Cotton 2040–New Initiative

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The challenge

Climate change and drought, food security for a growing population, human rights, biotechnology, ‘fast fashion’, the circular economy - these and other factors and trends are combining to create many long-term risks and opportunities for the cotton industry.

There are excellent initiatives out there that aim to build better resilience for the sector, navigate it through an uncertain future and ensure that it continues to thrive within our planet’s limitations. Change is urgently needed for farmers, the environment and the textile industry to safeguard its long-term viability. However, given the sheer scale and complexity of the challenge, existing efforts aren’t making it happen at the speed and scale that we need.

Cotton 2040

The Cotton 2040 initiative is a unique cross-industry partnership, including leading brands and retailers, cotton standards, producers and industry initiatives. It aims to maximise and accelerate current sustainability initiatives in the global cotton industry and drive more sustainable cotton firmly into the mainstream. By bringing industry stakeholders together, and aligning efforts in priority areas for action, it seeks to ensure that their collective impact is more than the sum of their parts.

With the support of the C&A Foundation, Forum for the Future began to scope the key issues and crucial levers for change towards a more sustainable cotton industry in February 2015. Through 18 months of research, dialogue and development work with global stakeholders and experts, we developed proposals for four cross-industry areas for action (workstreams) with the potential to create a systemic shift in cotton.

These workstreams will be pre-competitive, action-driven collaborations: bringing together a number of organisations across multiple sectors for collective action.

The first of these, 'Building demand for sustainable cotton', was launched in November 2016 and we are also moving forward with the Traceability workstream.

The four proposed workstreams are:

Building demand for sustainable cotton

Shaping the nature of the demand for sustainable cotton is critical to transforming the system. This workstream is working on enabling an increased demand for sustainable cotton within the fashion and apparel industry, by highlighting the benefits of choosing sustainable cotton and providing resources and guidance on sourcing it.

Cotton recycling and circularity

The recapture and reuse of cotton fibres in textiles has the potential to transform the cotton industry and yield significant sustainability benefits for the sector. This workstream will focus on developing chemical textile-to-textile recycling as a key enabler in circularity.

Traceability

Difficulties with traceability of cotton across the supply chain create significant barriers to uptake. This workstream will initially focus on the establishment of a common traceability interface to make it easier for brands and retailers to purchase sustainable cotton across multiple standards, and simpler for producers to manage data entry. It will also focus on helping brands and suppliers to develop internal data systems to support greater use of sustainable cotton.

Upskilling for resilience

The long-term viability of the cotton industry relies on the ability of farmers and farming communities to be resilient in a changing world. This workstream will focus on creating a cross-industry forum to build resilience among smallholder cotton farmers.

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5/21/2017 | 0 comments

UBM Asia enters digital textile printing market with the acquisition of CSTPF

UBM Asia announces today that it has entered the digital textile printing market through the acquisition of “China (Shanghai) International Printing Industry Expo (CSTPF)” from SUNEXPO. 

CSTPF was launched in 2009 by SUNEXPO. Over the last six years, it has evolved into an important gathering for the digital textile printing sector and related industry professionals. With the rapid growth in the scale of the exhibition and the growing transaction volume, CSTPF owns the leading market position in this niche in China.

The demand for revolutionary printing technology from the leather, glass, ceramic, carpet and other downstream sectors and the continuous innovation in digital printing technology have made the importation of advanced equipment and technology from abroad and the expansion of the overseas market for printed products the next development targets for the digital textile printing industry in China.

UBM Asia is already the region’s largest trade show organiser and the biggest commercial organiser in China, India and Malaysia. The acquisition of CSTPF launches UBM Asia into yet another new sector of immense potential and will also accelerate CSTPF’s internationalisation.

The UBM Asia and CSTPF teams will work in close collaboration with each other and the industry to build the most influential and authoritative international exhibition in the field of digital textile printing.

Jimé Essink, President  & CEO of UBM Asia, said: “We are entering a dynamic new sector through the acquisition of CSTPF. Textile and apparel is one of the largest and most important industries in China. The development of digital printing has accelerated with the drive for innovation and technological transformation in China to upgrade this industry. Today’s fast fashion characterised by small lot and customised printing adds further demand for digital printing. We are very pleased to welcome Gong Changming, General Manager of CSTPF and the CSTPF team to the UBM family and look forward to working closely with this experienced and professional team to grow the expo with UBM’s strong international network.”

Mr Gong will continue to lead the CSTPF staff and the team will move into the UBM China Shanghai office. The next CSTPF will be held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, China from 14 – 16 April, 2015.

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1/31/2015 | 0 comments

5 THINGS ABOUT UK TEXTILES 2014

Ahead of the Natwest UK Fashion And Textile
Awards 2014 on May 22nd, we've been taking stock
of the amazing things that have happened in the UK
textile industry since the start of the year. And
there's no bad news here...

