Social Compliance & CSR News
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Friday, 13 December 2019Woman killed in Bangladesh garment factory explosion
DHAKA - A young woman has been killed and five other people injured in an explosion at a sweater factory - which reportedly supplies brands including H&M and Next - on the outskirts of the Bangladeshi capital city of Dhaka. Factory safety has once… -
Wednesday, 11 December 2019H&M signs agreement to protect migrant workers
GENEVA - The H&M Group has agreed with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to co-operate on the ethical recruitment and protection of migrant workers in its global supply chains. H&M Group’s head of sustainability Anna Gedda and Simo… -
Monday, 09 December 2019Myanmar the focus of new sustainability project
YANGON – A new phase of the European Union’s SMART Textile and Garments project has kick-started, focusing on environmental sustainability within Myanmar’s apparel manufacturing industry. With backing from H&M, Bestseller and C&A, organisers of the… -
Monday, 09 December 201943 killed in New Delhi garment factory fire
NEW DELHI - At least 43 people have been killed in a fire believed to have been caused by an electrical fault at a garment factory in the Indian capital city of New Delhi. More than 100 people were reportedly sleeping inside the factory when the… -
Friday, 22 November 2019CCC calls for Bangladeshi worker compensation scheme
DHAKA – Ahead of this Sunday’s public commemorations of the 112 lives lost in a Bangladeshi factory fire seven years ago, the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) reflects on the lack of progress its native industry has made in establishing a compensation… -
Tuesday, 19 November 2019Brands urged to act on treatment of refugee workers
ISTANBUL - A new report on the plight of Syrian refugees working in Turkey's garment industry says there is an urgent need for brands to act to improve conditions in their supply chains. Entitled Syrian Workers in Turkey's Garment Industry: Looking… -
Friday, 15 November 2019Lawyers urge EU to act on garment workers' wages
NEWCASTLE - The European Union is being urged by the lawyer authors of a new report to introduce new legislation to tackle poverty wages in global fashion supply chains. The Circle NGO, set up by the singer Annie Lennox to challenge injustices faced… -
Tuesday, 12 November 2019Dutch fashion brands pledge further transparency
AMSTERDAM – Eight Dutch fashion brands including Kings of Indigo, Kuyichi and WE Fashion have today signed a ‘transparency pledge’ as part of their involvement with the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile initiative. In doing so, the… -
Monday, 11 November 2019Apparel Coalition releases new Higg modules
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has released the 2019 Higg Facility Modules; tools developed to improve social and environmental sustainability within the textiles industry. The introduction of the Higg Facility Environmental… -
Thursday, 07 November 2019AAFA writes to PM after Nirapon shut down
DHAKA – Fashion brands trade group American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) has written to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh expressing its fears for garment workers after the Nirapon safety monitoring organisation was shut down by the… -
Friday, 01 November 2019Whistleblower app launched for garment workers
AUCKLAND - New Zealand fashion retailers Glassons and Hallenstein Brothers have introduced a whistleblower app to enable workers in supplier factories to report ethical breaches without fear of reprisal. Parent company Hallenstein Glasson Holdings… -
Wednesday, 30 October 2019Planet Textiles Pod shines light on unseen workers
BARCELONA – “When you look at the supply chain of an average retailer, when you look at how many workers are registered in that supply chain as a hypothetical example, you can factor in that there’ll be five times more invisible workers than visible… -
Tuesday, 29 October 2019Myanmar failing to protect ethnic minorities
NEW YORK - The head of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Myanmar, Marzuki Darusman, says the country is failing in its obligation under the Genocide Convention to prevent the mistreatment of ethnic minorities in the… -
Monday, 21 October 2019Maternity rights inconsistent across Bangladesh
WASHINGTON – A new study conducted by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) has uncovered disparities in the maternity rights of women in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector. Findings from anonymous interviews with 88 female workers spanning the… -
Tuesday, 15 October 2019Lululemon garment workers 'beaten and abused'
BANGLADESH - Female garment workers producing Lululemon designer leggings are reportedly being physically and verbally assaulted at the Bangladeshi factory where they work. Young female factory workers told The Guardian newspaper how they struggled… -
Wednesday, 09 October 2019Ellen MacArthur links up with BlackRock
LONDON - BlackRock, the world's largest asset management firm, has entered into a global partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to set up an investment fund aimed at driving the development of a circular economy. BlackRock, which controls… -
Monday, 07 October 2019Europe to accelerate drive towards textiles circularity
