This appeal represents the union of industry titans from fashion and sportswear, along with other stakeholders and innovators. In a release, AAFA stated that the signatories included representatives of diverse materials such as leather, textiles, and wool and also those who champion sustainability, circularity and authenticity within fashion.
According to industry estimates, these regulations result in the production of about 5.7 miles (9.2 km) of label tape every year. The label tape produced annually would be enough to go from Earth back to the moon twelve times.
The AAFA IAF and 128 organisations from around the world have urged governments to adopt new rules for fashion labels, urging them to use digital labels in order to improve sustainability.
The current labelling demand leads to the annual production of approximately 5.7 millions miles of tape.
This move reflects the company’s commitment to reducing environmental impact while increasing economic efficiency.
Consumers today are looking for more information and less waste. Unlocking digital possibilities will open up a world of opportunities. Buyers can access more precise and accurate details about textiles and garments they’re considering purchasing, as well as information regarding their origin and materials. It also unlocks more information throughout the garment’s lifecycle, including details about resale, repair, rental, upcycling, or recycling. It is an important tool to create a responsible, agile and global fashion industry. Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA. “We need the Federal Trade Commission, and sister agencies around the globe, to update their rules to give companies the option to meet labelling standards using digital means.”
Digital labels could help reduce the amount of waste generated by labeling and contribute to decarbonisation. This would result in an estimated 343,000MT of CO2e being removed from the industry’s supply chain. With greater demand for more traceability, transparency, and accountability from all stakeholders in the industry’s global value chain, the time for supranational, national, and local authorities to act and update these outdated, inflexible, and complex labelling requirements and empower their consumers with more accessible information through greener e-labelling is now,” as per the letter.
It is clear that we must move forward with digital labeling for clothing and footwear. Globally, consumers, industry and the environment all need it. The patchwork of outdated legislation in many countries is impeding the path towards modern clothing and footwear labels. “There is no other way to overcome these obstacles than full industry coordination and collaboration at a global level,” stated Matthijs Crietee is the IAF’s secretary general.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk