Materials & Production News
-
Wednesday, 21 April 2021Teijin teams up to develop recycling technologies
TOKYO – Japanese fibre manufacturer Teijin Limited, trading company Itochu Corporation and engineering firm JGC Corporation have come together to pool their resources and develop effective recycling solutions for the textile industry. The… -
Wednesday, 21 April 2021Human Rights Watch calls for Xinjiang boycott
NEW YORK - The Human Rights Watch NGO is calling on brands and retailers to boycott products - such as cotton - from the Xinjiang region of China over concerns about the use of forced labour. Human Rights Watch is also calling on the United Nations… -
Wednesday, 21 April 2021Certification insulates cotton against market shocks
GENEVA – A new policy brief released by a major global think tank claims that compliance with voluntary sustainability standards can help smallholder cotton farmers to be more resilient to global shocks – such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its… -
Wednesday, 21 April 2021PETA reaffirms call for Levi’s to ban leather
SAN FRANCISCO – Animal rights organisation PETA will today attend denim brand Levi’s digital annual meeting in a bid to influence a ban on animal leather. The non-profit routinely attends the meetings of fashion brands and retailers, having bought… -
Wednesday, 21 April 2021Mills Fabrica set to expand to London
LONDON - The Mills Fabrica global platform for sustainable and social innovation in the apparel and textiles industry is to open a new physical hub in the UK this summer. Mills Fabrica, which also supports innovation in the agritech and food… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021Infinited Fiber to build €220M factory in Finland
HELSINKI – Infinited Fiber Company (IFC), which produces cellulosic fibres from textile waste, plans to build a 30,000 metric tons per year facility in Finland at a cost of €220 million. Working with textile machine builder Andritz, it expects the… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021Teijin backs call for ambitious emissions target
TOKYO – Japanese textile conglomerate Teijin Limited has come out in support of a statement calling for more ambitious environmental targets in its homeland. It relates to a request made by the Japan Climate Initiative (JPI) which wants authorities… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021Report calls for tougher product design requirements
BRUSSELS – The Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) has today published a report which explains how a more sustainable approach to garment design could dramatically reduce the industry’s environmental impact while supporting the circular… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021Garment industry badly hit by Myanmar coup
YANGON - Around 200,000 garment workers in Myanmar have lost their jobs since the military coup at the beginning of February, according to a leading workers’ rights campaigner. Several major brands, including H&M, Primark and Benneton, have put a… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021Leicester factory probe findings revealed
LEICESTER - Investigators looking into allegations surrounding garment factories in Leicester say they have found no evidence of modern slavery but did find that workers were being paid less than the minimum wage and working in poor conditions.… -
Tuesday, 20 April 2021African cotton bodies team up to support farmers
HAMBURG – The Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA) initiative and the African Cotton Foundation (ACF) have teamed up to support training and new implementation measures conducted by cotton companies across the continent. Actions will be coordinated by the… -
Monday, 19 April 2021China looks to Central Asia for more cotton
BEIJING - China is looking to Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to reduce its reliance on imported cotton from the United States and Australia. With relations strained between China and western countries - amidst ongoing… -
Monday, 19 April 2021Nanollose raises investment for pilot production
PERTH – Australian textile innovator Nanollose has raised US$2.85 million from investors to underpin pilot production of its environmentally-friendly tree-free lyocell fibres and fabrics. The company says the offer was over subscribed and will allow… -
Monday, 19 April 2021Birla Cellulose awarded for circularity, transparency efforts
MUMBAI – Textile fibre manufacturer Birla Cellulose has emerged as the winner of the first ‘National Innovative and Sustainable Supply Chain Award’, presented by United Nations Global Compact Network India (GCNI). The Aditya Birla brand received the… -
Friday, 16 April 2021Fashion is 'big bet' for African circularity
ABIDJAN - The fashion and textiles industry has been highlighted as a key opportunity to develop a circular economy for Africa, according to a new World Economic Forum report. Entitled 'Five Big Bets for the Circular Economy in Africa', the report… -
Friday, 16 April 2021China 'to launch own Better Cotton Initiative'
BEIJING - China is reportedly set to launch its own version of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in the latest development in the country's attempt to fight back against forced labour allegations surrounding the country's cotton industry. The… -
Thursday, 15 April 2021Podcast: The Higg Index - 10 years in the making
