Singapore's TaFF launches sustainability programme to redefine fashion

The fashion sustainability programme aims to complement the work of ESP. It will also work with communities to build awareness and capabilities in sustainability. This is a timely programme as in Singapore alone, fashion and textile products account for 137,000 tonnes of waste of which merely 4 per cent is being recycled, Taff said in a press release.

“Fashion is more than just apparels and accessories as technology is  more than just notebooks and cell phones. We need to redefine the scope of the fashion industry to include its entire value chain. As such, TaFF will work towards building vibrant ecosystems for sustainability that span across the broad upstream and downstream value chain, from materials, manufacturing, and brands to technology and innovative solutions,” said Wilson Teo, president, TaFF.

As the strategic partner of the programme, RGE Pte Ltd. has committed to S$2.75 million funding to support sustainability initiatives over three years. “We are glad to be TaFF’s strategic partner for this programme to promote public awareness and industry collaboration towards sustainable fashion in Singapore and the region. Choice of materials that are natural, biodegradable, responsibly produced and can be easily recycled at the end-of-use, are critical considerations for fashion to be sustainable. As the world’s largest producer of viscose fibre, we look forward to lending our expertise as an upstream textile raw material supplier in support of the programme,” Tey Wei Lin, president, RGE, said.

“Our message to the industry is that sustainability in fashion is about ecosystems and collaborations. With this committee, we aim to bring about a comprehensive perspective to the direction of our programme,” said Nicole van der Elst, chairperson of the programme’s steering committee. 

During the launch, TaFF featured eight organisations that exemplify innovative sustainability brand stories, materials and technology solutions. Amongst them are TaFF’s incubation programme (TBFI) graduates, BHuman and Mycotech. 

“Industry partnerships are pertinent to uplift capabilities of enterprises. We are very encouraged by TaFF’s efforts to drive sustainability in the textile and fashion sector as trade associations and chambers play a key role in strengthening sector-specific capabilities,” said Alan Yeo, director of retail and design at Enterprise Singapore. “Collaborations with corporate partners such as RGE Group will also help accelerate this process. This is a good start and we hope to eventually see more companies across all sectors start to integrate sustainability alongside their growth.” 

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)