As far as Knitting fair knows, The US Cotton Trust Protocol is welcoming its first 10 US cotton textile manufacturers – Buhler Quality Yarns, Cap Yarns, CCW, Contempora Fabrics, Cotswold Industries Inc., Frontier Yarns, Hamrick Mills, Inman Mills, Parkdale Inc., Swisstex Direct as members. US Cotton Trust Protocol membership enables the mills and manufacturers to prove that they are an approved supply chain partner for brands and retailers who are sourcing more sustainably grown cotton.
“One of our goals with the Trust Protocol is to give brands and retailers greater confidence when including US cotton in their sourcing mix. Our emphasis on measurement and independent verification can provide confidence and trust that a brand is using quality, responsibly grown cotton and producing a product that consumers can believe in,” said Dr. Gary Adams, president of the US Cotton Trust Protocol.
“We are delighted that these US mills have joined the Trust Protocol as that supports the much sought-after supply chain transparency and by using US manufactured cotton products, brands and retailers are choosing a reliable and transparent partner right here in the USA.”
Mills and manufacturers who become members of the Trust Protocol have access to the Trust Protocol credit system to validate consumption of cotton and associated credits. The combination of a unique credit accounting system and the Permanent Bale Identification (PBI) system enables brands to have transparency throughout the supply chain to finished product.
The Trust Protocol has been invited to join Cotton 2040 and its CottonUp guide and also is on the Textile Exchange’s list of 36 preferred fibers and materials that more than 170 participating brands and retailers can select from as part of Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index program. In December the Trust Protocol also announced Gap Inc. joined as part of its integrated sustainability strategy and to help achieve its commitment to use only 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025.
#??#
In a period of ever-greater supply chain scrutiny and a growing demand for transparency, the US Cotton Trust Protocol aims to set a new standard for more sustainably grown cotton. It also aims to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to responsibly-grown cotton production and drives continuous improvement in key sustainability metrics.
“The Trust Protocol underpins and verifies US cotton’s progress through sophisticated data collection and independent third-party verification. Choosing Trust Protocol cotton will give brands and retailers the critical assurances they need that the cotton fibre element of their supply chain is more sustainably grown with lower environmental and social risk. Brands and retailers will gain access to US cotton with sustainability credentials proven via Field to Market, measured via the Fieldprint Calculator and verified with Control Union Certifications,” the organisation says.
The US Cotton Trust Protocol is overseen by a multi-stakeholder Board of Directors comprised of representatives from brands and retailers, civil society and independent sustainability experts as well as the cotton-growing industry, including growers, ginners, merchants, wholesalers and cooperatives, mills and cottonseed handlers.
Leading global apparel company Gap Inc. has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Textile Exchange’s 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge as part of its integrated sustainability strategy and to help it achieve its commitment to use only 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025.
Gap Inc.’s target of sourcing 100% of its cotton from more sustainable sources by 2025 is set across its collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands including Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta.
#??#
The Trust Protocol will help Gap Inc. meet this goal by providing verified data on the sustainability practices used on U.S. cotton farms. Participating cotton growers will benefit from data-driven insights and best practices from across the industry, as well as a stronger connection to brands asking for sustainably grown cotton. The Trust Protocol opened for membership in October 2020 and provides brands and retailers with the critical assurance they need to prove that the cotton in their supply chain is more responsibly grown.
“Continuous improvement is important to Gap Inc., which is why we have decided to begin sourcing more sustainable fibre through the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. As part of our commitment to address climate change by aligning with the best science and industry practices, we have ambitious targets across metrics to lower carbon emissions and preserve precious natural resources like water. As an American company with purpose-led brands committed to sustainability, joining the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol makes perfect sense,” said Alice Hartley, Director of Product Sustainability for Gap Inc. “With two thirds of U.S. cotton not using any irrigation at all, this allows us to further our commitment to sustainable cotton and enables us to support U.S. cotton growers.”
