Indian technical textiles sector is growing fast: Minister
India, Israel keen on finalising FTA
Parliamentarians and industry deliberate on the need for cheap and quality textile raw materials
India, UAE explore virtual trade corridor to fast-track shipments
UP budget a benchmark for state, says industry
2-day ‘Invest Punjab’ summit gets underway today
INTERNATIONAL
Uzbekistan: Textile And Clothing-knitwear Industry Is Being Reformed In Uzbekistan
ILO Director-General launches new project to boost productivity and working conditions in Ghana
Levi’s Wants to Recycle Your Jeans
NATIONAL
The Indian technical textiles sector is growing fast, the products are evolving with superior technical parameters, Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh on Wednesday said She was speaking while inaugurating ‘Technotex 2023: Envisioning Indian Technical Textiles @2047′, the 10th International Exhibition and Conference on Technical Textiles at the Bombay Exhibition Centre at Goregaon in Mumbai. Addressing industry representatives and other stakeholders, she said that the future of the textile sector is closely linked with the growth of the technical textile industry. The minister observed that as the global technical textile industry continues to grow, India is poised to benefit from the expansion. Domestic consumption and export are both expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, making this an important time for the industry, she added. The minister pointed out that Indian Technical Textiles industry is expanding quickly in terms of output and value, and a variety of industries benefit from its products, including those in the automotive, agricultural, home care, construction, aerospace, protective gear, and healthcare sectors, among others as these products have improved functional qualities like greater tenacity and strength as well as better thermal and chemical resistance. “The end use of technical textiles caters to a wide variety of industries, thereby making it a high value sector in India". MoS Textiles further informed that India is the third largest exporter of textile and apparel. “We have shifted gear from low value textile raw materials to high value upstream industries such as readymade garments, industrial and technical textiles". The minister also stated that the government is taking all necessary efforts to promote technical textiles with initiatives such as the PLI scheme, HSN Codes, National Technical Textile Mission, amongst others. “The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for textiles for Man Made Fibre Fabrics & Apparel, and Technical Textiles is expected to attract investment of Rs. 19,798 crores for manufacturing. The response of the industry has been very encouraging." The minister further stated that the G20 Presidency of India can play an important role in strengthening our textile, apparel and merchandising industry. She recalled that the PM GATI SHAKTI–National Master Plan is essentially a digital platform that would bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects such as Highways, railways, irrigation, power, renewable energy, irrigation, healthcare, etc. She said that PM Gati Shakti presents significant opportunities for technical textiles to be used extensively. The minister also mentioned the National Technical Textiles Mission which has an outlay of Rs. 1,480 crores. The key pillars of NTTM include ‘Research Innovation & Development’, ‘Promotion and Market Development’, ‘Education, Training and Skilling’ and ‘Export Promotion’. “The focus of the Mission is for developing usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions and programmes of the country including strategic sectors".
Source: Live mint
UioMiiterofState forTextile Daraa JardooWededay aid te future ofte Textile ectori cloely liked witte growtofte TecicalTextile idutry.Se wa peakig wile iauguratig ‘Tecotex2023:EviioigIdia TecicalTextile @2047′, te 10tIteratioalExibitioad Coferece o TecicalTextile at te BobayExibitio Cetre atGoregaoiMubai. MoSTextile ifored tat Idia i te tird largetexporteroftextile ad apparel.Se oberved tata te globalTecicalTextile idutry cotiue togrow, Idia ipoied tobeefit frote expaio.Se added tatdoetic couptioad exportare botexpected togrow rapidly ite ext few year,akigti a iportat tie forte idutry. M Jardoalotated tat te Goveret i takigalleceary effort toproote tecical textile wit iitiative uca te PLIcee,HSN Code,ad NatioalTecicalTextile Miio,aogtoter. Se aid, te ProductioLiked Icetive (PLI)Scee fortextile forMaMade Fibre Fabric Apparel,ad TecicalTextile i expected toattractaivetetof19,798crore rupee foraufacturig. Te Miiterfurtertated tat te G-20Preidecy ofIdia caplay aiportatrole itregteigour textile,apparelad ercadiigidutry.Se aid tatPMGATISHAKTI-NatioalMaterPlapreet igificatopportuitie forTecicalTextile tobe ued exteively. Te Miiterifored tat te Miitry ofTextilea recetlyotified Guidelie forIdigeou DevelopetofMacierie ad Equipet i TecicalTextile, toeet te divere eed ofte textile idutry ad toake ouratioAata Nirbar,by tappiglocal kill ideig, egieerig, fabricatioad prototypig. M.Jardoaaloifored tatgrat ofup to20,000rupeepertudetperotallbe provided tote epaelled copaie forprovidigiterip toB.Tectudet. Tecotex,orgaied by te UioMiitry ofTextile ad FederatioofIdia Caber ofCoerce Idutry (FICCI),i a flagip evetcopriigbuyer-ellereet,aiteratioalexibitioad a coferece.Te tree-day evetbeigeld frote 22d tote 24tofFebruary willprovide a coo platforforiteractioaogttakeolder froacro te global tecical textile value cai. UioMiiterDaraa Jardoalolauced ae-book o TecicalTextile titled ‘TecicalTextile EcoyteiIdia:MarketOverview, IeretLikage ad Growt Opportuitie’ote occaio.
