#netzero in action In the past 5 years, the global textile supply chain has undergone transformative trials and errors, all aimed at making the sector greener, safer, and fairer. We have also assisted Taiwanese textile leaders in the supply chain and European regional value chains in innovating their business operations and brand positions through in-depth research and solutions addressing market uncertainty, profitability, and opportunity challenges. Today, brands like H&M and ZARA in the EU market are taking responsibility. We can see the battleground in the consumer market shifting from price competitiveness to value-driven factors such as durability, recyclability, and repairability. Mr. Stefan, an industry expert in the textile sector, shares his thoughts on 100% recycled cotton used in children's clothes. Our thoughts? Dotties at Dot Comms love visiting charity shops on weekends and discovering some characteristic second-hand clothes. 🥰 #ecotextile #textilettrend #fastfashion #innovation
THE TEXTILE RECYCLING DILEMMA IN ACTION Every once in a while, my kids need new jeans, either because their old ones are beyond repair or because they are growing too fast. Today, I received a package with a selection of jeans that looked reasonable online. When I took them out, I saw nice green labels mentioning "recycled cotton" sticking out. 'Great!' I thought, not expecting to see this in kids' clothing. When I looked closer however, I noticed that every single pair not only contains recycled cotton, but also polyester. I did a quick research online and checked the composition of kids bottoms at some larger brands* (see chart in the photo). The result: more than half of all kids' trousers containing recycled cotton also contain polyester. This isn’t specific to particular brands. About 40-60% of products with recycled cotton containing polyester is a good rule of thumb for many brands working with mechanically recycled cotton in kids wear. Is this now good ✅ or bad ⛔️? Here is what I think: ◾️Kids need durable clothes ✅ ◾️Kids' clothing shouldn’t be too expensive ✅ ◾️Clothes shouldn’t mix cellulosic and synthetic materials for better recyclability. ⛔️ ◾️We should use less virgin resources. ✅ ◾️I prefer natural fibers in my own jeans. ⛔️ ◾️The kids liked the new jeans. ✅ This is the textile recycling dilemma in action (https://lnkd.in/dVa6KqK9). You can’t have something that’s good, sustainable and cheap at the same time. I know it. Brands know it. I don’t like it, and my guess is that brands don't like it either. But sustainability and recycling is about experimentation, compromise, interim solutions and progress. Not about aiming for the perfect product that no one can afford. That’s why it’s good to have companies like Syre, Circ®, Södra and others who find ways to deal with polyester and polycotton textile waste, companies like Säntis Textiles who improve mechanically recycled cotton and brands like H&M or BESTSELLER investing in multiple material initiatives. What are your thoughts? *using EDITED Market (www.edited.com) #recycling #circularity #textile #fashion