International Financial Corporation( IFC) has launched a US $ 9.9 million project to assist Vietnamese garment and textile companies in enhancing resource efficiency and thereby saving US $ 15 million by minimizing the consumption of water, energy and chemicals. IFC made this announcement at a recently concluded workshop held in Ho Chi Minh City. Under the programme, the selected 28 suppliers of VF and Target Corporation, who have invested the said US $ 9.9 million, are in cutting, sewing, dyeing, printing, laundry and other garment washing operations. By implementing a combination of low-cost and more complex factory projects, these suppliers achieved average water and energy savings of |
more than 20 per cent. Once all the recommendations under the project are implemented along with an additional investment of US $ 26 million in new equipment, the targeted enterprises will save up to 2.8 million c 3 m of water and 5,62,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year in the next two years.“ The results of the project in the first stage have proven economically efficient, thanks to the saving of resources,” averred Kyle Kelhofer, Country Director, IFC for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Kelhofer further added that with the growing economy and the growing industry, measures to increase resource efficiency in the garment industry will open up important opportunities for Vietnam to boost sustainable growth in the private sector. |
UK-based Waste and Resources Action Programme( WRAP), which works with businesses, individuals and communities to achieve a circular economy by helping them reduce waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way, has launched a Sustainable Clothing Guide to support brands and retailers to enhance the durability and quality of the apparels they produce. The Guide shares simple steps to best practice on how to design, produce and sell sustainable clothing that last longer and which can easily be repaired and re-used.
“ We encourage designers and product technologists within brands and retailers to use this Guide as part of their daily work to embed durability at the product
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design and development stages,” as stated in a statement issued by WRAP.
Working together, the clothing industry can pioneer sustainability throughout the lifecycle of clothing. WRAP’ s research –‘ Valuing our Clothes’ – found that the most significant opportunity to reduce carbon, water and waste is to increase the active life of clothes. Extending the life of clothes by nine months of active use would reduce carbon, water and waste footprints by 4-10 per cent, it added.
The Guide states that Durability drives Quality, which safeguards against garment failure; strengthens brand reputation; and cements customer satisfaction and loyalty.
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