From the Sector

The world’s largest fashion brands and retailers must increase transparency to tackle the climate crisis and social inequality, according to the latest Fashion Transparency Index.

The seventh edition of the Fashion Transparency Index ranks 250 of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers based on their public disclosure of human rights and environmental policies, practices, and impacts, across their operations and supply chains.

• Brands achieved an average score of just 24%, with nearly a third of brands scoring less than 10%
• The majority of brands (85%) do not disclose their annual production volumes despite mounting evidence of clothing waste around the world
• Most major brands and retailers (96%) do not publish the number of workers in their supply chain paid a living wage

The Index reveals insights into the most pressing issues facing the fashion industry, like:

• As new and proposed legislation focuses on greenwashing claims, almost half of major brands (45%) publish targets on sustainable materials yet only 37% provide information on what constitutes a sustainable material.
• Only 24% of major brands disclose how they minimise the impacts of microfibres despite textiles being the largest source of microplastics in the ocean.
• The vast majority of major brands and retailers (94%) do not disclose the number of workers in their supply chains who are paying recruitment fees. This paints an unclear picture of the risks of forced labour as workers may be getting into crippling debt to accept jobs paying poverty wages.
• While many brands use their channels to talk about social justice, they need to go beyond lip service. Just 8% of brands publish their actions on racial and ethnic equality in their supply chains.

Despite these results, Fashion Revolution is encouraged by increasing supply chain transparency among many major brands, primarily with first-tier manufacturers where the final stage of production occurs, e.g. cutting, sewing, finishing and packing. Nine brands have disclosed their first-tier manufacturers for the first time this year. It is encouraging to see significant progress across market segments including luxury, sportswear, footwear and accessories and across different geographies.

Fashion Revolution’s co-founder and Global Operations Director Carry Somers says: “In 2016, only 5 out of 40 major brands (12.5%) disclosed their suppliers. Seven years later, 121 out of 250 major brands (48%) disclose their suppliers. This clearly demonstrates how the Index incentivises transparency but it also shows that brands really are listening to the millions of people around the world who keep asking them #WhoMadeMyClothes? Our power is in our persistence.”

More key findings from the Fashion Transparency Index 2022:

Progress on transparency in the global fashion industry is still too slow among 250 of the world’s largest fashion brands and retailers, with brands achieving an overall average score of just 24%, up 1% from last year
For another year, the initiative has seen major brands and retailers publicly disclose the most information about their policies, commitments and processes on human rights and environmental topics and significantly less about the results, outcomes and impacts of their efforts.

Most (85%) major brands still do not disclose their annual production volumes despite mounting evidence of overproduction and clothing waste
Thousands of tonnes of clothing waste are found globally. However, brands have disclosed more information about the circular solutions they are developing (28%) than on the actual volumes of pre- (10%) and post-production waste they produce (8%). Brands have sat by as waste importing countries foot the bill, resulting in serious human rights and environmental implications.

Just 11% of brands publish a responsible purchasing code of conduct indicating that most are still reluctant to disclose how their purchasing practices could be affecting suppliers and workers
Greater transparency on how brands interact with their suppliers ought to be a first step towards eliminating harmful practices and promoting fair purchasing practices. The poor performance on transparency in this vital area is a missed opportunity for brands to demonstrate they are serious about addressing the root causes of harmful working conditions, including the instances where they themselves are the key driver.

Despite the urgency of the climate crisis, less than a third of major brands disclose a decarbonisation target covering their entire supply chain which is verified by the Science-Based Targets Initiative
Many brands and retailers rely heavily on garment producing countries that are vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, yet our research shows that only 29% of major brands and retailers publish a decarbonisation target covering their operations and supply chain which is verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative.

Only 11% of brands publish their supplier wastewater test results, despite the textile industry being a leading contributor to water pollution
The fashion industry is a major contributor to water pollution and one of the most water intensive industries on the planet. Only 11% of major brands publish their wastewater test result, and only 25% of brands disclose the process of conducting water-related risk assessments in their supply chain. Transparency on wastewater test results is key to ensuring that brands are held accountable for their potentially devastating impacts on local biodiversity, garment workers and their communities.

