCI's annual Farmer… -
Monday, 23 November 2020Microplastics found near Everest summit
NEPAL - Scientists have uncovered microplastic pollution near the peak of Mount Everest - at nearly 27,600 feet above sea level - according to a new study. An international team of researchers on the Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, funded by… -
Monday, 23 November 2020
UK 'sourced slave labour-made PPE'
LONDON - The British government is investigating claims that it has sourced PPE made using slave labour by North Korean women working at factories in China. The Guardian claimed that the UK's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had bought… -
Friday, 20 November 2020
COVID-19 'hits women garment workers hardest'
BANGKOK – The impact of COVID-19 on women in the garment industry has been exacerbated by underlying gender inequality challenges, according to a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report. Additional issues include gender discrimination and… -
Friday, 20 November 2020
$256m for Bangladesh's polluting factories
DHAKA - The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has awarded US$256.5 million to Bangladesh to introduce energy saving technologies in the country's ageing garment and textiles factories to help the country meet its Paris Agreement targets. The GCF, the world's… -
Friday, 20 November 2020Euratex plans hubs to process textile waste
BRUSSELS - European textile and clothing industry body Euratex is planning to create five major hubs to process textile waste across Europe to upscale recycling and circularity. Called European Textile Recycling Hubs (ReHubs), the joint initiative… -
Thursday, 19 November 2020Carbios recycles textile waste into plastic bottles
CLERMONT-FERRAND – Bioplastics firm Carbios has made a breakthrough with its unique approach to material recycling, as it’s announced the successful production of plastic bottles from textile waste. Two years ago, Ecotextile News covered news from… -
Thursday, 19 November 2020Södra increases recycled content of OnceMore pulp
VÄXJÖ – Swedish pulp and paper giant Södra has successfully increased the amount of used textiles in its OnceMore dissolving pulp - which combines wood cellulose with textile waste to produce fabric for new garments - to 20 per cent. The company,… -
Thursday, 19 November 2020Bangladeshi workers protest over months of unpaid arrears
DHAKA – More than 700 former garment factory workers in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, have staged a sit-in demonstration for the second day running, as they demand their arrears for the past ten months. Their former employer, A-One BD Ltd., closed… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020Wool Declaration confusion causes a stir
NEW SOUTH WALES – The ability for Australian wool growers to define wool treated by freeze branding as ‘non-mulesed’ is cause for frustration amongst stakeholders in the country, which believe the loophole is making a mockery both of the National… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020Radici Group sets up R&D non-profit
GANDINO - Italian chemicals and advanced textiles manufacturer, the Radici Group, has announced the founding of a non-profit consortium to develop sustainable new research and innovation projects. Called Radici InNova, it will focus on projects for… -
Wednesday, 18 November 2020Kelheim joins ETP in sustainability programmes
KELHEIM — German viscose specialty fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres has partnered with the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (ETP) in two programmes to make the European textile industry more sustainable. The two… -
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Dutch Agreement members commit to OAR
AMSTERDAM - The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) has more than doubled the number of production facilities registered by its members on the Open Apparel Registry (OAR) global database. From 2016 to 2019, the number of unique… -
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Innovator of leather alternative secures US$45m in funding
SAN FRANCISCO – US start-up MycoWorks has raised US$45 million in a Series B round of funding, which it says will be used to scale the production capacity of its animal-free leather alternative and set up additional manufacturing plants. The… -
Tuesday, 17 November 2020First industrial textile sorting system launched
MALMÖ – The world's first industral scale automated textile sorting system is now in operation in Malmö, Sweden, where backers hope it will revolutionise textile recycling in the country and create new markets for textile waste. Called Siptex… -
Monday, 16 November 2020PETA challenges controversial croc farm
NORTHERN TERRITORY – Animal rights organisation PETA has hit out at luxury fashion label Hermès over plans to establish a huge crocodile farm in Australia’s Northern Territory solely for the purpose of using their skins in apparel and accessories.… -
Monday, 16 November 2020Clothes hangers - 'fashion's plastic straw'
NEWCASTLE - New research singles out the clothes hanger as the "plastic straw of the fashion industry" with nearly a billion used every year in the UK and many of them ending up in landfill. The study, by Dr Alana James, of Northumbria University,… -
Monday, 16 November 2020IBM partners to launch blockchain project
NEW YORK – Blockchain provider IBM has partnered with textile manufacturer Kaya&Kato to develop an immutable platform that can log the transaction of ‘sustainable’ materials throughout what can be complex supply chains. With support from the German… -
Friday, 13 November 2020Hundreds of textiles tested for microfibre shedding
BRISTOL – The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) has completed tests on over 200 knit, woven and laminated fabrics and yarns in a range of weights and constructions as it looks to develop a comprehensive textile fibre fragmentation database. These test… -
Thursday, 12 November 2020Strike at factory which 'supplies major brands'
HINDUPUR - More than 800 women garment workers have gone on strike - claiming they are being paid less than the minimum wage - at a garment manufacturer in India which supplies leading brands including H&M. The women work for a factory, near the…
BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM MCL NEWS & MEDIA
©
2008 - 2020
MCL News & Media