Source: New sonair
Israel's handing over of the strategic port of Haifa to the Adani Group is a reflection of the trust that the country has on India, Israeli ambassador Naor Gilon said on Wednesday. At a media briefing, the envoy also said that both India and Israel are keen on finalising the proposed free trade pact as it could further boost overall bilateral trade ties. Gilon indicated that there could be a forward movement on the Free Trade Describing defence ties between the two countries as very strong, he said Israel has an advantage to support India in its efforts to become self-reliant in defence manufacturing because of the 'long-standing' trust in the area between the two countries. On the Adani Group acquiring the Haifa port last month, Gilon said it was sign of Israel's trust on India and it could boost bilateral trade. It was a very important move from our side as Haifa is a strategic port, he said. The Adani Group last month acquired the strategic port of Haifa for $1.2 billion and vowed to transform the skyline of this Mediterranean city as part of its decision to invest more in the Jewish nation. The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships. In his remarks, the Israeli envoy also said that there is a great potential to expand cooperation in areas of renewable energy, smart mobility, agriculture, healthcare, water and cyber and homeland security.
Source: Economic Times
A roundtable was organised at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, recently, by Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu, Ex-MP, to discuss and deliberate on the scarcity of the various man-made and natural fibres in the country. Parliamentarians from BJP, INC, DMK, SO and others, along with industry representatives from different parts of the country were among the dignitaries present. They shared their perspectives on the consequences of the scarcity of raw materials and the impact of potential duty impositions, such as the Anti-Dumping Duty, on the sector. There is a need to ensure abundant availability of raw materials like fibre in the country, seeing the increase of the market share of India in the global textile industry. There is a large supply-demand deficit, especially in viscose, despite India being the 2nd largest producer of man-made fibre/yarns and polyester. The key drivers for man-made fibre adoption are dwindling cotton supply, low cost, and versatility in design/application. The domestic Viscose Staple Fibre (VSF) demand in FY 2021-2022 was 7 lakh tonnes, with the availability being only 5.4 lakh tonnes, which is a gap of 1,60,000 tonnes/year. India’s entire value chain depends on a single manufacturer, since there is only one major viscose supplier contributing to over 90 per cent of the supply, which creates a big risk for users. As a result, many small spinners cannot access Viscose as the supply is limited to select spinners only. The above-mentioned challenges were highlighted by the dignitaries in the current situation of India’s weaving sector. Further deliberations were done on the solutions to ensure access to abundant and high-quality raw materials for the downstream community at cheap rates. Suggestions included building mechanisms to ensure no pricing policies exist which puts Indian weavers and spinners at a disadvantage and the non-imposition of Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu, reflecting on and summarising the discussion, highlighted that there is a need for an encouraging ecosystem to enlarge the capacities of fibre to fabric. Critical for the labour-intensive textile value chain, which generates over 45 million in employment, mostly for rural poor and women is ensuring sufficient fibre/yarn availability. He further emphasised that viscose is poor people’s silk, and viscose blended cotton is the future. Inconsistent policy decisions on raw materials will only ruin the chance of participation for the small-scale spinning and weaving industries. Hence, to ensure an ecosystem that safeguards healthy and fair competition in the market, concentrated efforts are needed which will enable the availability of quality raw materials for value addition. A consensus was reached by the parliamentarians and industry representatives that this discussion will be taken forward to the concerned offices.