1. Chanel announced plans to create 100 new
knitwear jobs in Scotland. Think all that Lagerfeld-
dreamed-up magic happens in Paris? Not so much.
The fashion house works with Barrie Knitwear in
Hawick to create its cashmere products. In April,
president of Chanel Bruce Palovsky revealed the
company has plans to expand its business there
over the next three years.

2. Textile manufacturing in the UK is seriously back
in vogue. Businesses who resisted the trend to
produce abroad have reported incredible profits –
prime example? Savile Row's Drake's Of London
made £7m last year - and new labels are following
suit. Hipster brand Bitching And Junkfood quit China
to manufacture from Edmonton, east London, while
the first "made in Britain" stiletto company Yull
Shoes, opened in 2011.

3. Smart textiles AKA the wearable tech business is
booming in the UK. British-made interactive textiles
are now being used by huge brands such as Nike,
Quicksilver, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis and North Face.

4. Companies want textiles made in the UK. Talking
to fashion industry bible Drapers earlier this year
from London's Textile Forum, business manager of
Hainsworth Wool Michael Booth said: More and
more people want the UK made product," he said.
"People have got tired of everything made in
sweatshops, it's about quality now."

5. The UK's first ever fashion and textiles show is
happening. "Meet The Manufacturer" is being
launched by ex-Burberry accessories designer and
Debenhams buyer Kate Hills and set to take place on
June 11th and 12th at the Old Truman Brewery. It's
aim? To "support a revival in UK fashion and textile
manufacturing".
MyDaily is the official media partner of the UK
Fashion And Textile Awards 2014.

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5/14/2014 | 0 comments

The London Textile Fair is set to launch an extra edition for Asian suppliers

The London Textile Fair is set to launch an extra edition for Asian suppliers this October, after KellyKO, the fairs organizers were “completely inundated” with requests from Asian textile manufacturers and mills.

“The London Asia Textile Fair will now be the first fair catering exclusively for manufacturers from the Asian market. With the support of many of the biggest UK textile agents, the fair will undoubtedly be a great success,” commented the fairs' organizers.

Known as the London Asia Textile Fair, the event is set to showcase a number of textile suppliers from China, the Philippines, Korea and Thailand. The fair will be hosted in Shoreditch's town hall in London, from 27 October to 28, 2014.

John Kelley, the fair organizer, revealed that already 35 exhibitors have signed to show and 100 manufacturers are predicted to attend the upcoming edition.

“We kept on getting requests from Asian manufacturers to join the London Textile event but as time scales are different we wanted to keep the Asian and European manufacturers separate,” he commented to Drapers.

'”We have a lot of the big boys in the clothing industry coming, all of the mills that deal with top UK retailers.” The fair will not be as large as its counterpart, the London Textile Fair, and is more selective with its exhibitors.

The Asian Fair is set to occur after the London Textile Fair, which is has over 250 exhibitors and will be held at the Business Design Center, in London on July 16 and 17.

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5/04/2014 | 0 comments

Japanese reduces it’s Textile Imports from China

The Japanese are shifting their business from China to other textile producing countries because of [political] tensions between Beijing and Tokyo. Last year, Japan’s textile imports from China dropped to 74pc of its total purchases of $40b, from 86pc a year earlier. China’s loss was the gain of Vietnam and Cambodia

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5/04/2014 | 0 comments

Africa’s First textile city in Kenya

Kenya will soon be the first country in sub-Sahara Africa, hosting a fully serviced textile city to meet the manufacturing investment needs for a number of leading global garment marketing firms.The Textile City model to be championed by the Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development will besides foreign investments attraction be one of the key pillars earmarked as the national job creation platforms.

Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday at the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) Complex in Athi River, when he hosted a delegation of 40 international garment manufacturing firms, with combined annual revenue of more than $25 billion who are on a country visit, Cabinet Secretary, Adan Mohamed, confirmed that plans for the establishment of a textile city are now at an advanced stage.

The delegation is led by high ranking executives from PVH and VF Corporation, who are some of the world’s largest apparel manufacturing companies which own and market iconic brands worldwide.

By establishing a textile city, for onward leasing to potential investors, Kenya, Mohamed assured will be seeking to address existing industrialization bottlenecks at the Athi River EPZA zone as well as other locations.

The ministry, he said, targets to attract at least 100 textile investment firms at the textile city and create more than 200,000 sustainable textile jobs by December 2016.

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5/04/2014 | 0 comments

Thai textile exports to shrink by 15%

The Thai Industries Federation is predicting that the country’s textile and garment exports will shrink considerably this year, due to the fallout from the global economic problems.

Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Vice President Vallop Vitanakorn commented on Wednesday that the Eurozone debt crisis and the problem in Chinese economy could pose considerable impact on Thailand’s exports of textile products and garment in 2012.

Mr. Vallop expected the fallout to shrink Thai textile and garment exports by as much as 15 percent this year because of a drop in purchase orders from Europe, brought on by higher Thai produce prices and the new 300-baht daily minimum wage.