WAKEFIELD – Ten years on from the foundation of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the latest edition of our Ecotextile Talks Radio Show examines the progress of the Higg Index suite of tools that it helped to create. In this first episode of… -
Tuesday, 13 April 2021Fashion for Good picks South Asia innovators
AMSTERDAM – The Fashion for Good initiative has selected 10 new innovators to participate in the third batch of its South Asia Innovation Programme. The new batch includes potential game-changers such as inks produced from greenhouse gas emissions,… -
Tuesday, 13 April 2021Nanofibre filaments from recycled polyester
TOKYO – Teijin claims to have developed the world’s first ultra-fine recycled polyester filaments, which are just 700 nanometres in diameter. Using proprietary spinning technology, the ultra-fine polyester ‘Nanofront’ filaments are capable of… -
Tuesday, 13 April 2021EU urged to tackle garment worker pay
NEWCASTLE - The Circle NGO is calling on the European Union (EU) to introduce legislation which would encourage brands and retailers to ensure garment workers in their supply chains are paid a living wage. The Circle, which was founded by the singer… -
Monday, 12 April 2021Garment factories to stay open during lockdown
DHAKA - The Bangladeshi government has agreed to a plea from garment manufacturers to allow their factories to remain open during an upcoming lockdown to arrest a spike in COVID-19 cases. The government has decided to allow factories to run during… -
Monday, 12 April 2021Brands 'failing to protect migrant workers'
GLOBAL - Major brands and retailers are failing to honour promises to protect the rights of migrant workers in global supply chains, according to the KnowTheChain initiative. KnowTheChain is a partnership between Humanity United, the Business &… -
Monday, 12 April 2021Microfibre Consortium approves first third-party lab
GENEVA - Inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS has been approved by The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) as its first third-party laboratory member. The agreement means that SGS will soon be extending its fibre fragmentation… -
Friday, 09 April 2021'Alarming spike' in ethical risks in factories
LONDON - Supply chain compliance experts QIMA report an "alarming spike" in ethical risks in factories around the world which supply western brands and retailers. A new 'barometer' study by QIMA says the percentage of factories which it ranked 'red'… -
Thursday, 08 April 2021WRAP set to launch Textiles 2030 initiative
LONDON – UK waste recycling charity WRAP has confirmed that its Textiles 2030 project to create a more circular industry in Britain will be formally launched later this month. WRAP says Textiles 2030, which it describes as the world's most ambitious… -
Thursday, 08 April 2021
Bestseller vows to support organic cotton cultivation
BRANDE – Danish fashion company Bestseller hopes to incentivise more farmers to make the transition to organic agricultural practices by promising that it will enrol more 'in-conversion' cotton into its portfolio. The company hopes that using… -
Thursday, 08 April 2021Cambodia to vaccinate 500,000 garment workers
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia has started vaccinating garment and textile workers in a bid to innocculate half a million of them by the end of June and help jump-start a post-pandemic recovery. The country had one of the lowest incidences of COVID-19 but an… -
Thursday, 08 April 2021
Traceability tool tipped to address sourcing concerns
CALIFORNIA – Technological solutions provider SupplyShift has partnered with the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) to offer fashion brands and manufacturers a tool to snuff out forced labour within their networks. The YESS (Yarn Ethically &… -
Thursday, 08 April 2021Call to pay garment workers a living wage
AMSTERDAM - Workers' rights campaigners have drawn up a living wage benchmark which they hope will be used to ensure garment workers in disadvantaged parts of Europe are paid enough to live on. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has developed what it… -
Wednesday, 07 April 2021Cairo factory tragedies prompt safety calls
CAIRO - Workers rights campaigners are calling for an international safety agreement after at least 28 lives were lost in two garment factory tragedies in a month in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. Eight people died and 29 were injured last week… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021Soorty launches organic cotton initiative
KARACHI - Pakistan's largest vertically integrated denim company, Soorty, has launched an initiative to increase the use of organic cotton in the denim supply chain. The Soorty Organic Cotton Initiative (SOCI) has been launched in partnership with… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021Textile Exchange seeks feedback on recycled material standards
TEXAS – Industry non-profit Textile Exchange is seeking feedback over the next two months on the latest versions of its Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and Global Recycled Standard (GRS). The Vancouver-based organisation says it will welcome the… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021Garment workers 'denied legal severance pay'
GLOBAL - Tens of thousands of workers at factories which produce garments for leading fashion brands have been fired during the COVID-19 pandemic but illegally denied financial compensation, according to a new report. The Worker Rights Consortium… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021UN experts warn companies on Xinjiang
