Bangladesh’s accessories and packaging industry has started to feel the pinch of the fall in garment orders.

The accessories industry which meets over 90 per cent of the demand from the export-oriented readymade garment sector has been grappling with different issues, including delayed payment, deferred shipments of ready goods and banking complexities.

The drop in work orders for the readymade garment sector means the local accessories and packaging industry will see a decline in work orders too.With the growth in the readymade garment sector, the demand for accessories and packaging products also increased, encouraging many to invest in the industry.

Currently, there are at least 1800 accessories and packaging companies producing more than 25 products including corrugated cartons, poly bags, hangers, elastic buttons, buttons, labels, zippers, hang tags, gum tapes, twill tapes, embroidery and quilting.

The majority of the companies are small and medium in capacity - only some dozens are big in size. Work orders for garment exporters of Bangladesh have decreased by 30 per cent to 40 per cent in recent months. Buyers want shipments to be deferred citing huge inventory as demand has declined in western markets mainly because of high inflation and fuel prices induced by the Russia-Ukraine war.

An American brand is producing polo shirts made from natural and recycled materials.

HyperNatural’s unique fabric is crafted from organic cotton, recycled yarn scraps, mother of pearl buttons, and waste crab shells and jade stone — resulting in a garment that’s soft, cool to the touch, sweat- and odor-absorbing.

Currently 95 percent of HyperNatural material is biodegradable and the brand is working toward 100 percent natural and regenerative materials within the next two years. Though sustainability isn’t HyperNatural’s main value proposition, the company promotes natural materials over polyester.The startup flipped the typical design-first approach in the garment industry and started from the material up — developing a yarn blend of waste materials including jade stone, chitin derived from crab shells, and scrap cotton from mill floors. HyperNatural will also work closely with cotton farmers to use regenerative farming techniques.

HyperNatural is a part of a growing movement of brands aiming to redefine luxury through a sustainability lens. A lot of sustainable products focus on marketing and what stories to tell but the product too often is not differentiated from what’s in the market. Polyester is the most widely used clothing fiber in the world but it has health effects and takes decades to decompose.

Santis Textiles has joined ITMFas a corporate member. Säntis Textiles is based in Singapore and specializes in material, fiber, yarns, and fabric development and sourcing for the global garment and technical textiles market.

Säntis Textiles has offices in Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, UK and the US. In 2016, Säntis launched the proprietary technology RCO100, the world’s first mechanical recycling machinery, designed with the forward-thinking customer in mind. With RCO100 the company is actively improving and strengthening the circular economy.

Founded in 1904, ITMF (International Textile Manufacturers Federation) is the international forum of the global textile value chain for producers of fiber to finished products. Its members are from textile and apparel-producing countries representing approximately 90 per cent of global production.In addition, ITMF offers its members information that helps better understand the dynamics of the industry.

By joining ITMF,Santis Textiles can get to know producers of fiber, textiles, garments, home textiles, textile machinery, or textile chemicals as well as other organizations and companies affiliated with the textile industry. In turn ITMF and all ITMF members can benefit from Santis Textiles’ unique expertise and experience in developing and sourcing textile products around the world.

The world’s first commercial textile-to-textile pulp mill has opened in Sweden.

Renewcell’s facility that will repurpose over 1,20,000 metric tons of textile waste next year, otherwise destined for landfills, and turn it into new viscose for fashion.

Over 200 million trees, many from the world’s most vital forests, are currently cut down every year to make fabrics like viscose and rayon. Renewcell’s new mill uses textile waste rather than trees to make these fabrics, sourcing from worn-out jeans and production scraps. Renewcell is the first mill in the world that is dedicated to circular manufacturing for the viscose fashion sector. The commissioning of this facility marks the dawn of a new circular era for global fashion. Such a low-impact mill is aimed at replacing unsustainable forest-based viscose production. Clear market signals of support and offtake agreements from brands and conventional viscose producers helped Renewcell unlock their financing for this first commercial-scale facility.

