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#Sustainability

bluesign® driving strategic transformation toward a safer and more sustainable fashion industry

With news headlines like “Fast Fashion is Made with Alarmingly High Amounts of ToxicChemicals” (Business Insider) the textile industry continues to be under intense scrutiny as revelations about the widespread use of hazardous chemicals highlight significant risks to human health and the environment. Recently released reports expose alarmingly high levels of toxic substances such as PFAS , phthalates, lead, and cadmium in clothing - ranging from children’s garments to activewear, raising urgent concerns about consumer safety and environmental impact.

Celebrating its 25th year in progressing the clean chemical movement across fashion, bluesign®, a key brand within SGS’s sustainability portfolio, has been an industry leader in chemical management, environmental management and resource optimization for the textile industry. Leveraging SGS’s global network and proven leadership in sustainability and digital trust, bluesign® combines scientific excellence with innovative and actionable solutions to address the textile industry’s most pressing challenges.

Addressing Today’s Challenges with Our Solutions

With over 800 partners globally from household name brands to manufacturers and chemical makers, the bluesign® SYSTEM focuses on clean chemistry, clean manufacturing, and clean products to ensure worker safety, consumer safety, and reduced adverse environmental impact.

A key component of the system is its proactive approach to chemical change management. By working directly with chemical suppliers, textile manufacturers, brands, and retailers, bluesign® sets stringent criteria to eliminate carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic-for-reproduction (CMR) substances, while providing more sustainable alternatives. This not only ensures the safety of workers exposed to these chemicals during textile manufacturing but also enables brands to deliver textile materials and products that are safer for their consumers to enjoy.

Additionally, the bluesign® SYSTEM minimizes resource consumption by optimizing water, energy, and chemical usage, with tailored action plans to minimize this consumption, leading to a significant reduction in environmental impact.

By focusing on delivering measurable sustainability outcomes using a collective approach powered by decades of expertise, bluesign® reinforces its commitment to driving tangible progress in protecting human health, the environment, and natural resources.

A Call for Action

As consumer awareness of toxic chemicals in textiles grows, the demand for transparency and accountability in the industry has never been stronger. bluesign®, a trailblazer, stands as a beacon of trust, innovation, and responsibility, proving that safer and more sustainable textiles are not just possible—they are essential.

Daniel Rüfenacht, CEO of bluesign®, emphasizes the importance of proactive industry transformation: "The textile industry stands at a critical crossroads. For 25 years, we have been setting and evolving rigorous standards by successfully empowering chemical suppliers, textile manufacturers, and brands to adopt safer, more sustainable practices. In collaborating with stakeholders across the value chain, we are shaping the future of textile production, proving that innovation and responsibility go hand in hand, and creating lasting value for people and the planet."


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#Research & Development

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

#Associations

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.

#Sustainability

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.

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#Sustainability

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.

#Sustainability

Global Standards announce launch of a new textile processing standard

The 14th September 2026 marks the public launch of the Global Responsible Textile Standard (GRTS), a new standard for the processing of textiles made from fibres certified to third-party standards recognised by GRTS and covering a broad range of plant, animal, synthetic, man-made cellulosic and recycled fibres.

#Raw Materials

ALLIED expands down traceability with lot-level carbon footprint data

ALLIED Feather + Down has expanded its TrackMyDown traceability platform to include validated cradle-to-gate carbon footprint data linked to individual down lots. The initiative is designed to provide brands and consumers with more detailed environmental information on the materials used in finished products and could also support future data requirements associated with Digital Product Passports.

#Sustainability

bluesign launches bluepass alongside first consumer-facing campaign

With its first consumer-facing advertising campaign, bluesign is taking a new approach to making chemical management, manufacturing standards and third-party verification more visible to consumers. The UNSEEN campaign will launch on September 20 around New York Climate Week and accompanies the introduction of bluepass, bluesign’s new consumer-facing designation.

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#Functional Fabrics

PERFORMANCE DAYS introduces Digital Design Journey with CLO and VIZOO

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#Nonwovens

INDA hires Ben Muller as executive director

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced that Ben Muller has joined the association as executive director. Muller brings more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning nonprofit organizations, corporations and trade associations.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

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.

#Industry 4.0 / Digitalization

Orient Rongheng connects production planning across China and Bangladesh with FastReactPlan

Chinese apparel manufacturer Orient Rongheng is implementing Coats Digital’s FastReactPlan to digitalize production planning across its manufacturing operations in China and Bangladesh. The project aims to connect capacity, materials and order planning across multiple factories while integrating these processes with the company’s existing ERP and Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

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