BRUSSELS — September 27, 2022 — Launched today, the new Horizon Europe project CISUTAC will support the transition to a circular and sustainable textile sector. As part of a consortium of 27 partners working on the project, EURATEX will work towards facilitating the Circular Economy transition.

While the production and consumption of textile products continue to grow, so does the impact on the environment caused by a lack of reuse, repair and recycle of materials. Quality, durability, and recyclability are often not being set as priorities in the design and manufacturing of garments (EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, March 2022).

CISUTAC aims to remove current bottlenecks in order to increase textile circularity in Europe. The objective is to minimize the sector’s total environmental impact by developing new, sustainable and integrated large-scale European value chains.

The project will include most parts of the textile sector: comprising the two groups of fibers that represent almost 90 percent of all textile fibers — polyester and cotton/cellulose — and focusing on products from three sub-sectors experiencing most circularity bottlenecks — fashion garments, sports and outdoor goods, and workwear.

CISUTAC will follow a holistic approach covering the technical, sectoral and socio-economic aspects of textile value chain, and will perform 3 pilot phases to demonstrate the feasibility and value of:

• Repair and disassembling;
• Sorting (for reuse and recycling); and
• Circular garments through fibre-to-fiber recycling and design for circularity.

To realize these pilots, the consortium partners will:

• Develop semi-automated workstations;
• Analyze infrastructure and material flows;
• Digitally enhance sorting operations (for reuse and recycling); and
• Raise awareness among consumers and the textile industry.

As part of the CISUTAC consortium, EURATEX will facilitate the Circular Economy transition, liaise with other projects & initiatives, support the development of training and education material, including masterclasses and MOOC, raise awareness in Europe of the environmental impact of textile and provide input for policy, standardization and certification to facilitate the transition to the Circular Economy.

Posted September 27, 2022

Source: EURATEX

BALTIMORE, Sept. 27, 2022 – Under Armour Inc. today announced the release of its 2021 Sustainability & Impact Report, outlining a new sustainability framework, goals, and targets that will guide the company’s work to reduce the environmental footprint associated with its products and operations while accelerating its social and community impact.

Aligned with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainable Accounting Standard Board

(SASB) industry standards, the report outlines 23 goals and targets designed to drive company progress across three key pillars — Products, Home Field, and Team — and underscore Under Armour’s core values, including ‘Act Sustainably’ and ‘Stand for Equality.’

“As a global innovator and leader in athletic performance apparel, footwear, and accessories, we believe Under Armour has an important role to play in addressing impending challenges facing our society, industry, and planet. This belief informs our innovation methods and compels us to rethink, reinvent, and reimagine our products and how we make them in our work to support athletes and protect people and our shared planet,” said Colin Browne, Under Armour interim president and CEO. “Mindful that lasting change will require global cooperation across communities and industries, our new report conveys our renewed commitments to continuous improvement, industrywide collaboration, and transparent communication with our stakeholders in our ongoing sustainability journey.”

Under Armour’s sustainability approach, What’s Under Matters, reflects the company’s mission to make athletes better by focusing on performance-driven innovations that utilize more sustainable materials designed for recyclability and more efficient production processes in its delivery of durable, quality, high-performing products athletes know and trust.

“The details underlying a company’s sustainability strategy are foundational to its longevity and ability to generate lasting impact. For this reason, Under Armour has worked diligently over the years to finalize our approach and take concerted action before releasing this report,” said Michael Levine, Under Armour vice president and chief sustainability officer. “We’re pleased to share our accomplishments and perspective on our future goals, and we look forward to providing updates on our progress.”

A selection of report highlights within each pillar follows:

Products

Through 10 goals, the company is embracing material innovations that will enable less waste and more durability, setting the stage for circular systems by 2030, including:

• Prioritizing recycled and renewable materials and reducing single-use plastic brand product packaging by 75 percent by 2025.
• Implementing sustainability and circular design principles in at least half of its products by 2027 and developing chemistry and processes that can enable a circular footwear program to be launched in market, at scale, by 2030. At the end of 2021, approximately 40 percent of fabrics used in the company’s apparel and accessories were made from materials capable of being recycled.
• Supporting innovation that reduces fiber shedding from textiles and targeting 75 percent of fabric to be made of low-shed materials, as defined by industry-leading guidance on fabric shedding that the company will work collectively to shape by 2030.

