European Environment Agency "Microplastics from textiles: towards a circular economy for textiles in Europe": This briefing aims to improve the understanding of microplastics released from textiles and to show ways to reduce or avoid this release. Key messages include: About 8% of the microplastics that enter the seas in Europe come from synthetic textiles - worldwide this figure is estimated at 16-35%. Between 200,000 and 500,000 tons of microplastics from textiles enter the global marine environment every year. The majority of microplastics from textiles are released during the first washing processes. The release is particularly high in the Fast fashion, as these garments have a high proportion of the first wash, as they are worn only for a short time and wear out quickly due to their low quality. It is possible to reduce or prevent the release of microplastics from textiles, for example by introducing sustainable design and production processes and care measures that control microplastic emissions during use, as well as by improving disposal and end-of-life processing.
Purchasing practices: Better buying "Better Buying Partnership Index Report, 2022 - Partnership Quality in Global Supply Chains": The BBPI is a new tool that examines the relationships between buyers and suppliers from the perspective of partnership quality. The results show the pressure that suppliers are under, as many buyers never, rarely or only sometimes provide suppliers with sufficient time, transparency or financial information for fully compliant production. Suppliers reported on a number of supply chain risks that buyers should pay attention to, including material shortages and over-reliance on a limited number of raw material suppliers. Other risks were missed opportunities due to poor forecasts and incomplete capacity utilisation, the volatile shipping environment and the increasing complexity of logistics, unstable ordering practices and increasing price pressure at several levels of the supply chain. The new Dashboard from the industry we want (TIWW) With the help of data from Better Buying Institute, the WageIndicator Foundation and the Apparel Impact Institute Created and intended to serve as an annual "traffic light" or "temperature control" for the entire industry. For this purpose: TIWW Developed a set of industry-wide metrics to measure the progress of the sector on an annual basis and promote policies in the areas of living wages, purchasing practices and greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the annual check is to promote progress, support alignment and encourage information sharing, cooperation and, where appropriate, policy change.
Material innovation initiative "Brand Engagement with Next-Gen Materials: 2022 Landscape" (PDF): The Material Innovation Initiative (MII) Our goal is to accelerate the development of high-performance, animal-free and more sustainable materials for the fashion, automotive and household goods industries. As part of this mission, she presents the first report on brands' engagement with Next-Gen Materials, which aims to foster collaboration in this fast-growing and changing industry. The report lists 125 partnerships between First Mover brands and Next-Gen Materials manufacturers to inspire brands to work with Next-Gen materials and bring innovative products to market.
The Changing Markets Foundation on 21.2. Greenwash.com It was launched at the end of London Fashion Week to reveal the "grassing" greenwashing in the fashion industry. Demonstrators of Changing markets and Extinction rebellion They gathered in front of him. Old Selfridges hotelto use banners and leaflets pointing to Greenwash.com to expose the greenwashing of fashion brands. The interactive tool aims to show the different tactics fashion brands use to claim that their products are sustainable. Investigations of Changing markets Nearly 60% of eco-friendly clothing claims are misleading or unfounded. Among the greenwashing cases are also advertisements of the textile alliance companies Adidas, H&M, Primark and Puma.
EU Supply Chain Act: The On 23 February, the European Commission published its draft "Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence".. The rules will apply to all companies in the EU single market with more than 500 employees and an annual net turnover of €150 million. In the risk sectors of textiles, agriculture and mining, the obligations should already apply to companies with 250 employees and a net turnover of € 40 million. In addition, the law is intended to hold companies responsible for their entire supply chain. Although these points go beyond the German Supply Chain Act, the EU Supply Chain Act would cover less than 1% of all companies in the EU.. The Commission's draft stresses the central importance of the private sector in meeting the 1.5°C limit under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Just like the German Supply Chain Act, however, it fails to impose independent climate-related due diligence obligations on companies. The limitation of due diligence obligations to "established business relationships" must also be viewed critically. This limitation creates an incentive to encourage companies to act as loyal business partners with long-term cooperation with their suppliers – no one should be able to avoid these obligations by frequently switching business partners. On the positive side, however, the draft contains a civil liability regime that allows those affected by human rights violations or environmental damage to sue the companies causing them.
Follow-up to fraud with organic cotton: The Global Organic Textile standard GOTS comments on the article of the New York Times on fraud with organic cotton (see News Update KW 7) and clarifies that: GOTS It is not a farm standard and therefore does not certify cotton. Instead, be GOTS The strict voluntary global standard for the entire post-harvest processing of clothing and home textiles from certified organic fibers. In addition, it asserts GOTSthat consumers can trust that the cotton in a GOTS-certified product comes from organic farming and proves this, among other things, by obligatory controls by IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Aggriculture Movements) and further testing of seeds for genetically modified organisms and pesticide residues, and continuous monitoring of certification bodies. In addition, GOTS very interested in obtaining evidence of fraud and excluding dubious companies from their own system, which is reflected in the certification ban of 11 companies.
Social impact measurement tool: The French luxury fashion house Chloé has announced that it will develop the first tool to measure the social impact in the sector Hopefully it can be taken over by the entire fashion industry. The tool is designed to help brands measure, evaluate and visualize their social impact. This is to address the fact that while there are many tools to measure the environmental impact of fashion, there is no equivalent for calculating the social impact across the entire value chain. The tool, which is already at an advanced stage of development, aims to ensure that working conditions maintain positive social practices, using six indicators: gender equality, living wages, diversity and integration, education, well-being and job quality. The system will also allow brands to visualize their impact on the people who work directly on their products, from material procurement to delivery to the boutiques, including the workers employed by the suppliers and their own employees.
Myanmar: Tesco Announces plan for a "responsible" exit from Myanmar in the face of ongoing labour rights violations. The step follows reports that Gtig Eastar Garment (Myanmar) Co, a Chinese-owned clothing factory in the Wartayar Industrial Zone in the city Yangon, refused to compensate thousands of workers after announcing its closure in October, seven months after being severely damaged by a fire. Tesco He said that his last assignments with Gtig Eastar It will be settled and withdrawn from Myanmar, in accordance with the Council of Global Trade Unions. Tesco is thus the first member of the ACT initiative, co-sponsored by the international trade union association IndustriALL, which, after ACT's withdrawal from Myanmar, is now ending its business relations with supplier factories in this country.
Turkey: After the Fire in a textile factory in Istanbul that killed at least five workers, including four Syrian refugeesSix people were arrested. The Prosecutor's Office decided to Arrest of three suspects who later went to prison, while three others were released on bail. Four of the victims reportedly tried to lock themselves in a toilet to escape the flames, but died of smoke poisoning. A further six workers were taken to a hospital after the fire in the four-story building that housed the factory. The case shows the particular vulnerability of refugees; Turkish clothing factory owners accused of exploiting informal workers, including Syrian children.
Bangladesh: In the event of a major fire in Ashulia (SavarAt least three people died (including A woman and a 15-year-old girl) and 40 others were injured. According to the fire brigade, the fire broke out in the unlicensed Uniworld-shoe factory in Jamgara-area at around 5 p.m.
