#Recycling / Circular Economy

2023-11-02

Inditex will acquire through its supply chain the first available 2,000 tonnes of fibre made from Circulose®

Circulose®, produced by Swedish company Renewcell, is obtained entirely from recycled cotton textile waste. The choice of this innovative fibre is framed by Inditex’s commitment to only using textile raw materials with lower impact on the environment by 2030.

Inditex is set to integrate the innovative pulp Circulose® , made by Swedish company Renewcell from textile waste, into its collections. Under an agreement with the fibre producer Tangshan Sanyou, which carries out the industrial process of transforming the pulp into textile fibre, Inditex´s suppliers will acquire the first 2,000 tonnes of raw material made from a blend of Circulose® and cellulose sourced from sustainably-managed forests.

Renewcell has commissioned its first industrial-scale plant for the production of Circulose® , an innovative textile pulp made from cotton waste that is recycled in a chemical process. As part of its plans for the staggered introduction of this new material, Inditex will continue to add this fully-recycled pulp to its fabrics over the coming seasons through its extensive network of suppliers.

The addition of this new fibre to Inditex’s ranges marks a step on the roadmap established by the Group to meet its commitment of only using textile fibres with a smaller impact on the environment by 2030, with at least 25% of its fibres come from next-generation fibres that currently have no industrial scale, in line with Canopy’s efforts to champion next-generation cellulose fibres.

Inditex will fund the university education of 50 female textile industry workers in Bangladesh for five years

Inditex and the Asian University for Women have launched a new scholarship program to support the academic training of female textile factory workers in Bangladesh. Inditex will allocate €3.75 million to fund this initiative, enabling 50 women to access pre-university and university education over the next five years, providing them with new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Inditex reports strong Q1 2024 performance

Inditex's sales grew by 7.1% in Q1 2024, reaching €8.2 billion. Sales in constant currency rose by 10.6%. Gross profit increased by 7.3% to €4.9 billion, with a gross margin of 60.6%. Operating expenses increased by 6.4%, below the sales growth rate. EBITDA rose by 8% to €2.4 billion, while EBIT grew by 10.3% to €1.6 billion. Net income saw a 10.8% increase, reaching €1.3 billion.

Recover™ launches Recover™ Fabrics to accelerate recycled cotton adoption

Recover™, a leading materials science company and one of the world’s largest producers of recycled cotton fiber, today announced the launch of Recover™ Fabrics, a new product line designed to make premium, low-impact fabrics readily accessible to brands of all sizes, from global retailers to emerging labels.

Innovation and customer proximity – KARL MAYER’s clear focus makes an impression

ITMA ASIA in Singapore was a resounding success for KARL MAYER, exceeding all expectations. The company welcomed visitors from 39 countries and held around 570 expert discussions. Most guests came from India, followed by China, Indonesia and Pakistan. The exchange with them was both well-founded and targeted. Conversation topics ranged from investment projects and new technologies to opportunities for cooperation and business expansion.

Catching heart disease early with AI-based sensor system

It slips on like a normal vest: Fraunhofer IZM has created a smart sensor system in cooperation with the Charité and the Technical University of Berlin. The vest records a vast array of cardiovascular parameters, which an AI-based system uses to support medical diagnostics and spot potentially dangerous developments.

ICAC to collaborate with Uzbekistan and Bizpando on regenerative agriculture

The Government of Uzbekistan has allocated 55,000 hectares of land to implement a regenerative agriculture program for cotton as part of a collaborative project with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and Bizpando, a company with a a blockchain-based internet platform designed to ensure supply chain compliance.