Worth Reading
2016 Organic Cotton Market Report and and the 2016 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report by Textile Exchange
TE, Textile Exchange announces the release of its 2016 Organic Cotton Market Report and the 2016 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report, both are benefits to members but are also commercially available
These annual reports highlight leading companies in the field and detail what they are doing to improve sustainability in the textile value chain. TE’s reports are the recognized industry data source for these markets.
It has been 20 years since Patagonia’s groundbreaking decision to convert all of their cotton products to 100 percent organic cotton. Today, companies (including Patagonia) are carefully balancing their use of a range of preferred fibres and materials in order to achieve the best sustainability results. This trend is revealed in the 2016 market reports. “As part of the transformation toward a more sustainable fashion future we are constantly on the lookout for innovative materials and processes which can make our products more sustainable. We are happy to see that our efforts to continue increasing the use of materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton, Lyocell or certified down is recognized in this report by Textile Exchange,” said Madelene Ericsson, Sustainability Business Expert, for H&M.
TE’s Managing Director, La Rhea Pepper said, “Transformational change must be the way we do business and you’ll see some wonderful examples of the leaders that are creating and driving transformation of the textile industry in these reports.”
The companies featured in these reports, range from those that focus on one fiber to those using a whole variety of fibres and materials. Both reports present a number of leader boards, celebrating the “top 10” companies that have made significant steps in their sourcing strategies. “Maintaining our top position in organic cotton and achieving the great performance in down and Lyocell have been the result of hard work from our global designers, buyers and sourcing colleagues. These results are encouraging as they show that we are making a significant difference in sourcing more sustainable raw materials and improving our environmental and social impacts,” comments Jeffrey Hogue, C&A’s Global Chief Sustainability Officer. “We remain focused on our 2020 goals, where we will source 100 percent of our cotton and 67% of all our raw materials from verified more sustainable sources.”
With 89 participants this year, an increase from last year’s 56 participants, the leader boards show the return of some familiar faces and also a number of new entries. “These companies recognize the need to step up and truly embed these successes more deeply within their company structures. To create true transformation, “change” is not enough! We change our socks – but they are still socks. In the same way, we substitute one fibre for another without addressing the business model. This is how we will see the industry transform.” Pepper said.
OCMR, the Organic Cotton Market Report http://textileexchange.org/product/preferred-fiber-and-materials-market-report-2016/ provides an annual deep dive into the global production, consumption, key trends, challenges and opportunities, and inspiring stories from across the sector, including brands getting closer to their value chain and working directly with producers.
Textile Exchange (TE), founded in 2002, is a global non-profit organisation that works closely with all sectors of the textile supply chain to find the best ways to minimize and even reverse the negative impacts on water, soil, air, animals, and the human population created by this USD 1.7 trillion industry. TE accomplishes this by providing the knowledge and tools the industry needs to make significant improvements in three core areas: Fibre and Materials, Integrity and Standards, and Supply Chain. A truly global organization, TE is headquartered in the U.S. with Staff and Ambassadors located in 10 countries.
PFMR, the Preferred Fiber Market Report http://textileexchange.org/product/preferred-fiber-and-materials-market-report-2016/ offers a snapshot of the wider preferred fibre and materials landscape, with a focus on growth and changes in the industry. The PFMR pays particular attention to Textile Exchange’s identified “lead” fibres: recycled polyester, lyocell, certified down and preferred cottons. It features the Standards that are being developed in the preferred fiber sector, including the recently launched Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).
The OCMR and PMFR are TE member benefits and are available for purchase by non- members. A complimentary, high level overview of each report is also available to the public by clicking the link to each report above.
Textile Exchange will host complimentary webinars in the month of August covering each report in greater detail. Visit the TE website to register for the webinar(s) of your choice.