Faruque Hassan, President and MiranAlli, Vice President, BGMEA have sought cooperation from AvedisSeferian, President and CEO, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) to portray a positive picture of the Bangladesh apparel industry internationally.

Both of them met in Washington DC, United States recently to discuss matters related to the expansion of Bangladesh’s business interests in the western hemisphere particularly in North America. Their talks also included ways of mutual cooperation and future engagement between BGMEA and WRAP for Bangladesh’s apparel industry.

.Hong Mei, Senior Director, Compliance Assurance and Srishti Sharma, Director - Compliance Administration, WRAP were also present at the meeting while Mark Jaeger, Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement, Aimee Dobrzeniecki, Vice President, Administration joined the discussion virtually.

They also had discussions on how more cooperative and coordinated efforts can be made to better facilitate WRAP certification for garment factories in Bangladesh and enhance the reputation of Bangladesh as a safe and compliant source of apparel sourcing in the world.

During the meeting Hassan highlighted the progress of Bangladesh’s garment industry in the areas of workplace safety, social and environmental sustainability. He said the RMG industry of Bangladesh has earned global recognitions for its unprecedented strides over the years in safety, sustainability and social compliance. A recent survey report by Hong Kong based supply chain compliance solutions provider, QIMA, ranked Bangladesh’s garment industry second in ‘Ethical Manufacturing’. The report covered a wide range of compliance and ethical manufacturing issues including hygiene, health and safety, waste management, worker representation, disciplinary practices and discrimination, working hours and wages, etc.

With no laws to curb environmental pollution and eliminate labor exploitation, the fashion industry is highly under regulated. However, governments across Europe and the US are planning to introduce new rules and regulations to transform the industry. As per a Business of Fashion report, these rules would include stricter monitoring of supply chains, focused marketing of sustainable products and more incentives to support better business models.

Accountability for environmental standards

The European Parliament has proposed a new legislation to make companies more accountable for ensuring environmental and social standards in March this year. The draft legislation covers larger companies operating in European Union. The legislation will be implemented in next two to three years. Governments across the globe also plan to crack down on false sustainability claims made by brands. In May, The Netherlands’ launched investigations on 70 clothing companies, for making misleading marketing claims about their products’ sustainability

The UK proposes to introduce laws to ensure businesses comply with consumer protection laws while marketing their products as sustainable. A group of fashion brands and sustainable fashion advocates in the US has also urged the Federal Trade Commission to review guidelines on green marketing.

On its part, the EU plans to introduce common, standardized rules to communicate a product’s environmental footprint to consumers. As per Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, Chair, Policy Hub, an EU policy advocacy group representing the interests of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Global Fashion Agenda, Federation of the European Sportswear Industry, Textile Exchange and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, these rules are likely to be established in the next four years,.

Standardized approach to data collection

The proposed EU rules direct all municipalities to set up new systems for collecting textiles by 2025. France has already launched an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme that is likely to be soon emulated by other governments. The EU also plans to adopt a standardized approach to collect sustainability data. It plans reward companies having smaller environmental footprint with potential incentives and lower textile collection costs for brands. The rules would be standardized across all 27 EU member-states. They would make textile collection and recycling mandatory in order to resolve fashion’s waste problem.

The new rules will encourage innovation, action and progress in key areas like climate change and supply chains, opines Alan McGill, Global Head-Sustainability Reporting and Assurance, PwC.

UK rules to encourage innovations in climate change

Fashion companies have been quite disclosing their financial performance to auditors, shareholders and regulators. They would soon adopt a similar approach towards their performance on environmental, social and governance criteria. The new rules by UK will encourage innovation, action and progress in key areas like climate change and supply chains. They will drive greater transparency only not into brands’ operations but also standardized reporting. Additionally, they would help companies introduce new measures to understand and measure their environmental footprint. They would prove to be an opportunity rather than burden for consumers, adds Emily Cromwell, Consumer Lead –Sustainability, Deloitte UK.

Co-optex suffered a loss of Rs 7 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 6 crorein 2017-18. The combined loss of Rs 13 crore was due to substandard procurement of clothes.

The issue of Co-optex was brought in the House by OS Manian, former Handlooms Minister who said that Co-optex functioned in profit during the previous AIADMK rule and substandard garments were not procured.

Edappadi K Palaniswami, Former Chief Minister said that garments for Co-optex were procured only from weavers societies and the quality was not compromised, but the Minister saying that substandard garments were procured for Co-optex will create a wrong impression among the public.

Stefan Doboczky has resigned from his position as the Chief Executive Officer of Lenzing AG, the world’s leading producer of wood-based cellulosic fiber.

The design and implementation of the transformation of Lenzing AG into a global specialty fiber leader and the positioning of the company as a recognized sustainability champion have been major accomplishments of Stefan Doboczky over the last years”, says Peter Edelmann, Chairman, Lenzing AG.

