Materials & Production News
-
Wednesday, 23 September 2020US legislation over Xinjiang imports gains traction
WASHINGTON – The US House of Representatives has voted to take comprehensive action against the import of apparel and other goods from Xinjiang’s Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and will work on the “legal presumption” that any product which arrives… -
Wednesday, 23 September 2020PETA urges Capri Holdings to ban exotic animal skins
LONDON – Animal rights organisation PETA will attend the annual meeting of Capri Holdings today, which owns illustrious brands such as Versace and Michael Kors, as it poses the question: When will you protect public health and animal welfare by no… -
Wednesday, 23 September 2020NGOs set out to identify forced labour cases in Bangladesh
WASHINGTON – Humanitarian campaign groups GoodWeave International and the Awaj Foundation have partnered to provide COVID-19 relief aid to Bangladesh’s hard-hit apparel industry workers, and has vowed to conduct in-depth research into the nation’s… -
Tuesday, 22 September 2020Lenzing launches carbon-zero Tencel fibre
LENZING – Textile fibre producer Lenzing has brought to market its very first carbon-zero Tencel branded lyocell and modal fibres, which have been third-party verified and certified Carbon Neutral. The product’s development is the latest step in… -
Tuesday, 22 September 2020Survey: consumers allured by sustainable packaging
DUBLIN – A new survey conducted by packaging specialist Smurfit Kappa highlights growing appetite amongst European customers for fashion brands to adopt more sustainable forms of packaging. Amongst respondents within the UK, 45 per cent of the… -
Tuesday, 22 September 2020Myanmar unions deem COVID guidelines “unfair”
YANGON – Workers’ unions in Myanmar have labelled the Ministry of Labour’s COVID-19 guidelines “unfair”, with instructions largely laying the responsibility with garment factory employees to reduce the spread of the infection, rather than their… -
Monday, 21 September 2020Online platform champions non-mulesed wool growers
ADELAIDE – In Australia, a new platform called NewMerino has been created to spotlight wool growers who’ve ceased mulesing. The organisation has a growing membership of what it calls ‘New Generation Farmers’, those who demonstrate a “sustainable”… -
Monday, 21 September 2020Lenzing receives improved sustainability rating
LENZING – Textile fibre producer Lenzing has been awarded an improved sustainability rating of B- by field agency ISS ESG for its ongoing efforts to reduce the firm’s environmental impacts. The revised rating, up from C+, positions the Austrian… -
Friday, 18 September 2020Cone Denim adopts Oritain’s tracing tech
GREENSBORO – Cone Denim, of the Elevate Textiles Group which also owns American & Efird and Burlington, has partnered with supply chain traceability specialist Oritain to validate the end-to-end authenticity of the cotton it uses. Oritain’s method,… -
Thursday, 17 September 2020Digital plan to track every garment in the world
NEW YORK - Digital platform provider Eon has linked up with fashion brands H&M, PVH and Target, as well as software giant Microsoft, in a plan to give every garment in the world a unique digital identity. The initial aim is to bring 400 million… -
Thursday, 17 September 2020More microfibres 'end up on land than in water'
SANTA BARBARA - More polyester and nylon microfibres - shed from clothing during washing - now end up on land around the world than in our rivers and oceans, according to new research. Scientists at the University of California say around 176,500… -
Wednesday, 16 September 2020Sustainable Apparel Coalition announces Higg PM launch
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) today announces the release of its Higg Product Module (Higg PM), a lifecycle assessment tool that promises to guide brands, retailers and manufacturers by calculating both product and supply… -
Wednesday, 16 September 2020PODCAST: Revisiting fashion's misinformation problem
WAKEFIELD - Our latest Big Closets Small Planet podcast revisits fashion's misinformation problem which was highlighted by a special Ecotextile News investigation - Busting Myths - late last year. Back then, we looked at some of the more… -
Wednesday, 16 September 2020Re:newcell ponders potential new factory move
STOCKHOLM – Textile recycling innovator Re:newcell is exploring the possibility of investing in a new facility in Sweden, as it looks to scale production. Re:newcell’s technology chemically recycles garments with high cellulosic content to yield… -
Tuesday, 15 September 2020Cambodian unions to boycott labour laws discussion
PHNOM PENH – Six workers’ unions in Cambodia plan to boycott a meeting between the country’s labour ministry today, in opposition to proposed new amendments to labour laws which would see overtime payment rates scrapped. Authorities have deliberated… -
Monday, 14 September 2020Designers use 3D printing for sustainability
MINNEAPOLIS - 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys is working with fashion designers through the European Union funded Re-FREAM project to make the production of fashion more sustainable. The company's PolyJet 3D printing technology played an integral… -
Monday, 14 September 2020Fashion Week protestors address Uyghur plight
NEW YORK – On the opening night of New York Fashion Week, Uyghur rights and advocacy groups staged demonstrations, highlighting the industry’s accountability in the ongoing plight of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region, where it’s believed… -
