Latest news with #Textiles2030
Fashion United
13-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
WRAP's Textiles 2030 becomes UK Textiles Pact
Textiles 2030, the UK's voluntary initiative supporting businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry, will from now on be called the UK Textiles Pact. According to a press release by WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production), the climate action NGO behind the initiative, the move will 'bring the agreement in line' with WRAP's other flagship voluntary agreements, the UK Food & Drink Pact and the UK Plastics Pact. The goal remains the same, for the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices by the end of the decade. UK Textiles Pact aligns with WRAP's other flagship voluntary agreements Concretely, signatories are committed to a 50 percent reduction in the overall carbon footprint and a 30 percent reduction in the overall water footprint of new textile products placed on the market. In addition, they envision industry collaboration to achieve Circularity Roadmap ambitions. 'For businesses, membership to the UK Textiles Pact unlocks interaction with WRAP's team of experts to help solve problems, plus gives access to evidence-based tools, practical resources and collaborative working groups to tackle urgent sustainability challenges facing the textiles sector. The UK Textiles Pact is a collaborative, non-competitive and trusted network underpinned by innovation, expertise and collective determination,' states Mark Sumner, the Pact's programme lead. According to the NGO, the UK Textiles Pact is a 'central member' in WRAP's wider Textiles Action Network, which unites national and regional textiles initiatives worldwide to exchange knowledge, share best practice and work collectively to put the textiles industry on a path to achieve net zero carbon emissions and ultimately transition to a circular economy. Currently, more than 130 organisations across the fashion and textiles supply chain, as well as trade bodies and charities, have signed the Pact. The Virginia-based organisation, whose acronym used to stand for "Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production", is committed to safe, compliant, humane and ethical production in the textile and apparel industry worldwide and awards certifications to manufacturing companies; more than 3,500 worldwide to date.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Lewis expands repair service to boost circularity for garments
The service rollout to John Lewis locations, except for the Swindon and Canary Wharf stores, builds on the positive response from a pilot programme initiated in July 2024. The initial trial was conducted in five locations: Oxford, Liverpool, Cheadle, Milton Keynes, and Welwyn. Feedback from the trial indicated high demand for minor fabric repairs and seam mending – a reflection of customers' desire to maintain their frequently used items – as well as trouser alterations for improved fit. Starting 9 April, customers will have the convenience of dropping off items at any John Lewis store for cleaning, mending or tailoring. The retailer said that the ongoing collaboration with Johnsons, a subsidiary of Timpson Group, will continue to provide an array of services including clothing repairs, alterations, dry cleaning, and handbag refurbishment. Johnsons will facilitate the process by collecting the items, performing necessary services, and returning them to the store in pristine condition. The suite of offerings extends beyond apparel care to include household textiles such as duvets, bedding, curtains, and rugs. John Lewis service & hospitality director Katie Papakonstantinou said: 'We're so excited to bring this service to all John Lewis stores. John Lewis has always been committed to providing a brilliant retail experience for customers, and repair adds another dimension to that. 'The great thing about repair is it works for the old and the new. Whether you need something tailored to fit you better or want to give your mum's old handbag a new life, we've made it easy to restore treasured products.' In alignment with sustainable practices, John Lewis pledged commitment as an inaugural signatory to Textiles 2030 led by Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which champions a shift towards circularity in textile production and consumption. The retailer has observed a growing consumer interest in domestic repairs; sales of haberdashery items have risen by 36% annually while searches for John Lewis sewing machines have surged by 50%. Specifically, searches for 'pink sewing machines' have soared by 255%, indicating a trend where consumers are buying these machines as gifts and seeking to extend the lifespan of their possessions themselves. John Lewis Partnership ethics & sustainability director Marija Rompani said: 'We're still learning about which circular economy models work so it's great when a trial delivers positive results and shows us how we can make it effective at scale. Repair is a crucial part of the circular economy and mirrors our commitment to designing items with quality and longevity in mind, as part of our circular strategy.' Research conducted by WRAP suggests that over 80% of clothing repairs potentially prevent new purchases by extending the life of existing garments rather than replacing them with new acquisitions. In June last year, John Lewis launched a 20-piece circular designed collection across its Home and Fashion divisions. "John Lewis expands repair service to boost circularity for garments" 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.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WRAP Wants to Set the Industry Standard for Calculating Displacement Rates
