ABINGDON, Md. — March 1, 2024 — SMART President Steve Rees said, “As our trade association continues to grow, we are connecting members to new markets and working to reduce the global textile waste crisis.”
The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) 2024 Annual Convention in Guatemala brought more than 200 industry leaders from more than 15 countries together. SMART is the leading industry voice promoting high standards and best practices for reuse and recycling of textiles and related secondary materials. SMART members reduce solid waste by collecting, reclaiming, and “closing the loop” by processing, reusing, converting, and distributing these recyclables.
Right Now: The role SMART plays is crucial, as maritime attacks in the Red Sea escalate. SMART is working with other industries, as well as government entities to find a solution to the shipping crisis. SMART is continuously working to educate the public and local government officials about the importance of increasing clothing and textile reuse and recycling.
SMART Executive Director Susan DeCourcey said, “89 companies were represented at the conference. The popularity of the event shows textile industry leaders are serious about innovation advancements that will impact the environment and the economy globally.”
According to Allied Marketing Research, the global textile recycling market is anticipated to generate nearly $9.4 billion by 2027.
Established in 1932, SMART is a recycling-based, international, nonprofit trade association comprised of for profit used clothing, wiping material and fiber industry companies. SMART members use and convert recycled and secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and nonwoven, off spec material, new mill ends and paper from around the world. SMART companies are committed to the “green” way of life.
SMART Leadership and its members are working to bring textile recycling into a circular economy. SMART members continually trumpet their message to the donating and recycling public by encouraging them to “Donate, Recycle, Don’t Throw Away.”
Posted: March 2, 2024
Source: The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART)
WASHINGTON — March 1, 2024 — U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter today to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas applauding the agency for supporting the creation of a comprehensive customs enforcement plan, and asking him to swiftly implement the plan to safeguard the competitiveness of American manufacturers, particularly in the textile industry.
“We are pleased to see that you are directing Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and other agencies and offices in DHS to significantly increase their work detecting, preventing, and prosecuting customs violations and fraud harming the U.S. textile industry. Moreover, we applaud your decision to create a comprehensive enforcement plan within 30 days,” wrote the senators. “The scale and scope of illegal customs practices undercutting the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers is daunting, and this problem cannot be fixed without a robust, expeditiously deployed enforcement plan.”
Chinese e-commerce giants as well as criminals and cartels abuse gaps in U.S. customs law and the law’s implementation to move their illicit or illegally produced products into the United States. Harmful and illegal customs and trade practices take a number of forms, including:
Exploiting the duty-free and inspection-free “de minimis” treatment of packages valued under $800;
Circumvention of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act;
Skirting Sec. 301 penalty tariffs and other trade enforcement measures; and
False origin claims under U.S. free trade agreements that displace domestic and regionally-produced textiles and apparel.
“As part of your enforcement plan, we encourage you to comprehensively address each of these avenues for fraud, including by exercising the administration’s considerable authorities to confront the massive unregulated trade entering the U.S. via the de minimis exception, which is exacerbating the economic crisis faced by American manufacturers and retailers and allowing entry of goods made with forced labor, illegal drugs like fentanyl, and fake and unsafe products,” added the senators.
Cracking down on customs violations and fraud will level the playing field for the U.S. textiles industry, which employs nearly 550,000 workers and produces nearly $66 billion annually in economic output.
Whitehouse helped convene the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network and has for years championed Rhode Island’s textile industry.
Whitehouse is a cosponsor of Senator Brown’s Import Security and Fairness Act, a bill to stop goods from non-market economies, such as China, from receiving de minimis treatment, giving foreign companies an unfair advantage by allowing them to avoid paying duties and fees. Whitehouse and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) also introduced the bipartisan Customs Modernization Act of 2023, legislation to increase U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s visibility into international supply chains to resolve data collection constraints, expand the legal use of trade data, increase supply chain accountability, improve enforcement effectiveness, and bolster information sharing among government agencies.
A copy of the letter is available here and the text is below.
The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE
Washington, DC 20528
Dear Secretary Mayorkas,
We are pleased to see that you are directing Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and other agencies and offices in DHS to significantly increase their work detecting, preventing, and prosecuting customs violations and fraud harming the U.S. textile industry. Moreover, we applaud your decision to create a comprehensive enforcement plan within 30 days.
