Most of the 75 million people employed worldwide in the textile and garment industry work in developing countries where production and working conditions do not meet international standards. Ensuring social and environmental sustainability in the global supply chain is vital. Germany combines consumer information, a multi-stakeholder partnership and a consumer label (the Green Button) to promote more sustainable textile value chains. Today, partnership members cover half of the German textile market, and nearly 80 German companies use the Green Button label, which is recognised by 40% of German consumers. The 2021 German Supply Chain Act will further strengthen due diligence and create a level playing field for companies.
In the Qantara West Industrial Zone of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hengcheng textile factory took place. This factory, backed by investments of $70 million, signifies a significant boost to the textile industry.
India, aiming to become a global manufacturing leader, must align with international standards to meet global benchmarks and capture market share, especially as big brands pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions to ‘net zero’ and ensure traceable supply chains.
Despite rising labor costs and less enthusiasm for factory jobs, e-commerce and domestic consumption provide a future growth model for the massive textile industry in China.
The global textile sector is one of the most polluting industries in the world and significantly contributes to climate change, with around 70 per cent of environmental impacts originating from upstream activities like raw materials extraction and production, and 30 per cent from downstream retail operations and use-phase activities.[1] Moving to circular textile business models not only offers significant potential to decarbonise the sector, it could also generate USD 700 billion in economic value by 2030.
Exchange rate, energy prices, or pricing in the global market – something will have to give, and fast. Despite fears and gloom, Pakistan’s textile and garments industry has delivered a robust year of export performance. Although the dollar value of exports remained flat-lined over the previous year, the quantum of exports grew across the board, with virtually all major value-add segments recording double digit growth in volume exported.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) have published new proposals to reduce the impacts of secondhand clothing exports. They claim that Europe is lagging behind in sorting and recycling, with low-cost synthetic fibres and trade liberalisation enabling the exportation of too much poor quality used clothing to countries with low-wage labour.
A greenwashing lawsuit against Lululemon and a documentary on the recycling of a Swiss brand of shoes have cast environmental pledges into question
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $40 million financing package with Ananta Knitwear Limited (AKL) to finance a new knit fabric factory in Narshingdi, Bangladesh. AKL is part of the Ananta Group, one of the largest exporters of ready-made garments in Bangladesh.
The use of Artificial intelligence (AI) in textile production processes and quality control systems improves efficiency and precision while also setting the door for creative improvements. This article digs into the many ways AI is altering the textile industry, with an emphasis on its applications in process optimisation and quality control.
The stakes are high for Vietnam’s garment and textile sector as key exports markets and competing producer markets intensify their push for green targets, influencing brand appeal to consumers and sourcing decisions by global fashion retailers.
From yarns and fabrics to finished garments and home products — each stitch connects China's textile industry to the world. This week, more than 500 Chinese companies are displaying their latest innovations and sustainability efforts at a major industry event at the Javits Center in New York City.
Indonesia’s textile industry is said to be “struggling” due to cheaper Chinese imports and continued disruption to global supply chains.
In July 2024, students led demonstrations against the Bangladesh government's employment quota system. This was met with a violent crackdown on protesters, who faced attacks, arrests, torture and harassment, with more than 150 people reported killed, and over 1,600 injured as the police imposed a 'shoot-on-sight' curfew across Bangladesh. A telecommunications blackout imposed for several days, with no access to internet or mobile services. One garment worker was reportedly killed during the protests.
The garment and textile industry is known for its high water consumption, which annually uses 79 trillion litres of water1 – enough to meet the needs of 27% of the world’s population under WHO standards. It’s estimated that fashion also contributes significantly to global industrial wastewater, posing risks to both human health and aquatic life if untreated. While leading brands are currently driving water stewardship across the textile value chain today, the future will likely see all brands and their mill partners coming under pressure to do more.
The Indian textile industry, a cornerstone of the nation's economy, is taking a giant leap towards a greener future. A textile manufacturer in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu has recently installed a solar power plant featuring LONGi's high-efficiency Hi-MO 5 solar modules. The project, carried out by the esteemed EPC firm Viridis Engineering, is already yielding impressive results, generating substantial amounts of clean energy and delivering significant cost savings.
Minister of Investment/ Head of Indonesia Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia has confirmed of massive layoffs in textile industry in several location in Indonesia’s West Java Province.
Leaders of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Central and Southern Zone have presented a charter of demands to run the industry in a seamless manner and without any disruption.
Representatives of Cambodia's garments, footwear and travel good industries have met with employers at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training to present their initial proposals for wage adjustments. The two sides seem to struggle agreeing over market competitiveness and the costs of logistics. However, labour minister Heng Sour noted that this year's wage negotiation has been more mature than they have been in previous years which he attributes to a greater unity among workers representatives. The ministry will vote for the final figures on September 26th.
Pakistan's cotton production in Punjab and Sindh has dropped by 60%, severely impacting the textile industry.