Renewcell’s vision is to make fashion circular.Through its patented process, Renewcell is able to upcycle cellulosic textile waste, such as cotton clothes, transforming it into a pristine new material called Circulose. As the global effort to combat climate change and environmental degradation accelerates there is a growing need to make fashion circular and preserve critical forest ecosystems.

Efforts are on toward branding and certifying the Indian cotton Kasturi.

The cotton industry will be supported with funds matching the industry contribution. Supply of good quality seeds in order to increase India's cotton productivity is an issue given serious thought. Advanced technologies related to high-yielding cotton seeds and innovative agronomy, such as high-density planting systems, to enhance the productivity of cottonare also being considered.

Since testing facilities need to be strengthened adequate modern testing facilities would be created through the Bureau of Indian Standards and Textile Research Associations.

The quality of Indian cotton fiber is paramount, therefore implementation of cotton bales quality control order under the BIS Act 2016 will be a must for the standardisation of cotton bales. A holistic plan for increasing cotton productivity has been presented by Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, including improving cotton productivity through a farmer awareness program, HDPS and global best farm practices.

The textile industry and industry associations have been urged to join hands to promote handheld kapas plucker machines. The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry will take up this project in mission mode with distribution support from Cotton Corporation of India. Industry associations and industry leaders have together agreed to fund 75,000 handheld kapas plucker machines.

Lycra has new offerings for the swimwear world.

The brand meets different demands in stretch and recovery, alongside durability and quality in swimwear. The brand’s three key innovations include Lycra Adaptiv fiber, Lycra FitSense technology and Lycra Xtra Life fiber.

Lycra Adaptiv fiber is for paddle surfing in sea water, Xtra Life fiber is for competitive swimming, and T400 fiber isfor water polo in chlorinated pool water.Lycra has collaborated with Carvico to launch a special new fabric collection by Carvico and Jersey Lomellina, incorporating Adaptiv fiber.

The inspiration for this collection centers on the Metaverse, a parallel world where the real and virtual come together for new experiences. Meta Fit Land is the place where customers can discover the new era of wearability. Lycra is a global leader in developing fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries. Extending the lifespan of clothing is more sustainable because it reduces the need for raw materials to make new clothes, and can therefore help reduce carbon, waste, and water footprints.

The global swimwear market is growing by six per cent a year.Growing consumer inclination towards beach and water activities is expected to propel the growth of the swimwear market.

Pure London has announced its latest campaign New Nobleness created in collaboration with its trend agency partner Promostyl.

Faced with the climate emergency and a deep awareness of the living world, the new theme gives rise to a new kind of nobleness, reflecting a desire to avoid yet learn from the mistakes of past generations while celebrating heritage, luxury craftsmanship, and great traditions. Integrity, selflessness, honesty, decency, courage, virtue, and kindness underpin the New Nobleness values.

It is a sensibility designed to continue to drive the force of change for good within the fashion industry, from the beginning of the supply chain through to the end consumer and by the same token offer a sense of wonder, majesty, elegance, grace, and iconic luxury that inspires and celebrates great fashion.

New Nobleness is a bold theme which encapsulates the honest understanding of the sustainability challenges the fashion industry faces and the courageous journey forward to a better world while presenting and elevating the beauty and value of fashion. The New Nobleness colour palette includes Imperial Green, Metal Bronze, Palladium, Feminine Force and Icon.

Pure London, a showcase for women’swear, accessories, footwear, and jewelry brands, will be held in the UK, February 12 to 14, 2023.

For the first nine months of 2022 China’s textile and garment exports rose by nine per cent.

The combined sales of China’s main retailers were up three per cent over the same period. The overall value-added output of China’s main textile companies saw a 0.4per cent decrease for the first nine months of 2022. Overall China’s textile sector showed stable growth over the same period. Earnings of Chinese textile companies with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan were up three per cent in the first nine months of 2022.

The EU countries, the US, Japan and Asean countries are still the major destinations for China’s textile and apparel exports. Year-on-year growth of exports to Asean and Bangladesh increased more rapidly to reach 23 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.The proportion of China’s textile and apparel exports to Europe, the US and Japan has moved down gradually. The proportion to the US, in particular, has declined rapidly since the US-China trade war. Although China’s textile and apparel still hold a dominant position in those countries, especially in Japan, yet parts of the share are being squeezed by Southeast and South Asia countries.

