A group of natural fibre stakeholders have appealed to the European Commission to address critical concerns regarding the methodologies used to assess the environmental impact of textiles, properly account for the environmental benefits of natural and organic fibres, and promote cooperation across EU institutions to support sustainable, resilient textile value chains.
- The 7 stakeholders— IFoam, International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Fibershed, Fair Trade, European Industrial Hemp Association, and Otto Stadtlander—issued a joint letter on concerns over methodologies for environmental impact assessment of natural fibres used in textiles.
- Calling for a differentiated view of natural and synthetic textile fibres and their production methods and to adequately consider the positive characteristics and the beneficial role of natural, especially organically cultivated natural fibres, the letter recommended commissioning a study or impact assessment looking at different PEF and LCA methodologies and evaluating their potential to steer the market towards truly sustainable fibre production.
THE LETTER outlined the many advantages that the shift away from synthetic fibres (being the primary enabler of fast fashion) towards natural fibres would accrue to both people and planet:
- As the EU is planning on making use of the growth potential of bio-based materials and to substitute fossil-based materials, natural fibres are the obvious choice for textile products. Natural fibres are renewable and when cultivated and processed responsibly, reduce reliance on fossil-based raw materials through carbon substitution. In this way, they can significantly reduce the overall carbon footprint of textile products as compared to fossil-based synthetic fibres. This advantage becomes even more significant for natural fibres produced with sustainable or organic methods that limit or ban the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
- The cultivation of natural fibres is often associated with high water and land use and this impactful life stage for textiles made of natural fibres is reflected in the PEFCR for apparel and footwear. The PEFCR, however, do not apply the same system boundaries and do not consider the impacts of the extraction of crude oil and the very energy-intensive chemical reactions required to produce synthetic fibres, which results in an inequitable comparison leading to a less favourable environmental footprint for natural fibres. Actually, a large portion of the water needed to produce natural fibres comes from rainfall (depending on the region) and according to a recent study, the cotton’s irrigation footprint is significantly lower than previously reported.
- In addition, natural fibres are beneficial not although, but because they are agricultural products that provide “an important source of income for farmers and thus can play an important role in contributing to food security and nutrition, the realisation of the right to adequate food and in eradicating poverty and hence in contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Natural fibres are also to a large extent biodegradable, and the microfibres shed during the lifecycle of textile products made from natural fibres must be clearly distinguished from microplastics in terms of their impact. Synthetic fibres not only use finite resources in fibre production, but they also come with an unsolved problem: the release of microplastics. Globally, synthetic textiles account for 1635% of microplastics released to oceans, according to estimates presented by the European Environment Agency. Furthermore, synthetic textiles do not only shed microplastics during their use phase, but throughout their whole lifecycle and notably also once they have been discarded (according to a recent study, more than 80% of the textile related microplastics in the environment come from discarded synthetic clothing and not from the washing of apparel).
- Last but not least, natural fibres and sustainably produced textiles made of natural fibres offer opportunities for revitalising and developing sustainable value chains also in Europe — spanning from farm-level cultivation to final garment manufacturing. By effectively incentivising or demanding sustainable (preferably organic) cultivation methods for natural fibres, strict environmental and social criteria for all textile processing stages and the inclusion of external costs in (higher) product prices, EU legislators could create a market for sustainably produced textiles, which would benefit third country actors as well as local industries and SMEs in Europe. This, in turn, could promote regional innovation, and the positioning of the EU as a global leader in sustainable and circular textile systems.
ABOUT THE GROUP OF 7
- IFOAM Organics Europe is the European umbrella organisation for organic food and farming. It fights for the adoption of ecologically, socially and economically sound systems based on the principles of organic agriculture – health, ecology, fairness and care. With almost 200 member organisations, its work spans the entire organic food chain and beyond: from farmers and processors, retailers, certifiers, consultants, traders and researchers to environmental and consumer advocacy bodies.
- International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO): The International Wool Textile Organisation is the global authority for standards in the wool textile industry. Since 1930, it has represented the collected interests of the global wool trade. Its 38 members in 27 countries come from all stages of the wool textile pipeline, from farm to retail. Through scientific research, wool textile education and knowledge sharing, IWTO ensures a sustainable future for wool. The IWTO standards and regulations form the basis for trade within the industry.
- Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): GOTS was founded by four well-reputed organisations: Organic Trade Association (OTA, USA), Internationaler Verband der Naturtextilwirtschaft (IVN, Germany), The Soil Association (UK) and Japan Organic Cotton Association (JOCA, Japan). Two of these (IVN and JOCA) are textile industry organisations, while the other two (OTA and Soil Association) are organic organisations rooted in organic agriculture and food. Together, they hold extensive experience in promoting 'organic' and all had developed individual processing standards for organic textiles. GOTS came about from the desire to harmonise these standards so that they were internationally recognised.
- Fibershed: Fibershed is a non-profit organisation developing regional fibre systems that expand opportunities to implement climate beneficial agriculture, rebuild regional manufacturing, and educate the public about the benefits of soil-to-soil fibre and dye systems. It drives investment in climate benefiting agriculture, delivers technical support for rebuilding regional manufacturing, links end-users to material sources through experiential, skill-sharing education, and provides expert guidance in soil-to-soil fibre systems to policymakers across regional, state, and federal levels.
- Fair Trade: Fairtrade works towards fairer terms of trade for farmers and workers, safe working conditions, environmental protection, and quality. This approach prioritises the lives of farmers and workers in supply chains and partners with them as active participants in the decision-making process.
- European Industrial Hemp Association: The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) is the only pan-European membership organisation in the industrial hemp sector, representing the interest of hemp producing and processing companies. Its primary objective is to monitor EU hemp related policies and to provide EU decision-makers with accurate and reliable information across different spheres of competencies. Its membership encompasses 25 EU states and 12 additional countries including members in North America and APAC comprising a total membership of 200+, primarily farmers, processors and manufacturers, representing the entire chain from seed to shelf.
- Otto Stadtlander GmbH: Otto Stadtlander is a century old cotton trading house based in Bremen, Germany. Since its inception in 1919, the virtues of sustainable business practices accompanied the business. It maintains strategic partnership with leading producing origins and consuming destinations. Through its sourcing structure it caters to the textile industry with resources on its path to a sustainable future. It offers a variety of cotton from certified sustainable projects.
