It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable

Netherlands

Wool Waste / Flocks Wobot

5 January 2024

2 minutes

The Flocks Wobot is a new and independently developed cobot, especially made for working with local European wools that would be otherwise disposed of.

Dutch Designer Makes Robot that Can Convert Discarded Wool into Materials for Furniture and Insulation

Netherlands could soon stop discarding the millions of tonnes of wool thanks to a Dutch designer’s innovative robot.

Staff Writer

Traceability / Recycled Polyester

15 December 2023

2 minutes

The key to the advancement in ensuring traceability from yarn production to the final product lies in the Aware tracer, which can now be detected infield using the Aware hand scanner, providing an unprecedented level of transparency and traceability.

Dutch Innovator Aware Announces Traceable Recycled Polyester

A milestone in the world of sustainable textiles, the first “full infield-traceable recycled polyester” has been launched by Dutch traceability solutions provider Aware.

Staff Writer

Going Circular / Puma Sneakers

30 November 2023

2 minutes

The Re:Suede experiment was the first programme, together with the polyester recycling programme Re:Fibre, to launch as part of Puma’s Circular Lab. hub.

Puma Circularity Lab Project Turns Experimental Sneakers into Compost

Sportswear major Puma's two year-long Re:Suede project successfully concluded by composting an experimental version of its classic Suede sneaker under certain tailor-made industrial conditions.

Staff Writer

Fibre Innovation / Biopolymers

4 October 2023

2 minutes

An estimated 500.000 metric tonnes of polyester is lost in the environment each year through fibre shedding and the like.

New Project to Dive Deep into Biodegradability, Develop New Biopolyester

Another project to find a solution for the enormous microplastic pollution caused by apparel textiles got under way last month as a consortium of universities and research institutes promises to invest 6.6 million EUR.

Staff Writer

Going Circular / Denim Deal

30 June 2023

4 minutes

On 1 January 2023, in total 49 signatories, including eight brands and retailers, were committed to the Denim Deal with the aim to close the denim loop by promoting the use of high-grade post-consumer recycled cotton fibres (PCR-cotton) in new jeans and other denim garments.

Denim Deal Study Shows Share of 20% PCR-Cotton in Jeans is Growing

The Denim Deal Monitor 2022 says there is a positive development in the increase in application of post-consumer recycled cotton in denim garments and jeans, with 7 of the 8 participating brands and retailers aiming for higher targets than the 5%-PCR-content in the coming years.

Special Correspondent

Business of Leather / Industry Survey

12 October 2022

2 minutes

Workers in tanneries, factories, or home-based workplaces in countries like Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan generally have little clue about the end-products they are contributing to or the markets these products are destined for. Conversely, most people in Europe, the US, and other consumer markets who buy leather jackets and other clothes, shoes, and accessories have little idea where and under what conditions these products are made.

Supply Chain Transparency is Dramatically Low in Leather Industry, Says Report

The current level of supply chain transparency in the leather and allied industries is dramatically low. Only 29 of the 100 major companies surveyed provide some information about their supplier base. And no, luxury brands are not frontrunners. A texfash.com report.

Staff Writer

Under Cloud / Higg MSI

11 October 2022

3 minutes

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) and the Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA) do not recommend the SAC to adopt the measures concerning information to consumers. The reason: this could quickly overload the consumer with information and contradict the aim of putting the information into context.

Operation Crackdown: Netherlands, Norway Issue Stringent Guidelines on Use of Higg MSI

A joint crackdown by consumer authorities in the Netherlands and Norway on the use of Higg MSI is critical for the entire clothing industry, both for developers and providers of data instruments as well as for clothing companies that use these types of instruments.

Special Correspondent

Tracing Fashion / tex.tracer

4 October 2022

4 minutes

Each supply chain partner uploads product data, pictures and documents in the tex.tracer web-app. Using this encrypted time-stamp and geo-location data, tex.tracer checks and verifies whether all uploaded information is produced at the claimed time and location. Peer-to-peer reviews add in an additional check to guarantee that the uploaded details are also backed by the next supply chain partner.

Certifications Necessary at This Point, but They Are Indeed Not Perfect

The tex.tracer team is made of fashion experts on a mission. The Amsterdam-based company has been building a blockchain-powered transparency platform, allowing users to unlock relevant supply chain information. Co-Founder Jolanda Kooi talks about changing the industry from within, one step at a time.

Subir Ghosh

Interview

Recycling / Europe Prospects

28 September 2022

4 minutes

The Sorting for Circularity Europe Project is aimed at analysing types of waste being generated, quantities available as feedstock for recycling, and the ability to channel textile waste as feedstock for those with innovative solutions. The report is key as it is the first to provide powerful information on which informed decisions can be made for further investment, policy developments and next steps towards circularity.

Treasure in Plain Sight: 494,000 tonnes of Post-Consumer Waste Ready for Fibre-to-Fibre Recycling in 6 European Countries

A report from the Sorting for Circularity Europe project says that as much as 74%—a total of 494,000 tonnes—of low-value, post-consumer textiles is readily available for fibre-to-fibre recycling in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. texfash.com reports.

Special Correspondent

Under Cloud / Sustainability Claims

13 September 2022

4 minutes

A dress that H&M sells under its 'Conscious' tag in Hong Kong. The investigation by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets revealed that H&M offered their products using general terms such as “ecodesign” and “conscious“ without immediately specifying clearly the sustainability benefits with the claim.

Now, Netherlands Trashes H&M's Sustainability Claims; Decathlon Indicted Too; BCI Tag Not Enough

Clothing retail chain H&M and sporting goods retail chain Decathlon have made commitments to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) promising to adjust or no longer use sustainability claims on their clothes and/or websites. The two chains have committed to informing consumers more clearly in order to minimise the risk of misleading practices involving sustainability claims.