SAN FRANCISCO – The fashion industry's carbon footprint fell slightly in 2022 although the long term trend remains upward, according to latest figures from the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) initiative. In a new update on Aii's 2021 Roadmap to Net…
MILAN – The Challenge the Fabric (CTF) event has announced the winner of its fashion competition to promote the use of bio-based and recycled materials in clothing. Fashion student Yaku Stapleton received the award on the opening day of this week’s…
UXBRIDGE - Industrial thread manufacturer Coats Group has had its long-term, science-based emissions reduction targets, including verification of its net-zero targets for 2050, verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Following…
REMSCHEID - Recycled polyester yarn manufacturer FixDye is looking to increase the capacity and quality of its dope-dyed filament yarn with the installation of a polycondensation system from Oerlikon Barmag Huitong Engineering (OBHE), a subsidiary…
AMSTERDAM - A total of 120 global brands and retailers have now signed up to the Pakistan Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry (Pakistan Accord). Latest signatories to the factory safety initiative, which was launched in…
WOLLONGONG - Artificial intelligence (AI) could reduce fashion's carbon footprint by improving supply chain efficiencies, according to a new Australian study of garment manufacturers in Bangladesh. Researchers surveyed 211 managers of garment…
LILLE - Sportswear brand Decathlon has invested in French start-up Recyc’Elit which has developed technology to transform textile waste into virgin-grade material. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
SAN FRANCISCO - Denim giant Levi's net zero emissions target for 2050 has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and the company has updated its near-term goals to align with the long-term target. In line with SBTi…
AMSTERDAM – The Dutch-based Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) has published its third annual Impact Report in which it shows the rapid growth of its work to converge apparel industry stakeholders around a single social assessment that…
CAMBRIDGE – Chemical sector innovator Alchemie Technology has received a £750,000 ($945,000) grant from Innovate UK to help it scale up its low carbon, textile finishing technology in Taiwan. The funds will be put towards its partnership with…
NUREMBERG - Workers rights activists, including a key Cambodian trade union leader, will urge Adidas shareholders convening for the company’s annual general meeting (AGM), to takes steps to protect workers within the sportswear giant’s supply chain.…
SINGAPORE - Luxury fashion group Kering and the University of Singapore have teamed up to create an ecological impact measurement tool for the Asia-Pacific region. The three-year research collaboration between Kering, which owns brands including…
ACCRA - The proportion of used clothing exported to Ghana which is of too low quality to have any resale value is substantially lower than has previously been claimed, according to new research. The study, released by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers…
ROTTENDORF – German fashion brand S.Oliver has implemented a data management tool aimed at improving transparency within its own supply chains and enabling the digital traceability of its products. The launch of the online service follows the…
LONDON - UK start-up DyeRecycle, which has developed technology to recycle synthetic dyes from textile waste, has raised more than $1.2 million in pre-seed funding, and $1 million in equity-free match funding from Innovate UK. Founded in 2022,…
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has unveiled its plans for a major revision to its flagship Corporate Net-Zero Standard which could include the controversial use of carbon credits to offset scope 3 carbon emissions. SBTi…
CARY - Cotton microfibres biodegrade faster than toilet paper microfibres in wastewater treatment, fresh water and saltwater, according to a new study from Cotton Incorporated and North Carolina State University. Cotton Incorporated says the tests…
COPENHAGEN - Representatives from across the fashion sector will gather at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen this week to hear about steps being taken towards the transformative shifts required to advance sustainability across the industry.…
GUANGZHOU - Garment workers at factories which supply Chinese-owned ultra fast fashion giant Shein are still working 75-hour weeks, according to a new report from Swiss human rights NGO Public Eye. The new report from Public Eye updates its 2021…
JYVÄSKYLÄ - Woodspin, the exclusive producer and distributor of wood-based Spinnova fibre, which is already being used by global fashion brands such as Adidas and Bestseller, has secured Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody…
BANGKOK - Synthetic fibre giant Indorama Ventures has been recognised for its sustainability work with renewed accreditation from ratings agency MSCI. MSCI has awarded Indorama an AA rating, up from its previous A grade, ranking the PET plastics…
