Latest news with #FashionforGood
Fashion United
6 days ago
- Business
- Fashion United
Fashion for good and Arvind limited partner to create more sustainable textile factories in India
Fashion for Good, the global innovation platform with a hub in Amsterdam, launched a project for more sustainable textile production in India, in partnership with Arvind Limited, one of India's largest textile manufacturers. The joint initiative, called Future Forward Factories , focused on making textile factories more sustainable. The project consisted of two main components: the development of a blueprint for sustainable textile production and, secondly, the construction of a physical factory in India in which these innovative processes would be applied. The factory could emit up to 93 percent fewer greenhouse gases than conventional production processes, according to the press release. India is a key country for the production and export of textiles and clothing. It is among the largest players in the global textile industry and has an extensive infrastructure for the production of yarns, fabrics and garments. With millions of people working in the sector, India forms an essential hub within the global fashion chain – particularly in the Tier two factories, where dyeing, washing and other processing operations take place. It is precisely these factories that account for a large proportion of the industry's environmental impact. 'With Future Forward Factories, we took decisive action to catalyse transformation through both knowledge sharing and practical implementation,' said Katrin Ley, managing director of Fashion for Good. 'By developing a blueprint and, together with Arvind, building a factory that addresses Tier two challenges – where a large proportion of CO₂ emissions, water and chemical use takes place – we demonstrated that large-scale change is possible.' Arvind Limited is one of India's largest textile manufacturers, with 42,000 employees. The company is known as a pioneer in more sustainable production processes. For example, Arvind worked on improved water management through waterless applications and technological applications that reduce chemicals during the clothing production process. Punit Lalbhai, Executive Vice Chairman of Arvind Limited, shared in the press release: 'As a leader in the textile sector, Arvind is committed to developing sustainable production practices. With both a blueprint and an innovative facility, we wanted to show that these technologies are applicable at scale.' The initiative officially launched during the Global Fashion Summit 2025 in Copenhagen. Future Forward Factories also called on other suppliers to participate. The blueprint is open-source. This means that it can be further adapted in collaboration. The open-source blueprint was made public in September 2025. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Arvind, Fashion for Good's ‘Near-Carbon-Neutral' Factory Initiative Seeks to Break Industry Paralysis
What will it take for low-impact textile manufacturing innovation to operationalize and scale beyond the 'blah blah blah' of good intentions but lethargic action that has locked the industry in action-plan paralysis? Arvind Limited and Fashion for Good want to find out. The Indian production giant and the Amsterdam innovation platform are at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen this week to solicit support for a new double-pronged initiative, dubbed Future Forward Factories India. More from Sourcing Journal 'The Buyer is God': How Unfair Purchasing Practices Occur 'With Impunity' in India's Garment Industry Labor Department, Which 'Ridiculed Supporting Worker Rights Abroad,' Responds to ILAB Lawsuit Shein's Climate Ambitions Have Been Validated. Now What? Its first part is something the sector is familiar with: an open-source blueprint featuring a portfolio of best-in-class technologies and emergent-but-tested solutions that could collectively slash greenhouse gas emissions at Tier 2 material production by as much as 93 percent. The second, perhaps less so. Arvind and Fashion for Good want to build a demonstration plant that would bring them jointly online, validating not only their environmental benefits but—more important, especially in these cash-strapped times—their business case. The idea, said vice chairman Punit Lalbhai, who oversees Arvind's textile, advanced materials, engineering and agriculture division, is to pivot away from pushing individual technologies' adoption to creating a bundled 'end-to-end concept' that can then be replicated by other suppliers looking to retrofit an existing facility or build one from scratch. Zeroing in on the second tier made easy sense because it's also the highest source of energy, chemical and water use. Emissions-wise, it accounts for 55 percent of the value chain's total pollution, according to numbers crunched by the Apparel Impact Institute. Despite its outsized attention, Tier 1's finished goods assembly, in contrast, contributes only 9 percent. 