Table Of ContentAndré Matthes · Katja Beyer ·
Holger Cebulla · Marlen Gabriele Arnold ·
Anton Schumann Editors
Sustainable
Textile and
Fashion Value
Chains
Drivers, Concepts, Theories and
Solutions
Sustainable Textile and Fashion Value Chains
é
Andr Matthes Katja Beyer Holger Cebulla
(cid:129) (cid:129) (cid:129)
Marlen Gabriele Arnold Anton Schumann
(cid:129)
Editors
Sustainable Textile
and Fashion Value Chains
Drivers, Concepts, Theories and Solutions
123
Editors
AndréMatthes KatjaBeyer
Faculty of MechanicalEngineering Faculty of EconomicsandBusiness
Chemnitz University of Technology Administration
Chemnitz, Sachsen,Germany Chemnitz University of Technology
Chemnitz, Sachsen,Germany
Holger Cebulla
Faculty of MechanicalEngineering Marlen Gabriele Arnold
Chemnitz University of Technology Faculty of EconomicsandBusiness
Chemnitz, Sachsen,Germany Administration
Chemnitz University of Technology
AntonSchumann Chemnitz, Sachsen,Germany
Gherzi Textil Organisation
Chemnitz, Sachsen,Germany
Gherzi Germany
Chemnitz, Germany
ISBN978-3-030-22017-4 ISBN978-3-030-22018-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22018-1
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Foreword by Dr. Maria Flachsbarth
Dear Readers,
Fast, cheap and always dernier cri—that isfast fashion. Affordable clothing that is
produced in short fashion cycles has been in existence since the 1990s, led by
brands that specialize in this. Through globalization, competitive pressure has
increased and the production of clothing has moved from Germany to lower-cost
places abroad, often in emerging economies and developing countries.
Today,garmentsareproducedindozensofstagesacrossmultiplecountries.The
garment and textile industry is globally integrated; value chains are complex.
A simple T-shirt often travels up to 18,000 km before it ends up in a store in
Germany.
This development towards a short-lived, high-competition, resource-intensive
industry has massive impacts on humans and the environment. High levels of raw
material,pesticide,waterandenergyuseconstantlyenlargetheecologicalfootprint
of textile production. And yet many garments are thrown away after having been
worn just a few times.
Fashionmustbecomemoresustainable!Intimesofincreasingresourcescarcity
and climate change, we can no longer afford the type offast fashion we see today.
Theremustbeglobalcompliancewithsocialandenvironmentalstandards.Wecan
only achieve that through cooperation. The Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) therefore works with German and interna-
tionalpartnersandwithorganizationssuchastheInternationalLabourOrganization
(ILO) in order to improve conditions on the ground. In addition to supporting
environmental, chemical and water management, we also work for living wages,
decent working hours, strengthened labour rights and the elimination of child and
forced labour.
In October 2014, German Development Minister Gerd Müller launched the
partnership for sustainable textiles. Together with some 130 partnership members
from the textile and garment industry, the retail sector, labour unions, non-
governmental organizations and standards organizations, we are working to bring
about sustained improvements along the textile supply chain.
v
vi ForewordbyDr.MariaFlachsbarth
The scientific community has a special role to play in developing
resource-saving technologies. So I am pleased that Chemnitz University has deci-
dedtoexpanditsfocusonsustainabilityanditsTextileTechnologiesProfessorship.
Ourcooperationhasalreadybornefruit:togetherwithChemnitzUniversity,the
BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT) and the University of
Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), we have made sustainability a focus of textile
programs at institutions of higher education in Bangladesh. Moreover, we have
jointly launched research projects on textile technologies in cooperation with
industry in Bangladesh.
The present book is an important contribution to improving resource conser-
vation in the textile industry. It shows how vital issues such as environmental
technologies and a circular economy can be addressed in textile production. These
issues will play a growing role in the textile and garment industry in the future.
Berlin, Germany Dr. Maria Flachsbarth
Parliamentary State Secretary to the
Federal Minister for Economic
Cooperation and Development
Foreword by Mauro Scalia
Dear Readers,
Never like in our modern times, the textile value chain is being driven to come
together and deliver new solutions.
Ourworldsocietykeepsgrowingatthespeedofapproximately1Billionpeople
every generation and through the consumption of, generally, more resources. That
is why we need changes applicable at large scale and across borders.
Decoupling growth from resource consumption while acting in law compliance
appearstobethemostlogicaloptiontobenefittheenvironment,thepeopleandthe
businesses.
Recently, and for three years in a row, the world witnessed decoupling of CO
2
emissions from economic growth. A combination of increased efficiency, pressure
and diffusion of new technologies has enabled global growth without releasing
more emissions in the atmosphere.
Whilethisunprecedentedvirtuoustrendfrozein2017,decouplinghasshownan
example, namely how policy and market factors can lead to structural changes in
theglobalenergysystem.Crucialforthissuccesswastheinvolvementofthemajor
world players, government and business alike.
What about the global textile system?