ISLAMABAD - A new programme has been launched in Pakistan to promote the use of regenerative agricultural practices in cotton production, and other crops, by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The Regenerative Production Landscape Collaborative…
PHNOM PENH - Cambodia’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has announced plans to phase out the use of flatbed trucks to transport garment workers to and from their workplaces by 2027. It is hoped that the policy, which aims to reduce the number…
ASHGABAT - The Cotton Campaign coalition says that independent monitoring has revealed some progress in reducing the use of forced labour in Turkmenistan's cotton harvest but warns that it is still widespread. Public authorities stopped mobilising…
BROOMFIELD – Following a successful pilot scheme, Crocs has announced the US national roll-out of its retail takeback pilot programme which allows customers to give their old shoes a new life either as a charitable donation or through a recycling…
GREENSBORO – North Carolina-based fibre innovator Unifi, the company behind Repreve-branded recycled polyester, says it has narrowed its losses in its third-quarter financial results, pointing to a steady revival in demand for its yarns. Its…
KARACHI – Vertically integrated garment manufacturer AGI Denim has partnered with the Rural Education and Economic Development Society (REEDS) to enhance the traceability of its supply chain and promote sustainable agricultural practices across…
CASTELGOFFREDO - Italian synthetic yarn manufacturer Fulgar has been accredited to Textile Exchange’s Recycled Claim Standard for its Q-Cycle recycled nylon yarns. Q-Cycle is a 100% recycled material that is produced from end-of-life tyres and…
ZUG - The European Outdoor Group (EOG) is to invest in a new renewable energy project in Taiwan that is aimed at helping the region’s textile manufacturers decarbonise their supply chains. The project with Act Renewable, a joint venture between…
Alarm bells are ringing in the European textile recycling and chemical sectors after a recent Brussels event where clear-the-air talks between regulators and industry stakeholders raised the prospect of financial ruin for some – and a missed…
WILMINGTON - The Lycra Company has struck a deal with Dairen Chemical Corporation (DCC) as part of its bio-derived, elastane supply chain. Under the terms of the deal, DCC will use its low-impact allyl alcohol process to convert Qira - described as…
STONY BROOK - CHAMPAIGN - DNA and isotopic testing has revealed that 19% of all textile-based products tested contained cotton from the Xinjiang region of China which is banned in the US over forced labour concerns. Molecular technologies specialist…
BALTIMORE – Sportswear brand Under Armour has unveiled its first garment made with Neolast fibre, the ‘sustainable’ alternative to elastane developed in partnership with US speciality materials company Celanese. First announced in January, the…
GUIMARÃES - Portuguese yarn manufacturer Tearfil has inaugurated a new spinning line which it will operate in partnership with Scandinavian textile fibre innovator Spinnova. The result of a yarn development cooperation agreement first announced in…
WAKEFIELD – The Big Closets, Small Planet podcast returns with a look at how societies relate to profit, and how this relationship affects global sustainability challenges in the fashion industry and beyond. Joining our host Mike Schragger, founder…
BRUSSELS - A new report from the Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) network says the European textile industry must reform now or risk deteriorating further into unsustainable and harmful practices. The paper emphasises the urgent need to phase out hazardous…
PARIS – Secondhand luxury fashion is better value, as well as less environmentally damaging, than fast fashion, according to a new report by French resale specialist Vestiaire Collective. The study, in collaboration with climate-tech startup Vaayu,…
BRUSSELS - Sportswear brand Decathlon has partnered with Belgian material innovator Resortecs to develop fully recyclable swimwear without the use of elastane fibre within the fabric. Instead, and to still ensure the swimwear offers essential…
SPARTANBURG – US apparel manufacturer Milliken & Company has released its sixth annual sustainability report, summarising its actions and progress towards reducing its environmental impact as well as its approach to “people, product and planet”. The…
COPENHAGEN – The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are inviting fashion industry stakeholders to help identify how the sector can best reduce its impacts. Brands, retailers, NGOs, manufacturers, land…
MANILA — More than 5,000 garment workers have been laid off so far this year in the Philippines due in part to the impact of US legislation aimed at blocking imports from the Xinjiang region of China. The Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA)…
