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Companies aim for uptake of sustainable materials: Report

30 Mar '17
2 min read

Companies are setting ambitious targets for uptake of more sustainable raw materials, according to a report by the Textile Exchange. Last year, 71 textile companies had put themselves forward for Textile Exchange 2016 Preferred Fiber and Materials (PFM) Benchmark Programme, linking their efforts to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Textile Exchange has released a 'Sector Report' containing the combined results of all participating companies who had participated in the PFM Benchmark Programme. Textile Exchange had launched the PFM Benchmark Programme in 2015 for measuring how a company systematically integrates a preferred fibre and materials strategy into mainstream business operations.

"Millions of people - cotton farmers, foresters, and other textile feedstock providers - form the base of the textile supply network and are impacted by the decisions brands and retailers make every day. Influencing improvement in fiber and material production is one of the greatest opportunities textile brands and retailers can contribute to securing a sustainable future," said Liesl Truscott, materials strategy director for Textile Exchange.

61 per cent of companies have set targets for switching to a more sustainable source of cotton, three quarters having a specific target for organic.

"The mix of fibres in one's product range can be just as important as the sustainability profile of each fibre," Truscott added. "It is great to have a forward-thinking cotton programme, but if most of the range is synthetic one should be concentrating on recycled choices. Our benchmarking will point companies towards that."

"Our goal of a 100 per cent sustainable business model challenges us to think about completely new, innovative models of doing business. One of them is our partnership with the Appachi Eco-Logic Cotton Project in India which brings together a value chain from the farmers to the customers. The key is the partnership and working together – and we see this as pivotal for the entire industry," said Nanda Bergstein, head of Vendor Relations & Sustainability (Non Food) for Tchibo. "This is why we are proud to support the Preferred Fiber and Materials Benchmark. It is not only a tool to benchmark our individual progress as a company within the index community; it also creates motivation for the industry to increase the conversion from conventional into sustainable materials and products." (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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