A lot happened in October as well in terms of the sustainable efforts of the textile and clothing industry. Everything was there, from regenerative cotton cultivation for denim and more sustainable materials to circular approaches and resale offers. The first plastic seal in Europe, Flustix, is now taking on the plastic challenge. Read through October!
grassroots
On the cultivation side, in a first fully circular experiment, Italian denim manufacturer Candiani developed a plant-based stretch yarn made from natural rubber to replace petroleum-based synthetic yarns. In a seven-week experiment, the new Coreva twine was used to fertilize the soil and grow regenerative blue-seed cotton.
The International Cotton Conference in Bremen highlighted innovation, transparency and sustainability, while the Canopy initiative committed more than 500 fashion brands to protect the world’s most important forests.
Innovative materials
On the product side, some brands and retailers were innovative: the Danish clothing group Bestseller, for example, launched the first trousers with Spinnova fibers, while the Swiss outdoor outfitter Odlo increased the proportion of recycled or natural fibers in its range to two-thirds; fashion chain C&A also increased its share of more sustainable materials. Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven showcased grassroots clothing and interactive textiles. Two years after it was signed, the denim deal saw a number of advances.
circular economy
The specialist for recyclable services Texaid Textilverwertungs-AG, together with spinning machine manufacturer Rieter, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and partners from the public sector, retailers and brands, has completed the two-year textile recycling project “TexCircle”, taking textile-to-textile recycling a step forward . The result is various product prototypes ranging from sweaters, socks and curtains to carpets, upholstery and accessories, developed with between 50 and 80 percent recycled fibers and yarns.
The US outdoor brand The North Face has launched a collection that takes the end of garments into account and allows consumers to easily return them to a store at the end of their lives. The aim is to recycle, regenerate or renew 100 percent of the upper materials by 2025 in order to reduce the ecological footprint.
Sporting goods retailer Decathlon temporarily changed its name in Belgium to encourage the reuse of sports equipment. “Nolhtaced” stands for the second-hand range of sports equipment. The aim is to reuse as much equipment as possible, reduce the environmental impact and avoid as much waste as possible.
green washing
The topic of greenwashing was also considered this month, and how to counteract it. While the French luxury group Kering presented new guidelines on the subject, the Norwegian and Dutch regulators published a guide on how to use the Higg MSI. The British regulator also proposed new rules to combat greenwashing. Better Cotton and Partners, meanwhile, introduced a framework to more consistently report on sustainability indicators.