Pic: IRBC agreements
The share of more sustainable raw materials used by the companies that are signatories of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT) is rising every year. In 2017, 16 per cent of the raw materials were more sustainable, in 2018 this was 28 per cent and in 2019 it rose to 38 per cent. Signatories are obliged to share their raw material usage.
Raw materials that are less harmful to the environment and animal welfare in particular are distinguished from conventional raw materials.
These more sustainable raw materials meet the criteria of internationally recognized organizations such as Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Textile Exchange. “The trend is clearly positive,” says Pierre Hupperts, independent chairman of the agreement.
“At the same time, we notice that a number of companies are still below average. We encourage these companies to make more use of more sustainable raw materials. We show them what the risks are, provide training and assess their progress on this topic specifically. The agreement will continue driving the change towards a more sustainable supply chain,” he adds.
Cotton is by far the most commonly used raw material by the AGT companies, according to a website that provides information on the development and implementation of agreements promoting international responsible business conduct.
In 2019, the signatories of the agreement used about 50,000 metric tonnes, of which 55 per cent was more sustainable. That was an increase of 13 percentage points compared to 2018.
Also the use of more sustainable animal derived materials is showing a significant increase, specifically responsible down. That was 21 per cent in 2019, an increase of 17 percentage points compared to 2018.
The use of certified polyester and polyamide is also increasing. In 2019, the AGT companies mainly used cotton (65 per cent) and polyester (19 per cent) in their garments. Cotton is the most used raw material by AGT companies.
In addition to the use of raw materials, the agreement also focuses at processing facilities further down the supply chain.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The share of more sustainable raw materials used by the companies that are signatories of the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile is rising every year. In 2017, 16 per cent of the raw materials were more sustainable, in 2018 this was 28 per cent and in 2019 it rose to 38 per cent. Signatories are obliged to share their raw material usage.