#Sustainability

2025-03-13

Global Standard’s GOTS joins the MAKE THE LABEL COUNT coalition

Global Standard, the nonprofit that owns and operates the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), has joined the Make the Label Count coalition of international natural fibre producers, manufacturers, brands, standards and environmental groups. As a recognised authority in the organic textile industry, Global Standard will contribute its extensive expertise and leadership, while ensuring that voices from every segment of the value chain are heard.

In its endeavour to prevent greenwashing and empower consumers to make informed decisions about the clothes and textiles they wear, Global Standard joined the coalition to help ensure that textile sustainability claims in the EU are credible and substantiated in a transparent and fair way.

“GOTS, with more than 16,000 certified facilities, shows that businesses want to prove their sustainability efforts, and that people want to buy more environmentally friendly textiles, provided that the labels and claims are accurate and credible” said Marie-Luise Pörtner, Global Regulations Specialist at Global Standard. “Consumers can trust the GOTS label because of robust, verifiable ecological and human rights criteria throughout the textile production value chain, a strong due diligence commitment and sustainability claims backed by independent third-party certification bodies.”

Launched in 2021, Make the Label Count specifically advocates for a revision of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology for textiles which is currently being developed to assess a product’s environmental impact and provide consumers with information on that impact. Although PEF has the potential to direct the textile sector towards a sustainable system of production and consumption, it still has significant limitations, such as different system boundaries for textiles made from natural and synthetic fibres, or the non-inclusion of microplastics and plastic waste. Its application thus risks legitimising unsustainable consumption with an EU-backed green claim.

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.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

SAITEX reports efficiency gains and greater transparency in 2025 Impact Report

Vietnam-based denim manufacturer SAITEX has published its 2025 Impact Report, documenting progress in resource efficiency, chemical management, digital traceability and knowledge sharing across its manufacturing operations in Vietnam and the United States. Rather than focusing on sustainability ambitions, the report presents operational data, manufacturing developments and lessons learned from the past year.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.