Source: Apparel Resources
India and the UAE are exploring creating a virtual trade corridor to facilitate quicker clearance of shipments. Under the proposal, approvals and clearances related to customs will be given online on both sides. The move is aimed at cutting the cost and time for customs clearance and speed up bilateral trade. It will complement the bilateral comprehensive free trade agreement signed between India and the UAE last year, which immediately eliminated duties for 90% of India’s exports in value terms covering sectors like gems and jewellery, textiles, leather, and engineering goods. Under the virtual trade corridor proposal, the customs authorities of the two countries will explore the possibility of accessing pre-arrival information for cargo movement, making cross-validation of information significantly faster, besides facilitating pre-clearance of goods. The two countries estimate non-oil trade to touch $100bn over the five-year period post implementation of the free trade agreement on 1 May, 2022. “The idea of virtual corridor is to fast- track shipments. It will explore if can do the clearances in an online way… especially for very important hubs like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which connect India and the rest of the world. If, paperwork and approvals for the consignments can happen in India, then it will take no time in their pass through to the UAE… so that’s something which is being considered on both sides," India’s Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir told Mint. The UAE last year signed an agreement with Kuwait to set up a virtual trade corridor. India-UAE bilateral non-oil trade grew by 4.8% in the April-December period of the current fiscal to $35.66bn. New Delhi’s exports to the Abu Dhabi stood at $23.3 bn in the April-December period, posting a 16.4% growth. Imports from the UAE stood at $40.7bn during this period, posting a year-on-year growth of 24.6%. “The concerned authorities in both countries are currently exploring this area of cooperation in order to agree to a mutually beneficial implementation approach," a spokesperson for the ministry of commerce and industry said. During the India-UAE High Level Joint Task Force on Investments meeting in October last year, the two sides decided to explore establishment of efficient and integrated Single Window Solutions and Virtual Trade Corridors to reduce time and cost in trade. Queries emailed to the Ministry of Economy, UAE, remained unanswered till press time. “Pre-arrival online document checks by Customs and allied agencies will reduce delays and benefit exporters on both sides. Further if we can remove the value limit on exports through the express mode, currently at ₹5 lakh, it will help our exporters," said Arpita Mukherjee, professor, ICRIER. Last year gems and jewellery was allowed through express mode in the Union budget. She added that allied agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) could review documents before arrival for the consignment and flag concerns if there are incomplete/incorrect documents. “Exporters and their clearance agencies can then resubmit the corrected documents. This will fast track the process, which is needed for perishable cargo like food," said Mukherjee. Ajay Sahai, DG and CEO, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FEO) said that such a measure should also be considered for India’s other key markets too to boost exports. “It is an extremely welcome initiative, which will provide seamless flow of cargoes on both the side helping trade to grow without hiccups.Such an innovative measure needs to be extended to other countries particularly to our major exports destinations so that exports get expeditious clearance on both sides," said Sahai.
Source: Live mint
Industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Wednesday termed the UP Budget as a "benchmark" for the state. In a statement issued, Vinamra Agarwal, the chairman of CII UP State Council, said, "The UP State Budget 2023 has truly been a benchmark for the state." Through its policy incentives, the state for the first time ever has aggressively reached out to global industry titans and made a strong pitch for making investments in the state. At the same time, there has been a concerted effort He added that the state budget takes into account the agenda of inclusive growth by focusing on the villages, poor, farmers, youth, and women of the state Yawar Ali Shah, the vice chairman of Indian Industries Association said, "The budget provisions announced have the potential to significantly benefit the textile industry and promote sustainable development in the state." "The UP Textile and Garmenting Policy will attract investment in the textile sector and create employment opportunities for youth," he said. Additionally, the emphasis on increasing forest and tree cover in the state through various schemes will promote sustainable development and benefit the environment. The proposed budget provisions for agriculture education and research, including the agritech startup scheme and infrastructure works in agricultural universities, will also play a vital role in increasing the income of farmers and promoting agricultural development in the state. "Overall, these budgetary provisions have the potential to promote economic growth and sustainable development in Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Source: Economic Times
The Invest Punjab summit, which aims to showcase the state as a “preferred investment destination” and its vision for growth and opportunities, will have a total of nine sessions organised across areas with high growth potential, including agri-food processing, textiles, healthcare, education, tourism, information technology, and start-ups and exports. These also include two sessions on Japan and UK, according to officials. The two-day 5th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit 2023 will commence in Mohali on Thursday with the theme ‘Invest in the Best’. The summit, which aims to showcase the state as a “preferred investment destination” and its vision for growth and opportunities, will have a total of nine sessions organised across areas with high growth potential, including agri-food processing, textiles, healthcare, education, tourism, information technology, and start-ups and exports. These also include two sessions on Japan and UK, according to officials. They said the objective of these sessions is to attract potential investment and business opportunities, build relationships, and engage with start-ups on new ideas and solutions. In the concluding session on February 24, the highest taxpayers from the local industry will be honoured, said one of the officials quoted above. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann had travelled to Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Germany to meet business leaders and representatives of the industry associations, and invited them to the summit. During an interaction with media persons here last week, he said that investments worth ₹38,175 crore were firmed up in the first 11 months of his government and more would follow after the summit. Asked if the state government has set any target for investment proposals or signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs), a senior official of the industries and commerce department said they are not in the race for signing MoUs but are looking at building long-term relations and firm investments. Meanwhile, Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, who has been invited to the summit, drew the attention of the chief minister towards a problem being faced by industrialists in his area. “Thank you for the invitation for the Invest Punjab Summit @BhagwantMann sab..FYI, in the Abohar Industrial Focal Point, industrialists have not been getting electricity connections for new units since the past one year due to inter departmental issues between PSIEC & PSPCL..,” the Congress MLA tweeted.
