22nd-26th July 2024
Ecotextile News
The purpose-led multimedia news platform for sustainability in the global fashion and textile industry.
We’ve reached the end of yet another great week here at Ecotextile News! You can view all of this week’s stories over at https://www.ecotextile.com/news/ but for now sit back, relax and let us catch you up with our hand-picked selection of the most important stories of the week
Monday
??We started the week with the news that Sri Lankan textile manufacturer Hirdaramani Group will team up with China’s Hengda Textiles | Zhejiang Hengin (Stock-Holding) Group Co., Ltd. Hong Kong to build a new $33 million (LKR 10 billion) apparel production unit that features the latest in water conservation, waste generation and renewable energy technologies.
??We also brought an exclusive where Andrew Vaux investigates the EU’s EUDR deforestation regulation, which is set to greatly impact the global textiles industry by demanding detailed analysis of viscose and lyocell supply chains caught up by the new law – with new calls for it to be delayed.?
Tuesday
??On Tuesday, we revealed that fashion resale platform Depop has removed selling fees for users based in the United States as part of an overhaul of its fee structure, which it hopes will further boost the secondhand fashion market.
Instead, the platform has replaced its selling fees with a new ‘marketplace fee’ for buyers, with sellers no longer required to pay a 10% per item charge on all new clothing listings.
??We also reported that a team of US scientists have discovered a species of bacteria that can break down certain PFAS substances that were previously thought to have almost unbreakable chemical structures.
And while the identified bacteria are only able to break down unsaturated PFAS compounds, specific enzymes that are essential to cleave carbon-fluorine bonds were identified – paving the way for new work on how to tackle fully saturated PFAS.
The news comes as PFAS regulation piles up in Europe and the USA in a bid to phase-out these “forever” chemicals, which are still found on some legacy textiles, certain types of clothing treated with stain and water repellents, as well as in textile wastewater.?
Wednesday
??On Wednesday we reported that apparel fastening solutions giant YKK claims to have achieved significant reductions in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2023 by switching to renewable energy-powered electrification of some manufacturing processes.
The company says it has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 56.2%, while Scope 3 emissions have been reduced by 32.7% cent compared to a 2018 baseline.
??We also revealed that textile recycling start-up RE&UP Recycling Technologies has secured a €70 million ($75.89m) loan from French development finance institution Proparco to upscale its next-gen recycled fibre production.
The investment will see RE&UP, a textile arm of Turkish giant Sanko Group, construct a new textile-to-textile recycling facility in Gaziantep, Turkey, with the project aiming to significantly reduce both carbon and water footprints in textile recycling while maintaining the quality of virgin fibres.
Thursday
??On Thursday we brought the news that the IndustriALL Global Union has reiterated its call to the government of Bangladesh to ensure that the recent minimum wage ruling is effectively implemented across the country’s garment manufacturing sector.
It has also called for all charges against those taking part in the 2023 protests over working conditions and pay to be dropped.
??We also disclosed that the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has announced continued programme expansion for the fifth consecutive year, both in enrolled growers and planted acres.
The latest figures show that planted cotton acres enrolled increased to 2.1 million acres, up 31% from 2023, driven by a 35% increase in enrolled growers.
Friday
??Today we reported that luxury fashion group 开云 , owner of Gucci , Yves Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen , has warned its second-half operating income could fall by 30% compared to last year, compounding its woes after already falling sharply in the first half of 2024.
Reporting its second quarter results, Kering also detailed sustainability efforts, including its recent triple A rating from the CDP for corporate transparency and climate performance, and its position as one of the first five companies to have its corporate nature strategy deemed robust by the ‘Business for Nature’ coalition .
https://www.ecotextile.com/2024072632308/fashion-retail-news/operating-income-plunges-at-kering.html
??Lastly, we bring the news that environmental advocacy organisation Stand.earth has launched further legal action against Canadian athleticwear brand lululemon over environmental claims made in its marketing campaigns.
Filed with the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) on 24th July with support from global law firm Hausfeld & Co LLP, the complaint is seeking a rescission of Lululemon’s ‘Be Planet’ advertising campaign, whilst highlighting, it alleges, the need for brands “to make clear and accurate environmental claims that avoid exaggeration and outright lies”.
??That's a wrap on this week's Briefing! Don't forget to join the thousands who subscribe so they never miss a week- it’s free!??