Home Field

The company is working to reduce its overall environmental footprint and do its part to protect the planet through seven goals, including:

• Eliminating 100 percent of biocides and fluorine DWR in its products by 2025.
• Reducing absolute scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent and increasing renewable energy in owned and operated facilities to 100 percent by 2030.
• Advancing low-impact manufacturing, reducing the environmental impact of its materials, and targeting net-zero emissions by 2050.

Team

The company is supporting its people and communities through six goals that build upon longstanding efforts, including:

• Continuing to invest in teammates’ health, safety, and well-being – including through initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion and develop underrepresented talent at all levels.
• Protecting workers’ human rights and well-being in its supply chain through comprehensive programs and audits.
• Working to create opportunities for millions of youth to engage in sports by 2030.

To download the 2021 Sustainability & Impact Report and for further information on Under Armour’s sustainability program, visit this link.

Posted September 27, 2022

Source: Under Armour

PHILADELPHIA — September 26, 2022 — Anthropologie — the American retailer offering an assortment of apparel, accessories, home décor furnishings, beauty, and bridal — announced today a multi-faceted celebration for its 30th Anniversary launching this week.

At its core, Anthropologie is driven by creativity and curiosity, and inspiring those qualities in their customers. To honor their dedicated community and inspire their next generation, Anthropologie will celebrate this monumental occasion with an experiential pop-up gallery in New York City, one-of-a-kind shopping experiences and event activations at select stores across the country, social activations and giveaways to their enthusiastic community, a book launch for their first-ever coffee-table book, the unveiling of their new A Greater Good philanthropic commitment, and a pledge to a more responsible future.

“This significant milestone represents an exceptional moment in Anthropologie’s history to not only celebrate our legacy, culture, and community, but more importantly, to look ahead to our next chapter as a brand,” says Tricia Smith, Global CEO of Anthropologie Group. “Anthropologie has always been a brand that looks to create inspirational and unique experiences through all customer touchpoints — whether that be on social media, our on-site experience, events, or in-store, and we take great pride in serving our incredibly loyal community all over the world. Through our anniversary celebrations, I am thrilled to give everyone a sneak peek at the creative culture we have become so well known for, to highlight the amazing Anthropologie team who brings our brand to life every day, and most importantly, to pave a clear path forward for our next 30 years.”

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Anthropologie will launch a series of noteworthy initiatives:

• “By Hand, By Heart” Art Gallery Pop-Up at the New York Academy of Art: The creative team at Anthropologie has built an interactive installation at the New York Academy of Art featuring their most beloved window displays, in-store vignettes, and iconic display objects that their team has crafted over the course of their 30-year history. The gallery will be open to the public on Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2.
• “The Art of Anthropologie” Book Launch published by Rizzoli: From its bold beginning in 1992, Anthropologie has been redefining the retail landscape with magically immersive spaces that invite customers to wander, explore, and be inspired. The Art of Anthropologie showcases a curation of Anthropologie’s most treasured retail destinations, a narrative catalog of their unique creations, quintessential design details, and a behind-the-scenes look at their celebrated creative team and the processes that lead to inspirational brand experiences. Their windows have put the brand’s spirit on display, and the book highlights how they are able to create unforgettable visual metaphors through upcycled materials.
• Commitment of $1 Million Dollars to Education and the Arts: Anthropologie pledges a charitable donation of at least $1 million dollars to organizations and programs dedicated to education and the arts over the next 4 years. With this commitment, Anthropologie looks to invest in and nurture the creatives, artists, and innovators who have been integral to the growth of their brand and business. Tied to their brand purpose of inspiring, expressing, and empowering creativity in their work and in the world, Anthropologie hopes to create access to careers in the arts and bring out creativity in others through financial donations, collaborations, customer fundraising, employee engagement, and mentorship opportunities.
• Pledge to a More Responsible Future: Being mindful of their environmental impact across all business operations, Anthropologie has transitioned their in-store brand packaging to a fully sustainable program. All in-store packaging is recyclable and reusable, and shopping bags, gift boxes, and tissue paper are all made from post-consumer recycled materials and are 100 percent single-stream recyclable.

“At Anthropologie, we are constantly looking for new and inventive ways to inspire, excite, and serve our customer,” says Smith. “We will continue to celebrate curiosity, creativity, and innovation, and hope that our brand will always spark a sense of joy in our customers. We are honored to have built such a robust community and acknowledge the responsibility we have as a brand to continually review how we can do better and how we push forward to better our business and our practices. We are beyond grateful, appreciative, and enthusiastic to continue in our journey together and for the next 30 years of Anthropologie.”

Posted: September 26, 2022

Source: Anthropologie