From the Sector

Today, environmental not-for-profit organization Canopy, third-party auditor NEPCon, and Kelheim Fibres released the results of Kelheim’s CanopyStyle Audit. The company’s current supply chain is confirmed as low risk of sourcing wood from Ancient and Endangered Forests or other controversial sources.

Key findings of the audit include:

• The company is at low risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests;
• The company has a limited fibre basket and uses a significant proportion of FSC-certified fibres in its viscose products; and
• The company has begun supporting forest conservation solutions in key areas of Ancient and Endangered Forests.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, Canopy recommends that the company increase the proportion of FSC-certified fibre, and make efforts to source 100% FSC, as well as continue to invest in research and development of low-impact alternative fibres, with the goal of launching a fibre line that contain these products.

This audit, which reflects a snapshot in time, is to be conducted annually to ensure that the company continues to meet the expectations of the CanopyStyle initiative. The audit findings contribute to Hot Button Issue Report.

The public report from Kelheim Fibre’s audit evaluations is available for download here: www.kelheim-fibres.com/en/sustainability/certificates/

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued the following statement today in response to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s staff report on the forced labor of Uyghurs and other minorities in China to produce consumer products for global companies.

We share the concerns of the bipartisan China commission regarding forced labor in China that is used to produce goods for global companies. We agree with the findings and the commission’s recommendations to the administration and Congress to take action against the systemic abuse of forced labor.

As the commission’s report details, Chinese apparel exporters have clearly profited from the virtual enslavement of this minority population, and we call for continued scrutiny and the end to this exploitation of a repressed people. The commission has served a fair warning to U.S. businesses and consumers to not be complicit in these forced labor practices.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers. 

• U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018. 
• The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018. 
• U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018. 
• Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available

Focus on Sustainability and Climate Change

Passion for Cotton: The 35th International Cotton Conference Bremen starts on 25 March in the Hanseatic city’s historic Town Hall. But before subject-specific questions are discussed in depth in the individual sessions, the concise and inspiring keynotes by leading business experts from science and industry will draw attention to the current trends and challenges in the industry at the start of the conference. A large part of the presentations is shaped by the current discussion on environmental and sustainability issues and the resulting consequences for the global economy.

Climate Change and Sustainability

“Climate change - a storm in a teacup?” asks Kai Hughes, Executive Director of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, Washington D.C., USA, in a provocative speech. The aim of his presentation is to work out the challenges of climate change especially for agriculture and cotton production. This should form the basis for later discussion on concrete approaches and solutions within the cotton community.

With his lecture “The HUGO BOSS sustainability programme ... and what our customer has to do with it” Andreas Streubig, Director of Global Sustainability at Hugo Boss AG, Metzingen, Germany, rolls up the textile value chain from a different angle, starting at the consumer level. As a representative of a premium brand for women's and men's clothing, Streubig discusses sustainability as a strategic element of the corporate strategy and provides information on how elements of the strategy are being implemented at Hugo Boss.

Rüdiger Senft, Head of Sustainability at Commerzbank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, looks at the changing role of banks in financing the cotton market. In addition to a general introduction to the topic of sustainability and banking regulation, Senft's presentation deals with the financing of the cotton trade from a social and ecological point of view.
The opening session on 25 March is hosted by Bill Ballenden, founder and owner of Dragontree, Swindon, UK, an online auction platform for the cotton trade. As a former cotton manager for Louis Dreyfus in Europe and Asia, Bill Ballenden has many years of experience in the industry.

Cross-Cutting Issues: Digitalisation, Gender, Value Chains

The subsequent session in the conference programme with the headline “A Wider View” is devoted to currently defining trends and important cross-cutting issues in the industry. This goes far beyond classic cotton themes.

A lecture by Mark Messura, Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain Marketing for Cotton Incorporated, Cary, North Carolina, deals with the role of cotton in an increasingly digitally controlled supply chain. Significant keywords here are faster delivery times, vertical integration, transparency and traceability.