He said that the higher cost in Thailand has driven a number of business operators to relocate their production bases to neighboring countries.

The FTI Vice President is also worried that the new daily minimum wage may force some local entrepreneurs, particularly those located in the upcountry, to shut down, due to rising logistics costs and inferior quality of labor when compared with Bangkok.

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7/14/2012 | 0 comments

Big Brands Buy from Polluting Textile Firms

Chinese environmental campaigners have accused 46 Chinese and multinational clothing brands and retailers of purchasing from suppliers who illegally discharge polluted water in China.

Multinational companies Zara, Adidas, Nike, Calvin Klein, Armani, Walmart and Carrefour, and China's 361 Degrees, Anta and Youngor Group, were among the companies named, according to a report released Monday by five Chinese non-governmental organizations (NGO), including Friends of Nature and the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPEA).

Forty-six out of 48 surveyed clothing brands and retailers were found to have bought products from Chinese textile enterprises that had illegal discharge records, the report said.

The report said that more than 6,000 environmental violations of Chinese textile enterprises had been recorded in the China Water Pollution Map, a database launched by the IPEA in 2006 with an effort to prevent further deterioration of China's water quality.

Those violations included building secret discharge channels, discharging untreated sewage and falsely operating sewage disposal facilities -- actions that violate Chinese environmental laws and seriously damage the country's water environment, the report said

The report said letters have been sent asking these companies to investigate their supply chains and make greener purchases so as to push suppliers to correct their illegal actions. Only 16 companies have replied.

Ma Jun, director of the IPEA, urged those companies that failed to respond to take action, saying that continued efforts will be made to dynamically evaluate those enterprises.

The report also suggested that clothing brands and retailers should use open data to check their suppliers to help reduce pollution along their supply chains.

Pollution control over the country's textile industry has been difficult, as dyeing companies, responsible for 80 percent of the sector's pollution, are mostly mid- and small-sized enterprises.

Data from a 2010 report on China's environment released by the environmental protection authority showed that the textile industry discharged 2.46 billion tonnes of waste water in 2010, putting it third among 39 industries.

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4/14/2012 | 0 comments

Duty free access to Bangladesh Textiles

Bangladesh got duty-free access of 46 textile items to Indian market, ushering in a new horizon in Dhaka-Delhi trade.
"India finalised duty-free 46 textile items' access to its market. Bangladesh will benefit enormously as it will help narrow down trade gap between the two countries," Commerce Minister Lt Col (retd) Faruk Khan told BSS.
The decision came from an official meeting between Bangladesh Cabinet members and four chief ministers of Indian states at Sonargaon Hotel Tuesday.
Currently, 480 items are on India's negative list. Last year, Dhaka demanded the removal of 61 products, mostly textile items (46), from the list.
According to Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), India has 3.0 billion US dollars apparel market size in which Bangladesh can easily capture a large portion because of its cheap labour cost benefit.
Indian trade with Bangladesh will also be increased as Bangladesh imports huge amount of raw materials from India for value-addition, according to the country's apex trade body.
India is Bangladesh's single largest trading partner. Bangladesh's imports from India in 2009-10 were 3213.70 million US dollars against its exports of just $304.63m.

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9/07/2011 | 2 comments

USA blacklisting for unfair labour practices

Indian garments have been listed by the United States Department of Labor in the year 2009 and 2010 in their final determination of the Executive Order list No. 13126 and Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) list, on grounds that the list of products might have been produced or manufactured by forced or indentured child labour.
As per United States Department of Labor the TVPRA and EO lists are awareness generation list and do not act as Non Tariff Barriers. The impact of these finding has not been witnessed in apparel exports to other exporting countries.
Government has engaged the US authorities through several meetings since 2009, with a view to get Indian garments off the US DoL lists. US DoL has also been furnished with the industry response to the final determination based on field level surveys. Meanwhile, the Apparel Exports Promotion Council (AEPC) has also commenced with implementing the Common Compliance Code, a Plan Scheme of Ministry of Textiles, for sensitizing the domestic industry on appropriate labour practices.

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8/24/2011 | 0 comments

Pakistan’s Textile exports up 35% during 2010-11

The textile exports surge by 35.06 percent during the fiscal year 2010-11 as compared to the exports of 2009-10, Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) reported.

The textile exports during July-June (2010-11) stood at $ 13.805 billion against the exports of $10.221 billion during July-June (2009-10), according to FBS provisional figures.

The textile exports that contributed towards positive growth included cotton yarn, exports of which grew from $ 1.433 billion last year to $2.184 in 2010-11, showing an increase of 52.50 percent.

Similarly, exports of raw cotton increased from $195.598 million in 2009-10 to $359.807 in 2010-11, showing an increase of 83.95 percent.

Exports of cotton yarn and cotton carded or combed increased by 42.30 percent and 50.01 percent respectively. The cotton cloths exports increased from $1.8 billion to $2.56 billion where as the exports of cotton carded or combed grew from $20.356 million to $30.537 million.

