30 March 2022, Mumbai:

Low-Cost, Open-Source Innovation for Collecting Ocean-Bound Plastic | MAS Holdings

The Ocean Strainer is a series of low-cost (~$6,000), floating trash traps installed in the canals of Sri Lanka.

The first was installed in August 2020 in the Dehiwala canal in Colombo and MAS is excited to share that 9 traps are now in operation!

ALSO READ  MAS Holdings Announces Company-Wide Sustainability Strategy: Plan for Change

Some have been implemented through MAS and its partners while others have been obtained through open-source technology.

Understanding that 80% of the plastic that reaches the ocean comes from rivers and canals, MAS found it crucial to address the marine plastic issue at the source by trapping and removing plastic before it reaches the ocean.

Each Ocean Strainer is a 130-ft wide buoyant barrier that floats on the length of a canal blocking plastic from reaching the ocean through the canal mouth.

RELATED NEWS Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) acquires lingerie brand 'Amante from MAS Holdings'

The waste is then collected daily and the plastic becomes recycled PET.

The volume of collected waste from the first trap diverted approximately 67,450 kilograms (148,767 lbs) between August 2020 – September 2021. The Ocean Strainer is an easy-to-manage solution preventing plastic from entering the oceans.

Join our community on Linkedin 

23 March 2022, Mumbai:

According to the most recent OTEXA statistics, US apparel imports from Ethiopia were US $ 42.76 million in January 2022. During the first month of 2022, the African country's garment exports to the United States increased by 97.70 percent.

Cotton apparels provided US $ 27.04 million to the entire shipment, representing 95.18 percent year-over-year increase, while MMF apparels contributed US $ 15.06 million, representing 100.57 percent yearly growth.

Kidswear was the most popular product category imported by US customers from Ethiopia in January 2022, with a value of US $ 8.04 million, representing a 64.39 percent yearly increase. Women's slacks were the second most popular product category, with imports worth US $ 6.64 million. Imports of slacks increased by 145.45% on a yearly basis. 

ALSO READ NCTO Welcomes Appointment of Jennifer Knight as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods and Materials at the U.S. Department of Commerce

Another product that reached the US $ 6 million mark in terms of export value from Ethiopia to the United States was men's cotton trousers, which grew at a rate of 166.08 percent per year.

RELATED NEWS China’S RMG imports from Bangladesh drop due to duty barriers

It's worth noting that, despite the United States' suspension of Ethiopia's access to AGOA benefits in November, Ethiopian exports have continued to climb. The African country ended 2021 with garment exports of US $ 260.73 million to its single top export destination, the United States, up 18% year on year.

Join our community on Linkedin 

CREDITS:  Apparel Resources.

15 March 2022, Mumbai:

The Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) and BGMEA have renewed their longstanding partnership for another year under a newly revitalised memorandum of understanding (MoU).

ALSO READ BGMEA: BAAFA Exec Summit participation to boost Bangladesh’s RMG

The MoU was signed by Avedis Seferian, president and CEO of WRAP, and Faruque Hassan, president of BGMEA, on behalf of their respective sides at WRAP's headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, USA on Friday (11 March).

BGMEA Directors Abdullah Hil Rakib and Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, and Chairman of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud were present on the occasion.

RELATED ARTICLE BGMEA: Bangladesh & India has enormous scope to complement each other

Join our community on Linkedin 

CREDITS: BGMEA & Business Standard (The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff).

29 March 2022, Mumbai:

(28 March 2022) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has once again excelled in this year’s online special edition of the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva (Geneva Inventions Expo) - Special Edition 2022 Inventions Geneva Evaluation Days – Virtual Event.

ALSO READ Operation Excellence through Optimized Automatic AI Based Planning Systems

PolyU researchers commit to the motto of the University, "To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”, by transferring their research into impactful real-life applications that benefit society.

RELAVANT NEWS Through its technology suites, BlueKaktus assists major fashion brands in achieving operational excellence

The awards received by the PolyU teams are testament to their determination and unique capabilities in their areas of expertise, which have earned them international recognition.