Most major brands and retailers (96%) do not publish the number of workers in their supply chain paid a living wage nor do they disclose if they isolate labour costs
Insufficient progress is being made by most brands towards ensuring that the workers in their supply chain are paid enough to cover their basic needs and put aside some discretionary income. Just 27% of brands disclose their approach to achieving living wages for supply chain workers and 96% do not publish the number of workers in their supply chain paid a living wage. In response, we have joined forces with allies across civil society to launch Good Clothes, Fair Pay. The campaign demands groundbreaking living wage legislation across the garment, textile and footwear sector.

The 50th INNATEX fair opens its gates to a Green Fashion trade audience from 29 to 31 July 2022 in Hofheim-Wallau, near Frankfurt. At this anniversary fair, over 200 labels will be exhibiting, a wide range of experts and organisations will be gathering, and elaborate features and facilities are planned for the Rhein-Main exhibition centre.

According to INNATEX project manager Alexander Hitzel, one highlight is the Community Area, which brings together a range of experts. In short lounge talks, they reveal insights into what they are currently working on and a dialogue format encourages personal discussion. Mirjam Smend, whom we know well from Greenstyle Munich, introduces her recently launched sustainability magazine, Pureviu, and facilitates the morning talks.

Alongside standard bodies such as IVN and GOTS, which have taken part in INNATEX for many years, younger projects such as Fairmodel and the digital platform Retraced will be part of this special area. Fairtrade Germany, Femnet and the VDMD are to be found there too. Almost all of them are joining in with the Ask Me Anything dialouge format. Interested attendees can pre-book a slot of up to ten minutes for a personal discussion with the expert of their choice.

The supportive activities that had to be suspended during the pandemic are enjoying a comeback at this year’s summer fair: five newcomers to INNATEX designated DesignDiscoveries will be presenting their projects in another special area. Vegtus, from Barcelona, produces sneakers and other products from cactus leather. Natural textiles such as organic cotton are used by Lounge Cherie, a yoga fashion label.

Products for kids through to seniors, classics and streetwear, footwear and accessories
Nordlicht similarly relies on recyclable, renewable natural fibres for its outerwear, bags and accessories. The field of circular fashion is also served by the remaining two Design Discoveries. Both Nature is Future, with its handmade sneakers, and Freibeutler, with its functional rucksacks, make extensive use of recycled materials, while also paying due attention to broader sustainability aspects.

Regular INNATEX exhibitors include Lana, Chapati and Didymos, all of whom are also celebrating anniversaries. Labels such as Anokho with their colourful accessories in jacquard fabrics and Danish label Angel Circle with its plus-size fashion are exhibiting for the first time.

The ongoing revision process to the GOTS Standard document and supporting Manual for Implementation garnered a robust response during its first public comment period, which ended on June 13 and elicited over 300 inputs. Of that, about 60 percent of comments were related to technical criteria such as ecology, chemical inputs, and material quality; and around 30 percent concerned GOTS social criteria. The Standard sets forth the requirements for organic textiles throughout the entire processing chain. GOTS’s commitment to making every version stronger ensures that the Standard continues to be a dynamic and evolving document and remain at the forefront as the most recognized and respected global standard for textiles.

The first draft of the revised standard, GOTS version 7.0, was made available for an initial 60-day comment period. Stakeholders, associations, organisations, companies and individuals were encouraged to contribute to the revision of the Standard during this timeframe. The Standard is updated every three years, ensuring that GOTS keeps up with advances in the industry and developments in the science and technology of textile processing.

Beginning in 2022, the GOTS revision process is following a newly developed and more inclusive Standard Setting Procedure, which includes oversight of the process by a Standard Revision Committee (SRC). The SRC consists of experts from different stakeholder groups, including scientists, textile industry professionals, sustainability, sourcing and human rights specialists and others. Members work together throughout the entire revision process to establish terms of reference and make decisions on any changes.

The comments received are being compiled and will be available for viewing on the GOTS website shortly. For the next stage of the revision process, the SRC will deliberate all comments, and a second draft of the revision will be released for a second and final 30-day period of public input in September 2022, which will be announced on the GOTS website and social media. The final version of the revised standard, GOTS version 7.0 will be released in March 2023, and will come into effect one year later.

The sustainable collaboration and innovation between Indorama Ventures (IVL), Auping and TWE Group presented a certified cradle to cradle process for mattress components across nonwoven applications, at Techtextil, Frankfurt, 21st to 24th June 2022.