Exports of knitwear, bed wear and towels increased by 30.93 percent, 19.56 percent and 14.45 percent respectively while the exports of ready made garments increased by 39.73 percent, art, silk and synthetic textile by 50.42 percent made-up articles (excluding towels and bed wear) by 16.64 percent while the exports of other textile commodities grey by 36.37 percent during the period.

The only product that witnessed negative growth in exports during 2010-11 was tents, canvas and tarpaulin, exports of which fell by 20.74 percent.

The textile exports during June 2011 surged by 44.56 percent and 4.9 percent as compared to June 2010 and May 2011.

Meanwhile, the exports of food group increased by 36.46 percent during July-June (2010-11) as compared to the exports of July-June (2009-1), the figures revealed.

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7/21/2011 | 0 comments

14.5% growth in South Korean Textile exports

  Overseas exports of textiles, fabrics and clothing are expected to jump 14.5 percent on-year to US$15.9 billion this year. In the first half of this year, exports jumped 22.2 percent on-year to $8 billion. The expected gain is mainly due to the revival of demand for fabrics that make up the bulk of exports and a steady global economic recovery. The free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) that went into effect this month can also boost orders for raw textile materials.
   Textiles are expected to be one of the beneficiaries of the EU FTA because many European countries maintained high tariff rates. adding non-clothing demand for textiles, particularly in the industrial sector, is helping fuel demand for value-added products.

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7/12/2011 | 0 comments

Pakistan Textile exports increase to a record high

It was a year for the record books in Pakistan’s textile industry, with exports skyrocketing to $12.5 billion--an increase of more than 34 percent over the previous year. From the July 2010 to May 2011 time period, textiles accounted for about 56 percent of Pakistan’s overall export income.

Analysts say that at least part of the increase was due to slightly stronger economies in the West, as the United States and Europe begin to consume more as they rise from the global recession. It also helped that cotton prices were hovering at or near all-time highs, which allowed Pakistan to generate more income from its textile exports.

Specifically, cotton yarn exports were up 54 percent to slightly more than $2 billion, while cotton cloth exports increased 40.59 percent to $2.3 billion.

Pakistan suffered through flash flooding earlier this year, which dropped cotton production expectations from 14 million bales to 11.7 million. While the quantity of textiles that was exported dropped by more than 17 percent, the value received for those shipments exploded to $327 million, an increase of 68 percent over the previous year--largely due to higher prices in the international marketplace

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6/28/2011 | 0 comments

Waste Textiles material used for heating homes…

With support from Scottish Enterprise the Glasgow-based company has developed Thermobond as an addition to the multi-billion-pound insulation market and a useful tool in helping Scotland to achieve a low carbon and zero waste future.

The company engaged in discussions with Scottish Enterprise, which led to a successful application for a SMART: Scotland grant award to prove the technical feasibility of the product.

In a press statement today, representative body Textiles Scotland said: "Thermobond could help home and business owners to reduce their heating bills by insulating new-build houses and offices and retrofitting lofts."

"Wool is also a naturally fire retardant, so as the Thermobond insulation has a wool content of greater than 60% the product is also fire-proof. For extra security the company also treat the insulation to give it further surface fire resistance. To authenticate its flammability and resistance to smouldering, the product is tested in accordance with British Standard BS5803-4:1985," the statement said.

Bruce Newlands, director of Kraft Architecture, said: "After nine months of research, product development and intensive testing to demonstrate that the product can meet fire, moisture and thermal performance requirements we've trialled a prototype product produced using clean waste wool sourced from Scotland."

"The recycled natural fibres and low energy method of production means that we have developed a product which has excellent thermal qualities that not only keep your house cosy but also allow walls to breathe naturally. This ensures that moisture passes safely to the outside of the building, very much like a woolly jumper," Mr Newlands added.

"We have identified that Scotland has the potential for high growth in the insulation market and we are currently working with a few partners to try and establish a production facility in Scotland while investigating other waste fibre streams for new products," he said.

Cathy Black, head of textiles at Scottish Enterprise, said: "Scotland is home to many technical textile companies which are at the forefront of global development in areas such as clothing, performance wear, SMART materials, medical applications and transport fabrics."

"The use of locally sourced fibres as insulation is an innovative idea and one which could have a significant impact on Scotland's carbon emission reduction targets."

"The transformation of waste textiles into an insulation product could potentially bring real benefits to the economy, the community and the environment while opening up exciting new opportunities for Scotland's textiles industry," Ms Black said.

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6/28/2011 | 0 comments

H&M plans for Indian market

Swedish fashion retail giant H&M has started work on entering India. The $15-billion Hennes & Mauritz AB, abbreviated as H&M , began business development talks with India's leading mall developers and corporates with interests in fashion as it looks to open the first stores within 24 months, said industry sources familiar with the process.