BRUSSELS – The Council of the European Union has given the green light to accelerate the transition of key sectors, including textiles, towards a circular economy and says it will encourage the use of economic instruments, such as taxation and… -
Monday, 07 October 2019EOCA opens conservation project vote
KENDAL – The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has invited industry-wide input as it looks to whittle down the list of projects it’s set to fund with a combined €180,000 in the coming months. A public vote has opened today and will… -
Wednesday, 02 October 2019US blocks clothing from China over slavery fears
NEW YORK - The United States has blocked the import of goods suspected to have been made with forced labour from five countries, including clothing from China, in a rare crackdown on slave labour. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it… -
Monday, 23 September 2019G-Star signs up to fair wages campaign
AMSTERDAM - Denim brand G-Star RAW has become the first Dutch company to sign up to the ACT initiative which campaigns for workers in the garment, textile and footwear industries to be paid a living wage. The popular label said it was proud to join… -
Monday, 23 September 2019Fast Retailing funds ILO social security probe
YAMAGUCHI – Japanese fashion behemoth Fast Retailing has partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to hone in on labour markets throughout Asia and improve social security and working environments. The owner of the Uniqlo brand,… -
Monday, 16 September 2019Protesting garment workers hurt in clash with police
NARAYANGANJ - More than 40 people have been injured following clashes between police officers and garment workers protesting over unpaid wages in Bangladash. Police officers fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to clear the protesters who were… -
Friday, 13 September 2019BFC launches Institute of Positive Fashion
LONDON – The British Fashion Council (BF) has announced its intention to launch the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF), saying that there is “an urgent need for industry-wide coalition to help set industry standards in a new way, embrace innovation… -
Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Forced labour in China jeopardises textile supply chains
XINJIANG – Supply chain risks are set to intensify for apparel brands sourcing from China due to the increasing use of forced labour in Uyghur detention camps in the Xinjiang region, according to a new report. Global risk analysis company Verisk… -
Tuesday, 03 September 2019BGMEA to form RMG Sustainability Council
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) – the trade body of apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh – is set to establish an RMG (ready-made garment) Sustainability Council, with the aim of implementing a… -
Monday, 02 September 2019Campaigners call for school uniform supplier transparency
LONDON – A collective of campaign groups which includes workers’ rights NGO Labour Behind the Label has called on school uniform supplier Trutex to disclose information about the factories from which it sources apparel, to ensure the firm can’t be… -
Friday, 30 August 2019G-Star joins UN Charter for Climate Action
AMSTERDAM – The UN Climate Change’s (UNCC) Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action has welcomed Dutch clothing brand G-Star Raw as a signatory. The popular denim brand has signed up to the UN’s 2018 initiative, which outlines a plan for the… -
Wednesday, 28 August 2019CCC unconvinced by new worker safety initiative
NEW DELHI – A new building safety initiative launching today in India, which promises to “build on the learnings and experiences” of the Bangladesh Accord, has been questioned by Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) which says that the very brands and… -
Tuesday, 27 August 2019Esprit cuts Myanmar ties amidst military violations
YANGON – Apparel brand Esprit has gone on record to say that it will no longer source from a garment manufacturing facility believed to be linked to Myanmar’s military. This, after a recent report from the U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding… -
Friday, 23 August 2019UK workers paid just £4 an hour, report finds
MANCHESTER – A new report commissioned off the back of Channel 4’s Dispatches investigation in 2017, which found that workers in Leicester, England, were paid less than half the legal minimum wage, has now discovered that the same level of… -
Thursday, 22 August 2019Amann resource saving targets align with SDGs
BÖNNIGHEIM – Thread manufacturer, the Amann Group, has released its first ever Sustainability Report, in which it details the notable progress it has made to reduce resource consumption between 2015 and 2018, and lays out targets which it will… -
Tuesday, 20 August 2019Solidaridad launches Chinese fair wage pilot
UTRECHT – Solidaridad and its partner technology QuizRR have launched a pilot project to improve working conditions and productivity in China’s textile and garment supply chain. The project has received funding from the ASN Bank and will also… -
Wednesday, 14 August 2019France and Canada push for fashion legislation
Legislation has long been called for to drive lasting industry change. With France seemingly leading the way on fashion policy-making, are other nations, such as Canada, now ready to step up to the plate and make similarly transformative proposals?… -
Monday, 12 August 2019Brandix targets carbon neutrality by 2023