Using circular research and design, the industry partnership between IVL Mullagh (Ireland), Auping and TWE Group has resulted in a perpetual, sustainable economic business model, for manufacturers globally. The inclusion of safe raw materials within mattress manufacturing allows the materials to be easily disassembled at the product’s end of use in order to be further reused as same components or recycled into new raw material at the same quality level, to enable versatile textile applications.

Designed for disassembly to optimize the use of existing resources, reduce carbon footprint and support customer objectives all along their customers’ supply chain. This circular industry collaboration begins with design, where the mattress is constructed using only two different base materials, 100% PET polyester textiles and steel wire pocket springs connected with Niaga®️, a non toxic reversible adhesive, making the mattress easy to disassemble and recover.

IVL, Auping and TWE’s shared vision for a better world is demonstrated through their connected and innovative circularity that helps to close the loop. Auping collects, sorts and separates the collected fabrics, which then go to IVL Mullagh for processing, melting and extrusion to form polyester staple fiber. These staple fibers are then converted by TWE Group into nonwovens for use in Auping’s Evolve mattress, a fully circular mattress. Following the end of mattress use, the material recovery process simply starts again.

Auping estimates that annually more than 40 million mattresses are disposed of in Europe alone, the majority of which are incinerated. Their take back system in the Netherlands ensures that when their new mattress is delivered, the old mattress is retrieved and recycled, irrespective of the brand, ensuring existing materials are continually optimized, diverted from landfill and kept in use to achieve a circular economy.

• Officina39’s Trustainable™ collection FW 23: key innovation highlights.
• The Trustainable™ collection FW 23 presents SMART 03 and Aqualess Fade

Officina39 is attending the fourth edition of Denimsandjeans India in Bangalore (8-9 June 2022). As the show displays the GREENABLE (green and comfortable) aspects of denim, Officina39 did want to have missed the opportunity to show its latest technologies included in the Trustainable™collection FW23.

For Officina39, “Trustainable” is a term that expresses the company’s approach based on honesty, transparency and social responsibility: this attitude once again characterizes the technologies that
have given shape to the Trustainable™ collection FW 23.

The latest technological addition to the line is represented by the new Ozone Booster SMART 03, which assures more final bluish indigo shades than the other boosters on the market, activating the
reaction of Ozone on indigo without any strong oxidizing agent. Better results, less aggressive bleaching.

The new collection also marks the debut of Aqualess Fade, a technology that recreates the bleaching effect of chlorine on fabrics, a waterless special compound for the discoloration of denim on indigo/black garments which reduces resource consumption and environmental impact.

This newest innovation completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75% of the water use. Until now, the process included three eco-friendly technologies: Novascraper Indigo, a laser finishing technique that adds a natural, vintage look to denim garments; OZ-ONE Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, for a worn and distressed look; and Aqualess Aged, a waterless compound to give denim abrasion effects. Specifically, this last revolutionizing product has recently marked an important achievement which adds to the company’s sustainable credentials: Officina39 in fact stands out as the first and only player to receive, for its Aqualess Aged, the DeniSafe® certification of enzyme product(s) by Novozymes for safe production and safe use through dry application.

Officina39 will attend the Bangladesh Denim Expo in Dhaka on 10-11 May, a new edition after a two-year break, characterized by a focus on sustainability and the central theme "Beyond Business".

Officina39 has been committed for years to the reconversion of the sector’s technologies to an environmental point of view: this attitude is expressed in its latest Trustainable™ collection FW 23, based on the approach of honesty, transparency and social responsibility that drives the company. Officina39 will present Aqualess Fade, a technology just recently presented at Kingpins that recreates the bleaching effect of chlorine on fabrics, a waterless special compound for the discoloration of denim on indigo/black garments which is reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

Aqualess Fade completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75% of the water use. Until now, the process included three eco-friendly technologies: Novascraper Indigo, a laser finishing technique that adds a natural, vintage look to denim garments; OZ-ONE Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, for a worn and distressed look; and Aqualess Aged, a waterless compound to give denim abrasion effects. Specifically, this last revolutionizing product has recently marked an important achievement which adds to the company’s sustainable credentials: Officina39 received, for its Aqualess Aged, the DeniSafe® certification of enzyme product(s) by Novozymes for safe production and safe use through dry application.

