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T he path to delivering on sustain- ability is swerving in direction this year as industry, government and organizations prepare for new regulations, signaling demands for greater transparency, tools to measure and monitor textile-related envi- ronmental impacts, and incentives to engage consumers in circularity. "In Europe, legislation in the textiles/ garment sector is top of the political agenda," stated Sympatex CEO Rudiger Fox when we spoke to him at the Portland Functional Fabric Fair in April. He highlighted new regulations with criteria around chemical use, recyclability and transparency coming down the pike. "ese are the driving parameters for four years," explained Fox, who describes his big picture perspective as taking responsibility for the future generation, adding, "You don't see the big picture if you're not focused on the details." Details are key to today's textile mantra "measure, manage and share" and a rallying cry of Higg. e technology platform has recently raised $50M Series B funding to ac- celerate supply chain sustainability. "In this new era of expectations, more businesses will be required to have credible impact data about their supply chains. e truth is that measuring owned operations is easy," said Higg CEO, Jason Kibbey. "For consumer products companies, the challenge is ob- taining accurate data on the non-owned factories that make the goods—and on the materials and products themselves." Kibbey stressed, "If we want a 1.5 degree world, we need a tool set to do this. We need everyone to engage from factory managers to product developers. It is a collective com- mitment." e company's recent infusion of funding looks to advance Higg's delivery of technology solutions and its expansion into new consumer goods categories such as outdoor, automotive, toys, and home goods. Becoming a critical source for ESG infor- mation through the value chain and across sectors is the goal. Communicating clear, accurate informa- tion to consumers is critical in delivering on sustainability as misleading environmental and climate-related claims proliferate. ere are currently 457 voluntary environmental labels worldwide! It's an industry-wide con- cern that continued rampant greenwashing will dilute the importance of circularity and deter consumer action. European Regulations on the Docket European regulations are setting the groundwork for a circular textile land- scape in the future. Earlier this Spring, e European Commission published the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, outlining a roadmap to drive change. Ecodesigns, waste management, transparency, labeling, microplastics and extended producer responsibility (EPR) are all taken into consideration. Key Developments to watch under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (following its adoption) include: Mandatory performance requirements for the environmental sustainability of textile products (2024); Digital Product Passport for textiles with information requirements on environmental sustainability (2024); Mandatory requirements concerning green public procurement and Member State incentives (2024); and Disclosure of the number of discarded products by large en- terprises and their subsequent treatment, and measures on banning the destruction of unsold textiles (2024). A roster of other actions are set forth for 2022 and 2023. Eco Action Across the Pond e EU efforts reflect a similar shi to- wards responsible legislation in the textiles/ garment sector in the U.S. Senate Bill 62 in California, known as the Garment Worker Protection Act, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. e law addresses proper payment of employees in the garment industry and the responsibility for parties contracting to have garment operations performed. Intended to prevent wage the, mandate fair pay and improve working conditions, the Act impacts roughly 45,000 garment work- ers employed in California. e Act also prohibits piecework pay, creates joint and several liability for unpaid wages for "brand guarantors," along with manufacturers and contractors, and creates new recordkeeping requirements. New York's proposed Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act seeks to regulate the fashion industry's social and environmental impacts, with first-of-its-kind legislation. If passed, it would apply to global apparel and footwear companies with more than $100 million in revenue doing business in New York, impacting high-fashion and fast-fashion brands alike. Now the question the textile community will have to consider is, do these strategies go far enough? n 38 • July/August 2022 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com Transforming the Textile Ecosystem with New Initiatives & Objectives. DESIGN / SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES FORWARD THINKING

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