Ecotextile Talks: Recent Episodes
MCL News and Media
Exclusive Podcasts that tackle the crucial environmental issues impacting today’s global textile and clothing supply chains. Put together by the team that launched the pioneering Ecotextile News magazine back in 2007, we take listeners behind the scenes to reveal how we break the news and also provide deep dive Newscasts on sustainability, ethics, policy, retail, pollution and the carbon crisis engulfing our planet.
Textile sustainability strategist Shivam Gusain argues that the recycling sector has made incineration into a type of all-purpose villain, where the real barriers to recycling are much more practical.
Our latest episode fans the flames around textile and clothing incineration and asks whether the textile recycling sector is too quick to blame incineration as the 'bad guy' when the bigger challenge is to build practical recycling capacity amid current waste management and climate pressures.
Speaking to host Philip Berman, Gusain says the industry conversation is too focused on incineration as "the big hammering point" and on the idea that it is holding recycling back.
The podcast also tackles the idea that incineration is always the worst option on health grounds, saying there is often confusion between controlled incineration and open burning of waste.
This episode is brought to you by our partner PICVISA a Spanish machine-vision company that builds AI‑driven optical sorting systems for waste, including dedicated solutions for textile sorting and recycling.
If you want to read Shivam's original article
:first-child]:mt-0 [&>:last-child]:mb-0"> :first-child]:mt-0 [&>:last-child]:mb-0"> In this exclusive interview, Philip Berman talks to Harsh Saini, the outgoing interim CEO of Cascale, to explore the organization's bold new chapter.
Following a strategic rebrand and the implementation of a new governance structure, Cascale is evolving to meet the complex challenges of the modern consumer goods industry.
Harsh discusses the "unfinished business" of sustainability and how Cascale is empowering its members to move beyond measurement into meaningful, large-scale action. From the acquisition of the Better Buying Institute to the launch of the Manufacturer's Climate Action Programme (MCAP), this conversation highlights the innovative tools and partnerships driving the industry toward a net-zero future.
Key Topics Discussed:
- The Cascale Evolution: The strategic reasoning behind the rebrand and its expanded mission.
- Empowering Manufacturers: How MCAP is providing the roadmap for supply chain partners to set and achieve validated climate goals.
- A New Standard for Purchasing: Integrating Better Buying to foster deeper, data-driven collaboration between brands and suppliers.
- Global Collaboration: Partnering with organizations like the IFC to unlock the funding necessary for large-scale decarbonization.
- Strategic Leadership: Welcoming incoming CEO Ying McGuire to lead Cascale into its next phase of growth.
:first-child]:mt-0 [&>:last-child]:mb-0"> What's really inside that bargain fashion buy? Or that cheap new World Cup soccer strip?
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman talks to Steve Lamar, President and CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), to discuss the results of new lab tests on counterfeit products, with some quite disturbing findings. He's not just talking about fake logos, but chemicals at unsafe levels and online marketplaces that may know more than they're letting on. Steve also shares what the industry is doing to fight back, and whether it's enough.
This episode is brought to you by Andritz — global leaders in sustainable textile technology and textile recycling solutions. Learn more at andritz.com
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, we go inside the development of Lenzing's newest TENCEL™ Lyocell innovation - HV100 - a fibre engineered to deliver the texture, drape and authentic wash-down character of cotton which was created in record-breaking time!
Johnny Truong and Julia Ulrich, from Lenzing, walk host Philip Berman through the market signals that they say sparked the idea, the technical hurdles of getting it into production, and why this fibre is opening doors for lyocell in denim's most coveted position - the warp.
This podcast is brought to you in a paid partnership with Lenzing.
At the moment, organic cotton farmers in countries such as India and Pakistan earn an average of just $1000 a year.
Meanwhile, premiums are stacking up through the supply chain, brands are charging more at retail, but the people actually growing the crop see only a fraction of the value.
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman talks to Bart Vollaard from the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) about why he believes the current premium model isn't delivering for the farmers it's supposed to support, and reveals OCA's ambitious new strategy to change that.
They discuss how a pioneering new farm fund could decouple farmer income from the unpredictability of market premiums, why OCA is broadening its focus beyond economics into the social and environmental realities of farming life, and what it will take to move organic cotton beyond its stubborn 2.5% share of global production.
With 100,000 farmers across 70+ partners, OCA has the data and the relationships to make this work.
But as Bart explains, it won't happen without more brands stepping up.
Essential listening for anyone in sourcing, sustainability, or cotton supply chain leadership!
Istanbul Organic Cotton Summit
If you enjoyed this podcast why not check out others about cotton in our back catalogue...
Detecting fraud in the organic cotton chain
Are environmentalists to blame for cotton's declining share of the textile fibre market?
Monitoring organic cotton from space
In this episode Ecotextile Talks host Philip Berman speaks with ThredUp's Chief Strategy Officer Alon Rotem about the company's "resale as a service" model, from white-lable branded resale shops to multi-brand clean-out schemes that can turn underused wardrobes into store credit.
They discuss what the real driver is for consumers, how ThredUp's distribution centres work at scale, why brands decide to plug into this infrastructure than trying to build it themselves.
Circularity, policy and impact They also discuss what happens to the garments that do not sell, ThredUp's aftermarket partners, and what % of items entering its ecosystem end up without a second life.
Philip and Alon also look at how California's new extended producer responsibility law could accelerate brand adoption of circular business models.
AI and the road to 2029 Alon shares ThredUp's latest financial trajectory, the company's decade-long investment in technology, and how AI could transform the consumer experience of the resale sector, and potentially help them to finally return a profit after going public in 2021.
Links mentioned in the podcast
ThredUp's 2025 annual impact report
ThredUp's quarterly financial filings
British Vogue reporting on Yale's study about second-hand shoppers
This episode is presented in association with Techtextil North America, the premier trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, taking place from 4–6 August 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman talks to Frank Michel, CEO of the ZDHC Foundation, about why he thinks cleaner chemistry is becoming a hard ESG requirement rather than a nice-to-have for the global textile value chain.
They explore how ZDHC has evolved from its original Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) focus into a broader nature-impact lens that links process chemistry to water quality, biodiversity, climate, and investor risk.
Frank explains the thinking behind ZDHC's new impact framework, developed with environmental consultancy Quantis, which uses lifecycle assessment (LCA) and facility-level data to model how switching from conventional to ZDHC‑conformant chemicals can cut pollution indicators – with early pilots suggesting local reductions of 80–96% when compliant formulations replace non-compliant ones.
They discuss why this work matters for ESG ratings, and why major rating agencies are now asking sharper questions about chemical risk, in an industry some investors increasingly compare to the fossil fuel one, from a risk perspective.
https://www.roadmaptozero.com/zdhc-quantis-report-2025
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Following Ecotextile Talks
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
In partnership with the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), host Philip Berman takes listeners on a virtual journey to ITMA ASIA + CITME in Singapore with guests Alex Zucchi of CEMATEX, Jason Kent CEO of the BTMA, and Richard Slack of Fibre Extrusion Technology.
In advance of the exhibition which starts on October 28 in Singapore, they explore how European and UK manufacturers are positioning themselves amid global shifts in textiles, from sustainability and circularity to the rise of technical textiles.
Alex explains why ITMA's format remains unique.
Jason highlights the UK's innovation-driven approach and the importance of Singapore as a neutral, accessible hub for Asian markets.
And Richard offers insight into how technical textile machinery manufacturers are differentiating through R&D, partnerships with universities.
Together they discuss how the textile machinery sector is responding to global supply challenges, and the growing demand for technical and high-value materials.
Host Philip Berman talks to Kim Glas, President and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations, about the impact of Trump’s tariffs on US textile manufacturing.
Kim discusses the challenges posed by tariff unpredictability, including the effects on investment and supply chains, and the winners and losers in the industry.
She highlights issues in machinery sourcing, the effect of high tariff rates on synthetics, and the role of major trade agreements like USMCA and CAFTA.
Kim also addresses reshoring opportunities, and the strategic need for policy certainty to strengthen domestic production.
Did environmental campaigners really contribute to a decline in cotton’s global share of fibre production?
Well, according to a rather punchy opinion piece in Cotton Grower a couple of months ago, the answer is a resounding, yes.
The article claims that environmentalists have been intellectually dishonest and fed a binary narrative of cotton bad, synthetic fibers good….which created pressure from watchdogs and investor ESG mandates…which then led to brands moving away from conventional cotton to synthetics…and as a result we are now awash with cheap synthetics clothing.
Now, this is a lot to leave at the door of environmentalists, and this polemic seemed a bit lop-sided, so to balance things out we thought it would be good to talk to Ecotextile News’ dedicated Cotton Correspondent Simon Ferrigno, who has also done his fair share of environmental campaigner over the years.
