Textile Exchange calls for phasing out of virgin synthetics
The US-based Textile Exchange has said the industry’s current trajectory is incompatible with achieving key climate, nature and human rights goals.
Its latest report, Reimagining Growth Landscape Analysis, sets out the case for pivoting business success from the traditional interpretation of growth to a model aligned with “regenerative economy” and “post-growth” principles.
Beyond outlining the risks of business-as-usual, the report looks at the potential pathways for value creation through an approach that respects environmental and social imperatives.
It advocates for phasing out virgin fossil-based synthetics “as quickly as possible” and championing sustainably sourced renewable and closed-loop, textile-to-textile recycled feedstocks. Designing durable, high-quality products and scaling circular business models will also be key, as well as eliminating marketing practices that drive overconsumption, it said.
It added: “The shift that needs to occur for transformational change is at the market level, rather than just at the individual business level, and it cannot be achieved by a single brand or the textile industry alone. Businesses should explore the role they can play in helping to drive this shift, sharing best practices and learnings to support others to follow suit.”
