From the Sector

Sustainable fashion and sportswear must be high on the political agenda:
Three University of Manchester academics who specialise in fashion and textiles have criticised the Government for failing to take action to boost sustainability in the UK fashion and sportswear industries.

In an article published by the University’s policy engagement unit Policy@Manchester to coincide with the 20th annual Recycle Week, Lindsay Pressdee, Dr Amy Benstead and Dr Jo Conlon highlight that, of the one million tonnes of textiles disposed of every year in this country, 300,000 tonnes end up in landfill or incineration with figures suggesting 10 per cent of global CO2 emissions may come from the fashion industry.

And they warn that the damage inflicted by discarded sportswear is often overlooked, “despite an over-reliance on polyester garments, which are harmful to the environment as the fabric releases microfibres and takes hundreds of years to fully biodegrade.”

Pressdee, Benstead and Conlon stress the importance of establishing “sustainable behaviour throughout the supply chain” and praise the European Commission for proposing an “extended producer responsibility (EPR)” for textiles in the EU which “aims to create appropriate incentives to encourage producers to design products that have a reduced environmental impact at the end of their life.”

This contrasts with the UK where, they argue, “tackling sustainability in the fashion industry has lost its place on the political agenda.”

"We are calling on the Government to reintroduce textiles as part of the school curriculum to engage young people in sustainable materials and equip them with the basic skills required to repair clothes.”
Lindsay Pressdee, Dr Amy Benstead and Dr Jo Conlon

The University of Manchester academics contend that there has been “disappointing lack of progress from the UK Government” following the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s Fixing Fashion report in 2019.

They continue: “This report included a call for the use of EPR as well as other important recommendations such as a ban on incinerating or landfilling unsold stock that can be reused or recycled and a tax system that shifts the balance of incentives in favour of reuse, repair and recycling to support responsible companies. We urge the Government to think again and drive forward the Committee’s recommendations in order to put sustainable fashion back on the political agenda.”

Pressdee, Benstead and Conlon also criticise Ministers for abolishing the standalone GCSE in textiles which provided many young people with the ability to mend clothing such as football kits instead of throwing them away.

They write: “We are therefore calling on the Government to reintroduce textiles as part of the school curriculum to engage young people in sustainable materials and equip them with the basic skills required to repair clothes.”

The University of Manchester has launched a new project dedicated to tackling the impact of textile waste in the football industry through the provision of workshops tasked with transforming surplus football shirts into unique reusable tote bags, whilst educating local communities on the environmental impacts of textile waste and how to extend the life of garments. The initiative aims to provide a fun, responsible way to keep kits in circulation while shining a light on the problem.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published a new report on ‘Key areas of regulatory challenge 2023’ that identifies areas where research is needed to protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals. It also highlights where new methods, that support the shift away from animal testing, are needed.

To further improve chemical safety in the EU, scientific research needs to deliver data that is relevant to regulating chemicals. In order to enhance the regulatory relevance of scientific data, ECHA has identified the following areas as priorities for research:

• Hazard identification for critical biological effects that currently lack specific and sensitive test methods: i.e. developmental and adult neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity and endocrine disruption
• Chemical pollution in the natural environment (bioaccumulation, impact on biodiversity, exposure assessment)
• Shift away from animal testing (read across under REACH, move away from fish testing, mechanistic support to toxicology studies e.g. carcinogenicity)
• New information on chemicals (polymers, nanomaterials, analytical methods in support of enforcement)

Background
The European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC), is a seven-year EU-wide research and innovation programme under Horizon Europe which aims to advance research, share knowledge and improve skills in chemical risk assessment.

ECHA’s role in PARC is to make sure that the funded scientific research addresses current challenges related to chemical risk assessment and adds value to the EU’s regulatory processes.

The key areas of regulatory challenge report can be seen as an evolving research and development agenda aiming to support and inspire the Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) and the wider research community. The list of research needs is not exhaustive. The next update to the report is expected in spring 2024.

