#Textile industry

[ilookattextile]

Women and children sewing, doing piece work, at home and in sweatshops, early 20th century.

From New York Public Library Archives

[bumblebeeappletree]

Every year, nearly 100 billion items of clothing are produced – and 65% of them end up in a landfill within 12 months. New technologies in textile recycling may be able to curb that waste – while producing a host of sustainable materials.

#planeta #recycling #fastfashion #circulareconomy #textileindustry

We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.

Follow Planet A on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dw_planeta?la...

Credits:

Report: Dave Braneck

Video Editor: Frederik Willmann

Supervising Editor: Michael Trobridge

Fact Check: Alexander Paquet

Thumbnail: Ém Chabridon

Read More:

McKinsey - Scaling Textile Recycling in Europe

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/r...

NY Times - Will We Ever Be Able to Recycle Our Clothes Like an Aluminum Can?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/30/st...

EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles https://environment.ec.europa.eu/stra...

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:46 Textile waste's global impact

02:47 How do you actually recycle clothes?

03:50 New approaches to textile recycling

07:41 What else needs solving?

11:41 Can we even recycle all the clothes we make?

[shutterfox5555]

Bronica ETRS with Zenzanon 50mm f2.8 lens, shot on Kentmere 100 and developed with Ilford Ilfosol 3

[moaan]

Band Collar Shirts by Katsuaki Shoda

[sagehaubitze]

Textile day; cotton gin, loom, and spinning wheel.

[learnwithmearticles]

Conservation Misconceptions

In trying to be environmentally conscious, many people struggle to find ways to really make a difference. This makes misinformation easy to fall for, especially when it leaves out the nuance of trying to be environmentally friendly.

Leather

“Vegan clothing” reached popularity as early as the 1970s. Its sleek, shiny, and stretchy look make it ideal for many fashion icons. In November of 2023, reality TV star Kylie Jenner released a line of twelve “faux leather” or ‘pleather’ outfits. In the first hour, it had reached one million dollars in sales.

The appeal of vegan clothing is understandable. Many people in the U.S. hear about the horrors of the cattle industry before entering high school. Many people sympathize with animals and seek ways to reduce their consumption of animal products.

Contradictorily, faux leather is significantly harmful to the environment. Most pleather consists of polyurethane, which is plastic. It is unsustainable on the basic factor of the oil from which it originates being nonrenewable. Additionally, manufacturing this material includes high levels of toxic chemicals like dimethylformamide which is linked to cancers and birth defects. Polyurethane pleather can also take one thousand years to break down in a landfill.

Leather, from the hides of cow, sheep, goat, deer, and many other animals, is organic. It breaks down at the end of its life, usually over ten to fifty years in landfills. 

Interestingly, plastic clothing in a landfill takes a long time to degrade while leather breaks down quicker. Yet during its use, plastic is prone to scuffs, tears, and showing more wear while leather clothing can last years without significant damage.

Leather is not all perfect, of course. Animal cruelty is a large factor for people turning to faux leather, and those concerns are well-founded. Animal cruelty in the leather and meat industries is well-evidenced.

Aside from animal cruelty, tanning hides also produces chemical contamination. While chromium used in leather tanning is less toxic now than earlier solutions, it is still hazardous. Other hazardous materials in leather tanning include nitrosamines, benzidine-based dyes, and formaldehyde. Being exposed to the former two in high levels can increase the risk of cancers, while formaldehyde causes skin irritation, nausea, and respiratory difficulties.

Addressing fashion industry pollution is not as easy as switching entirely to different materials. A more effective alternative to fake leather is addressing the waste of the fashion industry. In 2023, the fashion industry produced 97 million tons of waste, including 18 million tons from textiles and 2.5 million tons in chemical waste.

Additionally, there are vegan clothing options from plant alternatives. One example, calotropis, is sometimes considered wool without the need for sheep. Calotropis plants grown in India need little in regard to water, attention, and pesticides. Cactus leather is another example which requires less water and produces less plastic. When industries turn to plants, the supply chain and issues of fair trade continue to require attention, but these avenues of sustainability are possible.

Turning to leather entirely is not the ideal choice while the farming industry retains its wealth of problems, but pleather is not a suitable replacement. Those seeking to be environmentally conscientious with clothing choices can try non-synthetic materials like colatropis, cactus leather, and linen.

Honey

Veganism is a diet people adopt for a variety of reasons. Some have biological restrictions that a vegan diet works best with, helping them to avoid foods they can’t eat. Others do it in an effort to consume fewer calories, and some use it in an effort to reduce the waste and mistreatment in the farming industry.