OTTAWA - Canadian athleticwear brand Lululemon is being investigated by Canada's Competition Bureau over environmental claims made in its marketing campaigns. The bureau has confirmed that it has opened a formal investigation following a complaint…
COPENHAGEN - Denmark has announced plans to ban the sale of clothes, shoes, and waterproofing products that contain PFAS (Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances). The country’s Ministry of the Environment said the proposed ban would take effect from 1st…
NEW YORK - Carbonfact, a supplier of software that helps fashion brands and retailers automate their environmental reporting, has raised $15 million in fresh funding. This latest tranche of investment will be used to expand the platform, adding to…
TASHKENT - The Cotton Campaign coalition is calling on the government of Uzbekistan to investigate the alleged harassment of a leading independent monitor of workers' rights in the country's cotton industry. Umida Niyazova, founder and director of…
AMSTERDAM - The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute has released the latest version of its product standard that is widely used in the apparel, textile and footwear industries. Version 4.1 of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product…
WASHINGTON DC - Textile exports from the Xinjiang region of China increased to record levels last year despite the introduction of US legislation banning imports over forced labour risks in the region which produces a fifth of the world's cotton. It…
LILLE – Sporting goods retailer Decathlon has had its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The retailer has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions by 42% by 2030,…
MONTREAL – Loop Industries, which offers technology that can chemically recycle low-grade polyester infinitely, has signed a joint venture agreement with polymer manufacturer Ester Industries to build a new Infinite Loop manufacturing facility in…
SEOUL - A research team in South Korea has developed a method aimed at improving the aesthetic and comfort levels of wearable devices in smart textiles. Described as ‘nano-printing’, the technology involves integrating functional nano-materials…
CLERMONT-FERRAND - Biotech firm Carbios has signed a memorandum of understanding with waste management specialist Hündgen for the latter to supply raw materials to its new PET biorecycling plant. Currently under construction, Carbios is building the…
OSLO – Nordic fashion retailer Varner, which has more than 1,100 stories in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, is claiming progress in tackling its carbon footprint. The company, which owns brands Cubus, Dressmann, Bik Bok, Carlings, Volt, Urban,…
LONDON - Fifteen major fashion companies were criticised after refusing to give evidence to the UK's influential Environmental Audit Committee (EAC). EAC chairman Philip Dunne MP named the companies concerned after accusing them of “a pretty poor…
SAN FRANCISCO – Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, has named Colin Browne as its new chief executive officer. Browne, who served as interim CEO of Under Armour, and who has held senior sourcing roles at VF Corporation, Li…
BOSTON - Environmental non-profit Ceres has launched a new sustainability assessment tool designed to help small to medium-sized companies, including fashion brands and retailers, assess and improve their environmental performance. The Ceres Roadmap…
PARIS - Signatories to the Fashion Pact have made significant progress towards the organisation's aims of mitigating climate change, restoring biodiversity and protecting oceans, according to a new report. Conservation International made the claim…
DHAKA - Garment workers in Bangladesh continue to face a climate of fear and repression as human rights abuses remains unchecked amid a state-sanctioned crackdown on workers’ rights, according to Amnesty International. The human rights NGO marked…
SAN FRANCISCO - US retailer Gap has released its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, summarising its actions and progress towards reducing its environmental impact as well as its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The…
GENEVA – The Better Cotton initiative is supporting efforts by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and world football’s governing body FIFA to boost sustainable cotton production in West and Central Africa. Better Cotton says it will focus on…
LONDON – People in the UK are throwing out almost half (49%) of their unwanted used textiles in the general rubbish bin, according to new research from waste recycling charity WRAP. On average, each person in Britain throws 35 items of unwanted…
STUTTGART - The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification organisation enhanced its reach in 2023 with an 8% increase in certified facilities to 14,676 across 89 countries. The upsurge reported by the non-profit, which aims to offer a…
DENVER – Outdoor brand The North Face has launched its 'North Face Renewed' resale programme online in the UK. North Face Renewed, first launched in North America, aims to give a new life to used North Face garments.