The presentation by Roger Gilmartin, Managing Director of Tri-Blend Consulting, Charlotte, USA, entitled “The secret recipe for timely, cost-optimised and high-quality cotton clothing” promises exciting and enlightening insights. Tri-Blend Consulting conducts studies on the performance of different cotton varieties during the entire consumption process to the finished yarn and evaluates them from an economic point of view.

Amy Jackson, from the Better Cotton Initiative, London, UK, presents ICA Liverpool's “Women in Cotton” initiative. With this commitment, the initiative aims to increase the influence of women in the cotton industry and give them a stronger voice, for example by building networks in cooperation.

Navdeep Singh Sodhi, International Strategic Management Consultant at the Gherzi Textile Organisation, Switzerland, gives an insight into the current development of the value chain for cotton, textiles and clothing in Africa. Looking ahead to the coming decades, also in view of population growth, Africa is seen as having a high potential for building economic structures to improve income and prosperity.

Thomas Schneider, Professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and active in the field of production planning and control, textile materials and materials testing will host the session. A leading light in his field, Thomas Schneider has more than 30 years of experience in scientific and application-oriented research in the textile and fibre sector, including at the Fibre Institute Bremen e.V.

Exhibit to showcase solutions answering sustainability demands in fashion supply chain
Kornit Digital (Nasdaq: KRNT),  announced that the company is exhibiting at the Pure Origin event, taking place February 9-11 at the Olympia London. Hosted in conjunction with Pure London, Pure Origin is billed as “the UK’s only fashion sourcing show to bring every element of the fashion supply chain together in one location.”

The Kornit exhibit (Stand PO-A4) will call on brands and manufacturers to produce fashion in the most sustainable manner possible, approaching the fashion market with a statement that clothing can be produced on demand, in a profitable manner, without compromising on environmental concerns.

With its unique single-step printing solution and proprietary water-based NeoPigment™ inks, Kornit Digital enables on-demand textile manufacturing in a sustainable way. Furthermore, these solutions provide retail-quality impressions that enable retailers to become e-tailers.

The integrated sustainable network making fashion circular, Made in Italy and 100% traceable

World leading textile manufacturer Manteco presents its sustainable path for a better future: The Manteco System. A strategy and a vision shaping the company’s sustainable imprint since 1943. The system consists in the development and engineering of a production network involving 100 partner-companies from the whole supply chain “We all team up responsibly to create premium collection based on transparent , traceable  circular economy practices,” comments Matteo Mantellassi, co-CEO of Manteco.
 
To achieve meeting the demand for fair and sustainable fashion that consumers believe in, and is expected  from our clients, the company and its partners have created and accomplished to a Protocol of Sustainable Values and Commitments in line with the highest standards of the global market.

“On a hand, the protocol preserves the unique ‘genius loci’ of our territory – it respects the heritage of all our partners, from the smaller businesses to the more structured ones - on the other hand, it works like a shared compass of sustainable values, allowing the whole supply chain behind Manteco products to stand out and be competitive on the global stage” adds Mantellassi.
 
The protocol and its monitored and traceable system cover virtuous management of resources – e.g. Water, energy and chemical products - waste management and low production impact on the environment but also responsible standards in terms of employment, quality of the working environment, equal rights and anti-discrimination policies.

One of the key  results of such commitment and sustainable development is the creation of an upgraded version of the recycled wool  MWool™: a top ingredient made from premium recycled wool process guaranteed by the Manteco System.The System works like a symphony where management, measurement and controls  are not there just to test  the quality of each single phase of processes or  products , but to make sure and offer the complete traceability of Manteco production.  From raw material, to yarn, spinning, finishing, testing and final fabric.

Some productions tips about Manteco:

•  5.3 million kg of raw materials processed annually.
•  6.860 tests on raw material per year.
•  34.400 tests on finished products.
•  100% made in Italy system completely based in the Prato district since 1943.
•  Total transparency and traceability thanks to a highly skilled management system.