One non-government organization (NGO) wants to help companies understand the amount of brand-new product resale and repair can displace. Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a United Kingdom-based global environmental action NGO, has put forth a methodology for calculating the displacement rate, which it defines as, 'the rate at which acquiring (e.g. buying or renting) or repairing an item through a circular business model directly displaces the purchase of a new garment in the existing, linear system.' More from Sourcing Journal The EU's Clean Industrial Deal is a Climate Contradiction, Critics Claim Hugo Boss Boosts Circular Economy with Textile Subsidiary, Eightyards Hyosung, Loop, Pleatsmama Team on Three Cheers for Circularity WRAP last released guideline methodology in 2012, but Key said the updated methodology supports further understanding of consumers' motivations for buying secondhand or repairing items. The organization recommends issuing a survey to customers after their purchase or repair to understand whether that activity has offset their desire to purchase a new item. A secondary question asks about why the consumer behaved that way—and whether they are still considering purchasing a new item in addition to the return or repair. That, Key contends, likely makes the updated methodology more accurate than the 2012 methodology. 'There's a gap between what people say they do and what they actually do, so we're trying to mitigate that as much as possible by understanding the behaviors,' she said. 'It means that we can take into account impulse purchases and also consistent secondhand shoppers—so people who would only ever buy secondhand—and a few other nuanced things.' The ability to identify consistent secondhand shoppers Key discussed are important because, if a person never would have purchased a brand-new item, their secondhand purchase or repair has a displacement rate of zero percent. Key said the suggested survey could help set an industry standard. Already, some key resale players, like eBay, Vestiaire Collective and Depop have tested out and signed on to the methodology. Some of the Textiles 2030 signatories have also agreed to use the methodology; WRAP is also part of that group, which has, to date, seen a 0.2 percent decrease in collective carbon footprint, but a 10 percent increase in volume of products placed on the UK market. The methodology can also help companies better calculate their avoided emissions. WRAP noted in its methodology report that because displacement has an indirect impact on the amount of GHG emissions a company creates, the calculated displacement rate can be used in a formula to determine the amount of emissions that company avoided. The formula is N=E-(P x D), where N is the net avoided emissions, and E is the emissions from operations of circular activity—like transportation. P represents the emissions a brand-new product would have created, and D is the displacement rate. Renee Martin, chief sustainability officer at eBay, said the company will use both the displacement rate methodology and the avoided emissions formula as parts of its climate and environmental strategy going forward. 'We are proud to partner with WRAP to establish a more standardized methodology for calculating avoided emissions for shopping preloved items and will continue to find ways to empower consumers to make sustainable choices every day,' Martin said in a statement. Today, the UK has a 64.6 percent displacement rate for peer-to-peer resale, and an 82.2 percent displacement rate for clothing repair. That means three in five resale purchases displace new purchases in the UK, and four in five repairs displace new purchases. For every pair of jeans bought secondhand online in the UK, a consumer can save 30 kilograms of CO2 emissions, which the NGO equates to the emissions created by making 600 cups of tea. And for every repaired cotton T-shirt in the UK, consumers can save more than 7.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions, equivalent to ironing for 25 hours. WRAP does not currently have displacement statistics available for the United States market. Key said she thinks the displacement rate is higher for repair than resale because the motivation for repair is often more sentimental than the reason behind secondhand purchasing. 'I think it's mostly due to the emotional attachment to the item. If you're making the effort to go and get something repaired so that you can reuse it, it's generally because you want to keep it,' she said. 'It's that kind of emotional attachment to a sentimental item or something you've worn lots of times and really love, compared to reselling, where it's a brand-new item to you, and you don't have that emotional attachment to it yet…so it's less of an emotional decision.' The organization—and many of its supporters—still hopes to see the UK displacement rate increase in the coming years. To do so, though, an increased number of brands and retailers may need to join in on the resale and repair action. Today, some brands already work with companies like Archive, ThredUp and Treet to offer branded resale programs. Repair, too, has started to make waves in the industry, with startups like Alternew striking partnerships with major brands like Faherty. Key said seeing that trend permeate the industry more readily will see better environmental outcomes. 'The main thing, I think, will be the brands offering these [resale and repair] services, as well, because that's when you'll see, hopefully, a reduction or slowing down in virgin material and virgin product productions,' she said.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MYGroup Sustainable Textiles Project in Sri Lanka Seeks to Revive Traditional Industries While Supporting Communities
