Textile Insight

COVER STORY In addition, the government-run Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) is advancing sustainable innovation through its Open Lab with the H&M Foundation and SK Group in Korea, through its subsidiary SK Geo Centric, is building a large- scale plastic recycling complex in Ulsan, South Korea, to break down plastic waste to its molecular components to create new plastic materials to enable a circular economy. Learning from Renewcell's oversights (i.e. proximity between facilities and fiber producers), former PVH Chief Supply Chain Officer Bill McRaith and daughter Sasha McFarlane are working to launch a Regeneration Zone in West Africa to create the world's first industry scale, circular fashion supply chain. "Every recycler needs access to feedstock, to pre-process garments, support in sustainable energy, residual waste collection and oake agreements. We don't see any other way to do that other than to create a nucleus in a centralized location and set it up as the first circular supply chain for fashion," noted McFarlane, executive director of Future-Proof Fashion. Many countries – including the U.S. and Europe – currently send a large amount of second-hand apparel to Ghana. Future-Proof Executive Advisor McRaith stated that almost 40% of that is already earmarked for disposal/ the landfill upon delivery to West Africa. What is deemed re-wearable upon leaving the giving nation is oen not so once it reaches Ghana due to issues in transit. If apparel waste coming into Africa could be turned into new product in one location, it could be highly advantageous to industry. McRaith noted that our current recycling efforts are disrupting the natural flow of the supply chain. "In the U.S., we collect used product, which normally would be shipped to another region like Africa or Pakistan or Chile to be sold in the market for a second life. But that is now being stripped out 18 months early simply to feed recyclers that are looking to break it down. We are breaking down the steps we are supposed to use and the process of it," he argued. "Every company is demanding recycled fibers, but if you had insight on how that is happening, you would be shocked," McRaith said, adding, "We're adding more to the carbon footprint (than in using virgin materials) by moving things around the world to make it happen." In the U.S., a loy goal is to create functional and sustainable innovation at scale. Producing innovation at mass is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Barry McGeough, Group VP of Innovation for AmeriCo. Group. AmeriCo. owns and operates 30 brands including Reebok, Champion, Spyder, Billabong and Gaiam. "America is rapidly becoming a value market," he said. "Brands that used to be premium are now commoditizing. is is a high growth area." A pilot or a capsule with a novel fabric or technology is great, but doing that at scale is the future. Big idea "blue sky" innovation is optimal, but "I've come to realize that innovation is most profound when you support the primary business," McGeough said. "Applied innovation fixes the enterprise. Look at your own business first, but also understand where the blue sky is." Suppliers Go Full-Service While in-house product development may have been where innovation occurred in the past, today the supply chain is where developments take shape. Vendors are providing full-service solutions to clients that can be delivered in timely and sustainable ways. When an end-user wants a shirt that is cooling, anti-microbial and UPF-rated, having textileinsight.com Winter 2025 ~ Textile Insight • 25 "Every recycler needs access to feedstock, to pre-process garments, support in sustainable energy, residual waste collection and offtake agreements. We don't see any other way to do that other than to create a nucleus in a centralized location and set it up as the first circular supply chain for fashion." Sasha McFarlane, executive director of Future-Proof Fashion

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