The teams will continue their good work by developing more innovative solutions that will eventually benefit Hong Kong, the Nation and the world.

Join our community on Linkedin 

22 March 2022, Mumbai:

Sycamore Partners, an American private equity group, is interested in purchasing Ted Baker, a British apparel company.

Sycamore Partners claimed in a statement to the press that it is in the early stages of exploring making a cash bid for the apparel business.

However, the US retail investor must indicate whether it intends to make a solid bid or walk away by April 15th (5 p.m.).

ALSO READ Technocian Fashions to acquire s.Oliver Group’s Garments India Private Limited (“S.O.T. Garments India”) via share purchase agreement

Meanwhile, under the leadership of Rachel Osborne, Ted Baker is in the midst of a three-year recovery plan.

RELATED NEWS Venture Intelligence report: Investments by PE-VCs registers grow in Jan 2022

The goal is to improve the company's image and profitability after some recent setbacks, which included the departure of founder Ray Kelvin.

The fashion firm recently had a 35 percent increase in Q4 sales, which was 18 percent higher than Q3 sales.

Join our community on Linkedin 

CREDITS: Retail Week & Apparel Resources.

11 March 2022, Mumbai:

A delegation of BGMEA led by President Faruque Hassan has joined the Executive Summit of American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) being held in Washington DC in the US to represent the apparel industry of Bangladesh.

They also showcased RMG success stories and potential among international brands and buyers reads a press release.

The delegation comprised Vice President Miran Ali, Directors Abdullah Hil Rakib and Barrister Vidiya Amrit Khan, and Chairman of BGMEA Standing Committee on Foreign Mission Cell Shams Mahmud.

The AAFA Executive Summit 2022 brought together senior-level executives from retail, apparel, footwear, and fashion accessory brands from the US and the globe for two days of thought-provoking dialogue, said a press release on Friday.

ALSO READ BGMEA: Bangladesh & India has enormous scope to complement each other

On the sideline of the event, the BGMEA leaders met with senior representatives of leading apparel brands including Halide Alagöz, Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain and Sustainability Officer at Ralph Lauren Corp, Christopher J Volpe, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer at United Legwear and Apparel Co and Chris Gleeson, Director, Global Marketing, YKK (USA) Inc on 10 March.

During the meetings, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan apprised them of the paradigm shift of Bangladesh's garment industry in the area of workplace safety and exemplary strides in environmental sustainability.

He also shed light on the industry's commitment and continued efforts to remain as a preferred choice of global apparel brands as a safe, ethical and sustainable sourcing destination.

RELATED ARTICLE BGMEA x UNI Global Union to tie-up

Join our community on Linkedin 

CREDITS: TBS News.

26 March 2022, Mumbai:

Faruque Hassan, President, of BGMEA has emphasized the need for more collaboration between industry and academia to support the development of the RMG industry especially by identifying areas of improvement and capacity enhancement and providing with knowledge and skills required to address future challenges.

ALSO READ BGMEA: Bangladesh & India has enormous scope to complement each other

During a meeting with Peter Lund-Thomsen, Professor, Copenhagen Business School, and Gavin Bridge, a professor at Durham University, Hassan said, the RMG industry has made exemplary achievements in terms of workplace safety, environmental sustainability, and workers' well-being.

RELATED NEWS BGMEA: BAAFA Exec Summit participation to boost Bangladesh’s RMG

An industry-academic collaboration can play a vital role in documenting these success stories to create a counter-narrative of the industry which will not only help to remove misconceptions and negative perceptions about the sector but also inspire others to follow them, added.

Join our community on Linkedin 

11 March 2022, Mumbai:

The Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile has drawn up an extensive document that helps companies in the sector step by step to engage in international responsible business conduct (RBC).

The document also contains links to resources, practical examples of companies and explanations of terms. This makes it also very useful for companies from other sectors to get started with international RBC.

The document helps companies prepare for upcoming RBC legislation.

ALSO READ: As Sustainability Concerns Increase: Organic Apparels Acceptance Grows

The so-called 'Practical guide for companies on IRBC and OECD due diligence' formed the basis for the annual assessment of participating companies in the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile that recently expired.

