Materials & Production News
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Monday, 06 December 2021Tackling gender-based violence in factories
DHAKA - The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BRAC NGO on the prevention of gender-based violence and workplace harassment of garment workers. The MoU aims to… -
Monday, 06 December 2021STeP certification for Sateri lyocell plant
SHANGHAI - Sateri has become the first lyocell producer in China to be awarded Oeko-Tex's Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) certification for responsible production. The company's lyocell facility in Rizhao, Shandong Province, also obtained the… -
Thursday, 02 December 2021New bid to make CmiA cotton carbon neutral
HAMBURG - A new initiative has been launched with the ambition of making cotton produced under the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative carbon neutral. The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF), which runs CmiA, has linked up with the Atmosfair climate… -
Thursday, 02 December 2021Nike apparel recycling project wins funding
ROCHESTER - A Nike project to explore the use of automated technology to disassemble apparel for recycling is among the beneficiaries of funding announced in the US to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. It is one of 23 new projects… -
Thursday, 02 December 2021Progress on transparency 'slow and shallow'
LEEK - Supply chain transparency amongst fashion brands and retailers is increasing but progress is "too slow and too shallow", according to a new report from the Fashion Revolution initiative. The NGO surveyed the policies of 63 major brands and… -
Wednesday, 01 December 2021New deal targets carbon positive textiles
LAHORE - Sapphire Textile Mills, a vertically-integrated textile mill in Pakistan, has partnered with Good Earth Cotton, the world’s first carbon positive and traceable cotton, to introduce a new collection of sustainable yarns and fabrics. Good… -
Wednesday, 01 December 2021RGE backs two sustainable fashion projects
SINGAPORE – Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), the world's largest producer of viscose fibre, has agreed two new partnerships aimed at advancing sustainable fashion. The first is a three-year strategic partnership with the Textile and Fashion Federation… -
Wednesday, 01 December 2021Funding for fashion and textile innovations
LEEDS - The Future Fashion Factory research and development programme has secured more than £1 million (US$1.3m) in funding for new sustainable fashion and textile innovation projects. The money, secured through the organisatiton’s fourth Innovation… -
Tuesday, 30 November 2021Major brands linked to Amazon deforestation
AMAZON - Major fashion brands, including H&M, Zara, Adidas and Nike, are at risk of contributing to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, according to a new report. The Stand.Earth environmental campaign group carried out the study, entitled… -
Friday, 26 November 2021Carbios and partners secure European grant
CLERMONT-FERRAND – French recycling firm Carbios and its partners Deloitte and T.EN Zimmer have secured a €3.3 million (US$3.7m) grant through the European Union’s LIFE funding programme. It comes in recognition of Carbios’ efforts to commercialise… -
Friday, 26 November 2021Leicester workers urged to share their experiences
LEICESTER – De Montfort University (DMU) and the University of Nottingham’s Rights Lab are encouraging garment workers in Leicester to complete an anonymous survey that will inform the strategy of the city’s new Garment and Textile Workers Trust.… -
Thursday, 25 November 2021Contentious wool report sparks debate
NEW YORK – The environmental impact of wool could be five times greater than that of conventional cotton, according to a new report from the Center for Biological Diversity and Collective Fashion Justice’s Circumfauna initiative. Using Higg data,… -
Thursday, 25 November 2021Biodegradable yarn covers to protect saplings
DENKENDORF - Researchers at the German Institute for Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) have developed biodegradable yarn covers to protect tree saplings during reforestation projects. The 'growth covers' prevent animals, such as deer, from feeding… -
Thursday, 25 November 2021Teijin’s science-based climate targets backed
TOKYO - Japanese tech and fibres firm Teijin's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets have been vaildated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as being in line with the Paris Agreement. It becomes the first company in the Japanese… -
Wednesday, 24 November 2021Fashion for Good targets India with recycling project
MUMBAI – Sustainability non-profit Fashion for Good (FFG) has launched a new project in India as it looks to lay the foundations for textile recycling infrastructure in the country. Working in collaboration with Adidas, Levi’s, PVH Corp, Arvind,… -
Tuesday, 23 November 2021Unifi hits 30bn bottle recycling target early
GREENSBORO – Recycled polyester yarn producer Unifi is celebrating after hitting its target of recycling 30 billion post-consumer plastic bottles into fibres. The company, which supplies brands such as Patagonia and The North Face, transforms used… -
Tuesday, 23 November 2021Demand for next-gen materials 'set to soar'
NAPA - Demand for animal-free, sustainable alternatives to leather, down, wool, silk, fur and exotic skins is set to take off, according to a new report. The 'Next-Gen Materials White Space Report', jointly produced by the Material Innovation… -