The scale and scope of illegal customs practices undercutting the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers is daunting, and this problem cannot be fixed without a robust, expeditiously deployed enforcement plan.
Harmful and illegal customs practices take various forms, including but not limited to current implementation and the abuse of the Sec. 321 de minimis tariff wavier system, circumvention of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Sec. 301 penalty tariffs and other trade enforcement measures, and false origin claims under U.S. free trade agreements that displace domestic and regionally-produced textiles and apparel. As part of your enforcement plan, we encourage you to comprehensively address each of these avenues for fraud, including by exercising the administration’s considerable authorities to confront the massive unregulated trade entering the U.S. via the de minimis exception, which is exacerbating the economic crisis faced by American manufacturers and retailers and allowing entry of goods made with forced labor, illegal drugs like fentanyl, and fake and unsafe products.
Immediately implementing a strong customs enforcement plan is critical to the future of the U.S. textile industrial base. After facing decades of unfair trade practices, textiles manufacturers are seeing unprecedented demand destruction and dangerously low capacity utilization rates. The textiles industry contributes significantly to the U.S. economy and supplies essential products, such as national defense materials and medical personal protective equipment. Furthermore, this enforcement plan is necessary to further the goals of the President’s U.S. supply chain resilience project that you helped launch in November of last year. The textiles industry employs nearly 550,000 U.S. workers and produces almost $66 billion in output annually. Without an expeditious and effective enforcement plan, the devastation felt throughout the production chain will only worsen.
In closing, we welcome your call for an action plan and will be keenly interested in the contents and follow-through given its importance to our constituents and American economic competitiveness.
WASHINGTON — February 23, 2024 — President Biden announced his intent to appoint the following individuals as members of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations:
Mitchell W. Berger;
J. Michael Bowman;
Amy Bircher Bruyn;
Paige Gebhardt Cognetti;
Chris James;
Omar Khan;
Rob Larew;
Nimish Patel; and
Mark A. Turner.
Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations
The Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations is an advisory committee established to provide overall policy advice to the United States Trade Representative on matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States including: negotiating objectives and bargaining positions before entering into trade agreements, the impact of the implementation of trade agreements, matters concerning the operation of any trade agreement once entered into, and other matters arising in connection with the development, implementation, and administration of the trade policy of the United States. The Committee includes up to 45 members recommended by the U.S. Trade Representative who are appointed by the President and have expertise in general trade, investment, and development issues, including representatives of non-federal governments, labor, industry, agriculture, small business, service industries, retailers, nongovernmental environmental and conservation organizations, and consumer interests.
Mitchell W. Berger
Mitchell W. Berger founded Berger Singerman LLP, a business law firm in Florida, in 1985, and has more than 40 years of successful representation in commercial disputes for small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. Berger has received numerous industry accolades, including being named Co-Lawyer of the Year by the National Law Journal and being recognized by Chambers & Partners USA for 14 consecutive years.
Committed to furthering innovation in the legal industry, Berger established the Sharon and Mitchell W. Berger Entrepreneur Law Clinic at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Shepard Broad College of Law. The clinic enables NSU to provide direct legal service to nonprofit organizations, students, and researchers associated with the NSU Center for Collaborative Research and innovators in the technology and life sciences communities. Berger currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of NSU.
Berger previously represented then-Vice President Al Gore and then-Senator Joe Lieberman in lawsuits following the aftermath of the 2000 presidential election. He also served as Chair of the Student Loan Marketing Association Sallie Mae, Commissioner on the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission, a member of the United States Small Business Administration Advisory Board, and a member of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Berger currently serves on the Independent Audit Committee for the Alliance for Climate Protection. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Lafayette College and his J.D. from Temple University.
J. Michael Bowman
J. Michael Bowman is the associate director of the Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships at the University of Delaware. He holds two additional leadership roles, serving as founder and CEO/president of the Delaware Technology Park and as the State director of the Small Business Development Center. Over the past 25 years, Bowman has led the growth of a robust technology-based ecosystem and assisted a variety of small businesses to thrive throughout Delaware.