The company plans to revive cotton cultivation, support traditional textile artisans and experiment with eco-friendly fabric production and treatment, while also establishing a coastal recycling hub targeting ocean plastic waste. LEEDS, England, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MYGroup, a leading UK waste management and recycling company, is embarking on a pioneering sustainable textile production and manufacturing proof-of-concept in Sri Lanka, set to empower local communities while contributing to a socially and environmentally responsible supply chain for the company's future product lines. The multi-faceted initiative, spearheaded by the company's ReFactory arm, will extend across four Sri Lankan provinces – North West, North Central, Uva and Eastern. It aims to reintroduce cotton cultivation in the country for the first time since the 1970s, support and grow traditional artisan skills and techniques in communities, as well as drive planet-friendly innovations in fabric production and treatment. In parallel, MYGroup plans to establish a materials recycling hub focused on tackling the scourge of ocean plastic around Sri Lanka's coastlines. For the textiles elements of the initiative, the ReFactory team has partnered with the Sri Lanka arm of Fibershed, a global non-profit consultancy focused on sustainable, localised systems for producing textiles and clothing. All elements of the Sri Lanka initiative are aimed at employing and fairly compensating local artisans and workers, revitalising traditional industries and strengthening local economies, but with a keen focus on environmental responsibility to foster the long-term growth and transition of the country's textiles and fashion industries toward a sustainable future. MYGroup's Sri Lanka initiative is building on the company's established expertise in sustainable textiles and plastics recycling, securing a viable, responsible and scalable supply chain for future product lines. The company also hopes the initiative will demonstrate the 'art of the possible' in reducing the environmental impact of global textiles production and manufacturing, while furthering circularity in the industry. Meeting these goals will support MYGroup's commitment to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)'s Textiles 2030 voluntary agreement. Steve Carrie, Group Director, MYGroup, said: 'As the seeds are planted – both literally and figuratively – on our Sri Lanka project, MYGroup is forging a new path for planet-friendly textiles production that supports skilled artisans, particularly women, working in traditional local labour settings, while preserving the rich cultural heritage of this wonderful country. 'Together with our drive to rid the country's beaches of waste plastic, we hope to create long-term, positive change in communities and natural ecosystems, while creating products with a story – unlocking new commercial opportunities in markets where authenticity, sustainability and social impact drive consumer choice.' Thilina Premjayanth, founder of Fibershed Sri Lanka, said: 'We at Fibershed Sri Lanka warmly welcome international brands to collaborate with us in revitalising the nation's textile and fashion heritage. Our partnership with MYGroup exemplifies our commitment to a broad spectrum of innovative projects that prioritise climate-beneficial regenerative agriculture, sustainable practices and community empowerment. Together, we aim to create a global benchmark for ethical, eco-friendly production, while supporting local artisans and preserving Sri Lanka's rich cultural legacy.' Ms Neranjala Karunaratne, Regional Director, Department of Industrial Development, Local Government Authority, North Western Province, Sri Lanka, said: 'This collaboration between MYGroup and Fibershed Sri Lanka is a shining example of how global partnerships can drive prosperity for our nation. By combining innovative projects like climate-beneficial regenerative agriculture and handloom with the empowerment of local artisans, notably women, not only does this initiative preserve Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage but also revitalises our industries. These efforts will contribute to sustainable economic growth, enhance the livelihoods of our communities and position Sri Lanka as a leader in ethical and eco-friendly production on the global stage.' Sophie Scanlon, Specialist at WRAP, said: 'As a signatory of WRAP's Textiles 2030 voluntary agreement, we welcome this development in Sri Lanka from MYGroup which will hope to benefit the local environment, community and economy. Implementation of regenerative cotton practices and Just Transitions principles are complex, with many technical and economic factors to be considered, but engaging with local communities is key to the success of such projects. We look forward to learning more about these exciting projects as MYGroup continue their work in these areas.' Further project details and notes for editors: Cotton cultivation MYGroup has secured land in the Monaragala District of Uva province, where the company plans to grow and cultivate regenerative cotton, re-establishing an industry that collapsed in the late 1970s. The initiative will incorporate a series of regenerative agriculture techniques to enrich soil health, support biodiversity and recycle nutrients, all without the use of chemicals. The company will also install solar-powered machinery for ginning and spinning the cultivated cotton into yarn on site, seeking to prove these processes can be de-centralised from urban centres to the benefit of local communities and rural economies. The first cotton seeds will be planted this month, with harvest expected in late Summer. Supporting heritage techniques and innovating textile treatment and production Collaborating with Fibershed Sri Lanka and local government administration in the areas, MYGroup's ReFactory team has engaged with artisan communities in the North West and North Central provinces. The company aims to support and improve the working conditions of these craftspeople, particularly