Lenzing AG remains on track with its guidance for the full year 2021 as announced with the half-year results. Cord Prinzhorn has been appointed interim CEO. Prinzhorn is Member of the Supervisory Board of Lenzing AG and will be available until a successor is found. The Supervisory Board will immediately start the search process.

Cifra has launched a new range of hi-tech shapewear that offers unique solutions in performance, fit and comfort. The range uses patented WKS technology to design without size limits and prevents marks on the skin unlike "cut-to-fit" garments. Cifra focuses on the Plus size category and sustainability, a commitment which is increasingly becoming a key responsibility. The company ensures rigorous transparency throughout the production chain with Step and OekoTex certified traceability, extended also to partners’ selection, from yarn suppliers to dye houses.

Cifra's eco-sustainable offer includes products made with recycled yarns (Econyl, Renycle, Qnova) as well as biodegradable (Amni-Soul eco) and natural yarns (merino wool and Tencel), with no production waste thanks to the Zero Waste program. Cifra will exhibit its range at Performance Days in December and at Ispo in January.

Veronica Wu has stepped down from VF Corporation’s Board of Directors with immediate effect. She was appointed to the VF Board of Directors in March of 2019. After her, the VF Board will be reduced from 12 members to 11 members until a new director is identified. Her decision comes just a few days after Axios reported she had dismissed US racism and called Black Lives Matter ‘the true racists.’

Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland® and Dickies®. The company aims to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and planet. It connects this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders.

German Textile Company Kelheim Fibers has joined hands with Hologenix® to launch Celliant-the world’s first in-fiber sustainable infrared viscose. Celliant viscose offers a wide range of varieties on, blending with cotton, regular viscose, MicroModal®, lyocell and wool. The viscose is used in casual wear, luxury loungewear, bedding, towels and beauty products. Comprising natural and ethically sourced minerals embedded into plant-based fibers, Celliant makes infrared products that capture and convert body heat into infrared, improving cellular oxygenation.

The viscose is available in Textile 1,7 dtex/40 mm, Nonwovens 1,7 dtex/40 mm, Wool 2,5 dtex/Variable Cut, Filling/Nonwovens 6,7 dtex/60 mm. Besides, Kelheim’s flexible technology allows targeted interventions in the viscose fiber process and delivers this unique fiber that provides full functionality without the need for any additional processing steps.

Additionally, a softer feel and cost and time savings, when compared to coated fabrics, help it stand out.

US’ apparel imports surged by 17.60 per cent Y-o-Y to reach $ 6.98 billion in July’21, as per the latest OTEXA report. However, the volume of top three exporting countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia declined as compared to July ’20. As per Apparel Resources., the volume of Vietnam’s and Indonesia’s exports declined by 8 per cent while Cambodia’s exports declined by 29 per cent in volume.

On the other hand, shipments by India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan grew significantly during the month both in term of value and volumes. The volume of India’s exports surged by 34 per cent while value surged by 1.40 per cent during the month. China’s exports surged 21.6 per cent in volume and 15.40 per cent in value. Bangladesh shipments grew by 35.10 per cent and 35.20 per cent in volume and value respectively. Pakistan’s shipments grew by 49.30 per cent in volume and 86.40 per cent in value.

Exports by Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras grew by double digits during the month both in terms of value and volume.

The Chinese cotton industry plans a new international industry standard-setting platform that would be fairer and more transparent than the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). This decision was taken after Switzerland-based NGO failed to facilitate the positive and sound development of the global cotton supply chain.

As per a Textile Focus report, BCI has come under fire in China and overseas for making unfounded forced labor accusations against cotton from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwest China. Recently US brand Levi Strauss stepped down from the BCI’s leadership after dispute about the group’s approach to potential human rights violations in Xinjiang’s cotton sector.

The decision by the US company comes after the BCI and H&M caused considerable outrage in China with their false allegations about Xinjiang cotton. The brand’s move was expected, as the BCI’s deception over Xinjiang cotton not only harmed the sector’s reputation, but also created uncertainty in the global textile supply chain.

Brazil’s textile output is expected to increase by 7.4 per cent to reach 2 million tons in 2021. Fernanado Pimental, President, Abit (Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association) says, revenues from the sector will rise by 9.2 per cent over 2020, bringing the total to R$57.5 billion.

Brazil’s textile output increased 36 per cent from January-May 2021 compared to the same period in2020. As per Textile Focus, Brazil was able to maintain production rate during the year by shifting to protective items, such as masks. Though the textile sector has not yet recovered its pre-pandemic numbers, outlook for the future is positive, affirms Pimental. The clothing sector is also showing signs of recovery after being shut down in April 2020. Sales revenues from the sector are anticipated to increase by 121 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, when they fell by 81 percent, he adds.