VILNIUS – Secondhand fashion marketplace Vinted has turned a profit for the first time in a sector where it is notoriously difficult to do so. The Lithuanian company reported a 61% year-on-year revenue growth for 2023, with a net profit of €17.8…
OTTAWA - The Canada Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) has closed its investigation of Hugo Boss Canada and its alleged links to Uyghur forced labour. CORE’s final report followed an initial assessment, first published in August 2023,…
SYDNEY - Australian textile technology startup Xefco has raised AU$10.5 million (US$6.9m) to commercialise production of its patented water-free textile dyeing and finishing solution. The company will use the investment to double its team and scale…
WOLLASTON - Footwear specialist Dr Martens has launched a new collection of shoes made from leather offcuts that would otherwise be destined for landfill. The introduction of the recycled leather, branded as Genix Nappa, is part of Dr Martens pledge…
LONDON - Boohoo and H&M are among those set to give evidence to the UK's influential Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) as it revisits its landmark 2019 inquiry into fast fashion. The EAC is to hold an evidence session as it looks again at its…
AMSTERDAM – UK denim start up LaundRE made its debut at this week’s Kingpins event here in the Netherlands where it explained to visitors how it’s taking old, unwanted denim stock and refinishing the garments to give them a second life. “Our…
LONDON – UK fashion retailer River Island has announced that its net-zero emissions targets have been validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) with the goal of reaching net-zero by 2040. The SBTi has backed the brand's target to…
PARIS - French fashion resale startup Paradigme has raised €1.2 million ($1.3m) in its first funding round. Paradigme will use the investment to expand its team, sign up more brands and improve its RaaS (resale as a service) platform.
PARIS - Traceability solutions provider TextileGenesis has teamed up with digitisation specialist EON to help brands and retailers accelerate the use of digital product passports (DPP) throughout their supply chains. The use of DPPs to connect the…
FRANKFURT - The technical textiles industry, which has developed at a relatively leisurely pace over the past century with a focus almost purely on functionality, is currently in the process of attempting to reinvent as many of its products as…
SYDNEY - The Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) insists that its new Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) standard will raise the bar on animal welfare despite the concerns of campaigners. AWSS, which will replace SustainaWOOL from July,…
VIENNA – A research team at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in Austria is exploring the use of filters made from cellulosic waste to remove potentially harmful dyes from textile wastewater. The researchers have used waste materials,…
PARIS – Animal welfare organisation PETA has called on French fashion conglomerate Kering to “cut ties” with the reptile-skin industry. It comes after a PETA Asia investigation alleged “appalling cruelty” towards pythons at Kering-owned tannery…
LONDON - The UN’s Global Compact (UNGC) UK initiative has launched a ‘Business Sector Exchange’ programme for the fashion industry. The exchange programme will take the form of training modules, networking events, assistance with sustainability…
JYVÄSKYLÄ – Scandinavian textile fibre innovator Spinnova has announced that fewer jobs have been lost than feared in its recently completed cost-cutting review aimed at putting its finances back on track. Spinnova, which makes textile fibre out…
ESPOO - A European Union (EU) funded project is underway in Finland in a bid to develop new technologies to recycle polyester-cotton blended textile waste into high quality raw materials. Led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the…
LONDON - The Earthsight NGO has branded Better Cotton's investigation into allegations linking its licensed farms with illegal deforestation in Brazil as "so flawed to be almost worthless". Earthsight recently released a report focused on two of…
AMSTERDAM – Speaking to Ecotextile News today at the on-going Kingpins denim exhibition in the Netherlands, Lenzing CEO Stephan Sielaff said that last week’s fire at its HQ facility in Austria won’t have a major impact on its output although the…
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has today given its final approval to legislation that will make larger companies responsible for human rights and environmental issues in their global supply chains. Approval for the European Union's (EU) landmark…