women, while bringing their sustainable and centuries-old skills to a broader customer base through a new line of products wholly manufactured in Sri Lanka. Natural dyeing: Sri Lanka has a rich heritage in natural colour dyeing, using tones derived from plants such as turmeric, madder root and jackfruit, as well as techniques such as echo print for pattern making. Cotton yarn produced through MYGroup's Sri Lanka initiative will be dyed and patterned using these traditional techniques. Handloom weaving: Dyed MYGroup yarn will be spun into cotton cloth using a manually operated process that is said to have existed in Sri Lanka for over two millennia, typified by its intricate designs and high-quality craftsmanship. Reed and rush weaving: A further traditional and sustainable technique sponsored through the initiative will be reed and rush weaving. Bags, baskets and other products will be hand-crafted from these natural leaves, together with design accents of other natural and recycled materials sourced through MYGroup's broader operations. Further supporting its efforts to establish a new blueprint for textile production and manufacturing through the initiative, MYGroup is seeking collaboration with Sri Lankan academic institutions for discovery projects to explore novel techniques in sustainable fabric treatment and production. Materials recycling hub Complementing the textile focus of the initiative, MYGroup will establish a materials recycling hub in Hikkaduwa, a coastal resort in Sri Lanka's Southern province. Based near the resort's beach areas, the facility will be focused on tackling the widespread issue of ocean plastic, with Sri Lanka ranking as a top-five contributor to this problem worldwide. The ReFactory team aims to process collected plastic into new, artisanal products using injection moulding technology, selling items locally for domestic and tourist markets. In time, MYGroup is keen to strengthen its engagement and foster closer ties with the Sri Lankan authorities, possibly making way for further investment, additional employment and contracting opportunities for local communities. This could include a hub for the production and distribution of its MYBoard™ circular plastic recycling solution. About MYGroup MYGroup is a leading-edge, disruptive waste management and recycling business, calling upon a series of advanced technologies and processes to 'recycle the unrecyclable'. The company provides a cost-effective, end-to-end collection, processing and recycling service, accredited and certified for all types of waste material, from agricultural, construction, clinical and hazardous, to cosmetics, food, textiles and plastic. MYGroup is also a leader in the processing of unusable and surplus stock, working with some of the biggest and most well-known brands, internationally, to securely destroy, remanufacture or re-sell unused items, from food, cosmetics, homecare, clothing and fabrics to electronics. Established for over 30 years, MYGroup is trusted by some of the largest brands and organisations in the UK to process up to 800,000 tons of waste a year, fully in-house and through transparent procedures across four state-of-the-art facilities in Yorkshire. The company aims to 'close the loop' on all types of waste – committed to continuous investment and service improvements to achieve this aim – and is opposed to landfill and incineration. 'The ReFactory™ revolution': MYGroup's ReFactory™ team specialises in remanufacturing and upcycling various waste materials, notably plastics and textiles, into new products. This includes the manufacture of MYboard™, a material similar in consistency to plywood, used widely for construction, joinery, shop and event fittings, as well as furniture for commercial and community settings, such as schools. The team also manufactures MYboard products for re-sale and use by brands and partners. In the creation of MYBoard, MYGroup uses the 'P2' platemaker and process, first developed by Protomax Plastics. The ReFactory team remanufactures waste textiles into new clothing and accessories at its sustainable textiles factory in Hull. The team recently released its first ranges to market, available to purchase online at: ReFactory also works with clients and organisations on outreach and educational activities relating to sustainable living and recycling. This includes the SchoolCycled™ programme, currently live in primary schools across the UK, providing resources for children and encouraging recycling in school, at home and out and about with a series of rewards and incentives. Discover more about MYGroup and its transformative recycling solutions at: and ReFactory at: About Fibershed Sri Lanka Fibershed Sri Lanka is part of Fibershed, a global non-profit organisation developing regional fibre systems that expand opportunities to implement climate beneficial agriculture, rebuild regional manufacturing and educate the public about the benefits of soil-to-soil fibre and dye systems. Fibershed Sri Lanka drives investment in climate benefiting agriculture, delivers technical support for rebuilding regional manufacturing, links end-users to material sources through experiential, skill-sharing education and provides expert guidance in soil-to-soil fibre systems to policymakers across regional, state and federal levels About WRAP The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is a global environmental action NGO, part-funded by the UK Government's Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), transforming broken product and food systems to create Circular Living for the benefit of climate, nature and people. WRAP's Textiles 2030 is the UK's leading voluntary initiative supporting businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices by the end of the decade. Find out more at: Photo - - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE MYGroup