Global fashion and retail brands have revived their interest in India on hopes of relaxed foreign direct investment norms, and buoyed by the country's relatively robust consumer sentiments as they battle tentative growth in the west. H&M's main fast fashion clothing rival globally and Spanish fashion behemoth Zara made an aggressive entry into India last year, grabbing the attention of its peers worldwide.

Zara has four stores operating and has plans to add more in the near future.

Sources said H&M has had recent meetings with mall developers like Phoenix and DLF besides holding talks with ITC Group and Mukesh Ambani's Reliance. These discussions were informal as H&M is keen on firming up a viable business model for a key growth market like India. An emailed questionnaire to H&M did not elicit any response.

"H&M is at the preliminary stages of firming up their India plan. I will be surprised if we get to see the first H&M stores before fall winter of 2013," said a person briefed on the matter. "They are trying to come up with a business model and are obviously interested in this market after Zara's arrival," added a second source who did not wish to be named.

The Indian government officials have talked up sentiments to reform the country's FDI regulations in retail. At present, FDI is barred in multibrand and general merchandise retail while it is restricted to 51% in single-brand retail. Another iconic Swedish retailer IKEA had dropped its $1-billion India plans until the FDI regime was revamped.

H&M's concerns will include Zara's aggressive 'home pricing' —meaning parity of pricing with stores in Spain—that is 12-15 % cheaper compared to their globel operations. "The common mistake fashion brands do is with regard to pricing in India. Marks & Spencer learnt this the hard way. H&M is known for selling quality merchandise at an affordable price and should keep the Indian audience in mind before deciding their pricing strategy," says R Kannan, president of Ramms, a retail consultancy firm.

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6/24/2011 | 0 comments

Vietnam textile exports at US$6.16 Billion

The total apparel export turnover in the first half of 2011 is estimated to reach US$6.16 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. the garment and textile sector is expected to fulfill its target of US$13 in export turnover by the end of this year. In the past six months, Vinatex’s revenue saw an increase of 33 percent, thanks to domestic consumption worth VND8,300 billion. This positive sign is attributed to stable export markets that have not been strongly affected by fluctuations in the macro-economy. Apart from the European Union (EU) and Japan, the US is considered Vietnam’s most promising market. Last year, Vietnam earned more than US$6 billion from garment exports to the US market, up 22 percent compared to the previous year.

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6/24/2011 | 0 comments

Indo-Russia Textile pact

India and Russia have signed a pact to boost investment and trade in textile industries in both the countries.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed here on Tuesday by the Apparel Export Promotion Council of India (AEPC) and Russian Union of Entrepreneurs of Textiles and Light Industry.

The MoU also stipulates the promotion of textile trade, participation in fairs and exhibitions, transfer of technology and exchange of know-how in textile manufacturing and processing.

A four member Textile Communication Committee, consisting of members from both the countries, is to be set up to follow up on its decisions.

India’s Ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra said the MoU formalises a mutual desire between Indian and Russian business partners to boost trade and investment cooperation in apparel and textiles.

He said the Indian apparel industry was famous worldwide for high quality and price competitiveness of its products, and annually exports $11 billion worth of goods.

Malhotra said that Indian companies last year exported about $120 million worth of garments to Russia, which was only 2 percent of Russian garment imports. He said there was huge scope to increase Indian garment exports to this country.

“The signing of the MOU and understandings reached here between the partners imply that this figure would be enhanced several folds in the years ahead,” the ambassador was quoted as saying in an e-mailed Embassy press-release.

Post the MOU, many Russian textile/apparel companies would participate as guests of AEPC, in the India International Garments Fair in New Delhi, scheduled for July 12-14. In turn, several major Indian apparel exporters will attend the CPM (Collection Premiere Moscow) garments fair in Moscow from September 5-8, 2011.

The seven member APEC delegation, which completes its Russia visit tomorrow, includes Ashok G Rajani, Chairman (Export Promotion Committee) and APEC Secretary General VK Singh.

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6/23/2011 | 0 comments

Textile recycling is threat to textile industry

Thanks mostly to retailers such as H&M, C&A, and Inditex (the owner of Zara), fashion has become far more affordable to millions of consumers. Once fiercely protective of their brands, high-end designers Roberto Cavalli, Matthew Williamson, Sonia Rykiel, and others have collaborated with H&M, bringing fashion-forward styles to the masses.

Cheap fashion, however, has a cost. The World Wildlife Fund has estimated that it takes 8,500 litres (2,245 gallons) to raise 1kg (2.2 pounds) of cotton lint – enough to make one pair of blue jeans. The use of pesticides and fertilizers, in addition to water, makes the global textile industry one of the most polluting and waste-generating sectors in the world. Plenty of companies boast about apparel made from PET bottles, but when that item of apparel is no longer wanted, its disposal once again becomes a nagging issue.