Do people like Simon have a case to answer for?
In the podcast, we also turn the article’s claim on its head - and ask whether the cotton industry should pay more attention to the many environmentalists' trying to make cotton production more sustainable and efficient.
Relevant Articles from Ecotextile News Innovations discussed by Simon Ferrigno
Food spray
Avalo machine learning
How to subscribe to Ecotextile News
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Following Ecotextile Talks
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
In this edition, made possible with the support of Textile Exchange, host Philip Berman is joined by its Chief Strategy Officer, Ashley Gill, and mohair farmer and textile producer Frances Van Hasselt.
Frances is at the heart of mohair production in South Africa - a country that supplies more than 50% of that fiber used in the world’s textile industry.
She is involved in everything from farming her family land, home to 7,000 Angora goats, to landing high-end fashion deals.
Her family has also received accolades, winning the Miyuki Award 10 years in a row - a Japanese prize for the best quality mohair, produced globally under the most sustainable practices.
In the conversation, Frances explores how being rooted in the land shapes every aspect of her work.
She also discusses the challenges and pride associated with local production, and along with Ashley, explains the role that Textile Exchange's standards play in connecting small producers to the global supply chain.
Also covered:
- The realities and rewards of mohair farming in South Africa - Frances VH reveals the biggest challenge facing her, and farmers the world over.
- Why Textile Exchange is introducing a unified Materials Matter Standard and how will this affect Frances and her fellow tier four producers?
Relevant Articles from Eco Textile News * Textile Exchange unveils unified standard * Textile Exchange reveals five year strategy
Links to other organisations * Frances Van Hasselt’s Textile Company * Textile Exchange
How to subscribe
https://www.ecotextile.com/membership-account/membership-levels/
Following Ecotextile Talks
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
While on his travels in Indonesia, our correspondent Shivam Gusain speaks to Philip Berman about his latest Ecotextile News article on decarbonising the textile industry, fossil fuel subsidies, and polyester taxation.
Speaking within the current context of the volatile tariff war between the US and supply chain countries like China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, Shivam advocates for fiscal approaches that reduce the cost of sustainable alternatives rather than excessive taxation.
He emphasises the interdependence of fossil fuels and global stability, saying that removing subsidies and applying levies are deeply political acts.
The full article “Carbon taxes will halt textile sector progress” features in our August 2025 print edition – out today – and is available here on our digital platform for premium members.
You can read the full story in print or online, while at the same time supporting the work that we do to improve the environmental and social profile of our industry, by becoming a member of our global community.
How to subscribe
https://www.ecotextile.com/membership-account/membership-levels/
Following Ecotextile Talks
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Fresh off a flight from the ZDHC Impact Day in The Netherlands, John Mowbray gives a quick overview of the talking points at this week’s Amsterdam event to Philip Berman for a short 'from our own correspondent' edition of Ecotextile Talks.
Subscribe to Ecotextile Talks podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music.
Also, take a look at our complete podcast archive.
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks our host, Philip Berman, is joined by Shivam Gusain a former innovation analyst at Fashion For Good, and now an independent consultant and writer.
The conversation was inspired by his recent substack post entitled: 'Crash Testing the Circular Economy.' in which he argues that we should investe in 'failure', not just success, to reveal the real boundaries of textile-to-textile recycling.
Drawing on his experience across industry, engineering, and business, Shivam discusses with Philip what we can learn from other industries, and challenges us to reconsider where our money, attention, and optimism are best spent.
Listen in as Shivam asks some tough questions every apparel and textile industry professional should be considering.
How to Listen & Subscribe
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Previous stories on the topic
Renewcell troubles:
https://www.ecotextile.com/2024032648446/news/features/renewcell-when-risk-doesn-t-equal-reward/
For more news and analysis, visit our website at ecotextile.com.
Shivam's substack
Contact & Feedback
For questions, feedback, or to suggest a guest, email philip@larchmontfilms.com
In this episode, host Philip Berman sits down with Dr Talia Hussain, whose recent academic paper on circular fashion sparked lively debate across the industry.
Dr Hussain, a PhD in design innovation and MBA, is known for her critical analysis on the mainstream circular fashion narrative.
Together, they take a deep dive into the promises—and potential pitfalls—of circularity in the textile sector, with a particular focus on the influential 2017 Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) and its A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future report.
Key Topics Discussed
The EMF’s $460 Billion Claim
Dr Hussain questions the widely cited figure from the EMF report, its assumptions and real-world implications for industry revenues and the potential size of the reuse sector.
She explains why she thinks greater scrutiny is needed when using such reports to drive regulation, and discusses what gets overlooked when focusing solely on circular models.
Further Reading & Resources
Dr Talia Hussain’s academic paper:
The Emperor’s old clothes: a critical review of circular fashion in gray literature
The Ellen MacArthur Foundations 2017 Report:
A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future
How to Listen & Subscribe
Ecotextile Talks is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
For more news and analysis, visit our website at ecotextile.com.
Contact & Feedback
For questions, feedback, or to suggest a guest, email philip@larchmontfilms.com
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In light of their 2024 Annual and Sustainability Report, Philip Berman catches up with Krishna Manda, Lenzing’s VP corporate sustainability, and Thomas Matiz, Lenzing’s global product sustainability lead, to chat about Lenzing's GHG emissions reporting, what is needed to achieve net-zero, and how Lenzing supports its customers and partners in achieving its climate goals.
If you want to trace Lenzing's sustainability journey via Ecotextile Talks - do please check out our previous episodes featuring Lenzing guests:
2023
Viscose Voyages - uncovering Lenzing's plans in Indonesia
Inside the minds of sustainable shoppers
2022
How Timberland and Lenzing tackled traceability
How Lenzing has its sights set on a zero carbon target
2021
Why Lenzing is big on biodegradability
2020
Textile fibre traceability - is blockchain the answer?
Subscribe to Ecotextile Talks podcasts on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music or have a look around our complete podcast archive here.
Host Philip Berman talks to Maxine Bedat, Executive Director at New Standard Institute, the official sponsor of the Fashion Environmental Accountability Act, a new bill introduced into the California State Assembly at the start of February 2025 which, if enacted, would become the first law in the country to require brands to engage in “environmental due diligence” concerning their products and supply chains.
This Californian Bill is essentially the same as the 'New York Fashion Act' which was introduced into the New York State legislature in 2022 - though it’s not yet law - and which is also backed by Maxine, The New Standard Institute and a broad coalition of industry folk including influential names such as, Rothys, Everlane, Reformation, Eileen Fisher, Patagoina, ThredUp, Circ, Vestiaire Collective, Stella McCartney, Ganni, Faherty, Cotopaxi, NRDC, Sierra Club, Canopy, Trove, EVRNU, American Academy of Pediatrics. Full list at thefashionact.org
Maxine talks about both bills, their purpose, what stage they have reached in the legislative process. what it’s like trying to push through groundbreaking legislation in two states on opposite sides of the US, simultaneously, whether her work has become harder with President Trump in the White House, and how she manages to build broad support with politicians of all persuasions.
Subscribe to Ecotextile Talks podcasts on Apple, Spotify and Amazon Music or have a look around our complete podcast archive here.
What's the best way to Net Zero?
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, host Philip Berman explores the pathway to net zero in the textile industry with Pauline Op de Beeck, Climate Portfolio Director at the Apparel Impact Institute, and wet processing expert and Ecotextile News contributor Phil Patterson
They discuss the newly released: "Low Carbon Thermal Energy Roadmap" which provides guidance on how the textile industry can reach net zero by 2040, with a particular focus on electrification and renewable energy adoption in major textile manufacturing countries.
Key Topics Discussed
The thermal energy challenge in textile manufacturing, where 80% of energy consumption is thermal energy primarily generated by burning fossil fuels
The importance of electrification as the ultimate path to net zero, with proper timing being crucial
Analysis of five key textile producing countries: China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia
Forecasting when facilities should transition to electric technologies based on renewable energy availability and cost
The dangers of premature electrification before renewable energy is sufficiently available
The new industry benchmarking tool being developed to help brands and manufacturers track energy uses and emissions.
More details of the Apparel Impact Institute's Climate Solutions Portfolio grant applications open until March 31, 2025
Host Philip Berman discusses the findings of a groundbreaking 2024 study on the problem of plastic leakage in the textile industry with one of its co-authors Dr. Jesse Daystar, Cotton Incorporated's Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, and Dr. Patricia Holden, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
We reveal just how significant the fashion industry's contribution to global plastic pollution is, explore potential solutions and discuss the broader implications for sustainability in fashion.