DHAKA - The Bangladesh government is said to be considering a tax exemption for domestically-produced recycled fibre in a bid to promote the sector and reduce the textile industry’s dependence on imports of cotton. Under the current rules, textile…
CALIFORNIA - An academic researcher at the University of California, Riverside, has received a $1.45 million federal grant to advance the production of textiles from plant waste. The process, known as co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic…
COPENHAGEN - Danish tech start-up Rodinia Generation, which claims to have developed an automated manufacturing method that drastically reduces carbon emissions and water usage in garment production, has raised €3 million ($3.2m) in funding. Aimed…
AMSTERDAM - Two of the leading organisations dedicated to improving the pay and conditions of garment workers in global supply chains are to go their separate ways after a quarter of a century. The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has announced that it…
BRUSSELS - The European Parliament has approved rules to ban the sale, import and export of goods made using forced labour from the European Union (EU). The regulation, driven by concerns about human rights in the Xinjiang region of China, would be…
AMSTERDAM – Sourcing technology specialist Sourcery has announced the international expansion of its ‘Provisional Partnership’ programme with the addition of 10 new members from across the denim supply chain. Following a successful roll-out of the…
GREENSBORO – Denim brand Wrangler has announced a number of new partnerships aimed at keeping denim waste out of landfill. Wrangler said the initiatives with non-profit Accelerating Circularity, a Texas-based sports club and vintage clothing…
LONDON - UK fashion retailer New Look has had its latest emissions targets approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). The retailer has committed to a 42% reduction of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by the…
LONDON - The Better Cotton inititative claims an independent audit has revealed that licensed farms in Brazil - owned by companies accused of deforestation in Brazil - were not in breach of its standard. However, the auditors called for better…
HERZOGENAURACH – Following a two-year pilot project, sportswear giant Puma is to make a commercial version of its compostable Re:Suede sneaker available for sale. As part of the experiment, which was successfully concluded in late 2023, Puma…
HONG KONG - Supply chain management platform TradeBeyond has introduced artificial intelligence into its textile and garment traceability system in a bid to help brands and retailers improve visibility and reduce risks in their supply chains. The…
LUDWIGSHAFEN – Global chemicals company BASF's 'Ccycled' recycled synthetic textiles have been certified to the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS). RCS certification of the company's PA6 and PA6.6 Ultramid Ccycled products for textile applications means…
SPONSORED CONTENT - In a ground-breaking collaboration, the LYCRA Company has teamed up with Qore, a joint venture between Cargill, an expert in agricultural fermentation technologies, and HELM, a German chemical company to enable the world’s first…
FRANKFURT – Italian fibre and yarn manufacturer RadiciGroup is to show off the first garment made through its physical and digital nylon traceability project at the Techtextil trade show in Germany. The gilet, made from yarn manufactured in one of…
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has posted another clarification on its controversial plans to extend the use of carbon credits to offset scope 3 carbon emissions. The SBTi was heavily criticised after it revealed earlier this…
PRATTELN – Speciality chemical supplier Archroma has launched a new bio-based, PFAS-free durable water repellent (DWR) finish for the sportswear, fashion and home textiles sectors. Phobotex NTR-50 LIQ has been designed to provide high levels of…
LONDON - The UK government is being urged to ban the destruction of unused clothing and introduce an effective extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles in a new report from the Green Alliance think tank. Entitled 'Changing fashion:…
AMSTERDAM - The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative is highlighting the "critical importance" of supporting in-conversion cotton farmers in its new impact report for the 2022-2023 season. Entitled 'Organic Cotton’s Time Has Come', the report…
LENZING - An investigation has been launched after a fire broke out today at the Austrian headquarters and production facilities of cellulosic fibre manufacturer Lenzing. "Today, April 19, 2024, at 8:36am, a fire broke out in the area of the…