In a strict vegan diet, one avoids all animal products, usually summed up as milk and eggs. Strictly speaking, honey would be included in those animal products. But for those eating a vegan diet for ethical reasons, avoiding honey can do more harm than good.

Honey alternatives include maple syrup, molasses, and more. Maple syrup and molasses contain important nutrients, but some dieters find them to contain too much sugar.

Another popular honey alternative, with lower amounts of sugar, is agave syrup. Agave syrup also contains vitamins and other nutrients, and comes from the agave plant, which is grown around the world but native to Mexico and the southwest U.S.A.

Agave farming faces multiple problems. One is that agave plants are fragile, and will have trouble surviving in the rapid climate changes the world is experiencing. While agave does well in desert conditions, climate change might cause desert-like conditions for some months or some years and without warning flip in the opposite direction. Similarly, demand for agave is growing but could shift rapidly. For a plant that can take seven years to grow before harvesting, farmers can have a difficult time planning their supply in a way that’s sustainable to them and consumers.

Agave is also often grown as a monocrop, which is unsustainable for long-term agriculture, and carries risks of run-off, blight, and increased need for fertilizers and pesticides. Harvesting blue agave specifically also depletes a vital food resource for the lesser-nosed bat species.

Perhaps the most important consideration with agave plants is the inequity associated with it. Slave labor, underpaid labor, and child labour are dire problems across the agricultural industry. Fair trade certification exists for some agave-related brands, but cannot be assured for all of them. In 2021, data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics registered 1.8 million children involved in child labor, with 45.9 percent of them in the occupations of operating agricultural machinery, and of processing tobacco, agave, and sugar cane.

Ethical alternatives to honey are not necessary. Responsible beekeeping hurts no honeybees. It is a symbiotic relationship. Bees gain protection and a good hive place, with the freedom to leave if conditions are poor. Beekeepers harvest excess honey that the hive does not need to sustain itself. It is a sustainable, beneficial practice that produces a sweetener which very few humans are allergic to.

Alternatives to products we use in our daily lives can become trendy and take some time to see the true impact of. While vying for a more environmentally friendly life, we can be misled or mistaken about the true sustainability of products. It is important to continue to learn about and educate ourselves on the products we’re using.

Additional Resources

1. Faux Leather Unsustainability

2. Fashion Industry Waste

3. Sustainability of Leather

4. Comparing Leather and Faux Leather

5. Problems with Leather

6. Ethics and Fashion

7.Vegan_leather_An_eco-friendly_material_for_sustainable_fashion_towards_environmental_awareness

8. Leather Tanning

9.  Plant-based Alternatives

10. Agave Climate Change

11. Agave and Bats

12. Beekeeping Sustainability

[sidewalkchemistry]

Fast fashion wants to produce fast. So, the garment worker has to produce faster. And cheap. The garment worker is the only point of the supply chain where the margin is squeezed...But also, from the consumer point of view, is it really democratic to buy a t-shirt for $5 and a pair of jeans for $20? Or are they taking us for a ride? Because they are making us believe that we are rich or wealthy because we can buy a lot. But, in fact, they're making us poorer. And the only person who is becoming richer is the owner of the fast fashion brand.

- Livia Firth in The True Cost - The Truth of the Clothing Industry

[arctic-hands]

I know "there's no ethical consumption under capitalism" has become an excuse instead of something that should radicalize you, but it's incredibly infuriating that I can't even buy a pack of new underwear from the one brand that doesn't give me an allergic reaction from their elastic without worrying I'm funding the exploitation of child migrant "workers" in their U.S factories, and does it even matter because almost every other cheap underwear brand most likely is manufactured in factories overseas that are equally exploiting children and their labor force as a whole

[earaercircular]

Unsold clothing may no longer be destroyed in Europe

More than 100,000 tons of discarded clothing ends up in a desert in Chile

Europe is putting a stop to the throw-away culture through a ban on destruction[1] and a digital product passport with information about shelf life and repairability. No more mass destruction of clothing and other unsold merchandise.[2]

Every second in Europe, a full garbage truck of clothing is burned or dumped[3]. And every year, an estimated 11 to 32 million unsold and returned garments are destroyed. Europe has been wanting to reduce this gigantic waste for some time. The European Member States and the European Parliament reached an agreement to this end on Monday evening 4-12: Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation[4]. The aim of the 'eco design law' is to make many products more repairable, reusable and recyclable. A product passport and a ban on destruction of unused goods are the key measures.

