In the next ten years, the textile and apparel industry will adopt new materials that deliver unprecedented performance and eliminate harmful chemicals from products and manufacturing processes, according to a venture capital fund report.
The report Safer Chemistry Innovation in the Textile and Apparel Industry, says it aims to "stimulate conversations and catalyse innovation that brings safer and more sustainable textiles and apparel to market."
It was released last week by venture capital fund Safer Made, which invests in safer products and technologies, with support from the global initiative, Fashion for Good.
"With this report we aim to enable productive conversations between both sector ‘insiders’ —brands, retailers, mills, and chemicals and equipment suppliers — and those outside the sector, such as innovators, investors, governments and the advocacy and philanthropic community leading to partnerships and investment decisions," said Martin Mulvihill, partner at Safer Made.
Materials innovation
"The solutions to safer chemistry challenges are quite often new materials and processes that deliver new performance characteristics," the report says.
It evaluates the role various harmful chemicals have in the production of textiles and apparel and identifies five key innovation areas.
Key innovation areas:
- new materials - synthetic fibers, cellulosic fibers, leather alternatives;
- new safer chemistries – safer finishing chemistries, bio-based dyes;
- waterless processing – waterless dyeing processes, waterless finishing processes;
- fiber recycling – cotton, polyester, blends, nylon; and
- supply chain information management – chemical management information systems, traceability systems.
Within each innovation area, the report highlights work by both startups and established suppliers to bring safer chemistry and materials to market. It showcases the work of more than a hundred young innovative companies.
"The industry is hungry for new materials with new performance characteristics, and there are several companies aiming to bring them to market," the report says.
This need for materials innovation "provides the opportunity to adopt new materials that perform better and are safer, and to design safer manufacturing processes," it continues.
Drivers to change
It identifies three major factors driving the adoption of safer chemistry in the textile and apparel sector:
- calls for transparency from consumers, retailers and the advocacy community;
- increasing public awareness of the environmental pollution associated with the manufacturing of textiles apparel products; and
- textile and apparel brands and retailers adopting the circular economy language, concepts and frameworks.
The report concludes that the fashion industry can emerge as a circular and regenerative sector of the economy.
Katrin Ley, managing director of Fashion for Good said: "An open innovation culture is crucial, and Safer Made’s report provides different stakeholders with valuable information to support them in the transition to only good fashion."
Source: The Canberra Times, Australia Monday, 18 June 2018