New members and activities of Textile Exchange
Between January and March 2016 24 new members joined TextileExchange and there will be a workshop in Turkey on April 30, 2016
The 24 new members of Textile Exchange are:
The Textile Sustainability Workshop, Izmir will focus on “How Can Turkish Businesses Play a Leading Role?”
WHEN: April 30, 2016 at 10:00 – 16:00
WHERE: Fuarizmir, Izmir, Turkey
REGISTRATION: Click here
As announced last month, Textile Exchange, in collaboration with IZFAŞ and local industry experts, is hosting a series of workshops in Izmir on April 30, 2016 as part of the Ekoloji Izmir Organic Products Fair. We warmly invite all stakeholders from across the supply chain (including brands, retailers, manufacturers, producers and industry organizations) to join us, and encourage all companies with staff, suppliers or buying teams based in Turkey to pass this invitation on to their contacts.
How is the global organic cotton business developing, and what role is Turkey playing in growing, processing and selling organic cotton products?
With a growing global demand for more sustainable fibre and textiles, and the unique offering Turkish textile companies have to play, this workshop covers the landscape of organic cotton, other “preferred fibres” growing in demand and popularity, and textile sustainability with a focus on Turkey, Central Asia, and Europe.
We will also look at the challenges the country faces, including the current social challenges the region faces? There are increasing pressures on land and resources, ever-rising competition in speed, quality and price of production, and more and more regulations and standards. What do businesses need to be aware of and what can be done today to be successful tomorrow?
Thanks to the generous support and opportunity provided by IZFAŞ, Textile Exchange, together with local industry experts, will facilitate a series of workshops with an aim to visualize and build a stronger and more rewarding market for sustainable textiles in Turkey. We invite all stakeholders from across the textile supply chain to join us for this exclusive, region-specific event to:
Learn more about the key sustainability trends and future prospects in the textiles sector for organic cotton and beyond, both globally and with a focus on Turkey.
Be able to redefine your strategy, together exploring opportunities to add real value to business practices and reputation throughout the supply chain.
Learn from “best practice” examples of renowned key players in the industry.
Identify the required next steps and practical, achievable actions required for improvement and innovation both in your business and specifically in the region.
Textile Exchange Urges You to Climb Up into the Canopy”
As you know, Textile Exchange is a global nonprofit organization that focuses on minimizing the harmful impacts of the global textile industry and maximizing its positive effects. We connects with organizations of all types and sizes who want to advance their sustainability efforts. It is in the spirit of this mission and our collaborative model that we are encouraging you to join the growing number of brands, designers, retailers, and producers that have put public policies in place to protect the world’s ancient and endangered forests as part of the CanopyStyle Initiative.
Canopy, an environmental not-for-profit who works collaboratively with companies to protect the world’s forests, species and climate, launched their effort to shift the man-made cellulosic supply chain on stage at Textile Exchange’s 2013 conference in Istanbul. In just 2 and a half years 60 brands, designers, and retailers have put public policies in place with Canopy’s support and endorsement. With this market signal from customers, Canopy has engaged successfully with international viscose producers representing 65% of the entire global supply of these fabric types (viscose, rayon, modal and other trademarked brands like TENCEL®), and finalized sustainable wood sourcing policies. “The next step,” says Amanda Carr, Canopy’s Campaign Director, “is not only to tackle the remaining 35%, but to make sure all of these producers share sourcing data and are independently audited to confirm they are meeting their policies including forwarding innovative and inspiring solutions.”
Sustainability of man-made cellulosics will be achieved through fiber sourcing choices and also by addressing the full scope of impacts including social and labour issues as well as technologies and processing related to chemical, energy and water use.
The goals of all partners in CanopyStyle are focused first and foremost on fibre sourcing and are committed to:
1. Eliminate sourcing from the world’s ancient and endangered forests by 2017.
2. Increase the use of alternatives like recycled clothing or left-over straw as feedstock for man-made cellulosics.
3. Support innovative conservation solutions and forward protection of Coastal Temperate Rainforests like Vancouver Island, Boreal Forests in Canada and Russia and in tropical rainforests such as the Amazon and Indonesia.
4. Avoid controversial sourcing such as illegal logging, endangered species habitat or logging in areas where free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous and local communities has not been given.
5. Where 1-4 have been met, to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification as a tool to ensure sustainable forest management in areas where wood sourcing is acceptable.
We are proud to see so many of our members already forwarding the CanopyStyle goals. It is our understanding that it is the partners and policies behind the CanopyStyle Initiative, which is driving producers to be more sustainable in sourcing and has Textile Exchange reaching out to you. Canopy is headed to China in the 3rd week of May where they will be meeting with 8 of the world’s top 10 largest man-made cellulosic producers. We want to encourage all Textile Exchange members who have not yet reached out to Canopy to get their support in putting a policy in place (or, if you have been in touch with Canopy, but have not yet prioritized this issue) to do so before those meetings in China. Textile Exchange is the first not-for-profit organization working on textiles and apparel to officially endorse Canopy and the CanopyStyle Initiative and with your new CanopyStyle policy in place; we can’t wait to hear what will be accomplished next.
TAKE ACTION: Go public with a CanopyStyle commitment by May 17th. Contact Tara Sawatsky at 604-253-4808 ext 28, email: tara@canopyplanet.org for support in developing your company’s Protecting Forests through Fabric Choices Policy, Commitment or Statement.
TAKE ACTION: Join us in Hamburg October 3-6 to hear updates on the CanopyStyle Initiative.