'I think nothing works better than seeing it with your own eyes and actually experiencing all the value creation that is promised,' Lalbhai said. 'Many of these concepts are innovations. And innovations, by their very nature, are inherently risky to some extent until you know they are proven at scale in real-world conditions without the safety net of small-scale pilot sponsorship.' The dearth of end-to-end demonstration that matches disruptive machinery with the energy transition is one of the reasons the industry gets stuck in pilot mode, said Katrin Ley, managing director at Fashion for Good. Supplying this 'missing step' could combat supplier fatigue, reduce capital and technology risk and overcome implementation challenges, she said. But there's a catch. Building the demonstration plant would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 million euros, or $34 million. Its establishment is still contingent on whether Future Forward Factories India can bridge the 25-30 percent funding gap that remains. Hence, the stumping for investors who can stoke the efforts of on-the-ground partners such as Bluwin, Wazir Advisors, Grant Thornton and Sattva Consulting. Already, the program has the backing of so-called 'catalytic' funders such as the Laudes Foundation, Apparel Impact Institute and IDH The Sustainable Trade Initiative. Finding more will help get the initiative over the finish line and create what Ley calls a multiplying effect that could extend beyond India. 'This is really about co-creation,' she said. 'In the past, we've talked about the issue of brands focusing on assessing suppliers, creating a plan of action, but then seeing the recommended solutions hardly implemented. We want to turn this around and start with, indeed, ambition from the supplier side, but then also to co-create this together with the brands. So both parties have to play a role in making this a reality.' The new factory is poised to save roughly 60 liters of water per kilogram of fabric while operating what Arvind and Fashion for Good say will be the industry's first 'near-carbon-neutral' textile production center. The aim is to churn out 3 million meters of fabric each month, whether natural or man-made, solid or print, knit or woven. Inefficiencies due to poor forecasting will be tackled by layering in more responsive, just-in-time manufacturing with the typical mass-scale production, which could help mitigate overproduction—another major contributor of emissions. Lalbhai estimates that it will take about a year to build, depending on where the facility will live and the type of existing utilities—ideally wind and solar—that it will be able to tap into. But they're ready to start work whenever the money to do so comes in. The blueprint has a more immutable deadline: September. Arvind and Fashion for Good aren't naming names right now but the technologies will span a gamut, from low-temperature enzyme pre-treatment to waterless dye carriers to heat and water recovery systems. Together they could drive as much as a 30 percent reduction in steam, 41 percent in water and 33 percent in electricity. Innovation will be behind the planned minimization of chemicals. A similar approach is set to improve wastewater quality so less treatment is required when it flows out of the plant. 'We have everything ready to go,' Lalbhai said. 'We have actually a few technologies coming in, irrespective of whether the funding comes or not. But we'd like to bring this life in its full completeness, so the funding is a very important piece for us to begin.' Future Forward Factories India also has a human component. A portion of the blueprint will be dedicated to helping workers achieve what is known as a 'just transition.' This means incorporating training and development in what Lalbhai described as a 'unversity-type situation' that can help upskill employees, allowing them to move into more sophisticated manufacturing jobs—or leave the textiles trade altogether. 'We are going to introduce programs that help people to go to better-earning opportunities, so that we have predictable, planned attrition with always a batch leaving and a batch coming, with the batch that's leaving at hopefully more than double the earning potential of the incoming batch,' he said. 