Texworld USA Opens by Outlining Brands’ Sustainable Way Forward

Against the backdrop of COVID-19, Texworld USA’s first-ever virtual event kicked off Tuesday by focusing on how the textile business can use sustainability to forge a path toward recovery.

The opening panel, moderated by Conscious Fashion Campaign founder Kerry Bannigan, centered on “Building Back Better” by leveraging the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Speakers from Better Work and ThredUp made the case for why eco and social responsibility should remain a top priority, even as the industry copes with the coronavirus.

“Adopting the SDGs now I think is more relevant than ever as a response to the global pandemic,” said Dan Rees, director of Better Work. “The health and economic crisis is slowing, even reversing the progress we’ve made over the last five years.”

Per Rees, among the growing concerns are declines in working hours and rising gender and demographic inequality. Roughly 80 percent of garment workers are women, and most are younger than 35, highlighting the role that fashion can play in tackling the gender pay gap by creating quality jobs.

Sustainability is not just good for the planet and people; it’s also good for business. Better Work has witnessed that factories in Vietnam where workers say they don’t experience discrimination have an 8 percent higher profitability than other plants.   

The pandemic has also pointed out fashion’s environmental problems, including overproduction. Each year, 32 billion garments are produced for the U.S. market, almost two-thirds of which are destined for landfills. Resale company ThredUp is aiming to move the needle by prompting a sea change toward circular consumption that prompts brands to think about a garment’s full lifecycle from the product development stage.

According to a ThredUp survey taken during the pandemic, 70 percent of consumers believe that addressing climate change is now more important than ever. Additionally, 2.5 times more consumers plan to shift their spending toward sustainable companies than in 2018, making eco-consciousness and transparency imperative for retaining business as shoppers downsize their fashion budgets and rethink their buying habits.

“Sustainability is not just a trend, although we often speak of it in those terms or how it’s increasing or being affected one way or another,” said Erin Wallace, vice president of integrated marketing at ThredUp. “It’s not a trend, it is the future.”

Both Rees and Wallace stressed the importance of collaboration. While taking on even just a few of the 17 SDGs can feel overwhelming, there are numerous partnerships and resources to tap into for help. As Rees noted, “You don’t have to do this on your own.”

The sustainability conversation will continue at Texworld USA on Wednesday. During the second day of sessions, a panel on “Becoming Circular” will feature speakers from Lenzing, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Accelerating Circularity. Later in the day, the focus will be on “Starting Your Sustainable Journey – Resources, Tips and Tools,” as executives from Home Furnishings News, Textile Exchange, Sustainable Furnishings Council, Warus Consulting and Loftex Home provide a primer on developing a sustainability strategy.