ChapterPDF Available

Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile Industry in Latin America

Authors:

Abstract and Figures

The textile industry profiles of key countries in Latin America and their developments have been analysed, in terms of sustainability. Different aspects related to social consciousness, environmental, and labour aspects have been considered. Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina are presented as examples to describe the sustainable development in the Latin American textile sector. There was a decrease in Latin American textile markets due to the introduction of products from Asian countries. On the one hand, this scenario has put much pressure on Latin American countries to improve their textile products quality, a way to give a better value for their local consumers. On the other hand, labour costs in Latin America are increasing due to its economic development, which has been a big challenge for Latin American textile industries to compete in the international market. New technologies are also playing a major role to compete with products from Asia. Some examples are Mexico with its smart textileñ Colombia has enhanced its production speed as well as introduced high-quality customized products from local producers. In most Latin American countries, a sustainability agenda has pursued by the private sector, including artisanal textiles on their markets and recycled textile materials into their markets. These cases can be seen in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay. Countries with strong governmental support (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and, Peru) have a solid raw sustainable material export system, the most important ones are organic cotton, wool, and alpaca. A special case is Chile with its pulp cellulose production which will start its production in 2020, exporting to Asian countries, principally. Uruguay and Brazil are being considered as “slow fashion” capitals in the region; Uruguay, for its rich green chain of biological fibre production management, its eco-friendly materials like ceramics, hemp, silk, organic cotton, and recycled materials, and it is artisanal way to process high-quality wool; and Brazil, with its second-hand market, and new sustainable materials, such as natural dyes cotton, linen, and PET, based on natural plants. The volume of waste textiles is expected to increase over the years if every Latin American country does not have programmes to remediate this problem, particularly due to the importation of products. In conclusion, Latin America is therefore a potential growth market in the textile industry, due to its domestic demand, economic growth, and purchasing power. These countries have a strong possibility to develop sustainable textile industries, but a big challenge, because being sustainable requires a high initial investment cost as well as a strong policy and strategy to achieve it.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable
Textile Industry in Latin America
Sebastian Garcia Jarpa and Anthony Halog
Abstract The textile industry profiles of key countries in Latin America and their
developments have been analysed, in terms of sustainability. Different aspects
related to social consciousness, environmental, and labour aspects have been consid-
ered. Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina are
presented as examples to describe the sustainable development in the Latin Amer-
ican textile sector. There was a decrease in Latin American textile markets due to the
introduction of products from Asian countries. On the one hand, this scenario has put
much pressure on Latin American countries to improve their textile products quality,
a way to give a better value for their local consumers. On the other hand, labour costs
in Latin America are increasing due to its economic development, which has been
a big challenge for Latin American textile industries to compete in the international
market. New technologies are also playing a major role to compete with products from
Asia. Some examples are Mexico with its smart textileñ Colombia has enhanced its
production speed as well as introduced high-quality customized products from local
producers. In most Latin American countries, a sustainability agenda has pursued by
the private sector, including artisanal textiles on their markets and recycled textile
materials into their markets. These cases can be seen in Argentina, Chile, Colombia,
Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay. Countries with strong governmental support (Brazil,
Argentina, Uruguay, and, Peru) have a solid raw sustainable material export system,
the most important ones are organic cotton, wool, and alpaca. A special case is Chile
with its pulp cellulose production which will start its production in 2020, exporting
to Asian countries, principally. Uruguay and Brazil are being considered as “slow
fashion” capitals in the region; Uruguay, for its rich green chain of biological fibre
production management, its eco-friendly materials like ceramics, hemp, silk, organic
cotton, and recycled materials, and it is artisanal way to process high-quality wool;
and Brazil, with its second-hand market, and new sustainable materials, such as
S. G. Jarpa (B
)
Chemical Engineer, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Valparaíso, Chile
A. Halog
Faculty Member in Industrial Ecology & Circular Economy, University of Queensland, Brisbane,
Australia
e-mail: a.halog@uq.edu.au
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Á. Gardetti and R. P. Larios-Francia (eds.), Sustainable Fashion and Textiles
in Latin America, Textile Science and Clothing Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1850-5_6
105
106 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
natural dyes cotton, linen, and PET, based on natural plants. The volume of waste
textiles is expected to increase over the years if every Latin American country does
not have programmes to remediate this problem, particularly due to the importation
of products. In conclusion, Latin America is therefore a potential growth market in
the textile industry, due to its domestic demand, economic growth, and purchasing
power. These countries have a strong possibility to develop sustainable textile indus-
tries, but a big challenge, because being sustainable requires a high initial investment
cost as well as a strong policy and strategy to achieve it.
Keywords Latinamerica ·Textile market ·Sustainability ·Sustainable materials ·
Circular economy ·Recycled materials ·Sustainable market
The textile industry profiles of key countries in Latin America and their develop-
ments in terms of sustainability have been analysed. Different aspects related to
social consciousness, environmental, and labour aspects have been considered in
this work. Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina
are presented as examples to describe the sustainable development agenda in the
Latin American textile sector.