Bangladesh Denim Expo is also ideal for presenting the results of The Circle Book 2, the second chapter of a collective project gathering ten high-profile players of the textile supply chain. Officina39’s Recycrom™ technology and the expertise of Meidea, Lenzing, Tejidos Rojo, Calik Denim, Ribbontex, Spring85, Dr. Bock Industries, Crafil and RGT have merged together on the development of CULTURE.IN, a circular capsule collection transparently made from recycled and degradable materials: a practical demonstration of how the fashion industry can improve considering social and environmental impacts and goals.

The worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), seeks public input as it begins the revision process for GOTS standard version 7.0.

As a solution for sustainability-related challenges in textile processing, GOTS sets strict and binding requirements regarding ecological and social parameters. These are updated every three years in an open and transparent revision process which fosters constant progress towards the development of better textile processing methods. In this process of continuous improvement, GOTS collaborates with all relevant international stakeholders, including the textile and apparel industry, chemical suppliers, organic farming and environmental organisations, workers' rights groups and labour unions, to ensure ongoing relevance and account for changes in the industry.

The initial period of public input runs from 14 April through 12 June. During this phase, all interested parties, including industry representatives, NGO’s and consumers, are encouraged to participate by submitting comments, feedback, and ideas through GOTS’s online portal.

“We are looking forward to receiving input from stakeholders around the world for GOTS version 7.0. This open call for feedback is part of what keeps our certification requirements up-to-date with the most cutting-edge developments in the industry,” says GOTS Managing Director Rahul Bhajekar.

Beginning in 2022, the revision process will follow the newly developed Standard Setting Procedure, which provides for the constitution of a Standard Revision Committee (SRC) for each revision. This group will serve as the pivotal force behind decisions about the revisions. The SRC consists of experts from different stakeholder groups, including associations, organisations, companies and individuals. All input received by June 12 will be carefully considered by the SRC as well as compiled and made public for an additional 30-day consultation period later this year. All drafts of the standard will also be made public. GOTS standard version 7.0 will be finalised in early 2023, and will be available on the GOTS website.

The timeline for the revision to GOTS version 7.0 is as follows:

1. Constitution of GOTS SRC- April 2022
2. Release of first revision draft for public consultation - 14 April 2022
3. First public consultation period - 60 days (April 14 to June 12)
4. Deliberations by the SRC on input received - May to August 2022
5. Release of second revision draft for public consultation - September 2022
6. Second public consultation period - 30 days from release
7. Deliberations by the SRC on input received - October to November 2022
8. Finalisation of GOTS version 7.0 - February 2023
9. Release of GOTS version 7.0 - March 2023

Construction machinery rolls into action again. The ground-breaking ceremony at the EREMA site in Ansfelden on April, 6 signals the start of work on a new R&D centre. Two halls with a total area of 1,550 square metres and a new office building with 50 workplaces will be built. The R&D centre will offer cross-departmental and cross-company test machines and laboratory for research and development of plastics recycling technologies to further advance the circular economy. Completion is scheduled for February 2023.

Plastics recycling is currently evolving very rapidly from a niche to a trend. This is driven by the legislative targets for plastics recycling that the European Union and many countries around the world have enacted, as well as by the European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent and in which the circular economy plays a very central role.

However, there is not just one recycling solution for all types of plastic waste, but rather different solutions depending on the type of plastic, the product and the application intended for the recycled plastic. While some plastics processing loops, such as for PET bottles, have already been closed, many other plastic waste streams still require a great deal of R&D in cooperation with everyone involved in the value chain to produce recycled pellets that meet the very highest standards for the production of new products. More space will be available for this in the new centre.

R&D is decentralised at EREMA. In recent years, approximately 5 percent of turnover was reinvested annually in research and development. Employees from different departments handle process engineering challenges, innovations in mechanical engineering and automation technology, and special technologies with a view to further improving the quality of recycled pellets. They also focus on new recycling technologies for waste plastic materials for which there is currently no satisfactory circular economy solution. The decisive factor here is also to exploit the potential of digitalisation. By collecting and analysing machine data, not only can recycling processes and product quality be further improved, but we can also develop our digital service offering for our customers. Such offerings include customer-specific information tools that feature plant and process data, predictive maintenance and online support as well as commissioning via remote access.

For material tests, which are necessary for research and development work, an expanded machine park will be available following completion of the new R&D centre. Here, the recycling process can be evaluated end-to-end, including upstream and downstream processes such as shredding and further processing of the recycled pellets. The material tests are supported by detailed analysis in the professionally equipped laboratory, which will be relocated to the new premises and upgraded where necessary with the very latest lab equipment.