Tuesday, 23 November 2021Product repair platform secures new investment
LONDON – The Seam, a UK-based product repair start-up, has secured £250,000 (US$334,000) in funding which will be used to scale its services. The company has a platform that convenes repair specialists and customers in the same way Uber connects… -
Tuesday, 23 November 2021Renewable energy pilot launched in Vietnam
HANOI - A pilot project to boost the use of rooftop solar energy in Vietnam's apparel industry has been launched by the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Clean Energy Investment Accelerator (CEIA) and IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative. The aim is… -
Monday, 22 November 2021Leather mapping project targets deforestation
NORTHAMPTON - The largest ever project to map the leather supply chain is to be carried out to evaluate the industry's impacts on deforestation. A collaboration of the Leather Working Group (LWG) trade body, National Wildlife Federation, World… -
Monday, 22 November 2021Sri Lankan workers urged to unionise - report
COLOMBO – Workers’ rights organisation the Solidarity Center has produced a report which explores the extent to which Sri Lankan garment workers fall victim to exploitation. The report – ‘Overworked and Underpaid, Sri Lanka’s Garment Workers Left… -
Monday, 22 November 2021FibreTrace brings traceability to African cotton
GLO-DJIGBÉ - Traceability solutions specialist FibreTrace has linked up with industrial park developer Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms (Arise IIP) to create what is claimed to be Africa’s first fully traceable cotton supply chain. The two… -
Monday, 22 November 2021Hubbub, John Lewis launch Circular Future Fund
LONDON – Environmental charity Hubbub has teamed up with the John Lewis Partnership to launch a new £1 million (US$1.3m) fund that will support companies and organisations that can accelerate the transition towards a circular economy. Targeted at… -
Friday, 19 November 2021China textile initiative to combat GHG emissions
BEIJING – As many as 57 Chinese textile and fashion companies have come together to launch the ‘Climate Stewardship Accelerating Plan’, a new nationwide initiative with a mission statement of achieving climate neutrality. The framework appears… -
Thursday, 18 November 2021Contaminants dominate microfibre sample
STOKE-ON-TRENT – Academics at Staffordshire University have assessed the potential for contamination during microplastic sample collections on research trips and revealed that more than 70 per cent of particles found could stem from things like the… -
Thursday, 18 November 2021Textile tool measures carbon and water impacts
ZURICH – Oeko-Tex is adding a new module to its STeP environmental standard in a bid to allow production facilities to measure and report their carbon emissions and water use at the facility level, by each processing step, or by kilogram of textile… -
Thursday, 18 November 2021Google teams up with Textile Exchange
DUBLIN – Technology giant Google has developed a new digital platform to shed light on the environmental impacts of sourcing various textile fibre types and is expected to license the system to industry non-profit Textile Exchange next year. Google… -
Thursday, 18 November 2021New initiative seeks net zero supply chains
LUXEMBOURG - Leading brands and retailers including Adidas, C&A, H&M, Levi's, Nike, Patagonia, Target and VF Corp have signed up to a new initiative to help companies achieve net zero emissions in their supply chains. The Value Change Initiative has… -
Thursday, 18 November 2021TrusTrace teams up to improve industry transparency
STOCKHOLM – Supply chain solutions provider TrusTrace is at the heart of a new industry coalition established to improve supply chain transparency. The Swedish firm is collaborating with Higg, the Open Apparel Registry (OAR), Renoon, Haelixa and… -
Wednesday, 17 November 2021Fashion giants 'still linked to Xinjiang cotton'
SHEFFIELD - More than 100 well-known global brands and retailers are still at high risk of having cotton produced using forced labour in the Xinjiang region of China in their supply chains, according to a new report. Entitled 'Laundering Cotton: How… -
Wednesday, 17 November 2021Candiani secures Regenagri’s Chain of Custody certification
MILAN – Italian denim mill Candiani has become the first company to earn certification to Regenagri’s new Chain of Custody standard. Regenagri is an international regenerative agriculture programme launched to support farmers as they transition… -
Wednesday, 17 November 2021RGE offers update on industry investments
SINGAPORE – Viscose manufacturing conglomerate Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) has published its 2021 progress report, which offers insight into the work it’s undertaken since committing US$200 million to cellulosic textile fibre research and development… -
Wednesday, 17 November 2021Organic Cotton Summit: 'pushing past the 1%'
OCA – The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) held an online event last week on the theme of 'Pushing Past the One Per Cent' - that is getting organic cotton to grow to more than one per cent of total global cotton production. -
Wednesday, 17 November 2021
US$1 trillion to decarbonise fashion