With a turnover of over 91m Euro in 2019 and an annual growth of 17,80% since 2012, Manteco SpA is the 4th textile company in Italy, listed in the TOP30 companies of the Italian fashion system. “The unique Manteco system adds value to our products while highlighting the sustainable path we share with all our partners both upstream and downstream”.

• R-TWO™ plays a major role in ISKO™’s SS21 fabrics collection, featuring throughout all of ISKO™’s inspirational and forward-looking denim offer.

ISKO denim mill has recently welcomed to its family of innovations its most revolutionarily responsible yet: R-TWO™. This concept was essential to the development of the SS21 fabrics collection featuring an across-the-board employment of the “reused and recycled” program throughout ISKO™’s denim offer, confirming once again the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Preventing over-sourcing, avoiding waste.

In keeping with ISKO’s Responsible Innovation™ approach, this concept deals with the most critical matter that apparel supply chains are currently faced with: using more than what actually needed. ISKO R-TWO™ reduces the amount of raw material sourced by relying on a blend of reused cotton and recycled polyester, improving sourcing efficiency throughout the entire field-tofabric production. This cutting-edge program effectively tackles over-sourcing – the leading issue when it comes to waste hierarchy.

Processing resources

During the processing of raw cotton into yarn, for every 100 kilos of cotton approximately 10% is lost. ISKO collects it and prevents it from becoming waste, adding it back into the spinning process obtaining cotton that is fully traced, documented and audited. This verification process has been invented by ISKO in partnership with its yarn supplier Sanko, offering full clarity into the traceability of reused cotton from field to fabric. It is also certified with the Content Claim Standard – or CCS – of the Textile Exchange.

On the other hand, recycled polyester comes from clear plastic bottles or, alternatively, it can come from other certified waste: in either case the source material is collected, sorted, stripped of labels and caps, and cleaned. This material is then ground into plastic pellets that can then be re-spun into new fiber filaments, which are then blended with the reused cotton to create R-TWO™ fabrics. A major asset of employing recycled polyester is the energy required to produce it, which is less than that required to manufacture virgin polyester. By using more recycled polyester, ISKO effectively reduces its dependence on petroleum as a raw material, ultimately reducing the overall carbon footprint of ISKO™ fabrics.

Depending on the content percentages, for the recycled polyester ISKO can provide either the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) or Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certifications, both of which track the recycled raw material through the supply chain from input to final product to verify its integrity.

Rethinking innovation

The R-TWO™ program was developed to keep on delivering a futuristic and innovative sustainable approach, one where ISKO rethinks its sourcing strategies and refuses to source more raw materials than what actually needed. The objective? Improving, more than ever before, the environmental performance impact of yarn to fabric production, to do better for the planet and its people. Note for pictures: R-TWO™ fabrics played a key role in the development of “Light on the Land”, the new ISKO™ x Miles Johnson collection incorporating fashion and responsibility.

For contacts and information:

Margherita Verlicchi – Menabò Group, Global Press and PR Support: margherita.verlicchi@menabo.com
Chiara Bearzi – Menabò Group, Global Press and PR Support: chiara.bearzi@menabo.com

Lenzing was awarded for the introduction of the blockchain technology for fiber identification as well as its achievements as a leading company and significant economic engine in the region

On November 4, 2019, Lenzing AG won the “Digital Corona” in Gold. The coveted business prize was awarded for the first time in this category. It is awarded to companies that have dynamically advanced the digitization of business processes, products, services and business models in recent years. At the premiere, Lenzing was delighted to receive the first prize for the introduction of the blockchain technology for fiber identification along the textile value chain.