NEW YORK - United Nations human rights experts are urging companies to closely scrutinise their supply chains following concerns over the alleged detention and forced labour of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China. Independent UN experts… -
Tuesday, 06 April 2021BGMEA elects Hassan as new president
DHAKA - Faruque Hassan, the managing director of the Giant Group, has been elected as the new president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Hassan replaces Dr Rubana Huq who became the first female leader of… -
Thursday, 01 April 2021
ETI urges extra caution on Xinjiang cotton
LONDON - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is urging brands and retailers to take extra steps to ensure that their supply chains are not linked in any way with the Xinjiang region of China. It comes as fashion companies are under severe pressure… -
Thursday, 01 April 2021AWEX wool declaration “premature”, says grower body
QUEENSLAND – WoolProducers Australia, a native grower body, has described Australian Wool Exchange’s (AWEX) review of its National Wool Declaration (NWD) as “premature”, and believes this year’s document shouldn’t be finalised until conclusions are… -
Wednesday, 31 March 2021Four Paws ranks brands on mulesing commitments
LONDON – Animal rights group Four Paws has ranked 38 leading apparel brands based on their commitments to banning the controversial practice of mulesing within their supply chains. Rankings range from ‘mulesing-free champions’ including Patagonia… -
Tuesday, 30 March 2021English city ponders textile recycling service
YORK – Authorities in the English city of York are contemplating new recycling measures which could see the introduction of a textile collection service. It’s just one of three options the council is pondering, following proposals from the… -
Tuesday, 30 March 2021Lycra partners to develop recycled fibres
WILMINGTON – The Lycra Company has teamed up with Japanese trading firm Itochu Corporation to launch new functional fibres made from textile waste. Lycra says the new products lay the groundwork “for a more circular future”, which is one of the… -
Tuesday, 30 March 2021Report highlights gap in garment worker pay
AMSTERDAM - A new report from the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) reveals the difference between minimum wage and living wage in nearly 50 garment and textile industry countries. AGT says the report, compiled using data… -
Tuesday, 30 March 2021Calls to recognise new Uzbek cotton union
TASHKENT - Human rights campaigners are calling for recognition for Uzbekistan's first independent trade union which has launched at a giant cotton producer amidst allegations of intimidation and harassment. Organisers of the Xalq Birligi (People’s… -
Tuesday, 30 March 2021
Eight killed after 'garment factory explosion'
CAIRO - Eight people have been killed and 29 injured after a reported explosion in a garment factory led to the collapse of a ten storey building in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed after an explosion in a… -
Monday, 29 March 2021
Xinjiang statement missing from BCI website
BEIJING - China's attempt to fight back against forced labour allegations surrounding the country's cotton industry continues to bear fruit with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) apparently removing a key statement from its website. The BCI… -
Monday, 29 March 2021Bangladesh garment factories report on SDGs
DHAKA - The Bangladeshi garment industry has published a report on its progress towards helping the country meet its targets on the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The report, from the Bangladeshi Garment… -
Friday, 26 March 2021Natural Fibers Alliance opposes UK fur ban
WASHINGTON – Environmental organisation the Natural Fibers Alliance (NFA) has hit back at fashion designers calling for a ban on real fur in the UK, saying their “short-sighted” views could force businesses to turn to environmentally harmful… -
Thursday, 25 March 2021Dyneema the focus of circularity coalition
HEERLEN – Dutch multinational Royal DSM has established a coalition of 14 companies which will work together to close the loop on its Dyneema brand of fibre. Under the name CirculariTeam, the group will come together to share knowledge, resources… -
Thursday, 25 March 2021Freeze branding trials throw up interesting findings
MELBOURNE – The University of Melbourne has published the preliminary findings of pain trials which assessed whether freeze branding – a method of protecting sheep from parasitic infections – caused as much discomfort as the controversial practice… -
Thursday, 25 March 2021Study highlights Sri Lankan COVID concerns
COLOMBO - Workers' rights campaigners have published a new study on the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Sri Lanka where they claim brands, retailers and manufacturers are profiting at the expense of garment workers' health, employment… -
Wednesday, 24 March 2021Brands urged to boycott Turkmen cotton
LONDON - The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is urging fashion brands to stop sourcing cotton from Turkmenistan after a new report revealed the systematic use of forced labour in last year's harvest. Two NGOs, Turkmen.news and the Turkmen…
BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
OTHER PUBLICATIONS FROM MCL NEWS & MEDIA
©
2008 - 2021
MCL News & Media