Textile Insight

The Oeko-Tex Association has made its new Impact Calculator available for STeP cus- tomers. The Impact Calculator online tool measures the carbon and water footprint of each process step, the overall process and one kilogram of material/product. The textile industry has set the target of reducing carbon emissions by minimum 30 percent by 2030; Carbon- and water-intensive manufacturing processes in the textile indus- try hold great potential for improvement, however, reliable data and enhanced trans- parency are key to reaching environmental goals. The Impact Calculator goes into effect April 1, 2022. Two years in development, and tested with facilities globally, the Impact Calculator pro- vides better understanding of the processes and offers a user-friendly, transparent way to communicate sustainable action. During a recent webinar, hosted by Oeko- Tex, execs discussed the importance of measuring and reporting impacts as tex- tile businesses strive to lower their carbon footprints and achieve environmentally- responsible goals. The main takeaway from the virtual seminar is that the Impact Calculator provides data that can be shared, bench- marked and used for positive change. A poll of seminar attendees taken during the panel discussion revealed that lower- ing the eco impact of businesses is a top concern. Yet, 66 percent of the poll-takers responded that they are not currently measuring impacts. Panelist Maude MacLarbie, sustainability manager at Alberto, GmbH & Co., stated, "This tool is useful in helping us perfect our sustainability decision-making. It also gives a universal language on sustainability and focuses progress in the right direction." She added, "It is important to be data-driven to distance yourself from greenwashing. You need to map before communicating." Panelist Suvro Dev Saha, head of sustain- ability production at Global Apparel GmbH, remarked, "We are getting requests from EU and U.S. vendors asking about carbon. To be able to provide a report that is 3rd party certified is important." As for what's next, Sonke Giebleler, head of business development at Oeko-Tex, men- tioned adding benchmarking so companies will be able to compare information with others in industry and compare internally over time. Other features in the pipeline include improving and adding data sets as well as development of materials sourced from pulp, such as Viscose, so these suppliers can use the Calculator Impact tools. l An Industry Round Up the Latest Developments in Sustainability. IN THE MARKET | ECO-UPDATE textileinsight.com Source: Measuring Fashion report, Quantis, 2018 March/April 2022 ~ Textile Insight • 11 ALLIED Feather + Down Debuts Down Capsule Collection A unique capsule collection, origina lly relea sed exclusively to the Japanese market, is now available in the U.S. The four jackets blur the line between outdoor performance and fashion-forward aesthetics, bringing together ethically-sourced down from ALLIED, down garment manufacturing from MN Inter-Fashion, and downproof textiles from Pertex. Matthew Betcher, creative and marketing director for ALLIED, explains, "Coming together with one of the finest Japanese manufacturers of luxury outerwear and some of the best down proof fabrics available, it was, in our eyes, a potential opportunity to produce a small 'no holds barred' capsule collection of products unparalleled for performance, fashion and sustainability." Japanese culture has long embraced the collision of urban and outdoor style and the collection showcases this sensibility and unique looks. The stylish, high- performance jackets are available on ALLIED's Zero Degrees North website, the company's recently launched product, design, and creative innovation lab. l Milliken's Textile Business to Eliminate PFAS-containing Materials Milliken & Company has made a commitment to eliminate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, from the company's textile finishes and fibers portfolio by December 31, 2022. Halsey Cook, president and CEO for Milliken & Company, stated, "As part of our sustainability journey, we are committed to finding innovative and meaningful solutions to reduce our environmental impact. While we do not always begin our journey with perfect information, we strive to make adjustments as new information comes to light." Chad McAllister, executive vice president, Milliken & Company, and president, Milliken's Textile Business, shared, "As a values- driven company, we're always evaluating the needs and demands of the markets we serve. Our promise to our customers is to engineer the highest-quality protective and performance textiles, and our purpose is to positively impact the world for generations." l Oeko-Tex Intros Tool to Calculate Carbon Impact Carbon Emissions in the Fashion Value Chain The Lifestyle Stages Of Apparel Production Transparent communication Evaluate performance of supplier/manufacturer Reduce environmental impact of business Increase energy/ water efficiency What is the key driver for you to measure carbon and water emissions? 4. Dying and Finishing We need committed action to support value chain participants to reduce carbon emmisions and water use. 1. Fiber Production 2. Yarn Production 3. Fabric Preparation 4. Dyeing and Finishing 5. Assembly 6. Distribution 7. End-Of-life 36% 15% 48% 18% 18% 13% 28% 12% 7% 1.3% 0.3% The Reversible Down Cardigan features lightweight Pertex fabric on one side and an innovative downproof Polartec fleece on the other.

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