14th- 18th October 2024
Ecotextile News
The purpose-led multimedia news platform for sustainability in the global fashion and textile industry.
We’re back with another Weekly Briefing, the one-stop-shop for getting you caught up with the week's top news stories in just a few minutes. You can find all of our stories over at https://www.ecotextile.com/news/ but for now, let us guide you through the most important????
Monday
??We started the week off with the news that physical attacks on Pakistani migrant leather workers in Prato, who were striking for improved workplace conditions, have once again cast a shadow over the ethics associated with the ‘Made in Italy’ label.
Earlier this year, Italian courts placed Armani and Dior units under judicial administration over labour exploitation in their Italian supply chains. Both luxury brands promptly acknowledged and condemned the illegal practices discovered in their local factories.
??We also disclosed that the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) has entered into a partnership with Open Supply Hub and instructed its brand members to post details of their suppliers on the supply chain mapping platform.
ETI says it has become the first multistakeholder initiative to mandate publication of tier one suppliers directly on Open Supply Hub.
Tuesday
??On Tuesday we learned that ten of Spain’s largest fashion retailers including Zara , MANGO , H&M , Decathlon and Primark , have signed up to a voluntary pilot scheme to collect, manage and sort textile and clothing waste.
The pilot project, known as Re-Viste, will operate for a minimum of one year across six different municipalities and will see the installation of specific collection containers on public roads and in municipal recycling centres. Collection points will also be set up in private spaces such as shopping centres, shops and schools.
??We also revealed that environmental campaigners are urging the European Commission to take effective action on chemicals including restrictions on the use of PFAS and revising the REACH regulation.
It comes after European Union environment ministers met at the European Council to review progress made on the commission's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability since it was announced four years ago.
Wednesday
??On Wednesday we reported that online auction site eBay has announced the global expansion of its Circular Fashion Fund to help startups scale circular solutions from production to end-of-life.
Now in its third year in the UK, the CFF is set to launch in the US and Germany for the first time having expanded to Australia last year.
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??We also delivered the news that German biotech company AMSilk GmbH | Biotech Materials has entered into an agreement with industrial fermentation specialist, Ajinomoto Foods Europe to produce industrial quantities of its bio-based spider silk proteins at Ajinomoto’s manufacturing facility in Nesle, France.
AMSilk's silk proteins claim the same high-performance properties as real spider silk and can be used in applications including high-quality fashion, smart materials in automotives and medical devices.
Thursday
??On Thursday we reported that cotton grown in India that is both 'fair trade' and organic, or converting to organic, outperforms conventional cotton across a number of environmental outcomes such as greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and avoidance of chemicals, new research suggests.
The study, commissioned by Fairtrade India and released at this week’s International Fairtrade Textile Forum in Paris, was conducted in six of the major cotton-producing states in India.
??We also learned that nearly all Australian fashion companies are not paying a living wage to workers at any stage of the supply chain, according to a new report.
The 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, by Baptist World Aid Australia , also revealed that 52% of companies use sustainable fibres in less than 25% of their products, with half of the assessed companies still not evidencing any commitment to climate action.
Friday?
??Exclusive- get the news before it breaks??
??Today we reveal that?fashion giant Levis’Store has signed up to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry and its Pakistan Accord factory safety programme.
It follows years of pressure from worker rights campaigners on the company to join the accord which makes signatory brands legally liable for the safety of the workers who make their clothes.
For our Friday news stories make sure to visit https://www.ecotextile.com/news/ and watch them release in real-time.
??That’s a wrap on this week's Weekly Briefing! We hope you’ve enjoyed- subscribe if you did so that you don’t miss a week??