On March 15th C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub launched the 3^rd edition of C.L.A.S.S. ICON Award, the annual competition with the aim of sponsoring and rewarding a visionary creative who is able to combine design, responsibility, innovation and communication.

The next selected winner of the international competition for visionary fashion creatives who are able to convey the values of sustainability not only to fashion professionals, but also to the wider public, will be chosen in accordance to the principles of the C.L.A.S.S. Manifesto of Responsible Fashion (https://www.classecohub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Copia-di-C.L.A.S.S.-ICON-MANIFESTO-2.pdf).

The prestigious reward for the game changers of fashion counts C.L.A.S.S. support at 360° degrees, from material consultancy to communication support and a partnership-like engagement in C.L.A.S.S. activities both on and off-line. This specifically includes:

• 2 coupons valued 1000 € each to source responsibly on THE SMART SHOP, the inspirational materials’ bank and samples' e-shop, that includes a premium selection of the C.L.A.S.S. Material Hub’s materials
• A consultancy session with C.L.A.S.S. TEAM: the ICON will have the chance to choose between an introduction to responsible innovation workshop or a specific session focusing on brand’s needs, for example responsible sourcing, certifications, communication.
• Full communication support in terms of press releases, social media and events organisation

C.L.A.S.S. is also happy to announce that its partners will offer an exclusively customed package of marketing and communication activities:

• Renoon is the app devoted to Responsible Shopping agglomerating thousands of ways to combine style and sustainability values may it be new, pre-loved and rental clothing. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes: a dedicated brand page on Renoon, the possibility to check and edit the description of the brand with Renoon's team and a featured article/interview on the new Renoon Library.
• IDEE BRAND PLATFORM is a company based in Milan, which provides dedicated support in all commercial activity for design and fashion brands through the various stages of their growth steps. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the support of the brand in commercial activities for SS23 and AW23/24.
• SUSTAINABLE BRAND PLATFORM is a digital platform to measure, improve and communicate fashion brands sustainability making it simple and affordable. Through the creation of a real DIGITAL TOOLBOX SBP wants to give fashion brands all the instruments they need to obtain a global assessment of their sustainable performance. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the Ecoscoring for brand’s sustainability and the creation of its Sustainable ID Card on Sustainable Brand Platform, as well as the use of the SBP logo, communication on social media and an interview in SBP/Magazine.
• WHITE has always been attentive to the themes of responsible fashion and alongside the new generations of designers. That’s why they decided to support the international sustainability platform C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy) with the annual award C.L.A.S.S. ICON, which promotes awareness in new sustainability values. For this reason, WHITE offers to the winner of C.L.A.S.S. ICON: a digital space on its WSM-WHITE platform and a physical space at the next show scheduled for September.

Applications are open until 1st May.
Email to classicon@classecohub.org, with a list of information such as brand vision and objectives, sustainability values and strategy, designer profile, a photo/video story of your latest collection, and any previous award (https://www.classecohub.org/c-l-a-s-s-icon).

• Six Carbon Capture and Utilisation technologies for a sustainable chemical and fuel production nominated for the innovation award “Best CO2 Utilisation 2022”
• Conference on CO2-based Fuels and Chemicals 2022 – Cologne (Germany) and online, hybrid conference, 23-24 March 2022

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) Innovations of the Year 2022: A lot of technologies are in place and in development to face the challenges of a sustainable chemicals and fuels production based on the utilisation of captured CO2 from industrial off-gases or directly from the atmosphere. To honor these, nova-Institute grants its annual award, “Best CO2 Utilisation”, within the framework of the “Conference on CO2-based Fuels and Chemicals” taking place in Cologne on 23-24 March 2022. Great submissions reached the nova-Institute and six nominees now get the chance to demonstrate their full potential to a wide audience in Cologne (Germany) and online.

Here are the six nominees:

• Acies Bio (SI) – OneCarbonBio
• Air Company (US) – Air Eau de Parfum
• Avecom (BE) – Power To Protein
• CleanO2 Carbon Capture Technologies (CA) – CleanO2 Soap
• Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB (DE) – eBioCO2n Technology
• Nordic Electrofuel (NO) – E-Fuel 1