Developments:

• Currency-neutral revenues up 1% driven by growth in all regions except North America
• Top-line development reflects focus on conservative sell-in and full-price business
• Gross margin up 0.2pp to 49.3% driven by reduced freight costs, a more favorable business mix, and lower inventory allowances; discounting levels continue to improve  
• Operating profit of € 409 million includes extraordinary expenses of around € 110 million
• Conservative sell-in strategy paying off as inventory position improves substantially versus Q2 level to € 4.8 billion; now down 23% year-over-year

Outlook
adidas expects revenues to decline at a low-single-digit rate
On October 17, adidas had adjusted its full year financial guidance to reflect both the positive impact of the second drop of some of its Yeezy inventory and the better-than-expected development of the underlying business. At the same time, macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions persist. Elevated recession risks in North America and Europe as well as uncertainty around the recovery in Greater China continue to exist. In addition, the company’s revenue development will continue to be impacted by the initiatives to significantly reduce high inventory levels in North America and the company’s focus on full-price sales across its own channels. As a result, adidas now expects currency-neutral revenues to decline at a low-single-digit rate in 2023 (previously: decline at a mid-single-digit rate).

Underlying operating profit anticipated to reach a level of around € 100 million
The company’s underlying operating profit – excluding any one-offs related to Yeezy and the ongoing strategic review – is now anticipated to reach a level of around € 100 million in 2023 (previously: around break-even level). Including the positive impact from the two Yeezy drops in Q2 and Q3 of around € 300 million (previously: € 150 million), the potential write-off of the remaining Yeezy inventory of now around € 300 million (previously: € 400 million) and one-off costs related to the strategic review of up to € 200 million (unchanged), adidas now expects a reported operating loss of around € 100 million in 2023 (previously: loss of € 450 million).

Trumpler has teamed up with Archroma to offer a leather production process that can be used to produce high-performance leather in a more eco-friendly and cost-efficient way.

The new process DyTan®combines offers an alternative to existing metal-free and chrome-tanned leather. It enables the reliable production of leather with great shavability, color depth and migration and abrasion resistance. Free from metal salts and reactive aldehydes, DyTan® is suitable for a wide range of leather applications, from garment and footwear to automotive and furniture upholstery, for today’s eco-conscious leather producers and consumers.

At the core of the DyTan® process is Archroma’s patented AVICUERO® System, which is based on novel molecules that enable more sustainable leather tanning and dyeing, developed by Archroma in cooperation with leather technology consultant Dr Leather. It enables collagen fibers in the leather to be covalently cross-linked through a simplified process at low temperatures. As a result, the system shows strong potential to save energy and water, while also reducing process time and CO₂ emissions by up to 23%.*

The DyTan® process combines the AVICUERO® System with Trumpler’s bio-based fatliquors and retanning agents based on functional biopolymers produced from hydrolyzed shavings – resource-saving technology that Trumpler has been refining for 15 years.

As a global partner of Archroma, the Trumpler Group is responsible for the distribution of the AVICUERO® System worldwide. Delivering technical support and first-class customer care, Trumpler will help leather manufacturers and brands to implement sustainable tanning and draw on its comprehensive product portfolio and process knowledge of tanning, retanning and fatliquoring processes.
 

* Estimations carried out with the Archroma ONE WAY Impact Calculator show energy savings of up to 25% and reduced process time leading to a reduction in CO₂ emissions of up to 23%, compared to traditional chrome tanning. They also show significant water savings compared to other metal-free tanning systems¹. With the ONE WAY Impact Calculator, customers will be offered personalized calculations for their specific processes.

¹ Trials made at Trumpler GmbH application lab.

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) will be exhibiting at the MEDICA medical technology trade fair in Düsseldorf from November 13 to 16, 2023. At the joint stand of Baden-Württemberg International, a new development will be shown, that can reduce infections during operations.

These nosocomial infections occur when surgical wounds are contaminated by microbes. They can lead to serious complications. The task of the contract development was to create a porous ring tube that reduces the risk of contamination during operations. Germ-free air is introduced into the operating field via the so-called airflow ring, thereby shielding pathogenic germs.

The tube is knitted from polyester and folded. This pleating ensures that the circular shape remains stable, but the tube is still flexible. The outside of the tube is coated so that the air is directed into the inner area of the airflow ring. The ring is attached to the skin with a biocompatible adhesive so that it fits tightly on curved areas of the body such as the face or around joints. The position of the ring can be easily changed.

The functionality of the airflow ring was successfully demonstrated in tests with nebulized colony-forming bacteria.

The tests showed that the ring also withstands significantly worse conditions than in an operating theater, e.g. in doctors' surgeries and in situations with lower hygiene standards.