One word textile value chain today: Sustainability

From raw materials and fibers to fabrics, to fashion apparel brands and consumers, there is only one word to describe the major transformation of the textile value chain today: Sustainability.

Kering Group has reported that more than 90% of the potential for sustainable fashion is in the supply chain. So with only two months into 2021, fashion company VF Corp and fiber producer Lenzing to sustainable fashion brand Allbirds are unveiling their own major breakthroughs in sustainable fabrics.

As consumer awareness grows and people begin to shift to clothing made from higher quality, more environmentally friendly fabrics, this trend is leading to a rapidly expanding market for eco-friendly fabrics and a closer proximity between consumers and material suppliers. Leading fabric manufacturers accelerates their sustainability strategies and develop more environmentally friendly fabrics.

Silvio Botto Poala, CEO of Italian yarn and fabric manufacturer Botto Giuseppe, explains, "Demand is, as always, driven by the end consumer, and producers are becoming more responsible and, in turn, are leading people to buy and use sustainable products, a strong trend in which producers and Consumers are moving closer to each other. Sustainability is no longer an important trend or an option, it's a necessity."

Fiber manufacturers in the supply chain, whether natural or man-made, are responding to the "sustainable trend" through continuous innovation.

Recently, Lenzing Group, one of the international leaders in wood-based fiber manufacturing, continued to advance sustainability in the denim industry with the launch of a new sustainable denim product featuring the groundbreaking Indigo Color technology, which utilizes a one-step spinning-primary coloring process to implant. This new launch features the groundbreaking Indigo Color technology, which uses a one-step spinning-primary coloring process to implant indigo dye directly into TENCEL™ modal fibers. This process offers higher color fastness and is less resource intensive and more sustainable than traditional processes, and most notably, offers the ability to save significant amounts of water, chemicals and electricity as well as reduce wastewater production by providing indigo dyeing.

Fiber manufacturers in the supply chain, whether natural or man-made, are responding to the "sustainable trend" through continuous innovation.

Recently, Lenzing Group, one of the international leaders in wood-based fiber manufacturing, continued to advance sustainability in the denim industry with the launch of a new sustainable denim product featuring the groundbreaking Indigo Color technology, which utilizes a one-step spinning-primary coloring process to implant. This new launch features the groundbreaking Indigo Color technology, which uses a one-step spinning-primary coloring process to implant indigo dye directly into TENCEL™ modal fibers. This process offers higher color fastness and is less resource intensive and more sustainable than traditional processes, and most notably, offers the ability to save significant amounts of water, chemicals and electricity as well as reduce wastewater production by providing indigo dyeing.

With a focus on plant-based alternatives to leather and plastics, Natural Fiber Welding's current technology can process natural fiber waste such as cotton, linen, silk and wool to create up-cycled materials that outperform fibers made from petrochemical sources, while still maintaining the comfort of cotton fabrics.

Human dependence on plastics and other petroleum products has created a scarcity mentality that is unsustainable for everyone's quality of life and the future of this planet," Haverhals said. A new era should be based on the innovation and creation of technologies that are sustainable and regenerative in approach."

The development and investment in sustainable materials is effectively in line with the promise Allbirds made when it closed its Series D funding round in 2020: to focus on materials research and development, to drive innovation in sustainable technology solutions for the business and further reduce the brand's environmental impact.

When it comes to natural fibers, brands are also starting to move back to the source, focusing on renewable farming practices that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and restore soil health and biodiversity. The North Face, for example, has announced that it will be partnering with Boston-based US technology company Indigo Ag to launch a line of recycled cotton material, a unique farming method that allows the production process to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

At the same time, Kering Group focuses more on biodiversity issues and has launched a biodiversity strategy that includes actions such as supporting several conservation programs and setting strict standards for raw material sourcing, manufacturing processes and animal welfare.

According to a study and consumer survey by CGS, a global provider of business applications, corporate learning and outsourcing services, "more than two-thirds of respondents consider sustainability in their purchases and are willing to pay more for sustainable products."

The company also notes that although Generation Z is a relatively new buying group, "they are among the most shopper-conscious, with 68 percent having made an eco-shop in the past year."

Andrea Crespi, managing director of Eurojersey, also noted that today's consumers are increasingly "aware of what they are buying and they recognize the value behind the product. This choice is not only about the brand, but also about the entire supply chain behind the product.

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