Latest news with #RecycledClaimStandard
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Crystal International Advances Smart Manufacturing
Crystal International Group Limited released its 2024 sustainability report outlining the apparel manufacturer's sustainability vision, strategies, key initiatives, achievements, and performance. The Hong Kong-based company produces denim, lifestyle apparel, sportswear and outdoor apparel, intimates, knits and fabrics across its production facilities in Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. More from Sourcing Journal Teamsters President: 'UPS Will Be in for a Hell of a Fight' After Layoffs UPS Slashes 20,000 Jobs as it Weans Off Amazon Cone Denim Outlines Sustainability Gains in New Report In the report, CEO Andrew Lo described 2024 as a year of gradual recovery amidst geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges. Despite this, the company's efforts to reduce its environmental impact progressed. In 2024, Crystal's net zero target was validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. The company's long-term target is to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050, based on a 2022 baseline. As Crystal's production scale gradually increases, the denim factory in Vietnam has expanded its existing wastewater treatment plant by adding a new treatment unit. Currently, the factory is using up to 60 percent recycled water in its production processes. Using sustainable inputs continues to be a priority. In 2024, 40 percent of Crystal's sportswear fabrics incorporated recycled polyester, while around 85 percent of its denim was BCI cotton. In Vietnam, 55 percent of the raw materials were certified with GRS or Recycled Claim Standard certification. In 2024, 80 percent of Crystal's chemicals conformed to the highest level 3 of the ZDHC MRSL. The report also gives insight into Crystal's investments in new technologies. Crystal's Digital Product Creation Center, which was established in 2022, is meeting the increasing demand for 3D virtual sampling. The number of physical samples shipped by Crystal's denim division to customers in 2024 decreased by more than 50 percent compared to 2018. The company is scaling smart manufacturing for denim to prepare for increased capacity, which is aimed at nearly doubling by 2029 compared to 2023. Crystal's denim factory in Vietnam is currently being transitioned to smart manufacturing. The overhaul includes a smart warehouse management system, a smart AGV system, a smart cutting system and smart production lines. Additionally, RFID technology is being utilized to identify and track the movement of semi-finished and finished products along the production process. Crystal said this advancement helps streamline inventory management, reduces the risk of loss or misplacement and enhances quality control by identifying issues swiftly. The overhaul is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Crystal said the denim team will continue to explore the application of artificial intelligence in the production processes, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of innovation in the industry. The newly extended drying hanger system at Crystal's denim factory in Cambodia enhanced the capacity of the pre-drying process, reducing the dryer's operation time by 20 minutes on average. Stretching 5,640 feet, it is the longest drying hanger track among Crystal's denim factories. The report states that it saved approximately 22 percent of steam and 3 percent of electricity consumption, resulting in an annual reduction of around 350 tonnes of carbon emissions. Crystal is planning to expand its FLAP model (short Finishing Center, Logistics Center, Assembly Center and Parts Manufacturing Center), which serves as a blueprint for automating its knits division. The model is being piloted at one of Crystal's lifestyle apparel factories in China. Colleagues from sister factories participating in months-long, in-depth training sessions at the factory to equip them with the knowledge and experience needed to implement FLAP at their factories. In general, Crystal is expediting its factories' transition to automation. Over 300 automated machines and robots in Crystal's knits factories in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh since 2023. The technologies have reduced the amount of time it takes to produce a basic T-shirt by 34 percent compared to 2020. 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
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Innovative organizations team up to solve a critical issue with our clothing: 'We need to change'
Two organizations are teaming up on a project aimed at solving a critical issue in the fashion industry, Waste Management World reported. Fashion for Good's platform connects innovators with fashion brands, and the nonprofit Textile Exchange works to minimize textile-linked planet-warming gases. The pair are embarking on a two-year initiative focusing on data collection and sharing information related to textile recycling. The initiative, dubbed the Tracing Textile Waste Project, hopes to improve on existing standards in the fashion supply chain, such as the Global Recycled Standard and the Recycled Claim Standard. All in all, the two partners have more than 30 years of combined experience. Founded in 2017 by the Laudes Foundation with guidance from William McDonough, Fashion for Good focuses on style innovations that support a healthy planet. The hub even created what was touted as the world's first sustainable fashion museum, aptly named the Fashion for Good Museum, which was located in Amsterdam's city center before closing in June. In 2022, Anne-Ro Klevant Groen, the museum's communications and marketing director, spoke to Luméra about what "sustainable fashion" is. "We use a framework with five categories that we call the 'five goods': good materials — which means materials that are safe for humans and the environment and either biodegradable or recyclable — good economy, good energy, good water, and good lives, ensuring the working conditions are safe and the salaries fair," Groen explained. Founded under the name Organic Exchange in 2002, Textile Exchange has continued to focus on the global textile supply chain. Its ongoing work includes what is billed as the first published framework for the industry to understand the pros of regenerative agriculture. Now, these two organizations are joining forces, and they intend to create an accessible template with a glossary of standardized terms. The goal is to trace textile waste from its source to where it gets recycled or repurposed. So, why is such an initiative even necessary? Waste Management World explained that a major problem is a lack of information about where textile waste even comes from. So far, the data-gathering process is unaligned. However, having a more organized and open platform to collect and analyze information could help spot and resolve vulnerabilities that are leading to more textile waste. What should the government do about the fast fashion industry? Set strict regulations Incentivize sustainable options Use both regulations and incentives Nothing Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The textile industry is responsible for as much as 10% of planet-warming pollution — more than shipping and aviation combined, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With dirty fuels still used globally, manufacturing, shipping, and finishing fabric are energy-intensive processes that contribute to the problem. Long supply chains are another factor. Growing cotton uses lots of water, and garments made by cheap fast-fashion brands generally wear out quickly. What's more, many fast-fashion items are made from synthetic blends, creating care and end-of-life problems. According to 85% of all textiles go to landfills, and washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean annually (as much as 50 billion plastic bottles, according to the outlet). Supporting eco-friendly initiatives by your favorite brands and investing in high-quality fashion items can communicate to brands that sustainability pays off, and now it appears more help is on the way, thanks to the collaboration between Fashion for Good and Textile Exchange. "We need to change the way that fashion is produced as well as the way fashion is consumed," Groen told Luméra. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