Friday, 11 September 2020Textile Exchange takes charge of 'Preferred Fiber Toolkit'
SAN FRANCISCO – Fashion brand Gap has partnered with Textile Exchange for the public release of its Preferred Fiber Toolkit (PFT), an online resource that will detail the environmental and social impacts of various raw material, as to inform… -
Friday, 11 September 2020PVH Corp bans exotic animal skins
NEW YORK – Fashion conglomerate PVH Corp., the owner of brands including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, has banned exotic animal skins from its clothing, telling PETA that it’s part of its “long-term strategy to drive fashion forward for good”.… -
Friday, 11 September 2020Expanded Transformers ED to be staged online
NEW YORK - The Transformers Foundation is to virtually stage the next edition of its Transformers ED student and consumer-facing denim education series online via Zoom on October 14, 15 and 16. Featuring three days of content focused on the topics… -
Friday, 11 September 2020Fashion For Good project champions chemical recycling tech
AMSTERDAM – Sustainability initiative Fashion for Good (FFG) has initiated a new project which, with the support of a consortium of brands, manufacturers and industry organisations, will vie to scale promising chemical recycling solutions in… -
Friday, 11 September 2020Cambodia sets new minimum wage for garment workers
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia's minimum wage for garment workers has been set at US$192 per month for next year - an increase of just US$2 - prompting criticism from trade unions. The Ministry of Labour announced that from 1st January 2021 permanent garment… -
Thursday, 10 September 2020Cash support for Bangladesh's garment workers
DHAKA - The Bangladesh government is to provide laid-off garment workers with 3,000 taka (US$35) a month for three months, in a relief programme backed by the European Union and Germany to the tune of €113 million (US$134m). Workers laid off from… -
Wednesday, 09 September 2020
Bangladesh’s RMG sector concerned as Europe cases rise
DHAKA – There’s concern in Bangladesh as countries within Europe register increases in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, which threaten the southeast Asian nation’s resurgence. Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector is typically accountable… -
Wednesday, 09 September 2020Germany backs ILO bid to help garment workers
BERLIN - The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is to give €14.5 million (US$17m) to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) programme to help garment workers affected by COVID-19 in seven countries. The… -
Tuesday, 08 September 2020
Adidas supplier 'lays off' 4,000 workers
LAPU-LAPU - Around 4,000 garment workers have reportedly been laid off without notice by a sportswear manufacturer, which reportedly supplies major brands including Adidas, Under Armour and Lululemon, in the Philippines. The Partido Manggagawa… -
Tuesday, 08 September 2020
Garment workers spent savings to survive COVID-19
DHAKA - A quarter of garment workers in Bangladesh spent their savings to cover living expenses during the coronavirus pandemic while 18 per cent borrowed money and nine per cent relied on family support, according to a survey. The poll, entitled… -
Tuesday, 08 September 2020Leicester factories blamed for spread of COVID
LEICESTER – Garment manufacturing bosses in Leicester are amongst those who’ve been singled out for blame for spreading the coronavirus in the UK, after a former government minister launched an attack on the country’s handling of the contagion in… -
Tuesday, 08 September 2020Report says manufacturers are key to circularity
SINGAPORE - International sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future is calling on the fashion industry to realise the huge untapped potential of manufacturers to accelerate the transformation towards circularity. Forum for the Future has… -
Monday, 07 September 2020Solidaridad backs calls for EU due diligence law
UTRECHT - The Solidaridad international organisation has added its voice to calls for the EU to introduce legislation requiring European businesses to carry out environmental and human rights due diligence throughout their supply chains.… -
Monday, 07 September 2020AWI board urged to choose projects over profits
SYDNEY – A former board member of Australia Wool Innovation has urged the industry body to halve the incomes of board personnel, at least until the country’s wool market recovers from the effects of COVID-19. According to AWI’s Annual Report… -
Friday, 04 September 2020Microplastics detrimental to land fertility, research finds
CHONGQING – Researchers in China have concluded a study which has assessed the impact microplastics have on land fertility and ecosystems underground. The findings highlight that across four test areas, those exposed to the highest quantities of… -
Thursday, 03 September 2020Raw materials key to sustainability - survey
LENZING - The majority of consumers want to shop for fashion and textiles more sustainably with the choice of raw materials ranking as a key factor in purchasing decisions, according to new survey by textile manufacturer Lenzing. The study of 9,000… -
Thursday, 03 September 2020California worker protection bill falls through
CALIFORNIA – Highly anticipated proposed legislation that would have ensured garment workers in the state of California are afforded a minimum wage has fallen through, as it failed to come up for a vote before the midnight deadline of this year’s… -