Improve law-&-order before hosting investors’ summit: Sukhbir
Source: Hindustan Times
'Technotex 2023: Envisioning Indian Technical Textiles @2047', the 10th International Exhibition and Conference on Technical Textiles, was inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh at Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, Mumbai today. Technotex, organized by the Union Ministry of Textiles and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), is a flagship event comprising buyer-seller meets, an international exhibition and conference. The three-day event being held during February 22 – 24 will provide a common platform for interaction amongst stakeholders from across the global technical textile value chain. Union Minister Darshana Jardosh also launched an e-book on Technical Textiles titled 'Technical Textiles Ecosystem in India: Market Overview, Inherent Linkages and Growth Opportunities' on the occasion. Addressing industry representatives and other stakeholders, the Union Minister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh said that the future of the textile sector is closely linked with the growth of the technical textile industry. The Minister observed that as the global technical textile industry continues to grow, India is poised to benefit from the expansion. Domestic consumption and export are both expected to grow rapidly in the next few years, making this an important time for the industry, she added.
"The Indian technical textiles sector is growing fast, the products are evolving with superior technical parameters"
The Minister pointed out that Indian Technical Textiles industry is expanding quickly in terms of output and value, and a variety of industries benefit from its products, including those in the automotive, agricultural, home care, construction, aerospace, protective gear, and healthcare sectors, among others as these products have improved functional qualities like greater tenacity and strength as well as better thermal and chemical resistance. "The end use of technical textiles caters to a wide variety of industries, thereby making it a high value sector in India”. MoS Textiles further informed that India is the third largest exporter of textile and apparel. "We have shifted gear from low value textile raw materials to high value upstream industries such as readymade garments, industrial and technical textiles". MoS Textiles also stated that the Government is taking all necessary efforts to promote technical textiles with initiatives such as the PLI scheme, HSN Codes, National Technical Textile Mission, amongst others. “The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for textiles for Man Made Fibre Fabrics & Apparel, and Technical Textiles is expected to attract investment of Rs. 19,798 crores for manufacturing. The response of the industry has been very encouraging.” The Minister further stated that the G20 Presidency of India can play an important role in strengthening our textile, apparel and merchandising industry. The Minister recalled that the PM GATI SHAKTI–National Master Plan is essentially a digital platform that would bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects such as Highways, railways, irrigation, power, renewable energy, irrigation, healthcare, etc. She said that PM Gati Shakti presents significant opportunities for technical textiles to be used extensively. The Minister also mentioned the National Technical Textiles Mission which has an outlay of Rs. 1,480 crores. The key pillars of NTTM include ‘Research Innovation & Development’, ‘Promotion and Market Development’, ‘Education, Training and Skilling’ and ‘Export Promotion’. "The focus of the Mission is for developing usage of technical textiles in various flagship missions and programmes of the country including strategic sectors”.
