Fashion Sustainability News to Follow in 2022 – WWD

Fashion are increasingly turning attention to legislation, restricted substances lists and more as long-term news headlines focus on the environment and human rights in the face of regulatory shortages.

Neri Karra Sillaman, founder of Moda Métiers and professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at the IESEG School of Management in Paris, said: “There is growing interest in a number of countries and jurisdictions around the world. to ‘green cleaning’ and transparency in the supply chain of products. “The fashion and the luxury industry is one of the areas of focus, whether it is legislation that targets raw materials or labor from certain regions (such as the Forced Labor Prevention Act). of the Uighurs, with a focus on the Xinjiang region of China), or requirements to map their product’s supply chain and measure their environmental and social impact (such as New York Fashion recommended Sustainability and the Social Responsibility Act) or caution regarding claims of eco-friendly or sustainable practices that are practically impossible to support (such as recent guidance issued by the Competition Authority and the UK market issued). ”

Sillaman believes that fashion companies should expect these types of transparency and disclosure regulations to continue, which increases the importance of understanding how their products are made and transparency around their activities.

Policy and Requests View

Given New York City’s status as the fashion capital, effectively bringing in $10 billion to the state’s economy through this sector, it’s understandable that people are paying attention to Fashion. Sustainability and the Social Responsibility Act (S7428), better called the “Fashion Act” was introduced in October and began the legislative season last month.

Supporters of the Fashion Act bill include the New Standards Institute; Natural Resources Defense Council; New York environmental advocates; Community of Change in New York; South Asian Education Foundation Scholarship and Training, or SAFEST; Ferrara production; EarthDay.org; Ocean; Emerging, and the New York City Environmental Justice Coalition.

There are an increasing number of consumer protection bills, such as the Small Business and Consumer Protection Act (or CSPA, S6414) in New York State.

Another bill on the agenda is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, or S65, which imposes sanctions, outright bans imports (in some cases) or sets out “import restrictions on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region“According to the invoice text.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the UK and the European Union are pressing for similar action on human rights abuses, urging their governments to stop and “blacklist” them. investments in companies that are complicit in abuses of Uighurs.

With labor rights on the rise, union lawsuits are becoming a focus area to watch. One union election that stole the headlines last year was the Amazon merger case in Bessemer, Ala., dubbed the “BAmazon,” was thrown out and issued a recount ruling after the National Labor Relations Board ruled on behalf of Amazon to interfere in fact.

On Friday, Bessemer’s election by mail retrial will begin. Votes will be counted publicly at 11 a.m. EST on March 28.

With Amazon being the second largest employer in the US and considering the Bessemer facility’s strong 6,000-employee numbers and racism, the case has been closely watched for its impact on the future. Work. Since then, many Amazon facilities have applied for union representation, the latest of which is an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island.

EU Circular Economic Action

As for combating greenwashing, various efforts are underway.

In many ways, Europe leads by example, although some of its efforts remain open to feedback.

The European Union’s “Circular Economic Action Plan” takes into account the factors driving and shaking the industry, working in accordance with the technical guidance of the Policy Center of the Sustainable Apparel Alliance, to inform and delivery of Product Environmental Footprints, or PEF: a lifecycle analysis based on Higg Co. Technology. This approach is preferred by the European Commission because it appears to “help the EU move to a circular, climate-neutral economy, where products are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable.” , recycling and saving energy”.

In March, the committee aimed to draft an overall framework for each of the key value areas, including a sustainable product policy initiative. As for what to expect, Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, president of SAC’s Policy Center, described factors such as the addition of digital product passports, a “consumer empowerment” element that minimizes language green wash terms (including the use of words such as “sustainable”) and recycling programs or waste directives.

Summarizing the update in a December chat, he said: “Many actors have requested an EPR [extended producer responsibility] or unilaterally between States. ”

Final regulation is expected in the next few years, however France has introduction of anti-waste law and what’s in store for textiles.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced a plan to review the “Green Guide” this year following a letter from the alliance PoliallyInFashion and 40 fashion organizations. The guide outlines guidelines for environmental marketing claims.

Higher testing standards: PFAs Chase Down

This week, the US Environmental Protection Agency, although lagging behind other countries, has removed at least four more substances in an intense bid to dominate “chemicals forever” or PFAs after years of inaction.

The PFA is just one piece in the Biden administration’s hopeful environmental brigade of the Environmental Equity Action Plan, which saw a draft released in January by the EPA, a separate executive order. with the Rebuild Better Infrastructure bill.

Fashion has can’t wash off PFA on its own, but companies are stepping up. PVH Corp., the parent company of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, has shared its commitment to publicly remove PFAs from “our manufacturing process by 2024” on a new website.

As of Tuesday, American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch have announced their commitment or updated their websites.

In an interview with WWD, Michael Redshaw, global head of engineering, global softline at Intertek chemical testing lab, said: “Certain chemicals found in clothing, Decorations and packaging can have far-reaching consequences such as toxic exposure that harms reproductive systems, immune systems and increased cancer risk, in addition to harming the environment. It can lead to skin irritation, allergies and poisoning. “

Over the past month, multiple reports have emerged showing high levels of PFAs in consumer textile products, including bedding, tablecloths and sportswear. Yoga pants — from brands like Lululemon and Old Navy — were one culprit in a January investigation by Environmental Health News and wellness blog Mamavation, which examined 32 activewear pieces, detects 25% of clothing with detectable organic fluorine content (an indicator of PFAs).

Groups like the Environmental Working Group have cataloged nearly 30,000 locations where manufacturers can release PFAs.

Similarly, another recent report from research and advocacy firm Toxic-Free Future tested 60 items from three product categories including bedding, outdoor clothing and tablecloths – to find Total fluorine and specific PFAs are used to improve water repellency and staining. The analysis revealed that 35 products contained fluorine at levels above 100 parts per million, or ppm.

The “Clean Water Standards for the PFAS Act” was introduced to Congress in May and seeks to define criteria around “permanent chemicals” or toxic PFAs as well as establish hard and fast deadlines (from two to four years) for “wastewater restriction guidelines and standards for the discharge of each measurable perfluoroalkyl substance, polyfluoroalkyl substance, and class of PFAs. “Such criteria could apply to each of the “priority” industries, including textiles and tanneries.