Apparel brands are accelerating product innovation and supporting initiatives to promote recycling and circularity in response to an ambitious new EU strategy.

The strategy sets out actions to ensure that textile products placed on the EU market from 2030 are durable and recyclable, free from hazardous substances, and made as much as possible from recycled fibers. Also, the strategy has a provision for addressing problems of mounting waste resulting from soaring demand for fast fashion.

It calls on apparel brands to reduce the number of collections they launch each year, and it urges the clothing industry to minimise the carbon footprint of fast fashion and its impact on the environment.In response, a number of brands are backing work on the development of new cellulosic fibers made from textile waste.

Renewcell, a textile recycling company based in Sweden, has constructed a facility for producing Circulose -- a dissolving pulp which is made from cotton-rich textile waste and can be turned into new viscose fibers and filaments.

Infinited Fiber, based in Finland, is converting a disused mill into a facility for producing Infinna -- a premium textile fiber which is made using cellulose-based raw materials.Luxury fashion house Hugo Boss has entered into a partnership agreement with the textile chemicals company HeiQ for the supply of AeoniQ -- a cellulosic filament yarn which is recyclable and made using a closed-loop process.

There is no dispute over the tremendous success of fast fashion and despite questions being raised about it using the planet as a dumping ground, its popularity continues. Globally, this segment of the fashion industry grew from $91.23 billion in 2021 to $99.23 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8 per cent. Millennials and Gen Z can’t seem to have enough of it with the lure of quick trends and affordable pricing. However, as this consumption continues, there is a cost that the planet is paying.

The environmental price

A textile workshop by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) highlighted, companies produce nearly double the amount of apparel now compared to year 2000, and almost a 50 billion items are discarded within a year of being made. The publication also reported a piece of clothing was worn seven times on average in the US before being discarded. NIST attributes this increase to growing fast fashion that is characterized by trendy clothing and affordable prices which is possible through cheap materials and poor construction.

As per an UN Environment Programme fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s industrial water resources and is steadily drying up water resources and its effluents contaminating water bodies. To be quick and inexpensive, fast fashion often uses cheap chemical dies with high toxicity. As per World Bank estimates, around 20 per cent of wastewater worldwide comes from textile dyes. It doesn’t end there, the sector is responsible for 8 to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. Nearly 85 per cent of textiles produced end up being dumped, choking large landmasses.

Mere washing of clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles. These microfibers land into waterways and into the seas, chocking riparian and marine life. The way things are, emissions from textile manufacturing alone are projected to skyrocket by 60 per cent by 2030, as per the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Frightening statistics

Environment activists are genuinely concerned at the statistics generated by independent bodies such as Business Insider. Producing a single shirt requires about 700 gallons of water whilst 2,000 gallons are required to produce a pair of jeans. It gets worse,35 per cent of all micro-plastics in the ocean come from the laundering of synthetic textiles like polyester accounted by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Developing nations in for the mega export dollars are quite lenient when it comes to compliance of international regulations and consumers worldwide don’t really care.

Social impact of fast fashion

Apart from concerning environmental impact, fast fashion has affected the labor force of developing countries as well. According to an NGO Remake, 80 per cent of fast fashion is made by lowly paid young women between the ages of 18 and 24. The US Labor Department issued a circular in 2018, charging Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and others for using child labour in their garment export industry.

A ray of hope

The UN has taken mighty strides by launching the Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. This aims at addressing the damages already done by this sector, and “Halt the environmentally and socially destructive practices of fashion” as well as mindless consumption that fast fashion advocates. Governments in developing countries can partner with their counterparts in developed nations to be more proactive to stop this continual assault on the environment. France has led the way, with President Macron making a pact with 150 brands to make the fashion industry more sustainable. Adidas are looking into personalized gear that can enable it to decrease returns, increase customer satisfaction and lower inventory. Ralph Lauren has committed to being 100 per cent eco-friendly sourced materials within 2025.

Whilst awareness of fast fashion is spreading fast, the question remains whether consumers are just paying lip service.