New Guidelines Notified by Ministry of Textiles to Develop Knowledge Ecosystem and Promote Technical Textiles
The Minister informed that the Ministry of Textiles has recently notified Guidelines for Indigenous Development of Machineries and Equipment in Technical Textiles, to meet the diverse needs of textile industry and to make our nation Aatma Nirbhar, by tapping local skill in design, engineering, fabrication and prototyping. The Minister also informed that grant of up to Rs. 20,000 per student per month shall be provided to the empanelled companies for providing internships to B. Tech students in 2nd/3rd/4th Year of the relevant Departments/ Specializations of eligible private/ public institutes, under the General Guidelines for Grant for Internship Support (GIST). The implementation will be conducted in two phases, (i) Empanelment of the eligible Companies, (ii) Internship Program, subject to the maximum period of 2 months of funding support for internship period. Eligible agencies will be textile industries with turnover of more than Rs. 10 crores, textile research associations under ministry and textile machinery manufacturers. The empanelled industries/institutions can give training to engineering institutes of concerned discipline in publicly funded institutions and also to private institutions with NIRF ranking up to 200. This move will support creating industry-trained engineers and professionals, and highly skilled workmen both for manufacturing and application areas of technical textiles, while also fostering academia – Industry linkages in the field of Technical Textiles. The Minister informed that Guidelines for Enabling of Private and Public Academic Institutes in Technical Textiles will enable New Technical Textiles Degree Programme (UG & PG) and updating of existing conventional degree programmes with new papers on Technical Textiles. The Ministry intends to develop eco-system in technical textiles not only in textile field but other disciplines of Engineering like Civil, Mechanical, Electronics etc., Agriculture institutes, Medical Colleges, Fashion institutes. It would cover the funding of upgradation/enhancement of laboratory equipment, training of lab personnel and specialized training of Faculty members of the relevant department/specialization in the University/Institute, with respect to the undergraduate (UG) and Postgraduate (PG) degree programmes. About Technotex- 2023, the Minister said that it represents a determined effort to turn India into a leading technical textiles production centre. Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Textiles, Rajeev Saxena said that a scheme for Technical Textiles Startups is being formulated. He stated that the National Technical Textiles Mission has been launched to overcome the weaknesses faced by the sector. One component of the mission is on R&D and the scheme is open for industry and research institutions. The Textiles Ministry through this Mission invites good proposals so that good technical textiles machinery can be made in India. The Textiles Ministry is working with other ministries to grow the market and promote exports of technical textiles, he added. Mohan Kavrie, Chairman & Mentor, FICCI Technotex SME Organizing Committee said that industry will work with the Government to foster a sustainable and innovative ecosystem which supports the growth of this industry. R D Udeshi, Member, National Executive Committee, FICCI said there is a great opportunity for the Indian industry to participate in the expected global growth of technical textiles and become a key supplier in the global market. The three-day exhibition cum conference cum buyer-seller meets seeks to envision Indian Technical Textiles at 2047. It exemplifies the immense potential for trade and investment between India and foreign countries in technical textile sector. It pools in participants, visitors, and other key decision makers from a diverse cross section of the Technical Textiles Industry, aiming to provide more innovative solutions, identify new business opportunities and create an environment congenial for growth.
Source: PIB
INTERNATIONAL
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed Decree "On measures to support the activities of cotton-textile clusters, radical reform of the textile and clothing-knitwear industry, as well as further increase in the export potential of the sector" No. УП-2 dated January 10, 2023 (the "Decree No. УП-2"). By the Decree No. УП-2, the Fund for Reconstruction and Development will allocate funds in the amount of USD 200 million to the Export Support Fund under the Export Promotion Agency for a period of 3 years at a rate of 4% per annum. In addition, credit lines in the amount of USD100 million for a period of 10 years, with a three-year grace period, at a rate of 4% per annum, for the rest period - at a rate of 5% will be opened in commercial banks for projects for the production of fabrics, carpets, finished garments and knitwear, dyeing and finishing.
In this case, the following conditions must be met for preferential loans:
In accordance with the Decree No. УП-2, the banks' margin for preferential loans is set at 1%. In addition, commercial banks will provide loans in the amount of 1 trillion soums (approximately USD 87,648,000) for a period of 24 months, including a six-month grace period and with a bank margin not exceeding 2%. The Decree No. УП-2 abolishes the requirement of a monthly advance payment for electricity consumption to textile and clothing and knitwear enterprises. The Export Support Fund will provide financial resources to finance pre-export and export trade operations in the following amounts:
In accordance with the Decree No. УП-2, the costs of renting large commercial warehouses intended for the sale of textile and clothing and knitwear products in foreign markets will be covered by the Export Promotion Agency. In addition, textile and clothing enterprises will be able to transfer funds abroad in the amount of up to USD 100,000 a year without separate solutions for creating trading houses and shops. The Decree No. УП-2 stipulates the creation of small industrial zones specialized in textiles in the Andijan, Namangan and Kashkadarya regions, and an Industrial Technopark in the Tashkent region by the end of 2023.