Amy Bircher Bruyn
As CEO and Founder of MMI Textiles Inc. Amy Bircher Bruyn leads her team in sales and product development. She is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Advanced Textiles Association. In 2016, Bircher Bruyn invented and filed a design and utility patent for the creation of CTEdge, a concealed edge technology used in webbing and tape within the military and law enforcement markets. She recently opened her own narrow weaving facility in Lenoir, N.C., to produce her patented webbing product and other military spec webbing to support the needs of our military and tactical markets. Bircher Bruyn has more than 40 years of experience in the U.S. textile industry and supplies her products all over the world. She has successfully acquired three other textile businesses since founding MMI Textiles.
Bircher Bruyn received a B.S. in Textiles and Clothing from West Virginia University (WVU). While advancing her career and the industry she loves, Bircher Bruyn has stayed connected to her roots, sharing what she knows with others as a part of the Visiting Committee at WVU. Most recently, she pledged $200,000 to her alma mater for the development of a new textile lab, which opened on April 17, 2021, and is named the Amy A. Bircher Textile Laboratory.
Paige Gebhardt Cognetti
Paige Gebhardt Cognetti was sworn in as mayor of Scranton, Pa., in January 2020, and was re-elected to a full term in November 2021. Cognetti’s background is rooted in government oversight, investment management, international relations, and political campaigns. She serves on the Advisory Board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and chairs the Conference’s Metro Economies Standing Committee. She serves on the boards of numerous other local leadership organizations, supporting fellow elected officials nationwide in promoting economic mobility, environmental sustainability, and efficient, transparent government.
Prior to becoming Mayor, she advised the Pennsylvania Auditor General, served as a Director on the Scranton School Board, and worked in wealth management at Goldman Sachs. Cognetti served in the U.S. Treasury Department during the Obama-Biden Administration as a Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs and as Managing Director for China Operations.
Cognetti graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon Clark Honors College with a B.A. in English Literature and holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She lives in Scranton with her husband and their two daughters.
Chris James
Chris James is the president and CEO of The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, the premier organization focused on American Indian and Alaska Native economic development. James is an expert in the Indigenous economy, Native American policy, supply chains, and rural economic development. His expertise is enriched by his personal experience, having grown up with his family’s businesses on the Qualla Boundary, the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Under his leadership, The National Center has flourished, tripling its revenue and expanding its reach significantly. James spearheads both the Reservation Economic Summit, the world’s largest conference focused on Native American economic development, and the Native Edge Institute series, which equips entrepreneurs with essential skills for success. His tenure has seen a heightened emphasis on international Indigenous trade and connecting Native businesses with corporate America.
James’ professional background is marked by senior roles in the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration. In these capacities, he led initiatives like Supplier Pay and Startup in a Day, both designed to enhance business efficiency and entrepreneurship. Supplier Pay focused on accelerating payments to small business suppliers, while Startup in a Day aimed to streamline the process for entrepreneurs to start a business in just one day. James is known as an expert and versatile leader in rural America. His engagements span delivering keynote addresses to hosting discussions with notable experts. Additionally, he is a skilled panel leader at both large and small global conferences.
Omar Khan
Omar Khan is a senior government and public affairs executive with more than 20 years of experience across the public and private sector and political campaigns. With a proven track record managing budgets exceeding $48 million and teams of over 200, Khan excels in building coalitions and implementing effective engagement strategies across a diverse range of policy issues and campaigns.
Khan serves as the senior vice president for State and Local Government Affairs at WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and infrastructure firms, where he heads strategy, government relations, and political and civic engagement for the East Region of the U.S. Previously, he was the Executive Director of the Public Engagement Unit of New York City, where he led the unit, overseeing a $25 million budget and managing a team of more than 200 people. In this role, Khan served as senior advisor to City Hall, led the unit’s COVID-19 response, and developed a nationally replicable model for data-driven outreach, increasing accessibility to government services.
Khan held several senior roles in the Obama-Biden Administration working on complex issues at the intersection of policy and politics, including serving as the Assistant United States Trade Representative for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement at the White House, Director of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations for the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and Director of Public Engagement at the Environmental Protection Agency. Khan is also a nationally recognized campaign operative who has held senior and advisory roles in major presidential, gubernatorial, and mayoral campaigns including President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.
