Changing Markets Foundation

An investigation by Stand.earth Research Group (SRG) says that more than 100 fashion giants currently source many of their fabrics from fracked oil and gas in the Permian Basin in Texas. And, of the 107 petrochemical-linked brands only one has committed to phase out virgin polyester altogether, and none have explicit, time-bound targets to increase the use of recycled textile waste.

Major fashion brands are using greater amounts of polluting synthetic textiles, a survey of 50 global firms— representing $1 trillion in market value and spanning fast fashion, sports, luxury and supermarket own-brands — reveals greater dependence on synthetic fibres that are driving fast fashion, and use of fossil fuel industry tactics, says a report by the Changing Markets Foundation.

Earlier this month, the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) set alarm bells ringing in the UK when it warned of an imminent collapse of the textile recycling sector due to global market challenges. It's complicated, and TRA Chief Executive Officer Alan Wheeler helps disentangle the threads in this deep dive with texfash.com.

The fashion industry shifted from the sidelines to a more prominent role in the discussions at this climate conference. Time it is also for the sector to match its green rhetoric with robust measures to decarbonise, invest in renewable energy and phase-out reliance on fossil fuels. A first person account from the COP28 event in Dubai.

Take-back schemes, often touted by brands as a tool of circularity, can create an illusion that the fashion industry is dealing with its massive waste problem. However, despite grand promises of reuse and recycling plastered on brands’ collection boxes, they are failing to uphold their commitments, says a scathing report by Changing Markets Foundation.

Under the guise of sustainability, the East African nation of Kenya has been rendered a favourite dumping ground of EU countries as they export millions of tonnes of ‘mitumba’ (secondhand clothes) which are mostly non-recyclable synthetic clothing too dirty or damaged to be reused.

The theme of the just concluded COP27 was a focus on implementation. The pledges agreed upon in the past must give way to rapid action on tackling climate change and preparing for its effects. This also includes fashion companies, which are experts at talking the talk, but slow to walk the walk. A first-person account from the event.

Implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) along side supporting measures is widely believed to incentivise eco-design. texfash.com talks to Toby Connock, Consultant at Eunomia, the agency that was commissioned by the Changing Markets Foundation (CMF) and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) to conduct a study on the role of EPR and supporting policy measures in driving a circular economy for textiles in Europe.

European retail giants are guilty of promoting false solutions to the plastic pollution crisis and perpetuating double standards, a new report has revealed. An analysis of the role European supermarkets play in addressing plastic pollution revealed a near-complete lack of ambition in addressing the plastics crisis.

Keeping consumers at the heart of policies/decisionmaking would be key in the days ahead, and it should not just be about products but also how products are used. And, empowering consumers on tackling greenwashing would sum up the process. People in the know tell texfash.com.