Other studies mentioned in the podcast:
The Effect of Denim Fabric as a Feedstock in Large Scale Composting of Manure/Bedding and Food Scraps
Microfibers generated from the laundering of cotton, rayon and polyester based fabrics and their aquatic biodegradation
Impact of dyes and finishes on the aquatic biodegradability of cotton textile fibers and microfibers released on laundering clothes
Subscribe to Ecotextile Talks podcasts on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music or wherever you listen.
Or visit our Ecotextile News website to find out more on this issue.
Host Philip Berman explores the fascinating world of biogenic carbon storage in cotton garments with Dr. Richard Venditti, from North Carolina State University, Steve Pires from Cotton Incorporated, and Emily Graham from Carhartt.
Together, they delve into the climate benefits of cotton and how it can play a crucial role in the textile industry's sustainability efforts.
We cover the following topics
- Biogenic Carbon Storage: how cotton garments can act as temporary carbon sinks, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
- Dynamic vs. Static Life Cycle Assessment: an explanation and discussion of dynamic LCAs, how they account for the timing of emissions, and how it can reveal a more accurate picture of cotton's environmental impact.
- Sustainability Strategies: a discussion on some of the practical ways to extend the life of cotton garments
Link to the 2024 study (from the Bioresources journal) we discuss in depth in the podcast:
Evaluating cotton apparel with dynamic life cycle assessment assessment: The climate benefits of temporary biogenic carbon storage
For more information about Cotton Incorporated
Find out more about our daily news website and pioneering printed magazine Ecotextile News at: www.ecotextile.com that's been reporting on environmental and social issues in fashion and textile supply chains since 2006.
In this episode, host Philip Berman sits down with Michael Schragger, Founder & Executive Director of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, to discuss the fashion industry's complex journey towards sustainability.
Fresh off the release of STICA’s Progress Report from the end of 2024, Schragger gives a unique insight into the successes and challenges Scandinavian fashion companies face striving to meet climate targets, with lessons for the whole industry..
We discuss:
- Surprising findings from his annual survey of 55 leading Scandinavian companies working in this sector;
- The Sustainability Paradox - why companies struggle to align financial growth with environmental goals;
- The role of EU regulations in shaping corporate behavior and forcing faster change;
- Why circular business models are struggling to take off.
Looming large over the whole conversation is the question of whether the mass fashion industry can truly redesign itself to meet climate targets, or are current models unsustainable?
Please also visit the Ecotextile News website to find out more about this issue.
Our host Philip Berman sits down with Marie-Jeanne Gaertner, project and policy officer at RREUSE (Reuse and Recycling European Union Social Enterprises) to find out why the textile reuse and recycling sector in the European Union is facing an unprecedented crisis.
Gaertner says that a recent open letter to the European Commission and member states, penned by RREUSE, explains why the sector is on the brink of financial collapse, with social enterprises bearing the brunt of this turmoil.
She notes how the current 'crisis', which has seen several notable business failures in 2024, is unlike any previously encountered.
She claims that up to 16% of the textiles collected in some regions are simply waste that cannot be used and will need to be disposed – at a significant financial cost.
She adds, “So now that there are more and more opportunities to resell products on a consumer-to-consumer basis, we observe that consumers tend to resell themselves the most valuable items and donate or throw out the non-reusable ones."
What's discussed:
- RREUSE represents over 1,200 social enterprises across 30 countries, all dedicated to collecting, sorting, and repurposing textiles.
- These enterprises collected approximately 337,000 tonnes of textiles in 2023.
- They are now struggling with a growing influx of low-quality donations due to ultra-fast fashion.
- Blames the textile recycling problems on overconsumption of low quality apparel.
- Says impending regulation will only add fuel to the fire.
- Talks about required financing mechanisms to keep sector healthy to meet EU circularity goals.
Find out more about our daily news website and our pioneering printed magazine Ecotextile News at: www.ecotextile.com that's been reporting on environmental and social issues in fashion and textile supply chains sicne 2006.
This episode of Ecotextile Talks explores the legal challenge facing fast fashion company Shein as it supposedly considers listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
In the summer UK based charity, Stop Uyghur Genocide, asked the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to reject any potential request from Shein to list on the LSE.
At the moment, we don't know for sure whether Shein has submitted a request to the FCA so as we all wait, we thought that it would helpful for a lawyer to take us inside the legal case against Shein's listing on the London Stock Exchange.
Not just any lawyer, but the one representing Stop Uyghur Genocide, Ricardo Gama from the UK law firm Leigh Day.
We discuss:
- The legal basis for opposing Shein's potential listing, focusing on the UK Modern Slavery Act and the Proceeds of Crime Act.
- How these laws could apply to Shein's operations, even though the company produces goods outside the UK.
- The alleged evidence presented to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regarding forced labor in the Uyghur region and its alleged connection to Shein's supply chain.
- Shein's response to the allegations and correspondence from Leigh Day
- The potential next steps in the legal process, including the possibility of a judicial review if the Financial Conduct Authority approves any potential Shein's listing.
In the interests of balance and journalistic integrity, we emailed Shein on 25th September to give it an opportunity to respond to the allegations being made in this podcast by Leigh Day, on behalf of Stop Uyghur Genocide, in particular that its supply chain allegedly features forced labour, and the consequential handling of criminal property in breach of the UK Proceeds of Crime Act.
We asked Shein for either a recorded interview to include at the end of this podcast, or a written statement but as of September 30th no one from Shein had replied.
In the podcast we also invited Shein to record a follow-up podcast with us, to respond to the content of this one.
If you would like to read more about the, "NCA and its failure to investigate imports linked to forced labour - see this Guardian article
If you're interested in this issue, then you might like to listen to another recent edition of Ecotextile Talks entitled: "Can we trust textile factory audits in China?" which has an interview with the Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium, Scott Nova.
In this episode of Ecotextile Talks, we explore the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDD). This significant new European law entered into force on 25 July 2024 and will be rolled out in phases.
Hosted by Philip Berman and featuring Alexander Kohnstamm, Executive Director of Fair Wear, this discussion sheds light on the critical need for companies to uphold human rights and environmental protections throughout their supply chains. Key questions covered include:
- How will the CSDD reshape human rights due diligence practices in the textile industry?
- What specific compliance measures must companies implement to align with this directive?
- In what ways is Fair Wear assisting businesses in navigating these new regulations?
Alexander also shares details about Fair Wear's upcoming Human Rights Due Diligence Academy, which officially launches on October 9th. This initiative aims to equip companies with the knowledge and tools necessary for effective compliance. For further information, visit HRDDacademy.com or reach out via email at info@fairwear.org
Our host Philip Berman sits down with Claudia Kersten, managing director of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) to discuss a cotton monitoring project which is literally out of this world.
GOTS is working alongside the European Space Agency (ESA) and artificial intelligence specialist Marple to monitor Indian organic cotton crops from space – using AI and satellite imagery to verify farming techniques and identify fraud.
The participants discuss how using satellite imagery and AI can distinguish between organic cotton fields from conventional ones.
The project, funded by the ESA involved visiting 6,000 fields in India to collect 'ground truth' data, which was used to train an algorithm to identify organic cotton fields. The current accuracy is 80%, with plans to improve it. The initiative aims to increase organic cotton production and integrity, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
Future steps include expanding to other regions, and refining the technology for higher accuracy. This accuracy is expected to improve through ongoing refinement and validation processes, involving more visual inspections and cross-checking with existing data.
GOTS says that the next steps will involve connecting the market and supporting organic conversion projects.
Fresh from his high-profile appearance at a recent US Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Workers Rights Consortium in Washington DC, gave Philip Berman a hard-hitting interview questioning the reliability of social compliance audits in China.
Scott says about auditing companies working in the Xinjiang region:
"I'm sure there are some that are actually claiming that they can conclusively demonstrate the absence of forced labor in the region, but no auditor should be working there. It's incredibly disreputable. Even aside from the fact that you can't conduct a methodologically credible audit there, what you were doing by operating there, Is you are enhancing the ability of the Chinese government to keep doing what it is doing to the Uyghur people because the best hope the Uyghur people have is that this economic boycott will convince the Chinese government that it is in its interest to chart a different course in terms of its treatment of the Uyghurs." Scott and Philip discussed the impact of the Ughur Forced Labor Prevention Act, in stopping goods made using forced Labor coming into the US.
Interestingly, Scott said that since the Act has come into force, "to our knowledge, nobody has overcome that rebuttable presumption," that goods coming from that region were not made with forced labor.
We followed up this point with Scott after the podcast - as it appeared that a number of goods had been seized by US customs under the law and Scott told us:
"On UFLPA seizures, there are two different phases of the process. In the first phase, CBP 'targets' shipments that it thinks have content from the Uyghur Region. Some of the targeted shipments are released because CBP determines they don’t have such content. If CBP does confirm there is content from the Uyghur Region, then the shipment is denied entry to the US, based on the presumption that all goods with content from the Uyghur Region were made with forced labor. That is the second phase. At that point, an importer can attempt to rebut that presumption by showing that no forced labor was actually used. No company has successfully done so. The released goods to which you are referring were released in the first phase, based on where the content was from."