“Consumers increasingly want to understand the ingredients and suppliers of the products they buy, requesting a new level of transparency and traceability. With the introduction of blockchain technology, Lenzing is pursuing the ambitious goal of creating full transparency across the value chain, driving change in an industry where less than five percent of the top 250 apparel brands can track their garments back to the fiber origin”, Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group, says. Lenzing enables its customers and partners to identify TENCEL ™ branded fibers across each production and distribution step from fiber-to-retail. The technology also allows consumers to verify the garment composition and the underlying textile supply chain at the point of sale, simply by scanning the barcode with a mobile device. As a result, Lenzing also directly supports the business with its very sustainably produced TENCEL™ lyocell fibers.

• Bangladesh’s biggest denim expo takes place 5-6 November
• The show runs concurrently with the Sustainable Apparel Forum Bangladesh
• From 4-6 November, Bangladesh becomes the perfect meeting point for stakeholders in the global apparel industry

DHAKA - Responsibility is the theme of the 11th Bangladesh Denim Expo which takes place on 5th and 6th November at International Convention City in Bashundhara, Dhaka. The event, now firmly established as one of the world’s leading denim trade shows, runs alongside the Bangladesh Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Bangladesh Denim Expo

Around 100 exhibitors from 11 countries, including host Bangladesh, will participate in this year’s denim expo. Other participating countries are china, Japan, Italy, India, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey and Germany.

H&M Group is collaborating with Bangladesh Denim Expo for the forthcoming 11th edition of the event and a number of guest speakers will be present from the company, including Pierre Borjesson, head of sustainability, global production. Other guest speakers include Andrew Olah, the founder of Kingpins Denim show, Alice Tonello, R&D director with the Tonello Group, world renowned denim designer, Piero Turk and Jordi Juani, Asia regional director with Jeanologia.

Through a series of product displays, presentations, seminar sessions & panel discussions, the Expo will encourage healthy debate and interaction among exhibitors and visitors to champion a more responsible denim industry. One of these, of course, is sustainability and within this sits the issue of responsibility – an overriding theme of this year’s event. Denim manufacture faces huge challenges with regards its social and environmental responsibility, with production techniques having potentially far-reaching ramifications for the environment as well as people involved in the production process.

However, the industry and its supply chain are making impressive progress on these issues with Bangladesh – now the world’s largest producer of denim – leading the way in terms of addressing some of the sustainability challenges relating to denim production, including excessive use of water and chemicals. Mostafiz Uddin is the organiser of Bangladesh Denim Expo. Uddin has watched with interest the evolution of the denim industry, with each Expo marking continued and gradual progress being made by the more progressive players in the industry.

Uddin says: “The way that business and product development is conducted can have far reaching consequences on the environment, on the people that make the product and the product’s end use & life-span. “It is the duty of all stakeholders in the apparel industry to acknowledge this responsibility and to analyse our business practices, for the benefit of all.” Emphasising the theme of responsibility within Denim Expo is the fact that revenues from the expo support the running and presentation of the Sustainable Apparel Forum.

Sustainable Apparel Forum

The Sustainable Apparel Forum (SAF) is the biggest annual sustainable apparel event in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) along with Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) as co-organiser will jointly carry out the 2nd edition of the SAF on 5th Nov 2019.

This is the second edition of the Sustainable Apparel Forum, with the first-ever forum held in 2017 in Dhaka. The objective of this year’s forum is accelerating the momentum of sustainability in Bangladesh apparel industry.

The forum will see more than 50 speakers gathered from Bangladesh and overseas sharing expert opinions across five panel discussions covering current issues in the country’s apparel industry. These include human resources, transparency in business, water conservation, purchasing practices, sustainable chemical management, waste management, circular economy in textiles and climate change to name a few.

Additionally, the conference will host several knowledge building technical presentations from renowned organisations which will cover different issues relating to sustainability, including waste management, protection of the environment and better working conditions.