Source: Knitting Industry
#??#
Several innovative start-up companies have recently made huge progress in developing cellulosic fibres derived from textile and clothing waste and some of these fibres are poised for commercialisation in 2021, Knitting fair according to a new 31-page report entitled Innovations in cellulosic fibres derived from recycled textile and clothing waste, from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.
Most people will eliminate a lot of old clothes every year, and these old clothes will eventually be discarded in landfills. Now scientists at Aalto University in Finland have devised a method that can basically "melt" old clothes and use them to make new materials. One of the challenges of textile recycling is that clothing is usually made of fabric mixtures, such as cotton and polyester. With this in mind, Aalto’s research team switched to an ionic liquid called 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene.
Previously, this liquid has been used to dissolve cellulose from wood pulp waste to produce a solution that can be spun into fibers for environmentally friendly clothing. This time, the scientists used ionic liquids to dissolve cotton in a cotton/polyester blend fabric and degrade it into a cellulose solution. After filtering out the polyester, the solution is spun into fibers, just like the cellulose in wood pulp.
Scientists are studying how to make new fibers from recycled polyester, thereby increasing the efficiency of the technology. They also hope to recover dyes from waste fabrics.
Not only do we want to recycle clothing, but we want to truly produce the best textiles so that recycled fibers are better than natural fibers.
Brands and retailers are under immense pressure to provide textile and apparel products which are environmentally sustainable. At the same time, there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of waste generated by the fashion industry, which is estimated at 92 million tons a year, the report says.
#??#
Making cellulosic fibres from materials derived from textile and clothing waste is one way of addressing these two key challenges, not least because such fibres are biodegradable and are therefore considered to be more environmentally sustainable than synthetic fibres and cellulosic fibres made using conventional processes, the report expands.
Furthermore, it says, cellulosic fibres derived from textile and clothing waste can themselves be used as feedstocks in recycling processes when the textiles and garments which incorporate them have reached the ends of their useful lives, thereby contributing towards the development of a circular economy.
Some start-up companies--such as Evrnu and Renewcell--have focused on the development of pulp derived from textile waste. This pulp can, in turn, be used as an alternative to wood pulp in the manufacture of cellulosic fibres such as lyocell and viscose. Meanwhile, Infinited Fiber Company has developed its own “unique” cellulosic fibre which is made from cellulose derived from textile waste, and Spinnova is scaling up the manufacture of its specialist cellulosic filament fibre which is produced from pulp without the use of a dissolving process. In addition, Spinnova is conducting research into the use of textile waste and bio-based waste as feedstocks.
Some of these companies are poised to commercialise their products in 2021, representing an exciting opportunity for textile and apparel companies seeking to improve the environmental sustainability of their products.
Indeed, cellulosic fibres derived from textile and clothing waste are attracting high commercial interest, and a number of the apparel industry’s key players, including H&M Group, Kering and Patagonia, have invested in start-ups innovating in this field. Other companies, such as Adidas, Bestseller, Levi Strauss & Co, PVH and Wrangler, have established partnership agreements through which they are exploring the use of such fibres in the manufacture of innovative new products.
#??#
Looking to the future, demand for cellulosic fibres, and lyocell in particular, is set for healthy growth, and so there is much opportunity for providers of cellulosic fibres derived from textile and clothing waste, the report continues. Collaboration is key to bringing such products to market, the report explains, and, to support progress in this area, some major industry projects have been established, including the Full Circle Textiles Project: Scaling Innovations in Cellulosic Recycling, and the New Cotton Project.
However, it should be noted, the report points out, that start-ups entering the market are competing with some industry heavyweights, including Asahi Kasei, Birla Cellulose, Lenzing, Sateri, and Tangshan Sanyou. Consequently, they will need to keep abreast of the latest developments, notably those relating to traceability. Consumers are demanding increasingly that materials incorporated in textile and apparel products are capable of being traced along the entire supply chain. This is considered to be particularly important in relation to fibres derived from recycled materials, and Lenzing has made major strides in this area through its use of innovative blockchain technology.
Source: Knitting Industry
#??#
