Latest news with #CrystalInternationalGroup
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Crystal Denim's New Collection Highlights Circular and Climate Adaptive Design
Crystal Denim, the denim division of Crystal International Group, recently introduced CirClimate, a new concept that addresses circularity and performance during a time of extreme weather conditions. A combination of sustainable fibers and responsibly sourced trims are behind the 'climate adaptive' concept. More from Sourcing Journal Industry Experts Weigh in on Winning Water-Saving Solutions Lenzing Pushes Fiber Innovation Forward with Tencel 2.2 Industry Experts Weigh in on Winning Water-Saving Solutions CirClimate utilizes fabrics from Advance Denim made with 100 percent cellulosic fibers including Tencel and Eastman Naia Acetate, a bio-based fiber from sustainable wood pulp and recycled waste. The fabric is biodegradable, soft and durable. While traditional performance fabrics often rely on synthetic materials such as polyester, which can contribute to recycling issues, Crystal said sustainable materials are gaining traction, reducing environmental impact while enhancing durability. These advancements not only cater to the demands of eco-conscious consumers but also position denim as a versatile choice for everyday wear in a rapidly changing climate. The fabric's natural breathability makes it temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking for year-round comfort. The integration of functional and performance elements into denim is not merely a trend but a response to the evolving needs of consumers and environmental challenges, Crystal stated. 'We aim to bring more nature-based, eco-friendly collections to the industry. We are redefining denim to embody our dedication to integrating climate-adaptive design and sustainability performance. Our collection has passed temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking performance tests,' said Janet Lui, senior manager, product development at Crystal Denim. The CirClimate collection includes key pieces such as boxy fit denim Trucker jacket, high-waisted pleated wide-leg jeans, and relaxed jorts in white denim. The garments were designed for easy disassembly and compostability. For the collection, Crystal finished garments with 100 percent cotton threads, removable shank buttons and compostable packaging to promote recycling. The collection is now being promoted to Crystal's key customers, with the hope that brands will embrace 'the convergence of sustainability and functional needs.'
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Water Baseline Remains Elusive for the Denim Industry
While companies are aligned in wanting to reduce water consumption in denim production, the amount of water it requires to make a pair of jeans continues to be debatable. At Kingpins Amsterdam, representatives from denim mills, chemical companies and technology firms discussed their strategies to measure water consumption. While annual sustainability reports, universal measurement tools, and other transparency-promoting platforms can help establish a common baseline, they explained that certain factors beyond their control make it challenging to achieve true alignment. More from Sourcing Journal Designers Combine History and Technology to Improve Denim Fits Why Traditional Consumer Demographics Don't Apply to Denim Trends Latest Kingpins Amsterdam Convened the Industry During Uncertain Times Efforts to significantly improve water resource and wastewater management in Crystal International Group's denim factories in Cambodia and Vietnam are advancing the company closer to reaching its goal. The company aims to reduce its freshwater consumption by 20 percent by 2030, compared to an internal 2022 baseline. However, water usage varies across factories because production processes and the methodology to calculate consumption are all different, said Janet Lui, senior manager, design and product development, denim division, for Crystal International Group. Without a common baseline, Lui said factories create their own. 'At this moment, we still need to compare internally, factory by factory,' she said. 'But in the future, who knows? I think everybody's talking about how to align the whole dynamic industry.' Companies also must consider the trade-offs or unintended consequences of using some water-saving technologies. For example, Lui said that while laser reduces water and chemical usage, it increases the energy level. Region plays a factor as well. Brazilian mill Vicunha's uses the water footprint method to measure, beginning with cotton and ending with the final fabric. The method categories water into three categories: blue (water from natural sources), green (rainwater), and gray (water needed to dilute chemicals). With this method, Luiz Eduardo Veloso, Vicunha's product development general manager, said the mill found that it requires 5,000 liters to make a jean, but 82 percent is green water. 'A lot of new technologies have come. New ones will come soon, and all these technologies [aim to reduce water consumption,' he said. An investment to recycle city wastewater to use as industrial water has had a large impact on Vicunha's production. 