Page 53 - TEXtalks. January-February 2023

52 53

procure the bulk of the cotton now buy only certified would soon be witnessed in the form of job losses in
traceable crops. The farmers producing cotton
developing economies. The cotton farmers would
Reports An obligation spinners that buy for domestic needs. They buy textile waste would recover most of the cotton that
through conventional ways have to rely on small
see a decline in cotton uptake as the recycling of
mostly on a monthly to weekly or even day-to-day
would be sold as raw material by spinners who would
basis. It is lower and the cost is higher because of
book it from the recycling mills in advance. This will
not happen in a year or two but might take decades
the excessive use of water, chemicals, and
as the recycling capacities are enhanced. A
pesticides.
for all The recycling of PET bottles is now a norm around European plant has already declared that its recycled
cotton production capacity would be enough by 2030
the world. It produces enough polyester fiber to
to produce 1.4 billion T-shirt equivalent fabric.
replace a substantial need for virgin polyester. This is
The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) was
termed as the lowest level of sustainability because
the end product is the same non-degradable plastic.
a comprehensive body of legislative and
Sustainable The major aim is to eliminate plastic from clothing non-legislative actions adopted in 2015, which aimed
which accounts for 54 percent of the textile sector
to transition the European economy from a linear to a
and must be higher in garments. Polyester or
circular model. The Action Plan mapped out 54
manmade fiber is used in larger quantities because it
actions, as well as four legislative proposals on
waste. These legislative proposals were put forward
is cheaper than cotton. Then there is viscose which is
Textiles a degradable material that is produced by cutting by the European Commission along with the Action
more than 200 million trees per year. It has a huge
Plan and included targets for landfill, reuse, and
recycling, to be met by 2030 and 2035, along with
environmental impact and tree-cutting promotes
new obligations for separate collection of textile and
deforestation.
bio-waste. The Action Plan covered several policy
areas, material flows, and sectors alongside
The European Union has gone much ahead on
A way textiles sustainability. In December 2019, the Von der cross-cutting measures to support this systemic greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90% of The strategy will aim at strengthening industrial
change through innovation and investments. It also
Leyen Commission unveiled its European Green
Deal, an ambitious plan to transform the EU’s
announced a sectoral strategy for plastics. More than
economy into a fair, sustainable, and prosperous
EUR 10 billion of public funding was allocated to the
competitiveness and innovation in the sector,
biodiversity loss and water stress come from
transition between 2016 and 2020.
one. The European Green Deal is a comprehensive
resource extraction and processing, the European
boosting the EU market for sustainable and circular
growth agenda that aims to make Europe the first
forward climate-neutral continent while ensuring that no one All 54 actions were adopted or implemented by 2019. Green Deal 4 launched a concerted strategy for a textiles, including the market for textile reuse,
climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and competitive
addressing fast fashion, and driving new business
is left behind in this transition. However, the creation
The EU is now recognized as a leader in circular
economy. Scaling up the circular economy from
models. This will be achieved by a comprehensive
economy policy-making globally. The waste
of this new growth strategy was not a simple
set of measures, including applying the new
front-runners to the mainstream economic players will
legislation was adopted in 2018, following
process. The European Green Deal is the result of an
sustainable product framework as set out in section 2
make a decisive contribution to achieving climate
negotiations with the European Parliament and the
evolution in the European Commission's thinking and
of a series of policy developments across different
from resource use while ensuring the long-term
to Eurostat, jobs related to circular economy activities
measures to ensure that textile products are fit for
areas since 2011. Member States in the European Council. According neutrality by 2050 and decoupling economic growth to textiles, including developing eco-design
Sustainability in textiles has become a law in the European Union, a norm in the United States, and a reluctant have increased by 6% between 2012 and 2016 within competitiveness of the EU and leaving circularity, ensuring the uptake of secondary raw
no one behind.
obligation in the countries where the brands outsource garments. The scope of sustainable production has This case study reflects back specifically on the the EU. The action plan has also encouraged at least materials, tackling the presence of hazardous
been enlarged from agriculture to industrial production. steps which the European Commission took to take a 14 Member States, eight regions, and 11 cities to put chemicals, and empowering business and private
lead in circular economy policies globally. From forward circular economy strategies. Specifically, on Textiles the EU states that they are the consumers to choose sustainable textiles and
Everything is happening rapidly on the sustainability front. A few years back the sustainable procedures initially aiming at improving resource efficiency, to fourth highest-pressure category for the use of improving the business and regulatory environment
primary raw materials and water, after food, housing,
adopted for cotton growth were appreciated by the brands as they involved lower use of water, chemical redefining growth with positive social, environmental, By rethinking resource efficiency and material flows, and transport, and fifth for GHG emissions. It is for sustainable and circular textiles in the EU. In
fertilizers, and pesticides. Farmers got a premium on the crop thus produced. It is still so but the major brands and economic benefits, this case study analyses this the European Commission developed a framework to estimated that less than 1 percent of all textiles particular, by providing incentives, support to
all over the world now have made it mandatory for suppliers to use cotton produced through sustainable policy-making process. promote systemic change. Engaging policymakers worldwide are recycled into new textiles. The EU product-as-service models, circular materials, and
practices. Hundreds of NGOs are facilitating the farmers in cotton-growing countries to use sustainable across different policy areas and levels of textile sector, predominantly composed of SMEs, has production processes, increasing transparency
practices that reduce the carbon print during cultivation. The cotton thus produced is certified by accredited After these two small initiatives came the concept of governance, as well as various stakeholders, has started to recover after a long period of restructuring, through international cooperation, and providing
agencies and is traceable through technology giving rise to the farm-to-garment concept. The day is not far circular economy in Textiles. The circular economy is aimed to promote a collaborative approach. The while 60 percent by value of clothing in the EU is guidance to achieve high levels of separate collection
when there will be no buyers for cotton grown through old conventional practices. In Pakistan, the low cotton based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate co-leadership with the institution between the produced elsewhere. In light of the complexity of the
production has been attributed to various factors but one reason in this regard is that the big spinning mills that waste and pollution, circulate products and materials Directorates-General responsible for Industry & of textile waste, which Member States have to ensure
(at their highest value), and Enterprise, and the Environment, was crucial textile value chain, to respond to these challenges by 2025; boosting the sorting, re-use, and recycling
regenerate nature. to this process. the Commission will propose a comprehensive EU of textiles, including through innovation, encouraging
Strategy for Textiles, based on input from industry industrial applications and regulatory measures such
Sustainability is good for the earth but its flip side The EU Commission states as half of total and other stakeholders. as extended producer responsibility.
January/February 2023 January/February 2023