It's a fascinating and broad-ranging conversation, with Scott and Philip discussing several issues around this topic, in particular:
Why, according to Scott, impartial factory audits are so hard to carry out in the Xinjiang region?
Does he think the issue is confined to just this province?
Whether we should trust any social audits in China?
And what does he think this all mean for any company wanting to do business there?
You can read much more on this issue online at Ecotextile News where we most recently reported that a court ruled that the UK National Crime Agency’s (NCA) refusal to investigate forced labour links to cotton imported from China was unlawful.
This comes after cotton exports from the region continue to surge despite legislation in the USA.
In the final edition of our four-part podcast series, produced in partnership with Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, we discuss the need for collective action and pre competitive collaboration to deliver real impact.
Regular host Philip Berman is joined by Joyce Tsoi, senior director of the decarbonization program at Cascale, and Magnus Dorsch, Head of Corporate Sustainability, at online retail portal About You.
Topics covered
2 minutes What inspires Joyce and Magnus in their work?
4 minutes What is pre-competitive collaboration, its importance generally and for Cascale
5 minutes Its importance for About You and their Fashion Leap for Climate project
7 minutes Where is the mutual benefit of a project like Fashion Leap for Climate?
8 minutes What are the challenges of pre-competitive collaboration, and how has Magnus managed them?
9 minutes How does Magnues collaborate with manufacturers for About You’s private label?
11 minutes Cascale’s collaboration with manufacturers.
13 minutes Magnus’ challenge of working with small manufacturers
14 minutes Joyce and Magnus discuss Cascale’s Manufacturer Climate Action Programme - MCAP
What do manufacturers think about the programme?
Discussion about science-based targets
20 minutes What challenges do manufacturers face in decarbonising?
21 minutes Particular issues with manufacturers sourcing renewable energy in South East Asia.
22 minutes Could manufacturers be focusing on energy efficiency as a first step? What about biomass?
24 minutes Magnus discusses what About You is doing to become more energy efficient and source more renewable energy. They are setting examples as a form of social signalling.
27 minutes Magnus and Joyce leave us with inspiring end messages!
30 minutes End
We sit down with Sean Cady, vice president of global sustainability, responsibility and trade for VF Corporation and also elected board director for Cascale, and Andrew Martin, executive vice president of Cascale for our latest podcast on decarbonising the fashion supply chain.
This third of a four part podcast series, features a deep dive into how best to tackle carbon reductions in the global apparel industry and take a closer look at Cascale’s shift from tools to programmes.
In the second of a four part podcast series in partnership with Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, we look at the potential impact on the textile industry of revolutionary new EU laws on green claims and eco-design.
Regular host Philip Berman is joined by Elisabeth von Reitzenstein, senior director of public affairs at Cascale and Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, co-founder of the 2BPolicy consultancy.
You can sign up to Cascale's public affairs newsletter, that Elisabeth mentions in the podcast, here.
You can get in touch with Baptiste's consultancy company here.
Welcome to a new four part podcast series in partnership with Cascale, formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, about the big challenges facing the industry, and Cascale's role in co-creating solutions at scale.
The first episode is about Measuring for Impact with host Philip Berman in conversation with:
Quentin Thorel, the Group Head of Sustainability of CIEL Textile with its HQ in Mauritius.
Ciel Textiles supplies fabrics and garments to some of the most iconic fashion brands in the world such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Armani, Hackett, Barbour, Levis, Tommy Calvin Klein, Lacoste and the list goes on and on…
It employs 23,000 people in four countries, Madagascar, Mauritius, India and Bangladesh and since 2019 has used both the Higg Facility Environmental, and Higg Facility Social & Labor Modules across all of its sites.
And Jeremy Lardeau, Senior VP of the Higg Index at Cascale who oversees the strategic direction and development of the Higg Index suite of tools.
Sustainability data and measurement are critical to drive meaningful action, so we ask whether Higg Facility tools (Higg FEM and Higg FSLM) can help users to improve the way they make sustainable decisions, and whether the Higg FEM 4.0 update has brought necessary changes to the tool? We also discuss why the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has changed its name to Cascale.
In the second episode of this podcast series, produced in partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute about its Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP), we take a look at the tool it's built to help decide who should get the funding, and what a winning application looks like.
As a quick re-cap, the CSP aims to find, feature and fund any initiative, project or piece of tech with the potential to reduce energy use and/or greenhouse gas emissions at scale in the industry.
And it has up to 250,000 dollars per year to award to projects that have the data to show they have the potential to make an impact.
In this episode, Ecotextile News correspondent Phil Patterson and environmental scientist Linda Greer explain how they developed a tool they call the 'Ready Reckoner' – to objectively compare the overall CO2 savings of different innovations and solutions across all parts of the textile manufacturing process.
Phil Patterson told host Phil Berman that he's come up with a punchier, and more colloquial nickname for the tool.
“Apologies for my language, but it's a bit of an ‘eco bullsht detector’ because there's lots of innovation out there but there are lots of people overclaiming the benefits that their solutions can deliver."*
“What we’ve created is what we call a gas map of the entire supply chain, which is essentially looking at where greenhouse gases emissions occur, allocating a percentage of those emissions to individual processes within the supply chain.
Patterson and Greer talk in detail about how the tool can be used, and how it can be improved in the future as better data becomes available.
And most importantly they both drop some big hints on what they are looking for in applications, with lots of do's and don'ts.
Applications are open from 1 to 31 March, 2024.
To find out more about the Portolio, do check out its dedicated site where you can also contact their team if you need help with your application.
In partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute, Philip Berman takes an in-depth look at its new The Climate Solutions Portfolio which aims to find, feature and fund any initiative with the potential to reduce energy use and/or greenhouse gas emissions at scale in the industry.
And it has up to 250,000 dollars per year to award to projects that have the data to show they have the potential to make a big impact.
In this first episode, Philip Berman was joined by Kurt Kipka, the Apparel Impact Institute's Chief Impact Officer, and Linda Greer, who sits on the Institute's advisory panel and is one of the experts assessing the grant applications.
They talked about, why the Institute believe their new approach is needed, why there is no online registry of proven solutions, and what the Institute is doing about it, how the grants are being funded, and previous winners.
In episode 2, which is released on 29 February, there will be lots of tips on how to apply and what their team is looking for.
Applications open from 1 to 31 March, 2024.
If you want to find out more about the Portolio check out its dedicated site where you can also contact their team if you need help with your application.
In partnership with the Apparel Impact Institute, host Philip Berman takes an in-depth look at its new The Climate Solutions Portfolio which aims to find, feature and fund any initiative with the potential to reduce energy use and/or greenhouse gas emissions at scale in the industry.
And it has up to 250,000 dollars per year to award to projects that have the data to show they have the potential to make a big impact.
Launching Thursday 22nd February 6am GMT!
Subscribe for free now!!
To coincide with the week of World Soil Day 2023, our third and final episode of our Threaded Together: cotton and sustainability podcast series, sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, looks at the US Climate Smart Cotton Program- a bold, new and exciting initiative in the US, which aims to measure and improve the country’s cottons’ carbon footprint. We look at what it is, how it works, who can take part, why it's needed, who benefits from it and why it's of interest to the whole value chain in the textile industry.
To answer these questions, host Philip Berman is joined by:
Daren Abney, the Executive Director of the US Cotton Trust Protocol, which leads on the programme.
Dr Cristine Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer at the Soil Health Institute, which is partner on the programme.
Dr Jesse Daystar, Chief Sustainability Officer at Cotton Incorporated, which is partner on the programme.
Daren Abney tells listeners: "I think this opportunity really came about because the US government is seeing agriculture at scale as an opportunity to address climate challenges."
Soil health expert Dr Morgan explains later in the podcast: "The main thing that we want to do is improve the soil. We want to get carbon out of the atmosphere and we also want to release fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere." Here are the factsheets recently released by Dr Morgan that she says demonstrate how soil health management systems are making cotton growers more profitable.
- -Factsheet: Economics of Soil Health Management Systems on Eight Cotton Farms in Georgia
- Factsheet: Economics of Soil Health Systems on Eight Cotton Farms in the Texas Southern Great Plains
- Webinar: Economics of Soil Health Systems on Eight Cotton Farms in the Texas Southern Great Plains
Other partners in the programme include, Cotton Council International, Agricenter International, North Carolina A&T State University, Alabama A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
Cotton Incorporated is a US-based, not-for-profit company, that provides resources and research to help companies develop and market innovative and profitable cotton products.
Cick here for Episode One of Threaded Together: Cotton and Sustainability
and
Click here for Episode Two of Threaded Together: How best to measure cotton's environmental impact.