'And I think it's also an opportunity to show how textile manufacturing, which is one of the largest employment creators in the developing world, has an opportunity to be rebranded in terms of how it's perceived as an employer.' Arvind and Fashion for Good are holding onto the hope that despite the economic tumult caused by geopolitical strife and exacerbated by President Donald Trump's whipsawing tariffs, brands remain committed to their climate targets despite the high investment costs and the less tangible payback. If nothing else, the initiative is 'super attractive' in terms of marginal abatement costs, said Ley, referring to the price of reducing one unit of carbon. The European Union's forthcoming carbon border adjustment mechanism, intended to place a fair price on the greenhouse-gas content of imported products at its border, could provide further tailwinds. While Lalbhai declined to name Arvind's buyers, only saying that it's 'very indexed' on North America, followed by Europe, the manufacturer appears on the public supplier lists of boldface names such as Gap Inc., Levi Strauss & Co., Hugo Boss and Marks & Spencer. Whether it can get the buy-in it needs is now the biggest question. 'We're trying to fast-forward the pace of change,' Lalbhai said. 'I think it's extremely important that we shed this idea of incrementalism and step into something that can bring change at the pace the world needs.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fashion for Good, Arvind partner to target sustainability in Tier 2 factories
The initiative from Fashion for Good and Arvind targets Tier 2 factories, which are critical to the supply chain, with the goal of making them environmentally sustainable while maintaining financial feasibility. Fashion for Good explains the two-pronged project involves creating a detailed framework for eco-friendly production practices and establishing an advanced manufacturing site designed to achieve up to a 93% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions relative to traditional factory operations. This implementation signifies a substantial financial commitment to transitioning from theoretical innovations to tangible, proven solutions that are both commercially and environmentally sound. Arvind's proposed new facility in Gujarat, India, will focus on cotton woven and knit production and is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 93% compared to traditional manufacturing processes. The site is designed to conserve approximately 60 litres of water per kilogram of fabric produced, positioning it as the industry's inaugural near net-zero textile production hub. The blueprint not only emphasises environmental impact reductions but also concentrates on ensuring the commercial success of a 'Future Forward Factory'. It includes exploring subsidies, grants, and incentives to bridge the gap between current practices and these innovative methods. The viability of this physical facility depends on funding support from industry stakeholders to make the cutting-edge innovations economically feasible. Fashion for Good managing director Katrin Ley said: 'We are at a critical moment in the fashion industry's journey towards sustainability. With Future Forward Factories, we are taking decisive action to catalyse transformation through both knowledge-sharing and practical implementation. "By developing a blueprint and working with Arvind to build an actual facility that addresses the challenges of Tier 2 manufacturing – where 52% of the industry's CO2 emissions and almost all water and chemical usage occurs – we can demonstrate real-world solutions that drive systemic change." Strategies to meet environmental and social goals Transitioning operations towards near net-zero through renewable energy use and advanced technologies Reducing water consumption by limiting fresh water use and integrating waterless technologies in processes such as printing Achieving ZDHC level 3 compliance for chemicals, potentially lowering chemical usage due to innovative processes Enhancing wastewater quality with new treatment methods, reducing the need for extensive wastewater treatment Establishing a framework for a Just Transition that prioritises worker well-being during the adoption of green technologies. Arvind Limited vice chairman Punit Lalbhai said: "As a leader in the textile sector, Arvind is committed to pioneering sustainable manufacturing practices. By both developing a blueprint and constructing an innovative facility, we will demonstrate how these technologies can be implemented at scale to address the textile industry's biggest environmental challenges." The new initiative gains support from catalytic funders like Laudes Foundation, Apparel Impact Institute, IDH, and partners such as Bluwin, Wazir Advisors, Grant Thornton Bharat, and Sattva Consulting. Future Forward Factories will debut at the Global Fashion Summit 2025, with plans to publicly release the open-source blueprint in September 2025. The initiative also invites other suppliers to collaborate with Fashion for Good in developing additional blueprints suitable for various manufacturing settings, thereby enhancing the industry's capacity to adopt and scale sustainable practices. In November last year, Fashion for Good unveiled its collaborative effort with Bestseller, On, and other fashion brands to drive the fashion industry's transition away from fossil-fuel-based polymers. "Fashion for Good, Arvind partner to target sustainability in Tier 2 factories" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Fashion Value Chain
