NEWS
Inside the Industry
Fashion for Good has announced the launch of the Cotton Reloop Matrix Project, a cross-industry initiative that will map and physically validate the quality of commercially available recycled cotton yarns against brand specifications, giving the industry a data-backed overview of how quality, price and recycled content intersect. Although alternative recycling pathways exist to utilize cotton-rich textile-waste feedstock, they do not make a cotton output. Therefore, mechanical recycling is a crucial pathway to creating recycled cotton yarns and fabrics. “Recycled cotton has been talked about as a scale-ready solution for years, but the industry has been working from fragmented data and siloed testing,” said Katrin Ley, Fashion for Good managing director. “This project is about closing that gap with hard evidence.”
OEKO-TEX, pursuant to the EU’s EmpCo Directive, which took effect Sept. 27, has launched a campaign film under the guiding principle “Trust in Every Thread.” It’s about what actually gets verified in the textiles closest to us and what doesn’t. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100–certified products are tested against more than 1,000 harmful substances. Testing covers components like buttons, zippers and thread, not just the fabric. Requirements get stricter the more skin contact a product has, which is why baby and small-children items face the tightest limits of all. “Trust is not a word you can put on a label,” said Inga Bleyer, head of marketing and communication at OEKO-TEX. “Trust only arises when what is claimed is independently verified.”
Billion Rise, to better serve and support increasing interest among apparel brands seeking greater geographic diversification with their sourcing needs, has opened its doors to a high-tech new factory in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Backed by a $100 million investment, the new Vietnam facility is focused on the manufacturing of textile-based materials for sportswear, swimwear, underwear and lingerie and is being developed in three phases. Phase one is complete, representing approximately 110,00 square meters. Additional knitting, dyeing and printing capacity will be added in phases two and three. “We’re pleased to give our customers greater sourcing flexibility with the addition of our Vietnam operation to our established manufacturing base in Qing Yuan China,” said Charles Chen, Billion Rise owner and CEO.
Unifi, together with leading polyester filament yarn manufacturers across North and Central America, has announced the launch of YarnProof, an industry-wide initiative designed to provide immediate physical verification of polyester filament yarn origin throughout the supply chain. YarnProof embeds an invisible and permanent tracer into polyester filament yarn during extrusion. The tracer remains with the material throughout its life cycle and can be immediately detected using a proprietary FibreTrace handheld scanner at designated points across the supply chain. “Traditional methods of fraud detection, such as document review and site visits, remain important,” said Kim Glas, president and CEO of the National Council of Textile Organizations. “But with the launch of YarnProof, the region gains a new tool for substantiating origin claims.”
