With the development of technology and the change of people’s concept, going green becomes a tendency for the textile industry. Industry that wants to gain more benefits in the global market must change the traditional way of production to a more sustainable form. In this article, some solutions of how to achieve sustainability for textile industries will be discussed.
Challenges of Sustainability
Recycling and sustainability
Sustainability in textile production and recycling is not sufficient now. So it’s important to separate different materials to use them in repetition.
Costs
Because of commodity prices fluctuation, the cost of production in the textile industry is increasing frequently. With more and more companies entering the business, prices of materials needed are rising gradually. Customers will choose a cheaper brand when a company clothing lines get more experience, unless the company can position its products in a better market where higher prices might be accepted.
Competition
Various affordable international brands, like Zara, H&M and so on, take a big part of the market share because of their impressively effective supply chains, which present a competitive challenge for smaller companies.
Four Main Reasons To Be Sustainable
Ensuring environmental compliance
Regulations on textile industry become increasingly strict, and countries race to be seen as the “most sustainable”. Thus, industries should comply with new future regulations to be ahead of the competition.
Save cost
Lower energy and resource usage
Being sustainable can reduce energy and resource costs, although there may be some initial investment required during the production processes.
Enhanced profit margin
Industries are able to charge a premium for their goods, if their products are organic and sustainable, which consumers are willing to pay.
Increased sales
More and more people pay attention to environmental sustainability, so do the consumers. Therefore, it can increase sales if industries maintain an excellent image for sustainability.
Improve positive impact on the environment
Lower the environmental burden is everyone’s responsibility. So industries should take this responsibility to protect our planet.
How to Achieve Sustainability
Corporate responsibility matters
A corporate responsibility initiative is necessary to guide what your company does. Managers of your company should sit down and have an effective discussion of how you will become green. You may choose some clear energy, like solar power and natural fibers. Each of the steps listed will shape your corporate responsibility initiative.
Renewable energy
A lot of energy is used during the process of production, so you need some clear energy like solar and wind energy to fill in gaps. In addition, companies can save quite a lot of money if they use renewable energy. So you can set up the systems to run on solar or wind power, and you can even buy a solar powered water pump to bring water into your facility from a nearby source.
Recycling
It will not take so much resources from the ecosystem if you choose to use recycled materials. It costs a lot to raise and harvest wool or other fibers. And buying cotton is damaging to the environment due to the farming that is involved. Therefore, you can seek a more responsible way of manufacturing.
Consider work conditions
Companies must ensure that the working conditions are good enough to achieve sustainability. There must be clear air and no extra waste in the factories and facilities. Companies can turn to composting to collect all your natural manufacturing products. Another good way is to create a section for recycled materials so that you can reuse them during the production process, which is a very simple way that you can insist on.