03-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Value Chain
Fashion for Good & Arvind Launch Future Forward Factories
Fashion for Good and Arvind Limited have launched Future Forward Factories India, an ambitious sustainability initiative aimed at revolutionizing Tier 2 textile manufacturing. The project includes an open-source blueprint for eco-conscious production and a first-of-its-kind physical facility in Gujarat that promises up to 93% reduction in GHG emissions. The blueprint is modular, scalable, and focuses on environmental and economic feasibility. Arvind's new facility—designed for cotton woven and knit fabrics—is expected to save up to 60 litres of water per kg of fabric and operate as one of the first near net-zero textile production centers in the world. Key sustainability targets include: Renewable energy integration Advanced low-water and waterless technologies ZDHC Level 3 chemical compliance Improved wastewater treatment A Just Transition framework for worker welfare The initiative is supported by Laudes Foundation, Apparel Impact Institute, IDH, and other partners including Bluwin, Grant Thornton Bharat, Wazir Advisors, and Sattva Consulting. Set to debut at the Global Fashion Summit 2025, the blueprint will be made publicly available in September 2025. The project also invites other suppliers to co-develop site-specific blueprints, scaling sustainability across diverse factory formats.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reconomy Connect, ReNewShoe partner on footwear circularity
The initiative between Reconomy Connect and ReNewShoe aims to simplify the process for recycling worn-out shoes. In turn it hopes to extend the lifecycle of valuable materials and curtail the volume of waste sent to landfills and incinerators. The collaboration will establish specific drop-off locations at Reconomy Connect facilities where consumers can deposit their old footwear for recycling. ReNewShoe will process these discarded shoes and extract materials such as rubber, foam, fluff and leather. The recycling procedure commences upon the accumulation of materials. Through a mechanical method, the collected items are ground down, resulting in completely recycled substances. The outcome includes granulated rubber and foam, mixed fibres comprising PET and nylon, remnants of leather, assorted metals, and textile fuzz. These processed resources are then repurposed into new products, including picnic tables, sports facility flooring, and even circular-designed shoes. ReNewShoe's technology has previously been employed by its partner brand Fast Feet Grinded, a European footwear recycler, in the creation of the ASICS Neocurve sneaker made from recycled materials. ReNewShoe managing director Gareth Denton Smith said: 'I started my business because I could not understand why there was not a method for sustainably recycling footwear. I was determined to address this and create a business that uses best-in-class technologies to maximise material reuse, reduce waste and promote the circular economy. "I am delighted to now be partnering with Reconomy Connect, whose extensive waste collection infrastructure and technology capabilities will help take our efforts to drive responsible shoe recycling to the next level.' The partnership emerges against the backdrop of an industry that manufactures approximately 24.3bn pairs of shoes annually. Reconomy highlights the difficulty in recycling footwear, with an estimated 95% of it, which is equivalent to 300m tonnes, reportedly ending up in landfills or being incinerated each year. Footwear typically consists of over 60 diverse elements, including textiles, polymers, rubber, and bonding agents, as cited by Fashion for Good. These components are meticulously put together to fulfil criteria related to functionality, design, and budget. Nonetheless, such intricacy acts as a barrier to the integration of circular methodologies, resulting in the footwear industry trailing in the implementation of sustainable innovations relative to other segments within the fashion industry. Reconomy Connect circular solutions head Dave Seal-Yates said: 'We are thrilled to be playing a key role in addressing the significant challenge of hard-to-recycle footwear, an often-overlooked issue. Partnering with ReNewShoe will help us in our mission to support businesses unlock cost savings and commercial opportunities by keeping resources in circulation, reducing the need for virgin material production and preventing waste from ending up in landfill.' Last month, Fashion for Good launched 'Closing the Footwear Loop,' an initiative that unites 15 fashion and footwear brands and their existing circularity programmes to tackle the footwear industry's circularity challenge. "Reconomy Connect, ReNewShoe partner on footwear circularity" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
