Page 22 - TEXtalks. August- September 2023

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US brands sourcing from

other Asian countries while

cutting imports from China

According to a new report by the US Fashion Industry Association and Sheng Lu, an associate professor of
fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware a record number of US fashion companies no
longer list China as their top supplier.
It was the result of growing diplomatic uncertainty and concerns about forced labor. The survey reveals
about 61 percent of retail heads have stopped using China as their primary supplier. Before the pandemic,
China’s avoidance was 30 percent. In fact, 80 percent of brands plan to reduce sourcing from China in the
next two years. The brands are leaving China for Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India.

The China issue is one of the few issues that unite both Republicans and DemocratsBreaking up with China
is easier said than done for American fashion retailers, which for decades have relied on the region for
efficient and low-cost production. China also has machinery and a skilled workforce that can produce
certain stitches, fabrics, and styles that are hard to find in other garment-producing countries.

The impetus this year for retailers to find a supplier base elsewhere accelerated weakening US-China
relations, as well as the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Cotton products have
been of particular concern because Xinjiang is one of China’s largest cotton-producing regions.

Scaling textile recycling in Europe

turning waste into value

Today, more than 15 kilograms of textile waste is generated per person in Europe. The largest source of
textile waste is discarded clothes and home textiles from consumers—accounting for around 85 percent of
the total waste. The generation of textile waste is problematic, as incineration and landfills—both inside and
outside Europe—are its primary end destinations. This has several negative consequences for people and
the environment. But a significant transformation lies ahead that could create a large and sustainable new
industry that turns waste into value.

There are multiple ways to address the waste problem, including the reduction of overproduction and
overconsumption, the extension of product lifetime, and the design of products for increased circularity. One
of the most sustainable and scalable levers available is fiber-to-fiber recycling—turning textile waste into
new fibers that are then used to create new clothes or other textile products. This space is characterized by
fast-paced innovation and a race toward scale.

Some technologies, like mechanical recycling of pure cotton, are already established. Other technologies,
like the chemical recycling of polyester, have been subject to intense R&D and are on the brink of
commercialization. Once fully mature, our estimates indicate that 70 percent of textile waste could be
fiber-to-fiber recycled.

August/September 2023