Further complicating the sustainability of the global fashion industry is that recycling textiles is problematic. H&M and C&A are quick to discuss energy efficiency in their stores, increased recycling of clothing hangers, and their shift towards organic cotton. The stubborn fact remains, however, that in the US alone, almost 11 million tonnes of textiles ends up in landfill.

One hurdle for increased textile recycling is that the various fibres that comprise clothing make reprocessing and recycling a challenge. Some materials such as cotton and linen can be composted, but petroleum-based fibres such as polyester have little chance for reuse.

Few municipalities accept textiles into their recycling programmes. Add the heaps of clothing rejected by retailers because of flaws or they've missed the season, and the result is a resource that is not as easily recyclable as aluminum cans, glass, or even plastic.

New York City has experimented with the increased scale of textile recycling by placing bins in high-traffic areas, but for most consumers the disposal of textiles requires an inconvenient trip. Most unwanted clothing ends up in a dumpster, even though charities such as Goodwill have served as a repository of unused clothing for decades.

More retailers, sometimes working with construction companies, have found creative ways to reuse unwanted textiles. Denim is making a comeback as a building insulator, and Wal-mart is working with vendors to increase the recycling of polyester and nylon for industrial use. Some clothing manufacturers are moving towards a closed loop system: Patagonia, for example, allows consumers to drop off unwanted clothing bearing its label at company stores, and allows consumers to post unwanted clothes back to its Nevada service cenre. Earlier this year, H&M caused a buzz when it partnered with the French fashion house Lanvin for its Waste collection, but the line of dresses and bags were at too high a price point for many of its customers.

The future of textile recycling lies in the supply chain, not retail stores. One company that has mastered the intricacies of textile recycling is LMB, based in east London's Canning Town. The company has found a goldmine in Britons' annual disposal of one million tonnes of discarded apparel, and either recycles or finds an alternate use for everything from towels to sari fabric.

Each item is inspected by hand and sorted by material: wool socks end up as yarn, and items of higher quality end up in Eastern Europe or China where there is a market for used clothes that will not sell in "vintage" shops in the UK.

Companies such as LMB are the current laboratories of textile reuse. Their experimentation and innovation are necessary: while sustainability advocates focus on water and fossil fuel scarcity, cotton, which requires heavy amounts of both resources, has faced a global shortage in the past year. H&M, C&A, and their competitors will have no choice but to follow the lead of their suppliers, who are ahead of the curve.

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6/23/2011 | 0 comments

ShanghaiTex 2011

The biennial premiere textile event, the 15th International Exhibition on Textile Industry (ShanghaiTex 2011) opens today at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Pudong, Shanghai. The 4-day show will open from June 14th to 17th, 2011 and is expected to attract 50,000 trade visitors, including 6,000 overseas visitors from all over the world. More than 20 buyer groups organized by local & overseas associations and corporations will source at the exhibition. Textile Industry's Glamorous Platform for 1,000 High Quality Exhibitors and Global Visitors

Being one of the most important industries in China, the textile industry has been listed as one of the prioritized areas for transformation by the Chinese Government in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) in order to enhance, optimize and upgrade the production capacity and support textile waste recycling. Having the responsibility to comply with the policy, ShanghaiTex 2011 has provided a perfect platform for industry players to demonstrate their latest innovation on energy saving and low carbon emission technology and users to renew their production facilities. ShanghaiTex 2011 has gathered more than 1,000 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions including Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Holland, Pakistan, Mainland China, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and the USA.

Occupying 8 exhibition halls, ShanghaiTex 2011 has an exhibition area of 92,000 sqm. Among the exhibitors, near 400 enterprises come from knitting, dyeing and finishing sectors, accounting for over 50% of the total exhibiting area. Green and innovative exhibits are one of the highlights, which meet the needs of enterprises for transformation and upgrading.

Overseas and local renowned exhibitors include: China Hi-Tech Group, Pacific Mechatronic Group, Italy's Santoni, BTSR, Germany's H. Stoll, Groz-Becker, Karl Mayer, Terrort, Japan's Shima Seiki, Hong Kong's Nan Sing, Ning Bo Cixing, Ning Bo Yuren, Switzerland's Santex, Hong Kong's Fong's, Gofront, Germany's Thies, U.S.A's X-rite, Italy's Brazzoli, Korea's IL Sung, Itema Savio, Truetzschler, Marzuoli, Uster, Italy's SEIT, Lamiflex, Switzerland's Jakob Mueller, Runyuan, Barudan, Qingfang, CMT-Hicorp, Beijing Chonglee, Tianmen, Shannxi Baocheng, RIFA, Ningbo Dechang, Changshu Jinlong, Zhejiang Feihu, Hangzhou Honghua, Shandong Companion Group, Fujian Xingang, Changzhou Diba, Changshu, Yantai S&S, Shanghai Keycheng, Lianyungang Yingyou, Huangshi, Shanghai Juxin, Zhongshan Hung Jyi, Jilong, Sanyou Holding Group, etc.