Rob Larew
Rob Larew is president of National Farmers Union (NFU), the nation’s foremost grassroots agriculture organization dedicated to supporting and empowering family farmers, ranchers, and their communities. Elected to lead the organization in 2020, Larew previously served as NFU Vice President of Public Policy and Communications.
Larew’s career includes more than two decades working in Congress and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he played a pivotal role in shaping and implementing agriculture policy. As Staff Director of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, he coordinated and oversaw key initiatives during the formulation of the 2008 and 2014 Farm Bills.
Larew’s lifelong connection to agriculture began, and continues, in Greenville, West Virginia, where he actively participates in the management of a diversified family farm that has been in continuous operation since 1798. He received his B.S. in dairy science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and pursued graduate studies in agronomy at Pennsylvania State University. Larew also serves as an active board member of the Cultivating Change Foundation and Consumer Federation of America.
Nimish Patel
Nimish Patel is the chair of the Corporate and Securities Department at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP, a law firm based in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C. Patel’s experience includes mergers and acquisitions for private and public companies, angel and venture capital financing, IPOs, and other financing and corporate restructurings. Patel currently advises private businesses and publicly traded exchange listed companies on governance and regulatory filing requirements. Patel’s clients are from across a broad range of industries and sectors including artificial intelligence, life sciences, technology, ecommerce, new media, and entertainment.
Previously, Patel was a CPA and a senior auditor in the Orange County, California office of Deloitte working on private and public company audits and other attestations services. Patel’s clients ranged from private closely held businesses to Fortune 500 publicly traded corporations and was involved in many complex transactions including restructurings and cross border transactions.
Patel was elected and previously served on the School Board of Education for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. During his tenure, Patel was involved in making education policy decisions affecting the 11,000 school district students, overseeing a $100 million operating budget and a $300 million capital expenditure budget. He is the Past President and Trustee of the American India Foundation in Los Angeles and the Past President and member of the South Asian Bar Association of Southern California. Patel received his J.D./M.B.A. degrees from University of San Diego and undergraduate degree from University of Southern California.
Mark A. Turner
Mark Turner is a member of the Boards of Trustees of Christiana Care Health System (Delaware) and LaSalle University (Pennsylvania). He is also a member of the Wharton Leadership Advisory Board and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Leadership and Change Management at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Turner is a frequent guest speaker at universities and executive forums on banking, leadership, governance, and innovation.
Turner helped lead WSFS Financial Corporation’s growth in size, profitability, and market value of near 20 times each, and was CFO, COO, CEO, and Executive Chair during his tenure. During his career, Turner has also been a leader on numerous community, industry, and business boards, including serving as Chair of the Delaware Bankers’ Association, Chair of the Delaware Business Roundtable, and on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Advisory Council.
Turner was born and raised in North Philadelphia and received his B.S. from LaSalle University, M.B.A. from University of Pennsylvania, and M.A. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has homes in Pennsylvania and Delaware with his wife, Regina, and their two daughters.
BURLINGTON, N.C. — Feb. 14, 2024 — Sunbrella® Horizon® marine vinyl is now available in Sorrento, a new embossed texture unlike any marine vinyl offering currently available in the United States. The subtly dual-toned Sorrento style layers an embossed woven texture with a multi-dimensional pattern for dynamic sophistication elevated by the use of light and shadow.
The new Sorrento texture is available in four neutral colorways: Toast, Cadet, Cloud and White. Like the entire Sunbrella Horizon lineup, the supremely comfortable Sorrento can be used for a variety of marine applications, including passenger seating, captain’s chairs and sunpads. Whether used for a larger application or a subtle accent, the innovative texture is the perfect way to elevate boat seating by allowing luxurious craftsmanship to truly shine without compromising performance on the water.
“We’re excited to bring this first-of-its-kind texture to boats in the United States,” said Charlie Withers, shade and marine sales director at Sunbrella. “Sorrento opens up an entirely new elevated look and feel for boat seating, and we can’t wait to see all the design possibilities it enables.”
In addition to the four new Sorrento colorways, Sunbrella is introducing three new neutrals to its Horizon collection in the lightly pebbled Capriccio texture. Like the entire Horizon collection, these new colorways are designed to coordinate seamlessly with common gel coats and other fixtures for a cohesive look onboard. Now available in Barley, Storm and Dover White colorways, Capriccio is more versatile than ever before. These additions expand the Horizon collection to 36 fade-resistant styles across three textures.