For a look at our complete podcast archive, click HERE.Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks Behind the News podcast.
In the second of this three-part podcast series: 'Threaded Together' about cotton sustainability, host Philip Berman talks to Dr Jesse Daystar, from Cotton Incorporated and Joel Mertens from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, about the best way(s) to measure sustainability in the cotton industry and how it can drive change.
Jesse and Joel discuss the purpose of a life cycle assessment (LCA), the different types and, in light of the recent KMPG review of the SAC's Higg Product Module, how they should be used, how they can get misused and their limitations.
Cotton Incorporated is a US-based, not-for-profit company, that provides resources and research to help companies develop and market innovative, and profitable cotton products.
It’s probably best known for its Seal of Cotton trademark which was created 50 years ago, in 1973, and has become an iconic symbol to consumers and is globally recognized by the textile industry.
Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks Behind the News podcast.
Many fashion brands and retailers talk a good game on circularity, but will they ever consistently pay a premium for materials made using 100% textile-to-textile recycling?
Acting CEO of Renewcell Magnus Håkansson joins Ecotextile Talks to discuss the company's current challenges in receiving a higher price for a product offering the circularity so often discussed at textile sustainability conferences.
Despite great industry excitement when Renewcell moved to a full-scale production facility earlier this year, in readiness for full commercialisation, the Swedish innovator has encountered a difficult few months since the summer of 2023.
Share prices have tumbled amid concern that the appetite for Renewcell's proprietary Circulose pulp may not perhaps as high as expected - despite several take-off agreements having suggested this would not be an issue.
The latest instalment of Ecotextile Talks sets out to better understand the situation behind a slump in optimism about the scaling up of a much-discussed company which aims to help fashion firms move away from linear practices.
In a new three-part sponsored series entitled, Threaded Together, podcast host Philip Berman looks at Cotton Incorporated's role in improving the sustainability of cotton in the textile industry.
Cotton Incorporated a US-based, not-for-profit company, provides resources and research to help companies develop and market innovative, and profitable cotton products.
It’s probably best known for its Seal of Cotton trademark which was created 50 years ago, in 1973, and has become an iconic symbol to consumers and is globally recognized by the textile industry.
In this first episode Philip Berman talks to Dr Jesse Daystar, a Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Cotton Inc; Mary Ankeny, the organisation's Vice President of Product Development and Operations; and Dr Joe Sagues, Assistant Professor in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at North Carolina State University.
They enjoy a wide-ranging discussion covering issues from, the biodegradability of cotton and its impact on microfibre pollution, to pioneering research into composting cotton textile waste to capture CO2.
Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks Behind the News podcast.
Following a report outlining the potential benefits for fashion brands looking to integrate resale into their business model, Ecotextile Talks hears from Andy Ruben, founder of recommerce specialist Trove, who shares his insights on where the greatest opportunities lie.
In a conversation dominated by statistics rather than rhetoric, Ruben speaks to Ecotextile News editor John Mowbray at an industry event in Boston to discuss how Trove worked with sustainable tech platform Worldly to identify the fields in which second-hand apparel can directly improve the economic and environmental outputs of brands.
Rather than casting apparel resale as a solve-all solution, Ruben shares data suggesting successful approaches will always need to be tailored according to variables such as retail price points and will likely prove far more effective for certain market segments.
“When you make items that have value beyond the first sale – which tend to be higher price point items because people can't access them on the first go around – they [consumers] covet those brands, they're strong brands, they want them on the second go around,” Ruben states, referring to the resale suitability of premium, luxury and outdoor apparel.
The episode also dives into how the research, published in Where Are Circular Models Effective Sustainability Strategies for Fashion Brands?, was devised and conducted.
As a formal partnership between the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and International Apparel Federation (IAF) is signed, a key figure involved in the collaborative process speaks to Ecotextile Talks about what the duo hope to achieve.
Andrew Martin, executive vice president of the SAC, sits down with podcast host David Styles to discuss what a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organisations might mean for the fashion and textile industries at large.
When asked about the purpose of the partnership and how the SAC and IAF will quantify success, Martin stated: “It has to be built on relationships, partnerships, the longer term. So I think the big numbers that will come out of it will be things like: are we starting to see a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as one area.”
The SAC executive vice president also spoke candidly about a need for meaningful change in relation to climate targets cited by some brands and retailers. “I'll be quite bold and say, unless they actually have very strong purchasing practices, very strong relationships with their suppliers, they won't hit their science based targets. They just won't.”
Other topics covered in the episode include audit fatigue, decarbonisation efforts and the value of industry partnerships, as well as the process of attempting to bridge influence gap between manufacturers and the brands and retailers they produce for.
- Episode glossary *
MoU – Memorandum of Understanding
SAC – Sustainable Apparel Coalition
IAF – International Apparel Federation
Higg BRM – Higg Brand & Retail Module
STTI – Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative
GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German development agency)
In an extended episode of Ecotextile Talks, the way in which the apparel sector responds to natural disasters is placed under the microscope.
Podcast host David Styles is this week joined by two guests to discuss reports which respectively shine a light on the past, present and potential future of the industry’s collective response to crises caused by catastrophes such as earthquakes or extreme weather events.
First, Penelope Kyritsis from the Worker Rights Consortium discusses the findings of a white paper exploring the responses of major apparel brands to the devastating earthquake in Turkey earlier this year.
The report brings together the perspectives of 16 fashion brands and 202 suppliers situated in the affected region, with various trends and contradictions highlighted.
In the second part of the programme, Styles is joined by Jason Judd, executive director of Cornell University’s Global Labor Institute, to outline the key strands of a recent study which argues climate breakdown could lead to apparel sector losses of $65 billion without appropriate planning and precautionary measures being taken.
In addition to spotlighting the potential disruption facing the sector – especially in the most ‘climate vulnerable’ garment producing nations, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Pakistan and Vietnam – Judd shares his insights on how the sector can best prepare to counteract such risks.
This topic, along with many others, is also the subject of our news videos available via both the Ecotextile Views homepage and @ecotextileviews YouTube channel.
The latest instalment of the Ecotextile Talks podcast series explores the motivations behind a campaign calling on the fashion industry to move away from conventional care and content labels in favour of digital alternatives.
Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), who is one of the most prominent industry voices behind the #CutTheTape campaign, sits down with Tom Bithell to share his views on why digital solutions such as QR codes ought to be implemented as soon as possible.
The current “extraordinary” situation cannot be perpetuated, he asserts, with enough label tape being produced annually by the apparel sector to “stretch from here from Earth to the moon and back 12 times”.
This, the AAFA boss states, makes labels themselves – regardless of the garment they are affixed to – a “sustainability burden”.
While material usage is a key tenet of the campaign’s case, during this episode Lamar is also pressed on issues such as who would be responsible for the publication and management of garment care and content data as well as the ethics of leaving some consumers at the mercy of the ‘digital divide’ – affecting those members of society without the means or knowhow to access information online.
This topic, along with many others, is also the subject of our news videos available via both the Ecotextile Views homepage and @ecotextileviews YouTube channel.
Earlier this summer host Phil Berman sat down with Carolina Ledl, Lenzing’s head of product and application management, to discuss the company's ambitious plans to start producing its Ecovero-branded viscose in its manufacturing plant in Indonesia.
Lenzing first launched its ‘EcoVero’ branded viscose in 2017, in response to growing a demand for more transparent viscose fibres. And with the expansion of its dope-dyed ‘Black’ version now imminent, Carolina explains what the company’s €100m expansion plans in South Asia will mean for sourcing both raw materials and reducing energy consumption in this regional manufacturing facility.
She also talks about why the Indonesian plant will shortly start producing ‘Ecovero Black’ and reveals how it uses less water, electricity, and heat than other conventional viscose dyeing processes.
You can subscribe to our podcasts on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, and get automatic alerts whenever a new episode is released.
This episode is produced in partnership with the Lenzing Group.
For more news on Lenzing’s plans, explore our written content on Ecotextile News:
https://www.ecotextile.com/2023083131112/materials-production-news/lenzing-plots-a-greener-future-for-indonesia-plant.html#jextbox-login-module-0
https://www.lenzing.com/newsroom/press-releases/press-release/lenzing-successfully-completing-the-conversion-and-upgrade-of-its-indonesian-site
In the latest episode of Ecotextile Talks, Jeffrey Thimm from Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) discusses an initiative exploring the potential of combining artificial intelligence and satellite technologies to monitor organic cotton production.
Podcast host David Styles discusses with Thimm how GOTS reached the point at which, with project partners the European Space Agency and tech firm Marple, it is watching over cotton production in India from space.
Despite what may seem like a futuristic endeavour, Thimm is adamant that this type of project is a much-needed breakthrough capable of increasing trust in the cotton sector.