Speakers at the show include Md. Shahriar Alam, MP, Honourable State Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, H. E. Benoit Préfonatine High Commissioner, High Commission of Canada, Bangladesh, and Dr. Rubana Huq President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and Exporters’ Association, Sheikh Fazle Fahim, President, Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industries, Pierre Börjesson, Head of Sustainability – Global Production, H&M Group, Tuomo Poutiainen, Country Director, International Labor Organization, Peter McCallister, Executive Director, Ethical Trading Initiative and H.E. Winnie Estrup Petersen Ambassador, Embassy of Denmark, Bangladesh.

Prior to this year’s conference, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh and the Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh will also co-host two roundtable discussion in collaboration with BAE and in association with BGMEA on 4 November, 2019, while H&M, Better Work Bangladesh and C&A Foundation are partners in the event.
The conference will be followed by showcasing different innovative, sustainable & best work practices in RMG manufacturing factories in Bangladesh. Following the discussions, a series of recommendations will be made, and a Sustainability Roadmap for the Bangladesh apparel industry will be formulated.

This year’s SAF promises to be the biggest yet. Added by Mr Mostafiz Uddin in the recent press briefing for the event: “The title for this year’s Sustainable Apparel Forum is enabling sustainability through policy and leadership. The time for talking on sustainability issues is over. It is now time for actions. That’s why the focus of this year’s show is on practical, pragmatic actions the textile industry can adopt to improve its environmental footprint.”

Singapore - Huntsman Textile Effects today confirmed that it has joined the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme as a Contributor. This adds a new dimension to Huntsman’s long-standing efforts to promote sustainable chemistry and best practice in the textile and footwear industries and help lead the sector’s shift to a cleaner and more transparent global supply chain.

Huntsman Textile Effects is proud to be joining over 25 leading brands working together to drive industry-wide change in responsible chemicals management and commits to working on this task in a collaborative and open manner.

As a ZDHC Contributor, Huntsman Textile Effects has uploaded detailed safety and sustainability information of its key products onto the ZDHC Gateway Chemical Module. This will support brands and mills in selecting products and practices to make their supply chains more sustainable. Huntsman Textile Effects will also continue to work to help brands improve their competitiveness while protecting consumers, workers and the environment.

The addition of industry-leader Huntsman Textile Effects to the ZDHC Contributor base represents a significant strengthening of ZDHC as a robust, broad-based solution with the potential to harmonize the industry’s approach to sustainable chemistry and the elimination of hazardous chemicals.

“Huntsman Textile Effects firmly believes that collective action is the best way forward for our industry and that working with ZDHC will help us further accelerate the shift to a cleaner and more transparent supply chain,” said Rohit Aggarwal, President, Huntsman Textile Effects. “As one of the world’s leading suppliers of sustainable textile dyes, inks and chemicals, we have seen time and time again that brands and mills that embrace sustainability can also boost their productivity and competitiveness and reduce costs. Our approach has always been to marry environmental and economic sustainability for a stronger, cleaner and more viable textile sector.”

Huntsman Textile Effects has been a leader in promoting sustainability through continuous innovation and industry collaboration for many years. It champions an inclusive and holistic approach that ensures compliance to industry regulation and standards and considers the impact of the textile value chain on the ecosystem, economy and society at large.

• Lenzing sets net-zero CO2 emissions target by 2050
• Reduction of specific CO2 emissions by 50 percent until 2030
• Investment of more than EUR 100 mn to combat 1.3 Mt of CO2 emissions
• Commitment to follow the Science Based Targets concept

Lenzing, member of the CEO Climate Leaders Group of the World Economic Forum and a signatory to the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, will drastically reduce its CO2 footprint. The Lenzing Group will invest EUR 100 mn over the coming years to reduce carbon emissions both inside its operational boundaries (scope 1+2) and in its supply chain (scope 3). Due to its ambitious CO2 emission reduction strategy, the Lenzing Group will further contribute towards helping customers to transition their business to a lower CO2 base.

A first milestone is set for 2030, when Lenzing plans to reduce CO2 emissions per ton of product by almost 50 percent (scope 1+2 and 3) compared to a 2017 baseline. The total CO2 reduction of all the planned initiatives will yield 1.3 Mt.