#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2021-09-02

H&M Group signs new international accord for health and safety in the textile and garment Industry.

Fire and building safety are extremely important issues for H&M Group. We are pleased to have signed a new agreement, called the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, with trade unions and other brands to continue our joint efforts to ensure a safe work environment in the garment industry.

“For me, living and working in Bangladesh, it has been evident what remarkable change the textile industry has gone through the last couple of years. I’m proud to have been a part of fruitful and important discussions with other brands and trade unions leading up to this ground-breaking agreement. I’m convinced it will not only honor all the great work being done so far but also mean a significant step forward with regards to safeguarding the work environment in the industry.”

Masarrat Quader – Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Bangladesh, H&M Group

H&M Group have signed a one-to-one legally binding agreement enforceable on us as a brand. The agreement contains independent oversight of brands by unions and it also commits to explore how trade unions and brands together with other national and industry stakeholders can strengthen health and safety in other production countries.

The new agreement is valid from 1 September 2021.

Joint press release by Brands Association, Bangladesh Accord, UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union is available here:

http://www.industriall-union.org/international-accord-tentative-agreement-on-expanded-worker-safety-programmes

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

Intertextile Apparel concludes with strong global engagement and future-focused sourcing momentum

Textile innovation in the form of widely applicable, scalable solutions was on show as Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition 2026 concluded on 27 August. The show brought together over 3,500 exhibitors from 30 countries and regions across 240,000 sqm at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), and welcomed over 100,000 visitors. Across three days, the fair served as a platform for sourcing, product discovery and industry exchange, reflecting demand for materials and solutions that balance creativity, functionality, responsibility and efficiency.

Jeanologia Sustainability Report highlights environmental impact of textile technologies

Jeanologia has published its Sustainability Report 2025, reporting a 13.64% reduction in its own carbon footprint and quantifying the environmental impact associated with the use of its technologies across the global textile industry. According to the company’s calculations, their use avoided the pollution of 21.52 million m³ of water and emissions of approximately 103,530 tonnes of CO₂ compared with conventional textile finishing processes.

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.

Long John puts KARL MAYER's RDJ 7/3 into operation and strengthens its position as a market leader

KARL MAYER has just unveiled its new RDJ 7/3 Jacquard Double Needle Bar Raschel Machine in the international trade press, and the innovation is already causing a stir in the market: The Long John Group, a leading manufacturer of performance footwear fabrics and a long-standing partner of renowned brands, was the first customer to invest in the new machine and celebrated its official launch at its Indonesian plant on August 20.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.