1. What is a digital product passport?

Consumers are already somewhat familiar with this: the energy label on refrigerators and washing machines gives an indication of their sustainability. That label (or product passport) has had an enormous impact on making those appliances more energy efficient.

The European Parliament and the EU member states now have an agreement to roll out the digital passport more widely and to deepen its content. First of all, almost all products on the European market will have to have such a passport: from car tires and steel to washing tablets and cosmetics to clothing or smartphones. The only exceptions are food, medicine, cars and weapon systems, for which there are separate regulations.

In addition to any energy consumption, the passport also contains information about the origin, composition, repair and disassembly options of the product. This should also make it easier to repair and recycle them. “People can know at a glance which product is the most durable or easiest to repair,” said MEP Sara Matthieu (Green), who was rapporteur in the negotiations.

2. What does the ban on destruction mean?

Initially, the ban applies to textiles. Globally, 92 million tons of textile waste are produced annually. A large portion of these are returned or unsold goods. In two years' time, they may no longer be destroyed, but must be reused or recycled. This ban will eventually be extended to electronics and electrical appliances. Massive quantities of these are also destroyed every year, especially cheaper items that are not sold or have been returned to the manufacturer.

The new rule goes hand in hand with stricter requirements for composition, repairability and disassembly of goods. The details will be worked out product by product by the European administration, but some guiding principles are a ban on adhesives, the absence of toxic substances, the obligation to have spare parts available and, above all, to offer them at an affordable price. The passport should eventually lead to a 'repair score', comparable to the energy label.

Matthieu (Green) expects a huge impact on the consumer market. 'Instead of offering disposable products for mass consumption, companies will offer many more services through robust devices. So to speak, you will no longer buy a washing machine, but an number of wash cycles.'

3. How comprehensive are the measures?

That depends on the control. The product passport is also an important instrument for this. Europe is counting on the famous 'Brussels effect': foreign producers will have to adapt their products if they want to maintain access to the gigantic European consumer market. Although the European consumer organisation BEUC[5] warns against loopholes. The organisation mainly sees a risk that international online platforms such as Amazon or Alibaba will circumvent the new law.

4. Is this agreement now final?

It has already rounded the most important cape. The agreement was finalised in the so-called trialogue negotiations between the European Parliament, the European Council and the Commission. Now it must be approved by Parliament and the Member States, but that counts as a formality.

Source

Lieven Sioen, Onverkochte kledij mag niet meer vernietigd worden in Europa, in: De Standaard, 6-12-2023, https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20231205_96579697#:~:text=In%20eerste%20instantie%20is%20het,ze%20hergebruikt%20of%20gerecycleerd%20worden.

[1]  Deal on new EU rules to make sustainable products the norm; https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20231204IPR15634/deal-on-new-eu-rules-to-make-sustainable-products-the-norm

[2] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/722179599996534784/towards-a-circular-and-more-sustainable-fashion?source=share

[3] Read also: https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/723895455727157248/new-report-clothes-are-mercilessly-downcycled-or?source=share & https://www.tumblr.com/earaercircular/720260226679488512/hms-answer-about-the-dumped-clothes-article?source=share

[4] The proposal for a new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), published on 30 March 2022, is the cornerstone of the Commission’s approach to more environmentally sustainable and circular products. The proposal builds on the existing Ecodesign Directive, which currently only covers energy-related products. https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/sustainable-products/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en

[5] The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC, from the French name Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs, "European Bureau of Consumers' Unions") is an umbrella consumers' group, founded in 1962. Based in Brussels, Belgium, it brings together 45 European consumer organisations from 32 countries (EU, EEA and applicant countries). BEUC represents its members and defends the interests of consumers in the decision process of the Institutions of the European Union, acting as the "consumer voice in Europe". BEUC does not deal with consumers’ complaints as it is the role of its national member organisations.

[golden-internationallc]

Navigating the Threads of Change: Sustainable Textile Practices Transforming the Fashion Industry

In an era of heightened environmental awareness, the textile industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by a growing commitment to sustainability. These practices might get started right from the design process. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the practices that are changing the textile industry trends and can bring a revolutionary change.

||Re-thinking Raw Materials: A Shift towards Eco-Friendly Choices||

At the heart of sustainable textile practices lies a re-evaluation of materials used in the production process. Traditional textiles often rely on resource-intensive materials such as conventional cotton, which is notorious for its heavy use of pesticides and water.