Source: The mondaq.com
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo launched a new project in Ghana that will support workers and employers to raise their productivity and improve working conditions in the textiles & garments and shea sectors. The launch, attended by Ghana’s Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, and other social partners, took place during a during a visit by the Director- General to the country. The "Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work" project addresses Ghana’s main economic challenges, such as low productivity, low competitiveness, and a lack of decent work opportunities for its citizens. It will work with various stakeholders, including the government, unions, private sector, and civil society, to upgrade production processes, help firms to transit from informality to formality, train workers and entrepreneurs in more advanced technical skills and ensure that environmental and social standards are adhered to. “Productivity growth is critical for the sustainability of local businesses. With increased productivity, businesses can produce more with fewer resources, enabling them to remain competitive and thrive in the market,” said the ILO Director-General. “Productivity growth is a crucial factor in determining the standard of living and wages of individuals. It is a pre-requisite for and a result of decent work and social justice. We need new approaches to create a virtuous cycle between productivity growth and the creation of decent jobs." The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah welcomed the project as it comes at an "opportune time to contribute to reviving and strengthening enterprises in critical sectors of Ghana’s economy. I am excited that the project is focussed on improving the working conditions of the textiles, garments and shea industries. These sectors have the potential to accelerate growth in the industrial sector and the economy as a whole by boosting employment creation and local economic development within the entire supply value chain." The Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme is a global ILO Programme funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). “Supporting productivity growth is part of Switzerland’s economic development cooperation with Ghana. It will be critical for local businesses to access supply chains and international markets and to achieve a more sustainable and inclusive economic growth,” said the Swiss Ambassador Simone Giger at the event. The Norwegian Deputy Ambassador Kyrre Holm voiced his support for the project’s focus on sectors that employ predominantly women. “Women’s participation in the labour market matters, for its own sake but also for the country’s productivity growth. When women have equal opportunities as men, they are more likely to participate in productive employment." The ILO Director-General is travelling to Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on official mission together with a delegation from the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Development Cooperation and their respective Ministers Hubertus Heil and Svenja Schulze.
Source: The ilo.org
Every second of every day, a garbage truck’s worth of textiles find their way into global landfills. Garments made of natural fabrics like cotton biodegrade in a few weeks or months, but synthetic fabrics such as polyester—a plastic derived from petroleum—might take two or more centuries to break down. To keep its jeans out of the trash, Levi’s has spent the past decade developing clothing made of recycled fibres that can be recycled again at the end of its life. The Circular 501 jeans, unveiled last year, are a reimagining of the brand’s iconic 501s—worn by John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and Henry Rollins alike. Made from organic cotton, wood pulp and repurposed textiles, the jeans are 100 per cent recyclable. To achieve this, Levi’s worked with Swedish textile-recycling company Renewcell. Its process involves stripping out zippers, buttons, garment labels and other non-recyclables from clothing and mechanically shredding the remaining material. Then comes chemical recycling, in which cotton and cellulose fibres are dissolved into a pulp proprietarily named Circulose. That product can be blended with other fibres to create things like, say, 501 jeans. Only certain fibres can be recycled—namely, cotton and types of cellulose, like lyocell and modal. Herein lies a major hurdle: blended fabrics. “One of the challenges with circularity is that you can’t have it all,” says Paul Dillinger, the head of global product innovation at Levi Strauss & Co. For example, Levi’s still makes some styles with stretchy elastane, which destroys their circularity. “I wish they didn’t exist, but the customer loves them,” Dillinger says. Even 100 per cent recyclable cotton garments have significant environmental impacts: Much of the world’s cotton is produced in places battling water scarcity. In India—the world’s top cotton producer—it takes 22,500 litres of water to make one kilogram of cotton, and the denim dyeing and washing process consumes thousands more. Then there are the impacts of the pesticides used to grow cotton. Also in India, two in five cotton farmers have experienced pesticide poisoning in the past year. Nora Eslander, head of communications at Renewcell, says improving circularity in the fashion industry depends on a few key factors: brands committing to better materials and designing for end-of-life; governments stepping up efforts to fund and promote textile recycling; and clothing-recycling initiatives getting adequate support to scale rapidly. Consumers also need to be invested in buying clothing that is worth keeping for longer, says Levi’s Dillinger. Achieving that takes the willpower to resist a good sale and the resolve to invest in better-quality items. “501s should be in your wardrobe for about 10 years—and they’re probably still good even longer.”
Source: Canadian business