In this review, we found out that there was a decrease in Latin American textile
markets due to the introduction of products from Asian countries. This scenario has
put much pressure on Latin American countries to increasingly improve the quality
of their products and has become more sustainable to give a better value for their
local consumers. However, the labour costs in Latin America are also increasing due
to its economic development, which has been a big challenge for the Latin American
textile industry to compete in the international market.
New technologies are also playing a major role to compete with products from
Asia. Examples like in Mexico with its smart textile Colombia has enhanced its
production speed as well as introduced high-quality customized products from local
producers to recover its strong textile industry presence before it was overtaken by
Asian textile suppliers.
In most Latin American countries, the private sector with the development of
artisanal textiles has pursued sustainability agenda actively with the transformation
of recycled textile materials into new products. These cases can be seen in Argentina,
Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay.
Countries with strong governmental support are related to the export of raw
sustainable materials like organic cotton, wool, and alpaca. These examples are
found in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru. A special case is Chile with its pulp
cellulose production (which caters to the Chinese textile market) which will start its
production in 2020. Additionally, Andean countries have an excellent opportunity to
be more sustainable with camelid raw materials from local communities that could
bring more economic benefits and ecological development.
Uruguay and Brazil are being considered as “slow fashion” capitals in the region;
Uruguay, for the management of its rich green chain of biological fibre production,
the use of eco-friendly materials (ceramics, hemp, silk, organic cotton, and recycle
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 107
materials like tyres), and its artisanal way to process wool with high quality; and
Brazil, with the buy of second-hand market, and the use of new sustainable materials,
such as natural dyes cotton, linen, and PET, based on natural plants, with the aim to
reduce costs.
The volume of waste textiles is expected to increase over the years if every Latin
American country does not have programmes to remediate this problem, particularly
due to the importation of products from famous brands that give clients a status
symbol that differentiates them from others.
Latin American countries have a strong possibility to develop sustainable textile
industries, but also feel pressured to implement new ideas over the years. This is
because being sustainable requires a high initial investment cost as well as a strong
policy and strategy to achieve it. Latin America is therefore apotential growth market
in textile industry, due to its domestic demand, economic growth, and purchasing
power.
1 Introduction to Sustainability
Sustainability pursues processes and operations that can be profitable with
environment-friendly, natural raw materials and suppliers, and with fair working
conditions. This is related to the term “Circular Economy” which has the objective
to close the loop of a cycle with a group of sustainability-related actions, involving,
for example, the avoidance of chemicals that are not environment-friendly, the reuse
of materials or products, the reduction or recycling of waste, and other cleaner
production initiatives.
Sustainability must improve with social, economic, and environmental projects
in conjunction with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals [1], an inter-
governmental agreement in sustainable development. Challenges related to apparel
and textile value chains include the support of sustainable agriculture and land
management, producing sustainable raw materials, use of innovative manufacturing
practices, standard working conditions, and implementing a circular economy model.
To achieve these sustainability objectives, the certification from the Global Organic
Textile Standard (GOTS) will become an important consideration to determine the
veracity of processes and their improvements with respect to good practices as well
as agricultural, social, and responsible management [2] (Fig. 1).
2 The Textile Industry in Latin America
Figure 2shows the import and export of every country, showing the importance
of Mexico and Brazil in the region being the biggest markets of textile industry in
Latin America. Countries with the highest growth in the industry are Colombia
and Peru [4]. The net balance of the region is negative for every country,
108 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Fig. 1 Fundamentals of
Circular Economy [3]
Fig. 2 Map of import and export of clothes per country. Brazil and Mexico lead the commercial
business with the highest investment of import and incomes from export [6]
showing a need to import textile products to satisfy their national and international
demands [5].
There was a decrease in Latin American textile markets due to the introduction
of products from Asian countries. This scenario has put much pressure on Latin
American countries to improve the quality of their products and to be more sustainable
by giving a better added value to their products.
Latin America is a potential growth market in textile industry, due to its domestic
demand, economic growth, and purchasing power [7]. Many countries are exporters
of raw materials that are important for the textile industry, such as cotton or
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 109
leather. However, labour costs in Latin America are increasing due to its economic
development, which has been a big challege for the Latin American textile industry
in international markets.
3 Environmental Impacts of Textile Industry
Environmentally, textile industry has the second most contaminated process in the
world, consuming 35% of all pesticides [2]. The high level of contamination in
chemicals and the toxicity while using synthetic dyes to process textile with colours
(i.e. 8000 chemicals are needed to give raw materials its different colours) has been
a subject of worry. Related to water consumption, the textile industry is one of the
industries that consumes a high volume of water. For instance, 20.000 litres of water
is necessary to produce 1 kg of cotton [2] (Table 1).
In waste generation, there is a big volume of unworn garments, which is approx-
imately 40% of the total production [7]. The production of unworn clothes is due to
90% of consumers do not have money to buy them, and 87% of them are burned or
disposed of in landfills [9]. The textile industry loses 500,000 million dollars due to
non-recycling and reusing of waste textile products, whereby only 3% is recycled.
