The global apparel industry is transitioning to sustainability to make it more environmentally friendly through traceability and circularity, which is also guided by several legislative initiatives, said brand representatives and experts at a programme on Monday.
However, they stated that transferring costs to customers, having the knowledge and skills to adopt a circular model and the cost of recycled textile materials are some of the obstacles to raising consumer awareness and growing circularity projects.
The majority of brands and importer nations have also established goals to enable traceability of their supply chains, according to the panellists at the Cotton Council International (CCI) discussion held at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka.
The founder and CEO of TextileGenesis, Amit Gautam, addressed the topic, stating that the fashion industry is going through a structural change from being unregulated to having over 30 laws spanning the whole value chain, from sourcing to retail.
He mentioned three factors driving the move towards a sustainable and traceable fashion industry: increasing regulatory compliance, responsible sourcing targets, and authenticating product claims to mitigate supply chain and reputational risks.
He further stated that there are over 30 emerging legislations in the EU and the US focused on supply chain due diligence, consumer claims, and transparency, requiring brands to invest in traceability.
According to Melissa Bastos, director of Corporate Strategy and Insights at Cotton Incorporated, one in three US customers have heard of circularity, according to data from Cotton Incorporated’s 2023 Industry Circularity Survey and Sourcing Journal.
Additionally, the survey revealed that 78 per cent of consumers are aware of the term “zero-waste” and 69 per cent of consumers are aware of the term “carbon-neutral.” Circularity, according to 62 per cent of industry professionals, characterises a company’s sustainability.
She also said that the Cotton Incorporated poll identified a few obstacles to the expansion of circularity projects, including the cost of recovered textile resources, the ability to comprehend and implement a circular model, and transferring costs to customers.
Ali Arsalan, CCI representative for Bangladesh, delivered the welcome remarks, while Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, director of European Brands and Retailers at Cotton Council International, and Arif Razzaque, Country Leader at Kiabi International Supply Services Ltd, Bangladesh, spoke among others.
