Les Jacques took guests on a sustainability journey, sharing insights into the beginnings of sustainable apparel, key events, how much the industry has achieved up until 2016, the current challenges, and what targets need to be reach to prevent the projection that by 2030 the world is set to face a 40% global water deficit.

1. Sustainable Apparel
– Reflections on Progress
Les Jacques
Sustainability Consultant
11th March 2016

2. The ‘Beginning’
The journey to 2016
Some current challenges
Are we progressing fast enough?
2
Reflections on…..

3. 3
In the ‘Beginning’ ...... 2008!
• Polyamides from renewable raw materials
• Brands urged to collaborate
• Dyeing and finishing – comply or die
• Web tool calculates eco footprint
• Tesco to ban Uzbeki cotton
• Bamboo claims original benefits

4. 2010 Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) was formed
2011 First Greenpeace detox report – Dirty Laundry
2011 ZDHC first roadmap released
2012 Climate change impacts textile profits
2013 Rana Plaza building collapse
2014 Report “From water risk to value creation” (cdp)
2015 The SAC’s Higg Index ‘comes of age’
2016 Recycled polyester switch back to virgin materials
4
Along the Way

5. Water
Recycling
Progress?
Final Reflections
5
Quick Reflections on Sustainability

6. • >70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water
• By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40% global
water deficit
• ~ 3.5 million people die/year due to inadequate
water related issues.
• Industry dumps 300-400 M tons of polluted waste in
waters every year.
• 17-20% of global industrial water pollution comes
from the textile industry
6
Water – Are we caring for what we have?
ALL WATER: BUBBLE 1,385 Kms DIAMETER
FRESHWATER: BUBBLE 273 Kms
LAKES AND RIVERS: 56 Kms
Globe illustration by Jack Cook,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

7. • Water scarcity #1 global risk to society
• Significant water risk for textile businesses
• China, India, USA, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and
Brazil stressed textile supply regions
• Solutions available
7
The Water Risk
SOURCE: ECOTEXTILE MAGAZINE

8. - ~ 40-50 Million tons/year garment waste
- Vast majority of waste ends up in landfill
- Research, pilot plants and scale-ups
- Re-use/re-wear NOT recycling
8
Recycling… Many emerging technologies
Swerea IVF

9. COLLECTION AND SORTING
COMPETITION FROM EXPORTS FOR RE-WEAR
FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES
- INVESTMENT TO GET TO COMMERCIAL STAGE
- TIMELINE
- RELIABLE WASTE INPUT (SORTING/COST/VOLUME/QUALITY)
- LOCAL OR GLOBAL
- PILOT PLANT NEEDS TO COMPETE WITH VIRGIN FIBRES!!!
9
Recycling… the many challenges
10,000 TPA PLANT WASTE INPUT
EQUIVALENT TO >50 MILLION T-SHIRTS
A 10,000 TPA CHEMICAL POLYESTER
RECYCLING PLANT ESTIMATED AT $60
MILLION
TECHNOLOGIES EMERGED WHEN OIL
WAS ~$100/BARREL …… NOW IT IS $30
IN 1960 THE PRICE OF VIRGIN TEXTURED
POLYESTER WAS OVER $50/KG (TAKING
INTO ACCOUNT INFLATION).
To keep pace with growth, ~20x 10,000 ton/year facilities required EVERY year

10. Global population and growth of the ‘middle class’
Textile production forecast to rise by >30% by 2030
Faster fashion / shorter garment lifespans
10
Progress? ….The Need for Speed

11. Barriers
- Knowledge & skills
- Industry structure
Enablers
- Increased collaboration
- Consumer/society pressure
- Legislation
- Valuing and paying a realistic cost of sustainable products and services
11
Progress? … Barriers and Enablers

12. 12
The Zemblanity Route
Zemblanity. the inevitable
discovery of what we would rather
not know
Wait for the ‘Perfect Storm’
React… Mitigate…. Too late?
CLIMATE
CHANGE RESOURCE
DEPLETION
LAND
USE
ENERGY
DEMAND
GHG
AUDIT
LANDFILL
RECYCLING
WATER
STRESS

13. Solutions to most textile sustainability issues now emerging/available
Social/labour progress?
Continued growth is not sustainable with current technologies
Can we avoid an uncontrollable ‘perfect storm’?
Cost/price a MAJOR holding back progress
13
Sustainability … My Final Reflections

14. 14
A Reflection on the unknown.
Whales and dolphins under threat today in Europe due to a chemical banned in the 1980s

15. 15
Finally, a personal reflection
2030 targets seem a long way
away?
Not really
In 2030, my youngest Grandson
will just be starting university
By 2030, how far will we have
progressed towards a sustainable
world & textile industry ?