“This is a way to increase the integrity of the organic cotton sector. To increase the integrity of GOTS as well,” he asserts.
“And so, not only the brands can be confident that their supply chains are what they believe they are – sustainable according to GOTS standards – but also that consumers can continue to have faith in the benefits of participating in the organic system.”
Another topic raised in the episode is the allegation – attributed in the Indian press to ‘anonymous sources’ – that the project represents a national security threat. This entire debacle, Thimm states, can be attributed to individuals or organisations “engaged in fraud”.
The conversation also reveals that once the latest stage of the experimental project shares its initial results, expected to be at the end of 2023, there may well be other applications for the technologies involved – beyond India and the cotton sector.
The latest report from Cotton Campaign insists the time has come for the fashion industry to act conclusively on forced labour in Turkmen cotton fields, with human rights lawyer and researcher Allison Gill telling Ecotextile Talks that legal obligations must now be met.
Speaking on behalf Cotton Campaign, an interdisciplinary coalition of human and labour rights organisations focused on cotton supply chains, Gill sits down with podcast host David Styles to discuss the past, present and potential future of Turkmenistan’s use of forced labour and the nation’s relationship with the global apparel industry.
After a decade of what she regards as negligible progress in Turkmenistan, the human rights expert is realistic about the monumental challenge facing those who wish to engender real change but admits she hopes kernels of optimism may soon be evident – if the fashion industry collectively acts.
Publicly shunning Turkmen cotton and funding comprehensive supply chain due diligence, the human rights expert asserts, is the minimum required to start the ball rolling on meaningful progress.
“Companies and businesses should absolutely not be using Turkmen cotton goods… They have a legal obligation not to do so,” Gill argues, before contextualising the reality in Turkmenistan comparative to other nearby controversial cotton-producing hotspots such as Uzbekistan and China’s Xinjiang region.
Despite the latest report describing children as young as eight being compulsorily engaged in physically gruelling work, Gill admits that a key discussion among the Cotton Campaign partner organisations was how to ensure the publication was able to “convey the information so that it grabs people's attention”.
She also labels the newest findings “ground-breaking”, given that much of the information was sourced by monitors working undercover in the secretive Eurasian nation – risking their freedom or even lives to do so.
As an apparent global push to include extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks in legislation gathers pace, podcast host David Styles catches up with Claire Kneller, managing director of WRAP Asia Pacific, to discuss the Australian Government’s approach.
Claire joins the latest episode of Ecotextile Talks as a representative of the consortium behind Seamless, an initiative aiming to convince fashion brands and retailers to voluntarily contribute four cents per garment to fund textile circularity programmes and avoid a mandatory levy being imposed by central government.
“Textiles is on the minister's list. It has been for a while,” Kneller explains. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, the industry was not taking enough action. There are things happening in the industry, on an individual brand and retailer level, but by no stretch of the imagination is it enough activity.”
It was this perceived stasis that led Australia’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, to put the nation’s fashion companies on notice: they have 12 months to act or risk much harsher measures being imposed legally.
Success for the scheme, Kneller believes, would be 60% of the industry signing up to contribute by June 2024.
“That's actually not that many companies,” she notes. “That's probably between 15 and 20 businesses, depending on which ones you get. So it's not a huge number, but the market in Australia is extremely consolidated at the top end.”
While WRAP Asia Pacific’s managing director is optimistic this level of uptake can be achieved, she issues industry with the cautionary tale that failing to do so may result in a higher contribution than the 4 cents per garment being proposed in this preliminary voluntary phase.
“Industry has the opportunity for it to continue as an industry led scheme. Once it becomes a co-regulatory scheme, it's quite a different setup… What currently is drafted as a four cents per garment levy might be 40 cents per garment under a regulatory scheme. Now I'm not saying it will be, but it could be because it really is out of industry's hands.”
In our latest Ecotextile Talks podcast, Philip Berman catches up with John Murphy, Hohenstein’s technical director for Europe, for an update on the company’s testing and certification process for its new Oeko-Tex organic cotton standard that was launched in April.
The new testing procedure has been created to verify the labelling of organic cotton textiles, but with additional criteria that meets with the stringent Oeko-Tex Standard 100. It claims to ensure that cotton samples contain less than 10% genetically modified material, comply with limits on hazardous chemicals including pesticide residues, and guarantees its organic origin down to farm level.
Asked why he thinks the cotton industry needs a new organic label certification process, Murphy suggests that as the demand for organic has grown rapidly, so has the need to ensure that the labelling is reliable, particularly for consumers.
“We saw a need from the industry for a new independent label for organic cotton,” he tells Ecotextile Talks, explaining that Hohenstein took its time to develop the process to make sure of its integrity and that it was trustworthy.
In addition to the qualitative DNA analysis of the sample material (i.e. does a product contain genetically modified cotton, yes or no?), Murphy notes that a second important step involves quantification – determining the proportion of genetically modified cotton in a sample. The aim, he says, is not only to check production, but also to make sure the raw material is traceable throughout the supply chain.
The result is a quantitative method of GMO testing, which, for the first time he says, allows for differentiation between contamination and purposeful addition of conventionally grown cotton.
Pressed on the feasibility of this process, Murphy raises an important point around the delineation between contamination, which maybe is accidental, and that which is purposeful and potentially verging on the fraudulent. Asked how the testing manages to differentiate between those two processes, he clarifies that there is always slight contamination with cross-flying lint in production. “We’re not trying to eliminate cross contamination – that’s very, very difficult,” he says.
“What we are trying to eliminate is suppliers who may dilute the organic cotton with conventional cotton to try to increase volumes and this test will differentiate between accidental contamination and genuine contamination.
“We’ve set limits of less than 10% for accidental contamination. We’ll look at this limit which has been set for now and see how relevant it is over time.”
Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks podcast
In a special edition of Ecotextile Talks to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, host David Styles is joined by a range of expert guests who share their opinions on the disaster's wide-ranging impacts.
The podcast explores how the catastrophe occurred, its lasting legacies for victims and the global apparel sector, as well as looking ahead to what the next decade may hold as the tragedy continues to cast a long shadow.
Expert guests include:
Miran Ali, vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Mary Creagh, chair of the Ethical Trading Initiative Lavinia Muth, activist and consultant Professor Rashedur Chowdhury, academic behind unparalleled Rana Plaza study Eric Henry, president of TS Designs
You can subscribe to our podcasts on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, and get automatic alerts whenever a new episode is released.
Host Phil Berman sits down with Eva McGeorge, Lenzing’s Head of Marketing and Communications, to discuss the company’s recent global survey on consumer attitudes to sustainability in fashion.
Lenzing says the aim of its new survey – the key insights of which will be launched exclusively in next month's edition of Ecotextile News – was to find out what drives and motivates consumers when it comes to shopping for textiles and clothing.
Is it price?
Sustainability?
Or something else entirely?
In the podcast Eva highlights how some nationalities are more likely to keep their clothes for longer, and shop less frequently, than others.
And she also discusses four key drivers that can affect a consumer’s motivation to act in a more sustainable way.
You can subscribe to our podcasts on Apple, Google, Spotify and Amazon Music, and get automatic alerts whenever a new episode is released.
Host Philip Berman talks to Oeko-Tex's Melanie Teutberg about Responsible Business - a new tool she's launched to help textile businesses navigate legal obligations under the deluge of new due diligence laws.
For more information about the their tool:
https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/responsible-business
In today’s edition host, Philip Berman, talks to Dr. Krishna Manda, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at the Lenzing Group, and Roberta Vernocchi, a Senior Materials Manager at Timberland Apparel, about launching a new traceable apparel collection using Lenzing’s Tencel Refibra technology.
Manda and Vernocchi talk listeners through the new Timberland Fall 2022 collection that uses Tencel Refibra fabrics derived from a combination of sustainably sourced wood pulp and recycled cotton.
“As a brand Timberland has this vision for a greener future, which means we look for new materials and innovation to reduce our environmental impact,” said Vernocchi, “Our outdoor customers are not just looking for a new aesthetic but have the environment in mind … and we need to differentiate and add some value to our core outdoor products other than just using cotton.”
The US outdoor brand also talks about how it overcame some key sourcing challenges and Manda explains to listeners why Refibra was developed in the first place and how it can contribute to circularity.
In today’s edition host, Philip Berman, talks to Dr. Krishna Manda, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability at the Lenzing Group, and Roberta Vernocchi, a Senior Materials Manager at Timberland Apparel, about launching a new traceable apparel collection using Lenzing’s Tencel Refibra technology.
Manda and Vernocchi talk listeners through the new Timberland Fall 2022 collection that uses Tencel Refibra fabrics derived from a combination of sustainably sourced wood pulp and recycled cotton.