DUBLIN – A new report from Fashion for Good and the Apparel Impact Institute (AII) released here at the Textile Exchange event in Dublin estimates an investment of around $1 trillion will be needed to finance the textile industry’s transition to net… -
Tuesday, 16 November 2021Global survey outlines transparency challenges
HONG KONG – Most apparel companies plan to increase supply chain transparency by 2027 – but the vast majority will first have to uncover it for themselves, according to a new global survey. Two-thirds of apparel industry executives saw supply chain… -
Tuesday, 16 November 2021Pandemic left 'indelible mark' on supply chains
ARLINGTON – The Better Buying Institute's (BBI) latest report says that COVID-19 has left an "indelible mark" on the global apparel industry and the relationship between buyers and suppliers. However, the 2021 Better Buying Purchasing Practices… -
Tuesday, 16 November 2021Canopy publishes 2021 Hot Button rankings
VANCOUVER – Environmental non-profit Canopy has revealed its 2021 Hot Button rankings of the work global viscose producers are undertaking to protect ancient and endangered forests. Aditya Birla and Lenzing top the chart and have retained the ‘dark… -
Friday, 12 November 2021Radio Show: Episode 4, EPR and the EU Waste Directive
WAKEFIELD – We look at the implications of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and the EU’s Waste Directive in the fourth episode in our five-part audio documentary on the textile-to-textile recycling industry. Speaking mainly to French… -
Friday, 12 November 2021LWG launches largest ever leather LCA study
NORTHAMPTON - The Leather Working Group (LWG) trade body has announced the launch of what it describes as the largest lifecycle assessment (LCA) study ever carried out into the leather industry. It sees the LCA study as a key tool to show off the… -
Thursday, 11 November 2021Scientists 'turn textile sludge into bricks'
RIO DE JANEIRO - Scientists in Brazil are looking into the feasibility of converting waste sludge from textiles production into a raw material for the traditional ceramic industry. Researchers at the State University of the Northern Rio de Janeiro… -
Thursday, 11 November 2021SAC calls for a 'new kind of leadership'
SAN FRANCISCO - Amina Razvi, executive director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), called for a new kind of leadership to reduce the industry's impact, at the opening of the organisation's annual meeting. The virtual event, held under the… -
Thursday, 11 November 2021Green Theme launches PFC-free stain repellent
ALBUQUERQUE – US textile finishing specialist Green Theme Technologies (GTT) has added a PFC-free and water-free stain release treatment to its range of Empel-branded ‘sustainable’ solutions. The new stain release technology was subjected to… -
Wednesday, 10 November 2021Finland welcomes textile recycling site
PAIMIO – Finnish recycling specialist Rester has teamed up with waste management firm LSJH to open Northern Europe’s largest textile recycling plant. Situated in Paimoio, Southwest Finland, the facility is expected to process 12 million kilogrammes… -
Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Wholesaler shares Better Buying scorecard
SEATTLE - US apparel and accessories wholesaler SanMar Corporation has become the first company to make its Better Buying purchasing practices scorecard publicly available. Better Buying's Purchasing Practice Index details how companies are rated by… -
Wednesday, 10 November 2021Traceability tech provider secures investment
GRENOBLE – Traceability solutions provider Primo1D has secured €15 million (US$17.3m) in funds which it’ll use to scale its RFID (radio frequency identification) tag technology. The French outfit is keen to market its E-Thread solution to the… -
Wednesday, 10 November 2021Microplastics in homes 100x higher than predicted
PORTSMOUTH – Researchers at the University of Portsmouth have found that the amount of microplastics in our homes is 100 times higher than previously predicted. Academics, working with the Good Morning Britain (GMB) news programme, assessed the… -
Tuesday, 09 November 2021Plastics innovator secures European grant
HAMBURG – Circular bio-economy start-up Traceless Materials has secured a €2.42 million (US$2.8m) grant through the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Accelerator programme. The German firm was one of just 65 to be selected from more than 4,000… -
Monday, 08 November 2021
New roadmap report addresses industry emissions
SAN FRANCISCO – The Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) and World Resources Institute (WRI) have today published a new report which outlines six interventions the fashion and textile industries will have to make if they’re to combat increasing volumes of… -
Monday, 08 November 2021LWG to tackle deforestation in supply chains
NORTHAMPTON - The Leather Working Group (LWG) trade body has pledged to accelerate the traceability requirements of its LWG Leather Manufacturer Audit in a drive to ensure that its members' leather is 100 per cent deforestation and conversion free… -
Friday, 05 November 2021
Radio Show: Episode 3, Sourcing feedstock for textile recycling
WAKEFIELD – The third episode in our new five-part audio documentary examines the challenges of sourcing enough of the right feedstock for chemical textile-to-textile recycling. Ecotextile Talks speaks to Södra’s Niclas Berg, whose job involves…
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