"The 2nd China Textile Industry Summit" on Jun 13 for in-depth industry exchange

"The 2nd China Textile Industry Summit" was successfully held on June 13, 2011 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, which was one day prior to the opening of ShanghaiTex 2011. The summit's keynote speakers discussed the topic on "Strategic Transformation – Build Up a Strong Nation for Textile Industry". The summit focused on the analysis and interpretation of the 12th Five-Year Plan at different perspectives. It was widely recognized to be beneficial to textile enterprises who would like to undergo transformation and upgrade their production capacity.

The Summit was supported by China Textile Industry Association, Shanghai Textile Association and sponsored by Shanghai Textile Holding (Group) Corporation, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai Sub-council and China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. It was organized by Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd, Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Centre and Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd and co-organized by China Textile News.

A Series of Splendid Activities at ShanghaiTex 2011 to build up a communication platform

Benefited from the strong global market demand and its established reputation for almost 30 years, ShanghaiTex 2011 has brought together a group of textile experts to share and discuss the latest technology by delivering various sparkling concurrent events that excite visitors.

Highlighted seminars include a technical seminar on "New Dye & Finishing Technique and Eco-friendly Chemicals" and a professional seminar on "The Latest Technology, Equipments and Products of Weaving Industry". A series of seminars including topic "Innovation and Prospect of Modern Carding Machine" etc will be organized during the 4-day exhibition.

Key exhibitors such as Stoll, Karl Mayer, Santoni, Aotu, Cixing, Chemtax and Shima Seiki, Pacific Mechatronic (Group), Truetzschler Textile Machinery etc will demonstrate their latest technology by participating at various technical networking events.

Overwhelming Support from Overseas and Local Associations and Industry Players

ShanghaiTex is the most historical textile exhibition in China and has become a precious national brand. Over the past 27 years, ShanghaiTex has been growing & developing with the China textile industry, and the show has been striving to provide a professional business platform for textile machinery manufacturers and buyers as well as users.

This year, it is expected that the total number of trade visitors will reach 50,000, in which 6,000 visitors will come from overseas. More than 20 overseas and local trade delegations have confirmed to visit and source at ShanghaiTex 2011, including Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC), visiting groups from India, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Mauritius and Morocco as well as sourcing groups from China Foshan Zhang Cha, Shantou, Liang Ying, Li Shui, Nan Hai, Shenzhen, Pujiang, Zuji, Quanzhou, Changle, Xinjiang, Shandong Lutai, Jiangsu Sunshine, Shenhong Group, etc.

Highlighted networking events

Jun 14 pm: Press Conference on Fujian Changle Latest Development Plan

Led by Fujian Province Changle City Deputy Mayor, a group combined by Changle Textile Bureau, Changle Economic and Trade Bureau, Changle Warp-Knitting industry Association, Cotton Textile Association, Chemical Fiber and Textile Association, Dyeing and Finishing Association and more than 130 experts and entrepreneurs will gather together by chartering a flight to visit ShanghaiTex 2011.

A press conference with theme "The 12^th Five Year Plan" Development in the Fujian Changle City Textile Industry and Technical Transformation Plan" will be held in the afternoon on Jun 14 concurrently at ShanghaiTex 2011. The event will introduce the investment project of RMB 65 billion on the cotton textile industry, dyeing and finishing industry, chemical fiber industry, warp knitting industry. The textile players from different regions have good expectations on this high profile event.

Jun 15 pm: Key Exhibitors and Visitors Business Networking Session

In the afternoon on Jun 15, a networking session for key exhibitors and overseas buyers will be dedicatedly held by the organizers. 20 high quality manufacturers, traders, importers and some retail brands from various countries such as India, Mauritius, Morocco etc which are in the knitting, dyeing and finishing industries are invited by the organizer. These genuine buyers will meet with more than 30 key exhibitors for direct face-to-face business matching.  

Besides, ShanghaiTex 2011 has received strong support and sponsorship from the textile associations of various provinces, cities and autonomous regions such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Helongjiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Xinjiang, Hunan, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Guizhou, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hubei.

What's more, large scale and renowned textile enterprises from different parts of the world will visit ShanghaiTex 2011 too. For example, Crescent Textile Mills(Pakistan), Maruthi Clothing Company(India), Brandix Lanka (Sri Lanka), Cotton USA (USA), The Thai Silk (Thailand), Sumiya Cottage(Bangladesh), P&G (U.S.A), Asahi Kasei Fibers (Japan), H&M (Hong Kong), Texwood & Apple (Hong Kong), Li & Fung(Hong Kong) and many more.

Many of the top 500 Chinese textile enterprises, such as Guangdong Xinhui Meida Nylon, Toray Sakai Weaving & Dyeing (Nantong), Shijiazhuang Changshan Textile Group, Yunfu Group, ShanXi Greenland Textile, Jiaozuo Hai Hua Textile, Sunvim Group, Zhejiang Spring Textile, Yantai Spandex, Dupont China Holding, Jiangsu Textile Group, Xinjiang Snow-lotus-mountain Cashmere, Wuhan Yudahua Group, Shandong Euro-America Home Textile, Hai Ning Guo Da Warp Knitting, Nantong Twelfth Cotton Textile, Jiangsu Kaili Carpet, Kunshan Dahmei Weaving, etc. have confirmed their visit to ShanghaiTex 2011.