“As a brand Timberland has this vision for a greener future, which means we look for new materials and innovation to reduce our environmental impact,” said Vernocchi, “Our outdoor customers are not just looking for a new aesthetic but have the environment in mind … and we need to differentiate and add some value to our core outdoor products other than just using cotton.”
The US outdoor brand also talks about how it overcame some key sourcing challenges and Manda explains to listeners why Refibra was developed in the first place and how it can contribute to circularity.
Welcome to the third edition of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News selects a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear, read out by AI voices.
Then a human - Philip Berman - pieces it all together with music and voice-over, and a little magic turns it into a podcast for your aural delight!
This week we report on:
The UN accuses China of "serious human rights violations" and possible crimes against humanity in the detention and torture of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. (2.03min) Textile industry body Euratex calls on the EU to take bold steps to tackle the energy crisis. (6.30) A new 14m US dollar project in Denmark aims to cut back on textile waste and C02 emissions. (9.15) The stories you can hear are just a sample of what's on offer with an Ecotextile News subscription, where you can read all of our exclusive stories and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
New subscribers can use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15 on this page: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Hope you enjoy the podcast - and let us know who your favourite robot is...
Welcome to the third edition of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News selects a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear, read out by AI voices.
Then a human - Philip Berman - pieces it all together with music and voice-over, and a little magic turns it into a podcast for your aural delight!
This week we report on:
The UN accuses China of "serious human rights violations" and possible crimes against humanity in the detention and torture of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. (2.03min) Textile industry body Euratex calls on the EU to take bold steps to tackle the energy crisis. (6.30) A new 14m US dollar project in Denmark aims to cut back on textile waste and C02 emissions. (9.15) The stories you can hear are just a sample of what's on offer with an Ecotextile News subscription, where you can read all of our exclusive stories and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
New subscribers can use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15 on this page: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Hope you enjoy the podcast - and let us know who your favourite robot is...
Welcome to the third edition of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News selects a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear, read out by AI voices.
Then a human - Philip Berman - pieces it all together with music and voice-over, and a little magic turns it into a podcast for your aural delight!
This week we report on:
How a shortage of rain is reining in cotton production (2.54 min). Major plans from the Policy Hub to cut textile waste in Europe (8.19 min). A look at how innovation could turn some industry C02 emissions back into textiles (12.32). The stories you can hear are just a sample of what's on offer with an Ecotextile News subscription, where you can read all of our exclusive stories and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
New subscribers can use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15 on this page: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Hope you enjoy the podcast - and let us know who your favourite robot is...
Welcome to the third edition of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News selects a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear, read out by AI voices.
Then a human - Philip Berman - pieces it all together with music and voice-over, and a little magic turns it into a podcast for your aural delight!
This week we report on:
How a shortage of rain is reining in cotton production (2.54 min). Major plans from the Policy Hub to cut textile waste in Europe (8.19 min). A look at how innovation could turn some industry C02 emissions back into textiles (12.32). The stories you can hear are just a sample of what's on offer with an Ecotextile News subscription, where you can read all of our exclusive stories and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
New subscribers can use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15 on this page: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Hope you enjoy the podcast - and let us know who your favourite robot is...
Welcome to the second episode of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News will select a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear, read out by AI voices.
Then a human - Philip Berman - pieces it all together with music and voice-over, and a little magic turns it into a podcast for your aural delight!
This week we report on:
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition putting a global halt on the use of Higg MSI data on consumer-facing product labels following a legal decision in Norway (3.02)
Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger owner, PVH Corp, announced a new partnership with bankers HSBC which aims to provide supply chain facilities with the finance they need to reduce their environmental and social impact (8.10)
Staying with supply chain news, a new open data platform for sectors including apparel, electronics and cosmetics has been launched in its beta phase today, in a bid to improve supply chain transparency (10.40)
H&M and Bestseller were among the investors which helped agricultural innovator Materra raise US$4.5 million in seed funding to scale its climate-resistant cotton (14.04)
The stories you can hear are just a sample of what's on offer with an Ecotextile News subscription, where you can read all of our exclusive stories and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
New subscribers can use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15 on this page: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Hope you enjoy the podcast!
In our latest Ecotextile Talks podcast, our cotton expert Simon Ferrigno tells host Phil Berman why he’d like to see a parliamentary-style inquiry into widespread fraud in the organic cotton sector.
Ferrigno also talks about his recent investigation into organic cotton fraud which was published as a special eight-page feature in the April/May 2022 edition of Ecotextile News magazine and later posted online here.
Ferrigno reveals how, since he wrote his report, even more whistleblowers have come forward – many of them unwilling to be quoted for fear of losing their jobs – to shed more light on what Ferrigno says is a long-running problem.
“This has been a running sore,” he says. “It’s a problem we’ve known about in the sector since the late 2000s, about 2008.
But we've started to have more whistle-blowers come forward saying this is a serious problem, the numbers don’t match, the big players know the numbers don’t match but they make far too much money to do anything about it, and the sector is riddled with fraud.”
Many of these whistleblowers work for organic certification bodies who claim the data they are being given by some industry bodies is erroneous and feel like they’re being made the ‘scapegoats’ as trust in data from India – where most organic cotton is grown – is falling.
Ferrigno suggests the problem is - that there is little incentive to report the right numbers because “they would fall dramatically and that means the profits in the sector would fall dramatically”.
Another issue, he says, is the lack of a regulatory body for the organic cotton sector; the nearest being the Indian export agency APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Agency) and the International Organic Accreditation Service – a private body that checks that certification bodies are doing what they’re supposed to do.
Ferrigno tells Berman that his key message would be for the organic sector to build a direct relationship with the authentic organic cotton farmers who he says are the main victims of fraud within the current system.
“My post-article thought is that we almost need a parliamentary inquiry type approach. That is a couple of legal minds and a sector specialist to put every single big player in the industry in front of them; all the people who’ve worked in this for years and ask them, how do things work? What's wrong with it? And what do we do?
“You almost need to completely tear up what people have been doing for the last 40 years and start afresh because the system no longer works. People will always try to defraud the system or seek an easy solution so you do need to prepare for those future battles. What we can’t do is keep doing the same thing and hoping that it’s going to turn out different the
next time.”
Welcome to the first episode of Editor’s picks.
Each week the Editor of Ecotextile News will select a few key stories from the magazine that he thinks you need to hear.
This week we report on:
How fashion is reacting to the implementation of new regulations in the US that assume any product partly or wholly made in the Xinjiang region of north-west China, is linked to the region’s labour camps and cannot enter the country. (2.15)
Some promising new DNA-based technology that claims to pinpoint the exact origin of textile fibres and could help to filter out Xinjiang-grown cotton from global supply chains. (6.50)
How a 400 million Euro investment in Finland aims to scale up the production of textile fibres made entirely from waste clothing and other textiles. (11.19)
And in our fourth, and final story, we have a disturbing report from India that exposes how some garment workers on the Indian sub-continent are still suffering from illegal rates of pay, verbal abuse, and even sexual harassment. (13.55)
The stories are about to hear are just a sample of what is on offer in Ecotextile News.
With a subscription, you can read all of our journalism, with many more exclusive stories, and ideas on sustainability in the fashion and textile industry.
For new subscribers please use our time-limited 15% off by inputting POD15: https://www.ecotextile.com/magazine-subscribe
Randy Rankin, Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance Global Client Development Director for North America discusses the current key environmental, social, and governance risks facing the global textile and apparel industry.
Rankin tells our host, Philip Berman, how he believes that new and proposed legislation on the fashion industry – on both sides of the Atlantic – are the key developments that should be concerning global brands right now.
He cites the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, as well as similar national moves in countries such as France and Germany, as key examples.
These laws aim to make companies legally responsible for environmental and human rights issues in their global supply chains and to make it much easier for victims to seek legal redress.
Rankin also talks about the proposed New York Fashion Act, which would require larger companies operating in New York to map out at least half of their supply chains, from raw materials to final product.
And he mentions the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, which bans US imports of products, such as cotton, from the Xinjiang region of China unless proof can be provided that they were not the result of forced labour.
Rankin says the trend towards legislation is a new development in the industry where concern over supply chain issues has been traditionally driven by reactions to major incidents, such as the Rana Plaza disaster.
However, he feels increasing concern by both consumers and – crucially – investors are creating a new landscape where legislators are demanding more transparency from the industry's often opaque supply chains.
If you want to contact Randy he can be reached on +1 717 719 0287 (if you are outside the US) or emailing randyrankin@eurofinsus.com
Alexa Raab, the global brand and communications manager for bio-materials with US chemicals giant DuPont, explains how the company's partially *bio-based Sorona PTT is helping to lower carbon emissions and increase circularity, and why its launched a Preferred Mill Network programme to support the fibre's expansion.