Thursday, 03 September 2020Cambodian unions eye wage increase as talks loom
PHNOM PENH – Workers unions in Cambodia are pushing for a minimum wage increase of more than six per cent to provide respite for those employed in the sector amidst COVID-19. The proposal follows a meeting of union leaders last month, including… -
Thursday, 03 September 2020Denim microfibres found in remote Arctic
TORONTO - Microfibres from blue denim jeans have been found in the remote Canadian Arctic, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Toronto. The research, published in the American Chemical Society’s Environmental Science and… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020Progress on infinitely recyclable polymers
COLORADO – Research on recyclable plastics is gaining further momentum with the publication of a new study which claims to have developed a ‘new’ generation of plastic that can be recycled over and over again. It’s reported that the new material, a… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020Chanel heir eyes sugar cane investments
NEW YORK - Chanel heir David Wertheimer is leading an investment fund that aims to develop technology to extract from sugar cane sustainable alternatives to plastic and other materials used in clothing, shoes and accessories. Wertheimer, the son of… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020Controversy over COVID-19 job loss claims
DHAKA - Around 325,000 garment workers have lost their jobs and more than 1,900 factories closed their doors since March in Bangladesh because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report. However, the study by the Bangladesh Institute of… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020Virtu-Wool conference cites 'local' as way forward
Building local communities through better textile and fiber-based infrastructures emerged as a key theme of the two-day Virtu-Wool online research conference. The virtual conference, hosted New Zealand research institute AgResearch, served as a… -
Tuesday, 01 September 2020
US organisations call for WRO on Xinjiang cotton
XINJIANG – A group of human and labour rights organisations in the United States have filed a formal petition with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), urging it to issue a regional withhold release order (WRO) on all cotton-made goods linked… -
Friday, 28 August 2020USA joins MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact network
FALLS CHURCH – The mission-statement of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact has been significantly strengthened with the launch of a new U.S. Plastics Pact in the States. More than 60 ‘activators’ committed to the cause will now… -
Thursday, 27 August 2020Fashion startup recycles garments in closed loop
STOCKHOLM - Swedish sustainable fashion startup A Good Company, which recycles its clothing through a closed loop process, has launched a Kickstart appeal to scale up production. The B-Corp company, which makes clothing with QR tracking codes so… -
Thursday, 27 August 2020Eurofins concludes microfibre research findings
HONG KONG – A white paper published by Eurofins Softlines & Leather has examined microfibre emissions from almost 600 fabric samples, and found that cotton fibres are the most consistently released amidst wash cycles, whilst the length of textile… -
Wednesday, 26 August 2020H&M, Primark amongst open letter advocates
GLAND – As many as 15 leading apparel brands including H&M, Primark, Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger are joined by WWF, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and ZDHC in signing a new open letter to the industry, urging that it aligns to rebuild the… -
Tuesday, 25 August 2020UK to curb commodity links to deforestation – but what about textiles?
LONDON – The UK government has said that large companies whose supply chains are linked to commodities derived from illegal deforestation should face substantial fines under newly proposed legislation – but surprisingly, viscose and lyocell fibres… -
Tuesday, 25 August 2020Textile recycling plant to open in Finland
PAIMIO – Scandinavia's first large scale textile waste processing plant is to open in the Finnish town on Paimio in February 2021 in a collaboration between circular economy company Rester and the Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto (LSJH) waste management… -
Tuesday, 25 August 2020Microplastics absorb in human tissue, researchers find
ARIZONA – Researchers at Arizona State University say a new innovative technique which has enabled them to identify microplastics in human tissue has shown up traces of polyethylene terephthalate, (PET) polyethylene (PE) and Bisphenol A (BPA) in… -
Friday, 21 August 2020Stand.Earth report looks ahead to coal-free future
SAN FRANCISCO – Environmental NGO Stand.Earth has released a new report which addresses the fashion industry’s reliance on fossil fuels like coal, outlining problem areas within the supply chain before making a case for drastic industry change.… -
Friday, 21 August 2020Higg Index critique gets SAC welcome
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Higg Co. have welcomed the publication of a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, which says that fashion sustainability tools such as the Higg Index will only drive ‘limited’…
BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM MCL NEWS & MEDIA
©
2008 - 2020
MCL News & Media