Sustainable alternatives, for example, organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp, have emerged as eco-friendly options that minimize the environmental impact. Organic cotton, for instance, is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, promoting soil health and reducing harm to nearby ecosystems.

||Recycled Materials: Closing the Loop and Reducing Waste||

One noteworthy development in sustainable practices is the rise of recycled materials. Post-consumer waste, including discarded plasticized objects and other textile scraps, is being repurposed to create new products. This not only diverts waste from landfills but also mitigates the demand for new materials, contributing to a more circular and sustainable system.

||Slow Fashion: A Counterbalance to Fast Fashion's Disposable Culture||

Furthermore, these sustainable initiatives are closely tied to the concept of slow fashion. This movement advocates for a shift away from the fast-paced, disposable nature of the industry, encouraging consumers to invest in high-quality, timeless pieces that endure through seasons.

||Revolutionizing Manufacturing: Waterless Dyeing and Plant-Based Alternatives||

Beyond the choice of raw materials, these practices extend to the manufacturing processes employed by many best textile industries. The conventional dyeing and finishing of textiles involve the use of numerous harmful chemicals that not only pose risks to the environment but also to the workers involved in the production process. Therefore, the use of natural alternatives can change the whole scenario of attaining sustainability.

||Current scenario towards sustainability||

Major fashion brands are recognizing the importance of sustainability and are following these principles into their business models. From creating sustainable materials into their collections to adopting transparent and ethical supply chain practices, these top textile companies are driving positive change within the industry.

Yet, the shift towards sustainable textile practices is not without its challenges. The initial costs associated with sustainable materials and processes can be higher, posing financial obstacles for some manufacturers. However, as consumer demand for eco-friendly products continues to rise, economies of scale and increased innovation are expected to drive costs down, making sustainability practices more accessible for all.

||Conclusion||

In conclusion, sustainable textile practices are setting a new narrative for the industry, one that prioritizes environmental stewardship, ethical practices, and long-term viability. The threads of change are being woven into the fabric of fashion, stitching together a more sustainable and conscious future for all.

[bopinion]

2022 / 52

Aperçu of the Week:

"Let he who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her."

(Jesus Christ according to John, chapter 8)

Bad News of the Week:

A remarkable shift to the right is currently taking place in Israel, of all places. And not in dim backyards, but in the political spotlight. The day before yesterday, the Knesset gave its blessing to Benjamin Netanyahu's government. An immortal reincarnation of political Israel, he became prime minister for the first time back in 1996 and is the subject of various criminal proceedings, including those for corruption and taking advantage of office.

Now, out of pure will to survive, he has formed a governing coalition that is so ultra-right that even Israeli President Yitzchak Herzog warns against its "extremism." And the opposition is sounding the alarm in view of the present coalition agreements: The new government is illiberal, homophobic and is undermining Israeli democracy with the planned judicial reform. Unfortunately, these accusations must be taken seriously.

Take religious fanaticism, for example: Government member Orit Strock of the right-wing "Religious Zionist Party" has declared that hotels should be allowed to refuse services to people on religious grounds. And even worse, doctors to treat patients if this is against their religious beliefs. This is supposed to be the most democratic state in the Middle East?

Speaking of states. Or rather, the two-state solution, for every normal-thinking person the only way to make peace possible between Israelis and Palestinians in the long term. That can now be safely stored, because gasoline is being poured on the fire with two personalities who both advocate the expansion of Israeli territory into the occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir of the ultranationalist "Jewish Strenght" party, who has already been convicted of anti-Arab terrorism, will become security minister with responsibilities for the police. And Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the "Religious Zionist Party" and known, among other things, for his position "I am a proud homophobe." will be finance minister with control over "planning in the West Bank." He knows his stuff, after all his family lives outside the Kedumim settlement in the West Bank - in a house that was illegally built outside of state land and in breach of the settlement's master plan.

I find this more than just creepy. Do I, of all people, as a German, have to reproach a government of the State of Israel for denying human rights to a part of the population through extremism and discrimination? Yes, unfortunately I must.

Good News of the Week:

After a long run-up, the so-called Supply Chain Act is finally becoming mandatory in Germany. Initially applicable to large companies (with more than 3,000 employees, from 2024 it will apply to companies with more than 1,000), it is intended to significantly reduce abuses in foreign purchasing. The "Act on Corporate Due Diligence in Supply Chains" obliges companies that procure intermediate goods or finished products abroad to take responsibility for production processes and working conditions at their suppliers, to trace abuses and to avoid or remedy them from the outset or as soon as they become aware of them.

This will be felt above all by the textile industry, which traditionally has its production carried out in low-wage countries with hardly any environmental requirements. And then washes its hands of this because the administrative staff in Germany is paid according to the collective wage agreement and there is a photovoltaic system on the warehouse. The law obliges every importer - including foreign companies that have a subsidiary or branch office in Germany - to ensure that defined standards are met throughout their supply chain. In future, anyone who tolerates child labor or environmental damage at their suppliers, for example, or simply looks the other way, will be asked to pay a hefty fine: Fines in the millions are envisaged. That's a good thing.