This framework -assessed positively by the OECD- implements the OECD Guidelines for due diligence in a practical way through an extensive questionnaire.

This means that companies identify, prevent, and mitigate potential risks in their supply chain, and account for how they deal with them.

The framework makes clear what a company should tackle first, why it is relevant, which tools are helpful and which organizations can help.

Prepared for legislation

The European Union presented a proposal on due diligence legislation two weeks ago and a proposal on the Corporate Social Responsibility Directive (CSRD) last year.

The assessment framework helps companies to prepare for this.

RELATED ARTICLE Coats: Sustainability Report 2021

Join our community on Linkedin 

23 March 2022, Mumbai:

The Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will now be held alongside Autumn Edition from August 29-31, 2022 instead of its original April schedule at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai.

Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics is a comprehensive platform for exhibitors to showcase their supreme apparel fabrics and accessories.

ALSO READ Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics-Spring Edition 2022: Focus on the theme-‘Connected’

The event offers plenty of business opportunities to meet potential customers, explore new market opportunities, learn about next season’s trends, and add value to your business.

It is currently one of the biggest and most comprehensive apparel fabric and accessories exhibitions in the world.

RELATED NEWS The Spring Edition of Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics will be held from 9 to 11 March in 2022 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)

With both the spring and autumn editions held in Shanghai, this exhibition helps overseas suppliers build stronger relationships in the region and enhance their presence in the market.

Join our community on Linkedin 

16 March 2022, Mumbai:

The joint entry made by A&E, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and Triad for “Life Chant” Dengue Awareness campaign won Merit awards in four categories including ‘Nonprofit/Pro-bono/Public Service’, ‘Disease Awareness / Education Advocacy’, ‘Media Innovation’ and ‘Influencers’.

The innovative campaign focused on educating slum dwellers in Colombo that their actions such as improper waste disposal and poor water storage were resulting in the creation of dengue mosquito breeding spots.

In these poverty-stricken areas, religion takes prominence with the highest density of religious shrines present.

Educative chants on dengue mosquito breeding were written, recorded and recited by monks.

ALSO READ: ITMF Awards 2022 Extension of Deadline until April 30th, 2022

These chants were aired during morning and evening pirith through loudspeakers in temples and shrines situated in the heart of the slums spreading the message to the entire community.

Monks also visited the slums and educated people on dengue breeding tied special ‘Life Thread’ (pirith nool) that was infused with citronella oil and with the pattern of the unique marking of the dengue mosquito is a reminder to clean breeding spots.

The campaign resulted in over 300 homes being cleared of dengue breeding spots, 1.9 million people reached through shrines and radio, and 92% recall of dengue breeding spots.

Commenting on their involvement and the win, Sanjay Chandraratna – Director Sales & Marketing, A&E Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, stated, “We are proud to have made such an impact with our ‘Life Chant’ campaign by taking home as many as 4 Merit awards.

RELATED ARTICLE TED SHEELY AWARDED 2021 COTTON GROW COTTON ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Join our community on Linkedin 

CREDITS: Lanka Image (The news article has not been edited by DFU Publications staff).

10 March 2022, Mumbai:

Riding on the momentum of a successful switch to an annual event last year, Cinte Techtextil China will take place from 6 – 8 September 2022 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre to provide a more frequent platform for industry players to gather.

As the daughter show of Techtextil in Germany, Cinte Techtextil China’s product categories comprehensively span the full range of potential uses of modern technical textiles and nonwovens, providing tailor-made solutions for the entire industry.

ALSO READ: Showcasing the limitless nonwovens possibilities at Cinte Techtextil China 2022

A business and networking hub Cinte Techtextil China wrapped up its 2021 edition with 366 exhibitors showcasing their innovations across a 26,000 sqm of exhibition space, whilst over 14,868 visits were recorded.

The fair offered the perfect platform for face-to-face information exchange and networking amongst industry leaders of technical textiles and nonwovens.

RELATED ARTICLE Flocus TM kapok nonwovens and fabrics, the ecoresponsible innovation for the leather goods and footwear industry

Join our community on Linkedin