'The idea is to not use more water from the surface or underground—to keep this water for the human beings and the animals,' Veloso said, adding that the company's goal is to have plants that only use recycled water. Chemical supplier BluConnection teamed with its mill and laundry partners to create a benchmark using the best available technology, which Alexander Bock, COO of BluConnection, said is always a moving benchmark. 'Our industry standard is 80-90 liters of water for a pair of jeans,' he said, adding that 20-40 liters comes from the denim production itself. However, with the best available technology, Bock said water usage can be reduced 10-12 liters in the laundry and 10-11 liters in the denim manufacturing. 'The biggest bulk of water usage is in cotton growing.' The average amount of water used in fabric and finishing stage is 100 liters with finishing accounting for 70 percent, according to Carmen Silla, Jeanologia marketing director. However, the company's sustainable technologies such as laser, ozone and e-flow can reduce impact during the finishing stage to 45 liters per garment on average. Jeanologia landed on this number through the first Environmental Impact Measuring (EIM) impact report, which analyzed over 200,000 finishing recipes. The company uses EIM, the measuring tool it created in 2009 for internal use and graduated to a commercial version in 2018, as a compass. Silla said EIM has become a way to speak a common language between fabric makers, brands and garment manufacturers, evolving into a standard. Suppliers are also looking at ways to reduce wastewater. A new solution to eliminate wastewater is part of BluConnection's water strategy. The company has developed a new process that replaces hydrosulfite, a chemical that eventually becomes salt, with a natural and biodegradable alternative that can reduce salt in wastewater up to 60 percent. Jeanologia's H2zero system treats water, leaving it in optimal conditions for reuse for up to 30 days in the washing finishing processes without the need of chemicals. The technology can also connect to existing water treatment plants. While brands and retailers are concerned of the water and sustainability, in general, Silla said the reality burden of investments for water-focused technologies falls on suppliers like fabric mills, laundries and garment manufacturers. 'There are so many initiatives, but we need to join forces to get this alignment,' she said.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Catherine Chiu of Crystal Int'l Group on Unlocking Potential for Female Employees
ESG Outlook is Sourcing Journal's discussion series with industry executives to get their take on their company's latest environmental, social and governance initiatives and their own personal efforts toward sustainability. Founded in Hong Kong in 1970, apparel manufacturer Crystal International Group operates a multi-country manufacturing platform with more than 20 production facilities spanning Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Its product portfolio includes lifestyle wear, sportswear and outdoor apparel, denim, intimate, sweater and knitted fabrics. Here, Catherine Chiu, vice president of corporate quality and sustainability, discusses how by unlocking the potential of the female workforce, Crystal fosters the creation of more equitable societies in the regions where it operates. More from Sourcing Journal PrimaLoft's Pure Process Wants to Cool the Climate, Heat Up Efficiency ESG Outlook: Rachel Molina of Another Tomorrow on Farm-Level Data and Digital IDs Egypt's Outlook Has Changed Dramatically Name: Catherine ChiuTitle: Vice President of Corporate Quality and Sustainability DepartmentCompany: Crystal International Group Limited What do you consider your company's best ESG-related achievement over the last 5 years? Launching the 'ePACE' program was one of our biggest ESG successes over the last five years. Women make up more than 70 percent of our global workforce across our 26 facilities, yet many face societal barriers that limit their opportunities for growth. As a responsible employer, we saw this gap as an opportunity to help them grow with us; not just for business success, but as a fundamental commitment to our workers. In 2013, one of our customers launched the Personal Advancement and Career Program (PACE) program to unlock the potential of female employees. We piloted PACE with small successes, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed us to innovate and scale the program. In response, we created 'ePACE', a digital version that expanded the program's reach to regions with limited training resources, including subcontractors. Building on the foundation of PACE and integrating other in-house and customer-required programs, we developed our own comprehensive Crystal CARE program (Crystal Advocates Respect Engagement), further extending our commitment to women's empowerment. What is your company's latest ESG-related initiative? We are taking our commitment to