Starting from 1984, ShanghaiTex is being held biennially in the odd-numbered years in Shanghai, PR China. ShanghaiTex 2011 is sponsored by Shanghai Textile Holding (Group) Corporation, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai Sub-council and China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, ShanghaiTex 2011 is organized by Shanghai International Exhibition Co Ltd., Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Centre and Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd.

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6/13/2011 | 0 comments

Egypt textile Industry in difficulty

       Yarn has more than quadrupled per kilo. Around 51 per cent of textile factories in the Delta city of Al-Mahalla el-Kobra have stopped operating and the remainder are gradually laying off their labour force.
        In Al-Mahalla, Egypt's textile capital, 650,000 workers are facing unemployment, at a time when the country needs serious hard work to get the wheel of the economy rolling again after the January 25 revolution.
       "The Government will pump funds into State-owned companies facing problems. There is no intention to privatise them," Mohssen el-Gilani, the Chairman of the Holding Company for Weaving, Textiles, Cotton and Garments, told Sabah el-Kheir weekly magazine.
        "The losses of State-owned companies have fallen to LE530 million in fiscal year [FY] 2010/2011 from LE2.3 billion a year earlier," he added. Egypt's fiscal year begins on July 1.
        El-Gilani said there were 32 State-owned companies, which are subsidiaries of the Holding Company for Weaving, Textiles, Cotton and Garments.
        "The Holding Company seeks a fair price for yarn among a raft of measures taken by the Government to solve the problem," he said.
        Egyptian cotton exports hit 2.2 million qintars in the FY 2010/2011, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS).
        Local manufacturers need 4 million qintars annually to keep their production lines running, according to official data. One qintar equals 150kg of cotton or 45kg of ginned cotton.
      China, India and Switzerland top Egypt's cotton importers, according to CAPMAS.
       It is argued that local textile producers are caught between the hammer of rising yarn prices and the anvil of Chinese-made products that have flooded store shelves nationwide.
       The country's decades-old textile industry is going through "a very critical circumstance", as Mohamed el-Morshedi, the Chairman of the Textiles Chamber at the Egyptian Federation of Industries, puts it. 
       "Egypt's output of ginned cotton and yarn doesn't cover one-third of local textile demand. The yarn and textile sectors are feeling the pinch, threatening the country's number one labour-intensive industry," el-Morshedi explains.
      Last September, a similar yarn crisis rocked the country's textile industry and a number of producers exited the market as yarn jumped to record highs locally and globally.
      "Due to spiralling yarn prices and imminent losses for both producers and exporters, many factories will have no alternative but to shut down their businesses," el-Morshedi warns.
       According to him, the present increase in cotton prices is the highest since the American Civil War (1861-1865), when the price of cotton soared from 10 US cents a pound in 1860 to $1.90 a pound in 1863-1864.
       World cotton prices actually fell in April as the Cotlook A Index slowed to $1.73 per pound from a record of $2.44 a month earlier, according to the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), but prices "remain very high by historical standards", ICAC said in its May report on the outlook for global yarn prices.
       But the London-based organisation forecasts that demand for yarn will fall on "high prices of cotton and competition from chemical fibres".
       "Factories are hit by a serious crisis due to lack of materials. There is no yarn and cotton in the market. Even private-sector factories in Shubra el-Kheima and Al-Mahalla have shut down," Saeed el-Gohari, the head of the General Union of Textiles' Workers, says, calling on Prime Minister Essam Sharaf to take fast and urgent steps to save the industry.
      "Clothes smuggling into Egypt is the most dangerous threat to the textile industry. Putting an end to this is the first step to get the sector back on track," el-Gohari said. 
ICAC expects demand for yarn to slow this year on "high cotton prices [and] problems of credit access".
     "Global cotton use is expected to reach 25.1 million tonnes in 2011, almost unchanged from 2010. A slowing of spinning operations and an increased switch to chemical fibres are curtailing demand for cotton and are reducing its share of world fibre use," ICAC has said.
      World cotton production is projected to exceed mill use in 2012, "which would result in stocks recovering to 10.1 million tonnes".
      "Production is expected to increase by 11 per cent to a record high of 27.6 million tonnes in 2012. Increased cotton supplies will feed demand in 2012, but high prices and competition from chemical fibres are expected to limit growth in mill use to 3 per cent," ICAC adds.
      World yarn prices may fall in the coming month as the total cotton supply for 2011 is forecast to hit 196.65 million bales, while the total use is seen to be at 155.25 million bales," ICAC forecasts.

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6/11/2011 | 1 comments