Manufacturing of textile products appears to operate in one of the most complex,
mutual-dependent and diverse industry value chain. Within the EU only, 176.000
companies, mostly SMEs, deliver an amazing variety of textile products, from a
T-shirttoajetturbofanengineparts.Textilesaremorethangarments,textileswear
people, homes and other industries alike.
Theworldtextileindustryislarge,ruled bydifferent market cost pressures, and
operates invery diverse regulatory frameworks. Researches carried out inWestern
regions show growing segment of consumers fancying sustainable textile goods
made with sustainable processes. However, little or no evidences are available
of the average world buyer opting for less items or more expensive products.
vii
viii ForewordbyMauroScalia
The calls for rethinking the global textile value chains are loud and boosted by
society and workers organizations, by international policy agenda, responsible
businesses and conscious consumers. These calls include unusual cooperation as
showninthefirstJointIndustryManifesto1andaskforunprecedentedpartnerships
to boost sustainable purchasing practices, to create a demand for circularity of
products and processes, to deliver world chemical management systems and test
traceability.
Today, the challenges still outnumber the solutions, yet spontaneous partner-
ships across the textile world are showing what can be done, using the best com-
bination of textile resources of energy and creativity. This offers the basis for
unprecedented level of interaction and a new form of dialogue between policy
actors and market players.
This book addresses sustainability in textile and fashion value chains from an
interdisciplinary and holistic viewpoint. It provides deep insights into sustainable
textile process chains and shows how these can be transferred into a functioning
recyclingeconomy.Inparticular,combiningscientificarticlesandpracticalreports,
the readers experience close at hand the overall complexity and vivid current dis-
cussions about opportunities and challenges in the context of textile sustainability.
Inthissense,thebooksignificantlycontributestomirroringamuchneedednew
business development based on the guiding principle ‘Sustainability is the new
Quality!’.
Brussels, Belgium Mauro Scalia
Director, Sustainable Businesses at
European Apparel and Textile
Confederation, EURATEX
1Simultaneously announced in Frankfurt and Copenhagen in May 2019 by EURATEX, FESI,
GFA, IAF and SAC, it is the first joint declaration representing the world garment value chain
fromfibretoretail.
Foreword by Karla Magruder
Dear Readers,
Sustainable Textiles and Value Chains is a book the textile industry needs. It is a
book that will be useful to both students and industry professionals who need to
gain an understanding of the push for more sustainable systems within the textile
value chain. These systems include everything from raw material developments
throughconsumersandendoflifechoicesfortextiles.Thevarietyoftopicscovered
will provide facts and information for interested parties to see current capabilities
along with those that are missing. Hopefully, it will encourage its readers to see
areas where the industry needs to make progress and where they need to advance
moresustainableinitiativesintheirownareaofexpertise.Thisbookshouldalsobe
areminderthatnoonesystemwillsolvethetextileindustry’ssocial,environmental
and economic issues. We will need to use all the solutions that have science and
facts behind them. Using a variety of tools will provide the progress that supports
significant changes, thereby allowing for an industry that contributes positively to
the global community.
Hoboken, NJ, United States Karla Magruder
Founder, Fabrikology International
ix
Acknowledgements
Theworldisforchange,notforendurance.
—HaraldWelzer
In 2017, the editors launched as a team the Sustainable Textile School (STS) in
Chemnitz,Germany.Theprimaryobjectiveofthecongresswasandistodevelopa
science-basedexchangeofknowledge,ideasandexperiencesregardingsustainable
production and sustainable business models for the value creation stages of the
global textile industry. Almost 100 participants from 30 nations were enthusiastic
aboutthecommitted,fruitfuldiscourse onimportantandurgenttopicsinthetextile
industry among educational institutions, companies, governmental authorities and
international organizations.
Under the heading ‘Sustainable is the new quality!’, sustainability was not
only enhanced by the STS as a topic for the communications department, but also
as a topic for product developers, engineers and supply chain managers and
scientists. The third conference in the series was held in Zurich in 2019 as the
World Textile Forum. Concerned with addressing sustainability and digitization,
theforumreflectedandfurtherdevelopedtheeditors’foundingspiritofprovidinga
knowledge exchange platform. The 2019 forum brought together global industry
leaders for discussing business transformation by incorporating new and digital
technologies.
Passing thecurrent knowledge to a larger circle of interested people inthe field
of textile sustainability is the main goal of this book. With this in mind, the book
primarilyaddressesscientistsandestablishedcompaniesbyfeaturingagreatvariety
of topics and issues relating to a sustainable and systemic transformation of the
textile industry. Thereby not only findings from recent scientific studies are cov-
ered,butalsovariouspracticalexperiencesfrombusinessandmanagementexperts
as well as consultants in the global textile industry.
We, the editorial team, would like to say thank you to all the contributors who
made this book possible by sharing their insights, research and practical activities.
We are also very grateful to our Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal
Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. Maria Flachsbarth, Mr.
Mauro Scalia, Director Sustainable Businesses from EURATEX and Ms. Karla
Magruder, Founder and President of Fabrikology International, for their
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