Sunbrella Horizon delivers the best protection against microbial pink staining in the industry with a comprehensive three-year warranty against pinking, including labor coverage. Horizon also features the most comprehensive 5-year limited warranty covering the cost of both product replacement and labor in the rare case of loss of color or strength. Horizon can be wiped clean, and its knit-backed construction provides easy four-way stretch and recovery, ensuring seating maintains its shape over time. When paired with its resistance to cold cracking, Horizon is designed to ensure boat owners never have to compromise on comfort or performance for years of fun on the water with family and friends.
BURLINGTON, N.C. — Feb. 29, 2024 — Trivantage, a one-stop shop for fabrics, hardware, and accessories, has launched the Seamstick Taper, a convenient tool that makes it easy to apply seam tape to zippers, webbing, and trim. Designed by a fabricator, this ingenious tool makes quick work of a seam tape application, providing placement on one or both edges with no bleed over.
“We understand that applying seam tape can be a tedious task, which is why we brought on this fabricator-designed tool to help speed up the process,” said Keith Purves, business development and training manager at Trivantage. “The Seamstick Taper ensures consistent, precise tape placement, helping fabricators improve accuracy and save valuable production time.”
The Seamstick Taper works by applying 1⁄4” seam tape to the edges of many different sizes of zippers, webbing, and trim. It’s simple to use. To apply the tape, attach the quick-switch tool block to the application, insert the zipper or trim, and pull through the taper tool for effortless seam taping. The Seamstick Taper comes with a #10 Tooth tool block, but other sizes are sold separately including a #8 Tooth, #10 Coil, 1.5” Facing/Webbing, and 2.0” Facing/Webbing.
“At Trivantage, we’re always seeking new ways to make our customers’ lives easier,” said Lindsay Shakarjian, marketing director. “We hope that the Seamstick Taper helps streamline the fabrication process so our customers can increase efficiency and continue to deliver exceptional work.”
HIGH POINT, N.C. — March 1, 2024 — Culp Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, CULP) today announced that it has hired Paige Seadler as the director of Product Marketing for Culp Home Fashions (CHF), the company’s mattress fabrics division.
Seadler has 15 years of experience working in retail, most recently having worked for a top 50 mattress specialty retailer since 2011. Her role will be focused on managing the go-to-market strategy and product development for cut and sewn covers and fabric accessories, as well as leading the division’s Brand Experience team.
Tommy Bruno, president of CHF, said: “Paige brings a strong understanding of the mattress consumer, retail dynamics, merchandising and product. We are very excited to have her join the team and are looking forward to working with her as we continue our strong focus on customer service.”
EMIGSVILLE, Pa. — February 29, 2024 — Herculite Products Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance and custom fabrics, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jake Ritchie as the new business manager for its Custom Engineered Solutions – Agricultural Barn Curtain division.
Jake Ritchie — new Business Manager Custom Engineered Solutions – Agricultural Barn Curtain division
As business manager, Jake Ritchie will oversee the strategic direction of Herculite’s Agriculture Barn Curtain Sales. Jake will bring a unique blend of leadership, industry knowledge, and a proven track record of driving growth.
“I am honored to be part of the Herculite family, specifically the Agricultural Barn Curtain business, and excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of the division,” Ritchie said.
Ritchie will take control of this division of Herculite at an exciting time as the company continues to innovate and introduce cutting-edge solutions to address the evolving needs of the agriculture industry. His leadership will be instrumental in expanding market presence, fostering customer relationships, and driving overall business success.
HOUSTON — February 26, 2024 — Ascend Performance Materials, the largest fully integrated producer of nylon 6,6, announced global price increases on its performance and specialty chemicals, where contracts allow, as follows:
Product family
Product
Price Increase
Performance chemicals
Adipic acid
$0.25/kg
FlexaTrac® acids, esters and
specialties
FlexaTrac®-DME
$0.10 – $0.25/kg
FlexaTram™ specialty amines
FlexaTram™-BHM
$0.10 – $0.50/kg
FlexaTram-DAM
$0.10 – $0.50/kg
Signature Brands
Hexatran™
$0.05 – $0.30/kg
Prionil®
$0.05 – $0.30/kg
These price increases will take effect March 1, 2024. Customers should contact their sales representative for additional information.
