#Sustainability

2023-01-19

Inditex renews its support for Caritas’ clothing reuse and workplace inclusion drive in Spain, pledging €8.5 million

Inditex’s CEO, Óscar García Maceiras, and the president of Caritas in Spain, Manuel Bretón Romero, officially extended the two organisations’ collaboration until 2025 this morning in Madrid © 2023 Inditex

Inditex will contribute €8.5 million to Caritas during the next three years to reinforce its clothing collection and reuse initiative, known as Moda Re-, and continue to fund upskilling, training and inclusion projects for people in need in Spain. Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex, and Manuel Bretón Romero, president of Caritas in Spain, signed a new agreement this morning in Madrid, extending the collaboration between the two entities, which dates back to 2007, until 2025.

The Moda Re- programme, to which Inditex will earmark €3.5 million out of the €8.5 million pledged under the agreement, is Caritas’ community project devoted to the full-cycle management (collection, reuse via donation or charitable sale and recycling) of using clothing, an activity that has enabled the NGO to create 1,200 jobs, half of which inclusion-driven.

Between 2023 and 2025, the money donated by Inditex to the Moda Re- scheme will mainly go to reinforcing clothing collection capacity and the related traceability systems and expanding its 129-store chain of charity shops with new openings. In order to give new life to any products collected that cannot be reused, Moda Re- will continue to innovate at its textile processing facilities in Bilbao, Barcelona and Valencia, where it extracts fibres and raw materials of value for the industry.

Caritas’ employment and training programme, meanwhile, will receive €5 million of funding to continue to carry out projects that provide labour skills to vulnerable people at risk of social exclusion and those left behind in order to increase their chances of inclusion. With that money, Caritas will also roll out social economy and selfemployment initiatives.

Since 2007, the year it began to work with Caritas, Inditex has donated over €32 million to the NGO’s humanitarian aid and emergency, international cooperation and community work projects in Spain. During today’s signing ceremony, Manuel Bretón, Caritas’ president in Spain, underscored that “Inditex’s support will allow us to articulate proposals for social transformation that shape a society based on respect for human rights, dignity, cooperation and justice, all framed by care for our planet”.

Performance Apparels: Functional textiles drive innovation at Techtextil 2026

From high-performance fibres and advanced membranes to smart textiles and sustainable material concepts – functional apparel is becoming one of the most dynamic innovation fields in technical textiles. At Techtextil 2026, exhibitors demonstrate how new materials, finishing technologies and digital functions are shaping the next generation of protective, workwear and outdoor systems.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI reshape textile processing

Investment decisions in textile processing have become increasingly complex. Rising energy prices, labour shortages and geopolitical uncertainties are forcing companies to prioritise technologies that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and process stability. This applies not only to apparel production, but also to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. Modernisation projects are therefore being evaluated more selectively – but the pressure to upgrade production systems continues to grow. Texprocess 2026 reflects this tension between cautious investment behaviour and increasing technological demand.

Textile Chemicals & Dyes: Innovation in Textile Chemistry moves into focus at Techtextil 2026

From PFAS-free finishes and water-saving dyeing technologies to advanced coatings and recycling-compatible formulations, innovation in textile chemistry is accelerating across the industry. Reflecting this development, Techtextil 2026 introduces Textile Chemicals & Dyes as a dedicated product segment, highlighting the growing role of chemical solutions in shaping the next generation of technical textiles.

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Global Standard gGmbH launches second public consultation for GRTS Draft 2 for the textile industry (1–30 April 2026)

Global Standard gGmbH is pleased to announce the release of Draft 2 of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS) for its second public consultation. The consultation will be open from 1 April 2026 to 30 April 2026, inviting stakeholders across the textile and apparel value chain to provide input and contribute to the further development of this new Standard.

Textile Exchange publishes cotton Life Cycle Assessment study to strengthen impact data

Textile Exchange has published the first in a series of seven Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies designed to improve the quality and robustness of environmental impact data for raw material production across the fashion, textile, and apparel industry. The first LCA study focuses on cotton and addresses critical data gaps and methodology variability through new high-quality data across key producing countries. The study includes organic, regenerative, recycled, and country averages for conventional cotton production systems, providing a clearer picture of the associated environmental impact.

Experts publish APAC policy priorities

Cascale today announced the publication of its APAC Policy Priorities Paper, developed by the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Policy Member Expert Team (MET) to identify key regional sustainability challenges and provide practical, aligned recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders across Asia-Pacific.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.