COLOMBO – Sri Lankan apparel manufacturer Brandix has set its sights on achieving 100 per cent carbon neutrality by 2023, part of its broader goal to record zero carbon footprint. The company is to invest US$28 million in its Batticaloa facility… -
Friday, 09 August 2019Brand demands crippling Turkey’s Syrian workforce
LONDON – A new report which delves into the state-of-play in Turkish apparel manufacturing facilities reports that Syrian refugees, of which 650,000 are employed in menial jobs throughout its supply chains, are exploited in the name of fast fashion;… -
Friday, 09 August 2019Ellen MacArthur pursues 20 million designers in circularity push
ISLE OF WIGHT – The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has called for 20 million designers to help move the global economy towards a circular model, using its new Circular Design Programme to shift products at end-of-life away from landfill. The Foundation… -
Friday, 09 August 2019H&M launches Social Entrepreneurship Project
STOCKHOLM – The H&M Group has launched its Social Entrepreneurship Project; through which it plans to engage with entrepreneurs in developing countries whose work brings about positive change in local communities. In collaboration with global… -
Thursday, 08 August 2019Transparency tool provides Bangladeshi worker insight
ASHBOURNE – Fashion Revolution, which first collaborated with the NGO Microfinance Opportunities in 2016 to introduce the Garment Worker Diaries (GWD) – a research project documenting the lives of garment workers across Southeast Asia – has now… -
Wednesday, 07 August 2019Gap’s Development Alliance recruits WaterAid
NEW YORK – International non-governmental organisation (NGO) WaterAid has joined Gap Inc., and USAID’s (the United States Agency for International Development) Women + Water Global Development Alliance (W+W Alliance) as an implementing partner. The… -
Monday, 05 August 2019Bangladesh factory tours to highlight industry upturn
DHAKA – A new initiative introduced by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) will look to highlight progress made in the country’s garment manufacturing industry since the devastation of the Rana Plaza factory collapse in 2013, by offering the… -
Monday, 05 August 2019ZDHC programme welcomes trio of contributors
AMSTERDAM – ZDHC has announced the addition of three new contributors to its Roadmap to Zero Programme, bringing the organisation’s growing pool of partners and contributors to 138, spanning 24 locations. Joining as Value Chain Affiliates, Trumpler… -
Monday, 05 August 2019C2C updated standard open for review
OAKLAND – Ahead of its launch next year, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has today opened a 60-day window in which it wants industry stakeholders to feedback on potential revisions to its drafted Cradle to Cradle Certified Product… -
Wednesday, 31 July 2019ZDHC releases Wastewater Guidelines v1.1
AMSTERDAM – ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) has announced the release of version 1.1 of its Wastewater Guidelines. The industry coalition, which counts Inditex, Kering, H&M, Adidas and Nike amongst its contributors, has revised its… -
Monday, 29 July 2019Workers left unpaid, Bangladesh reports say
DHAKA – Reports from the newspaper Dhaka Tribune allege that 180 workers – of which 65 are Bangladeshi – operating in the garment factory of Tex Knits Garment in Mauritius have not been paid salaries for the past two months and have, at times, had… -
Tuesday, 23 July 2019New SAC boss to finalise Higg suite
SAN FRANCISCO – As the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) confirms the appointment of Amina Razvi as its new executive director following a stint as interim, she tells Ecotextile News that a top priority in her new role will be the finalisation of… -
Tuesday, 23 July 2019Report lays out circular fashion strategy
BRUSSELS - Despite the best efforts of circular fashion advocates to scale up the implementation of sustainable business practices, visions of the future remain clouded. Until now, perhaps, as a new report lays out ambitious, detailed plans which… -
Wednesday, 17 July 2019Internment fears trigger urgent fashion inquiry
XINJIANG – Fashion brand Target and Australian retailer Cotton On have opened investigations into suppliers in Xinjiang, China, after reports that detained Uyghur Muslim workers are being forced to make clothing. It’s alleged some workers are… -
Friday, 12 July 2019Bangladesh joins UN Fashion Climate Charter
DHAKA – The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA) – the trade body of apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh – has joined the UN Climate Change’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (UNFCCC) initiative. By joining… -
Wednesday, 10 July 2019Responsible Down Standard 3.0 released
LUBBOCK – Textile Exchange has released version 3.0 of its Responsible Down Standard (RDS), representing its first substantial revision since 2014. The standard covers more than 500 million birds ensuring brand and retail partners, of which it… -
Wednesday, 03 July 2019BCI becomes latest UN fashion charter signatory
GENEVA – The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has become the latest signatory to the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action; a commitment through which it will work cohesively with a growing number of brands, manufacturers and organisations…
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