sustainability to the next level with Crystal Sustainability Vision 2030 (CSV2030), a roadmap that focuses on eight impact areas across environmental, social, and community dimensions: reducing our carbon footprint, creating a more circular supply chain, conserving water, protecting biodiversity, and minimizing our environmental impact. On the social side, we're strengthening our focus on employee wellness and promoting equity to ensure inclusion and opportunities for all. By tackling these priorities, we're actively shaping a more sustainable and responsible future. What is the biggest misconception consumers have about sustainability in fashion? That ethical and sustainable supply chains are few and far between. While we began this work in 2007, every day I take part in more conversations beyond Crystal International, regarding how the industry needs to shift to more transparency across supply chains. With this focus, now is the time for moretransparency in benchmarking ESG goals and leveraging primary data to map out your impact. Once you know where you stand, you can map out how to move forward. What was your company's biggest takeaway from the COVID crisis that is still relevant today? The COVID crisis showed us, as a society, the true impact of supply chain disruptions. It was a moment that shifted the relationship between suppliers and their brand partners, accelerating the push for transparent supply chains that we've seen in recent years with various policy adoptions across the world. As an organization, we valued transparency long before COVID so thankfully, we were prepared for these changes. In 2013, we began prioritizing data-driven impact measurement through the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM). This has led to a depth of knowledge about our impact—and an improved relationship with our brand partners—that has enabled us to establish intelligent, data-driven targets. While our CSV2030 vision benchmarks may seem ambitious, we're confident in their success, given the insights we've gained by collecting and analyzing our performance data. This foundation has enabled us to identify hotspots and course correct as needed. As consumers become more aware of worker conditions and how clothing is produced, how can the industry best spread the word on progress? Progress must be communicated across manufacturers, suppliers, brands and the public. It seems that we only hear about supply chain workers when something bad happens, but there is good happening that can be scaled across suppliers. More stories should highlight how supply chain initiatives can impact workers for the better. For example, a standout success story of the PACE program comes from one of our factories in Sri Lanka, where an employee who completed the program was promoted to Senior Quality Assurance manager, taking this responsibility across six factories in the country. When only about five percent of female factory workers advance to higher-level positions, this is an important story to learn from. What do you consider to be the apparel industry's biggest missed opportunity related to securing meaningful change? The apparel industry often overlooks employee empowerment as a key strategy to future-proof their supply chains and reduce risk. For example, the impact of PACE was profound. As participants developed new skills, they fostered a more positive corporate culture and created a stronger team environment. Beyond culture, the program also contributed to improved operational efficiency, better employee relationships, and greater workplace harmony—all essential to long-term business success. To create lasting change, more manufacturers must deepen their commitments to prioritizing social impacts in their local communities to drive long-term benefits. What is your personal philosophy on shopping and caring for your clothes? I am mindful of where I shop, prioritizing quality and knowing where my clothes come from. As I am keenly aware of the fiber composition, I have strong preference in looking for natural fiber, especially purchasing products with recycled materials, e.g. recycled cotton and regenerated fiber. I care about the durability of clothes as well. How much do you look into a brand's social or environmental practices before shopping? It's important to me. I'll quickly research the social and environmental practices of a brand that I'm not familiar with and opt for those that prioritize sustainability and ethical production. There have been moments where I pass on products that don't align with my values. Anything new you are doing to boost sustainability beyond the fashion industry? It's important to remember that the fashion industry is made up of individuals. These individuals are more than just supply chain workers—they are mothers, daughters and friends. We've prioritized upskilling our workers because we understand that the skills gained through our programs will go beyond the walls of Crystal International and into the communities our workers are a part of. Boosting sustainability for us is about more than business, it's about sustaining livelihoods.