Personal happy moment of the week:

The day before yesterday was our first wedding anniversary. According to a widespread prejudice, only husbands forget this day. Not so with us. My wife had wondered before why I asked what we were going to do on this day. And although very happy about the flowers that were on the table in the morning, but still did not understand. Then around three o'clock in the afternoon the penny dropped. And I got it in writing, as she was just out for a walk: she says "Yes!" to us once again.

I couldn't care less...

...that Deutsche Post is discontinuing its "Telegram" service today. Why? Due to lack of demand, of course, because of the Internet. This means that some 170 years after the American E. P. Smith established the telegram in 1852, a form of communication long considered the fastest in the world is disappearing. The most recent price was at least 12.57 euros - for 160 characters. In the age of free messaging services, that no doubt explains the slump in demand. I even still have a telegram in one of my memory boxes in the basement: one of my French Canadian sisters had sent it to me from Italy in 1989 to coordinate my trip to see her - which I hitchhiked. Also such a dinosaur, which hardly exists anymore.

As I write this...

...2022 comes to an end. You can classify this year however you like - the adjective "normal" is certainly not one of them. And what people like to call "the new normal" (hot and cold wars, lack of action against climate change, threatened democracies, permanently higher energy and food prices, insecure human rights, etc.) is not something I feel like at all. In this respect, I find it hard to wish for more normality in the new year. Even if it is actually what I would like to have.

Post Scriptum

Serbia and Kosovo. The region in the Balkans, which even after the official end of the Yugoslav wars in 2001 is still not at peace. NATO peacekeepers are still stationed there today. The reason is still the same as it was from the beginning: minorities feel oppressed. In this case, in a double sense: Kosovo considers itself Albanian, its minority oppressed by Serbia, and has repeatedly declared its independence - now recognized by 115 of 193 UN members. But Serbia sees Kosovo as a breakaway province where a Serbian minority in the north is oppressed. The conflict flares up again and again; during the Christmas season, there were roadblocks in the Mitrovica area in response to Serb arrests by Albanian security forces.

Both countries see their future in the European Union. Serbia has been formally recognized as a candidate country since 2012, while Kosovo submitted its application only this December. And both can only move forward in this process together. In order to be admitted to the EU, the "Copenhagen criteria" must be met. These explicitly include respect for and protection of minorities. This is precisely the shortcoming that Serbia and Kosovo are accusing each other of. The European Union sees itself as a democratic entity that seeks to achieve peace and prosperity on the continent through cooperation and collaboration. Recognizing this would be a win-win for all parties.

[bumblebeeappletree]

Every week, Eco India brings you stories that inspire you to build a cleaner, greener and better tomorrow.

Dye-infused effluent worsens India's water crisis. A fabric workshop and chemical firm in Gujarat have some ideas — from harvesting rainwater to bio-remediation via canna — and using sustainable pigments.

***********

Credits

Supervising Producer: Nooshin Mowla

Field Producer & Script: Aadya Baoni

Video Editor: Richard Kujur Associate Producer: Ipsita Basu

Director of Photography: Paul Varghese

DoP Asst: Vivek Bhaya

Production Assistant & Script: Aakriti Thatal

Executive Producer: Sannuta Raghu

[shutterfox5555]

Bronica ETRS with Zenzanon 50mm f2.8 lens, shot on Kodak Portra 400

[arvindrubberindia]

Which are the Largest Rubber Companies in India?

India is a country which is known for its immense productions and manufacturing units. One such thing that India produces is rubbers. Rubber is a versatile material which plays a very important role in the development and operations of a range of companies.

[pharmabizworld]

Alpha Amylase Enzyme Supplier

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Applications of Alpha Amylase

Food and Beverage Industry: Alpha amylase is used in baking to improve dough handling and bread texture. It also plays a key role in brewing, aiding in the breakdown of starches during fermentation.

Textile Industry: The enzyme is employed in the desizing process, helping remove starch-based sizes from fabrics, ensuring a smooth finishing process.

Paper and Pulp Industry: It assists in modifying starch for better paper coating and improved paper strength.

Pharmaceuticals: Alpha amylase is utilized in the production of digestive aids and syrups due to its starch-breaking properties.

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PBW is dedicated to promoting sustainable industrial practices by supplying eco-friendly enzymes that reduce chemical usage and energy consumption.

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