Circular Fashion News / June 16: Chanel recycling textile waste, French Senate passing "fast fashion" bill, Nepal's textile waste problem
Weekly edit of circular fashion news: last week's highlights included Chanel venturing out to textile waste recycling, and the French Senate passing "ultra-fast fashion bill".
Welcome to reading a weekly recap of circular fashion news! Some of last week’s highlights in the circular fashion industry included:
Lululemon and Samsara Eco signed a 10-year agreement for recycled materials
Spinnova announced its new strategy: the focus will be on improving the cost-efficiency of the production process
Eco Age published a story revealing the textile waste problem in Nepal
Accessories brand Strathberry launched a fashion rental service with Kimpton Hotels in Scotland
The French Senate passed the “ultra-fast fashion” bill
Last week, the French Senate adopted a bill to regulate the ultra-fast fashion industry by banning advertising and sanctioning companies defined as ultra-fast fashion.
The bill now includes a definition of ultra-fast fashion based on the number of produced products and the company’s repair practices, financial penalties for brands falling under this definition, and an advertising ban or a mandatory circular messaging promoting second-hand alternatives.
Next, a joint committee of senators and lower house deputies will meet to produce a joint text on the bill. Before final adoption, the European Commission must also be notified to ensure compliance with EU law.
Some experts have warned that backlash might come from Chinese retailers that the bill explicitly targets. The bill might be criticised for undermining international free trade.
Eco Age: Fast fashion from China and India ends up in the rivers and landfills in Nepal
Eco Age published a story about the textile waste problem in Nepal and the multifaceted reasons behind it.
Nepal has banned the import of used clothing, but still, piles of clothes are found regularly along its rivers. Most of them are cheap, fast and ultra-fast fashion imports from China and India. According to the World Bank, 89% of Nepal’s imported clothing comes from China and India, with China representing 48% and India 41%.
The lack of a secondhand fashion industry is one of the reasons for clothing being dumped into rivers and landfills. Stigma surrounding used clothing is a significant barrier, but there are efforts among younger generations to build up the industry in Nepal. Affordable Thrift Store is one of the first physical buy/sell thrift stores in Kathmandu. Between 2,500-3000 items are listed each month, and if the clothes do not sell, they can be donated to emerging upcycling projects.
Chanel launched a venture for pre-consumer waste management and recycling
Chanel announced the launch of Nevold, an independent venture for managing and recycling pre-consumer materials: fabric offcuts, unused textiles, and unsold items. In addition to their own waste materials, they will also source pre-consumer waste from other brands.
For launching the initiative, Chanel noted that their biggest concern is resource scarcity, in addition to the regulatory landscape. Climate change poses a threat to many fibres used by the luxury industry, such as cashmere, silk, and leather, making existing raw materials valuable future commodities.
Lululemon and Samsara Eco have made a 10-year agreement for recycled materials
Lululemon has made a multi-year arrangement with an Australian textile recycler, Samsara Eco, to use more recycled materials in its products. Samsara’s recycled fibres could make up over 20% of Lululemon’s materials by 2030.
The two have also worked together in the past: last year, the companies brought to market the world’s first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product sample, as well as introduced lululemon’s first enzymatically recycled polyester product to market.
Spinnova announced its new strategy: focus on the cost-efficiency of the production process
Textile material producer Spinnova has announced its new strategy after months of turmoil after a Brazilian cellulose producer, Suzano, withdrew from their joint production plant.
The company’s new strategic focus is on developing the technology to be more cost-competitive. The CEO, Janne Poranen, stated: “We have received confirmation from textile value chain operators that the properties of Spinnova’s fibre are already sufficient for selected commercial applications. However, fiber production costs are currently too high. For this reason, we will focus in particular on reducing production and investment costs.”
Accessories brand Strathberry launches a fashion rental service with Kimpton Hotels in Scotland
The Scottish luxury accessories brand Strathberry has partnered with Kimpton Hotels in Scotland to allow hotel guests to borrow the brand’s bags during their stay.
In two Kimpton hotels in Scotland, there will be a “Bag Library” as part of their “Borrow a Bag” experience, from which guests can borrow complimentary bags from Strathberry during their stay.
Luxury resale site Rebag partners with Amazon
Rebag has partnered with Amazon to include their secondhand selection of luxury accessories in Amazon’s “Luxury Stores” section. Rebag’s catalogue on Amazon will include nearly 30,000 authenticated pre-owned items from handbags to watches.
New materials innovation hub launched in New York
New York City is launching a new center called Gotham Foundry to help startups develop sustainable materials, such as degradable bioplastics and textiles made from food products. Led by a group including Columbia University, Fashion Institute of Technology, and Genspace, the hub will support early-stage companies working on circular solutions.
That is all for now, let’s hear again next week! In the meantime, let’s continue the discussion in the comments, LinkedIn, or Instagram <3
xx Tiina