*37% comes from corn-starch
This episode is brought to you by Higg, the technology platform that helps companies measure, manage, and share their social and environmental sustainability data.
Host Philip Berman talks to McKenzie Everett, from the cycling apparel brand Pearl izumi, about her company's commitment to sustainability, and how it uses the Higg Product Design Tools to measure, manage, and share the environmental impact of its products.
To date, 300 leading brands have used the Higg Product Design Tools to measure the impact of over 2,800 products.
In the conversation, McKenzie explains how Pearl iZumi uses these tools and the innovative way the brand invites its customers to participate in offsetting the carbon footprint of the products they purchase.
Host Philip Berman talks to Alisia Mätz, from OEKO-TEX®, about the launch of their new tool to help facilities measure and manage their carbon emissions and water usage.
Their new Impact Calculator (IC) has been implemented into the STeP certification system at the start of 2022.
You can find more details about it here.
Ken Pucker discusses why 25 years of corporate social responsibility has done little to curb carbon emissions from the textile industry, and why we urgently need new laws to save the planet.
Ken is a former chief operating officer at Timberland, a lecturer, and a vocal critic of the Environmental and Social Governance Industry.
His most recent article for the Harvard Business - entitled The Myth of Sustainable Fashion has gained some traction online - so we thought it was time to get him on our podcast!
It was partially a take-down of the ESG industry, and how he thinks it has failed to curb the carbon excesses of the textile industry.
Currently, he’s a senior Lecturer in Sustainable Business Dynamics at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston.
He’s also been advising some of the NGOs involved in pushing forward The Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act in New York State - which discuss in the podcast.
We started off by talking about his time at Timberland from 1992 to 2007, with the last seven years as Chief Operating Officer.
This was during a period when its CEO Jeff Shwartz pioneered a business model of Justice with the three pillars of Environmental Stewardship, Global Human Rights, and Citizen Service.
Other articles by Ken Pucker:
Harvard Business Review
Overselling Sustainability Reporting: We’re Confusing Output with Impact
Institutional Investor The Trillion Dollar Fantasy
Host Philip Berman talks to Caroline Ledl, Head of Product Management Textiles for the Lenzing Group,
about how her company plans to halve its CO2 emissions per tonne of product by 2030, and also be completely climate neutral by 2050.
In the latest Ecotextile Talks podcast, host Philip Berman speaks with the Lycra Company’s sustainability director, Jean Hegedus, about how its eponymous stretch fibre can play a part in textile circularity.
Known for being hard to extract when separating blended textile waste, Jean Hegedus provides an insight into how elastane fibre could still play an important part in circular textile supply chains, if the economics stack up.
She also adds to the debate of whether PET bottles should be leveraged amidst the textile industry’s push for circularity, or whether textile-to-textile recycling is a more suitable alternative.
In the final episode in our five-part documentary series, we get to hear two brands' views on the future of textile to textile recycling and talk to shoppers about their attitude to buying more sustainable clothes.
Features interviews with:
Jodi Evering, Fabric and Sustainability Manager, Filippa K; and
Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, Sustainable Materials & Innovation Manager, Bestseller
The fourth episode in our new five-part audio documentary looks at the potential impact of the 2025 Waste Directive on the reuse and recycling of textiles.
The third episode in our new five-part audio documentary examines the challenges of sourcing enough of the right feedstock for chemical textile-to-textile recycling. Ecotextile Talks speaks to Södra’s Niclas Berg, whose job involves sourcing feedstock for the company's ‘OnceMore’ process, and Lina Wiles, Head of Sustainability in Sweden for Elis, which is currently Södra’s major supplier. We also talk to: * David Stevens, CEO of the Textile Services Association (TSA) whose members meet 90-95 percent of the laundry needs of the NHS and the hospitality industry in the UK.
* Martin Böschen, CEO of Texaid, one of the largest collectors and sorters of textile waste in Europe
* Anna Granskog, a partner at McKinsey & Company, and co-author of their influential report in 2020: "The future of sustainable fashion."
Subscribe to our podcasts and radio shows by following us on Apple, Google, Spotify, and Amazon Music, to automatically get alerts when we launch a new Ecotextile Talks Behind the News podcast.
To coincide with this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, we’re bringing to you part two of a new five-part podcast series, in affiliation with Forestry industry group Södra, that explores how diverting textiles from landfill can accelerate the industry’s environmental ambitions.
In this second episode,Ecotextile Talks host Philip Berman talks to Södra’s Johannes Bogren and Helena Claesson about the magic behind their recycling process. Plus we also hear from Umar Chowdhury at Sateri, who already uses OnceMore and Sonja Zak at Lenzing, who are currently trialling it.
Accelerating Circularity's Karla Magruder and Nicole Rycroft, founder of the environmental non-profit Canopy - also appear briefly.
Ahead of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, we’re bringing to you part one of a new five-part podcast series, in affiliation with Forestry industry group Södra, that will explore how diverting textiles from landfill can accelerate the industry’s environmental ambitions.
In this first episode,Ecotextile Talks host Philip Berman speaks to Södra’s Johannes Bogren, the founder of Accelerating Circularity Karla Magruder, circular fashion researcher and consultant Cathryn Hall, and Nicole Rycroft, who founded the environmental non-profit Canopy.
To coincide with the release of a new scientific study from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in San Diego, Florian Heubrandner, VP of Global Textiles Business at the Lenzing Group, discusses the importance of fibre biodegradability.
Ecotextile Talks host, Philip Berman, talks to Harald Notz-Lajtke from Hohenstein, about how their laboratories can now use a form of PCR testing to determine the exact percentage of GMO cotton in a sample.
This could be a game-changer in helping companies spot fraudulent rather than accidental contamination in the organic cotton supply chain.
Host Philip Berman talks to Kate Heiny, Zalando's Director of Sustainability about how the company is helping brand partners improve their sustainability in a number of different key areas with the help of Higg tools.
The third of our series of podcasts supported by Higg - the technology platform that helps companies manage, measure, and share their environmental and social impact data.
In this episode, Philip Berman talks to Hanna Hallin, Treadler's Global Sustainability Manager, about how the H&M Group's new company is helping rival retailers find more sustainable suppliers.
John Frazier, senior technical director at the Hohenstein Institute America, talks about why the fashion sector needs to up its game on chemical management, and how an Eco Passport can help retailers and brands to clean up their supply chains, at the same time tackling tighter regulations on chemicals.
In this latest episode of Ecotextile Talks, supported by the technology company Higg, listeners hear from Jeremy Lardeau, Vice President, Higg Index at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition; and Cash East, Director of Analytics at Higg, who explain how the Higg Materials Sustainability Index can make a significant, positive impact on environmental sustainability in the global fashion industry.
They outline why material selection matters in the textile sector when it comes to the environment, how product designers can use the MSI as an entry point to improve the eco-credentials of their supply chains, and tell us where they hope the Higg MSI will be in five years.
In this special episode of EcoTextile Talks brought to you by Higg, producer Phil Berman explores how the global apparel industry can effectively measure and improve social and environmental sustainability performance, and the important role technology and data play in scaling these efforts.
Our guests are Higg CEO Jason Kibbey and Amina Razvi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition Amina Razvi.
Former BBC producer Phil Berman hosts our Radio Show to find out if blockchain can be an important new tool for clothing retailers to provide real-time transparency in their supply networks when sourcing wood fibre – and even wool.
Our guests in the studio are Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer at fibre maker Lenzing; Giovanni Schneider, CEO of Italian wool and cashmere processor the Schneider Group; and Amit Gautam, CEO of blockchain specialist TextileGenesis.
Listeners can find out why transparency is so important when it comes to sourcing viscose, lyocell and wool and make sure that the clothes they sell do not come from ancient and endangered forests.
Journalists from Ecotextile News magazine discuss the situation of forced labour in Xinjiang, China, which supplies 22 per cent of the world’s cotton crop. This newscast asks how much of this crop finds its way into the clothes sold by leading high street brands. Is every retailer somehow tainted with cotton that’s been allegedly been picked or processed using forced labour? And is this situation being weaponised by some US politicians as part of the on-going trade war in the run-up to the US elections?
Why does the industry rely so much on sourcing raw cotton from this region anyway? After all, there are alternatives.
Read more at ecotextile.com
A behind the news conversation between the journalists at Ecotextile News on what lies ahead for global textile events in the wake of the current pandemic. How can trade show organisers respond? What are they doing now to connect an industry where commerce is based on fabric touch – as well as price and design? And was the old way of working really sustainable anyway?
In this pilot episode, we introduce some of the journalists who work on Ecotextile News, and discuss how lock-down has changed our way of working, and reveal some of the big stories we've been looking into behind-the-scenes and publishing on www.ecotextile.com