Nigel Barker, Hilary Swank, Marci Zaroff of EcoFashion
NEW YORK CITY — February 27, 2024 — Hilary Swank will join Ecofashion’s top executive team as a design director and brand ambassador, alongside founder Marci Zaroff, and creative director Nigel Barker, the prominent TV personality and photographer.
Hilary Swank’s apparel company, Mission Statement, has been acquired by Ecofashion, a “Greenhouse” of sustainable brands led by Ecofashion pioneer Marci Zaroff. This innovative portfolio includes YesAnd, a contemporary conscious fashion brand; Farm to Home, affordable organic bed and bath products; and METAwear, a turnkey, B2B sustainable apparel and home manufacturing platform.
Ecofashion will be launching a variety of clothing capsules each year. The first capsule collection will be eight YesAnd super soft, high-quality styles of versatile little black dresses and cardigans with an average retail of $90 featuring Hilary Swank. This first collection will drop Tuesday, February 27th in collaboration with leading subscription box service, DailyLook by Adore Me.
All styles are certified organic, low-impact dyed, traceable, and ethically made. Through Ecofashion’s proprietary RESET farming and METAwear B2B manufacturing platform in India, Ecofashion brands improve farmer livelihoods, while restoring vital ecosystems through climate-smart regenerative farming practices.
“I’m thrilled to join forces with Marci and Nigel. Our partnership embodies a shared commitment and passion for eco-chic clothing that actively supports human and environmental well-being. We’re saying YES to a future where style AND sustainability coexist,” says Hilary Swank.
“As mothers and citizens of the planet, Hilary and I share a profound alignment in harnessing the power of fashion and business to co-create positive change in the world,” adds Marci Zaroff.
“Across my career, I’ve championed the mission to render exclusivity accessible. While some brands have tiptoed into sustainability and eco-friendly practices, the fashion industry often relegates it to a niche with a premium. Ecofashion isn’t just a catchy name; it’s the name synonymous with revolutionizing our perspective on fashion — what, why, and how we dress. It’s about time we collectively start making a fashion statement that resonates with our values and the planet we live on,” says Nigel Barker.
Swank, Zaroff, and Barker are proud to unite for a sustainable fashion mission, aiming to positively transform the $2 trillion global fashion and textile industry. Committed to the 5 P’s—people, planet, prosperity, passion, and purpose — they endeavor to inspire a conscious way of dressing, emphasizing style and empowerment in ethically sourced clothing.
For further details on this partnership and to explore the entire collection of brands, please visit www.ecofashion.com
AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG & OAKLAND, Calif.— February 26, 2024 — The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) enters a new phase of positive impact, rebranding as Cascale, a global nonprofit alliance that empowers collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Spanning over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, industry associations, and NGOs/nonprofits around the globe, Cascale’s members are united by a singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than they take to the planet and its people. With members and “founding father” Rick Ridgeway, the organization will celebrate the change at a networking event in London on February 27.
“Cascale’s vision reflects my mission to inspire responsible businesses that commit to transparency and benefit people and the planet,” said Ridgeway, author, adventurer, former vice president of sustainability and public engagement at Patagonia, and Cascale’s co-founder. “Its enduring collaborative spirit and unwavering commitment to sustainability has delivered tremendous impact – but we still have work to do, together. As Cascale evolves to address the needs of a broader scope of consumer goods beyond apparel and footwear, I’m proud to celebrate this new vision of an organization that is close to my heart.”
The “Cas” in Cascale is “SAC” reversed, while “CA” refers to “collective action,” and “scale” references scaled ambitions. The “C” in Cascale evokes a new “phase” similar to lunar cycles in nature, as well as moonlight or a mirrored reflection. The logo’s elements symbolize the organization’s three member categories, and external stakeholders, all critical players in advancing the unified strategy announced in September 2023. Cascale is pronounced “kæsk eɪl.”
“Over the years, this organization has consistently demonstrated commitment to living out its values and embracing change for collective good,” said Tamar Hoek, Cascale board chair and senior policy director at Solidaridad. “I am excited to continue my involvement as board chair at Cascale, alongside executives and staff, and work with members and partners in this exciting new chapter. This is the next evolution towards impact.”
“Collaboration is at the heart of creating positive change in the industry,” said Krishna Manda, Cascale vice chair and vice president, corporate sustainability at Lenzing Group. “Just as we’ve emphasized before, no single player can drive this alone. Cascale’s impactful work has set the stage for a transformative journey. We are thrilled to continue supporting the organization in its next phase of development, building on the revised strategic plan. This is not just a transition; it’s a shared evolution towards a healthier and greener future for everyone.”
History and Higg Index
In 2009, Walmart and Patagonia founded the SAC to convene apparel industry stakeholders on a pre-competitive basis and develop a common approach to measuring sustainability. In 2010, the SAC launched the Higg Index suite of tools, which are used by businesses and organizations to measure, evaluate, and improve social and environmental impact in the textile, apparel, and footwear industry. Each year, over 24,000 users rely on the Higg Index for improved benchmarking, reduced auditing, and proactive action. As home furnishings, sporting and outdoor goods, and bags and luggage companies began joining the SAC and using the Higg Index tools alongside existing corporate and non-corporate SAC members, the organization identified the need for a more expansive name: Cascale reflects its goal of scaling collective action. As of January 2024, 10 percent of Cascale’s members serve or operate in product categories adjacent to apparel and footwear.
“At Dunelm, we remain as ambitious as ever about being a company that focuses on growing sustainably,” said Christina Downend, head of climate change at Dunelm, a home furnishings retailer and Cascale candidate member. “This has meant combining long-term thinking with shorter-term, achievable, and measurable goals. The Cascale global community and Higg Index tools have helped us on that journey, not least as we develop initiatives such as our Better Manufacturing programme, where we are supporting and engaging our suppliers on their own transitions to net zero. Our goals cannot be met without collaboration and we are excited to be part of this community, to share knowledge and ideas so that we all make progress to fulfill our ambitions.”
Programs
Cascale drives impact at scale through three foundational pillars — Combat Climate Change, Decent Work for All, and Nature Positive Future — forming a unified strategy for industry transformation through collective action programs that guide members from action to impact. The Decarbonization Program, launched in 2022, is one leading example of these programs in action: It aims for members to achieve a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. As of 2023, Cascale’s corporate members are required to set science-based targets (SBTs) for reducing GHG emissions; by the end of that year, when the organization launched the Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP), over 50 percent of these members had set or committed to set SBTs.
Cascale is now building and expanding impact programs focused on responsible corporate practices, circular product design, and responsible manufacturing, while advocating for effective policy that aims to leverage collective action, making systemic change not just possible but inevitable.
“We know that synergies exist across industries and regions. Building on our experience and success in bringing together different actors across global apparel and footwear value chains to create shared tools and solutions, now is the time to expand our reach and engage a wider membership base to drive collective action at scale,” said Andrew Martin, executive vice president at Cascale. “Together, we are seeking to shape a consumer goods industry that gives back more than it takes to the planet and its people.”
Partnerships
Cascale continues to act on the belief that partnership is the new leadership. Traditional business models exacerbate rather than mitigate social and environmental problems; accepting the status quo is antithetical to the organization’s mission. Cascale works collaboratively to shift the industry from silos to collective action: With the Apparel Alliance (Apparel Impact Institute, Textile Exchange, ZDHC Foundation, and Cascale), Social & Labor Convergence Program, Policy Hub, Fair Wear Foundation, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH programs, and many others, Cascale continuously develops and supports initiatives that aim to catalyze impact at scale. Following its spin-off from the SAC in 2019, Worldly, the exclusive platform for the Higg Index tools, has become the leader in environmental and social impact data for the apparel and footwear industry.
“Stakeholders across the value chain prioritize sustainability performance aimed at industry-wide harmonization, reduction of duplicative efforts, and radical collaboration for tool, program, and policy adoption,” said Carolina van Loenen, director of stakeholder engagement at Cascale. “Our new name and branding reflect our expanded ability to increase our community’s collective impact. Cascale remains committed to embracing the diverse perspectives of our members, partners, and external stakeholders to align on meaningful action.”
ABINGDON, Md. — March 1, 2024 — SMART President Steve Rees said, “As our trade association continues to grow, we are connecting members to new markets and working to reduce the global textile waste crisis.”