Related to recycling, the linear production system has generated big waste volumes
and a higher worker requirement. In Latin America, consumers prefer to wear foreign
clothes with famous brands to give the clients a status symbol that differentiates them
from others, [8]. Therefore, the volume of waste textiles will increase over the next
years if every country does not have programs to remediate this problem.
75 million people are working in the fashion industry and most of them are young
women [7]. Furthermore, 11 over 100 children in the world work in the textile
industry [8].
Latin America has a big potential of producing raw materials with a high fibre
quality, like organic cotton and wool. This is primarily due to its big land and free
space to farm mixed with a rich culture and textile traditions that make this region of
the planet interesting to pursue sustainable production. One of the important policies
Tabl e 1 Environmental impacts of the fashion and textile industry [8]
Chemical products The textile industry contaminates 20% of global water
production
Water scarcity The cotton life cycle requires 2700 litres of water
Greenhouse effect gases The textile industry is responsible for 10% of the global CO2
emissions
Waste management Wastes from the textile industry are around 5% of total wastes
Resources: soil and energy 58% of textile fibres produced in the world are from petroleum
Biodiversity In India, the loss of cotton seeds is due to transgenic cotton
contamination
110 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
in the future will be to emphasize the local economic development and give them
a resilient spirit, due to the climate change impacts, that affected cotton and wool
farming.
4 Cotton in Textile Industry
The most important raw material in the textile industry is cotton where its farming has
been maintained in around 1.5 million hectares, and the fibre production has averaged
1.8 million tons with 350 million workers, considering the whole production chain
[2]. Cotton farming represents 30% of the consumed fibres in the textile industry
worldwide focused principally on India, China, United States, Pakistan, and Brazil.
These countries contribute to 80% of the world’s production, which are managed
according to international standards (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3 Cotton production in Latin American countries per 1000 [ton] [10]
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 111
5 Organic Cotton in Latin America
One of the sustainable raw materials in the textile industry is organic cotton, which is
an environment-friendly fibre produced from crops free of synthetic chemicals [11].
Latin America is the third region of organic cotton production behind Oceania and
Europe. Its production had reached 6.7 million ha in 2017, representing 13% of the
world production [12] (Table 2).
Latin America has an advantage against other suppliers because of its short
distance to USA (low costs of transportation), where organic cotton demand is
growing faster than in other countries. Other advantages are the ease of commu-
nication, and shorter lead times than other organic cotton exporters, due to short
distances from the USA, compared, for example, to Asian countries [14].
On the other hand, poor conditions of farmers that are not allowed to develop
new techniques on their own is a problem that Latin American countries must face.
Farmers also face pressure from important clients to be more productive [14].
There are several projects to increase production and implement strategies to get
sustainable production related to fair working conditions, natural production, and the
use of technology.
Important projects are developing in Argentina with the use of biodynamic farming
and in Brazil with the production in arid regions, and there is an increase of certifica-
tions for organic cotton. Also, companies like C&A are participating in sustainable
projects, with the plan to make farmers more resilient to climate change impacts
in organic cotton farming areas and to ensure a good quality of this sustainable
raw material [12]. Research institutes like Embrapa Cotton in Brazil are developing
important projects to enhance the sustainability of this product, such as the develop-
ment of natural-coloured cotton, genetic cotton improvement, the use of technologies
to increase the efficiency of cotton extraction, and others [12].
The most important producers of organic cotton in Latin America are Brazil and
Peru. Brazil has a surface of 680 ha producing 17 MT with 232 farmers, while Peru
has 337 ha with 312 MT of production with 141 organic farmers [14] (Table 3).
The production of organic cotton in Latin America is related to big companies in
the textile and fashion industries that are promoting a sustainable brand in their stores
to encourage and support environmental responsibility and fair trade. A summary of
important companies in the region is detailed in Table 4.
Tabl e 2 Key regions of organic cotton production (2018) [13]
Region Percentage of organic cotton production (%) Organic cotton land
(million ha)
Oceania 45 22.8
Europe 25 12.7
Latin America 13 6.7
112 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Tabl e 3 Production of organic cotton in Brazil and Peru in 2017 [13]
Item for organic cotton Brazil Peru
Organic farmers 232 141
Organic certified land (ha) 680 337
Organic cotton fibre (MT) 17 312
Organic In-conversion land (ha) 16 85
Tabl e 4 Top companies which use organic cotton as raw material for their products and promote
sustainability in the textile industry [13]
Company Sources
C&A Mexico
Inditex Brazil–Argentina
Outerknown Peru–Mexico
Patagonia Colombia–El Salvador–Nicaragua
6 Certifications and Standards in Latin America
A sustainable, certified product must comply with a list of requirements that are evalu-
ated by certified organizations, like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). All
requirements are based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) norms. The
scope of GOTS is improving lives and organic products, which dictate the require-
ments along with the textile production to achieve ecological conditions and dignified
jobs. They have two definitions of organic products: Labelled products which must
have a minimum of 95% of organic fibres in their products, and Made with organic
material which must contain 70% of certified organic fibres (see Table 5)[4].
According to GOTS, they have a list of environmental and social requirements
before a product is considered sustainable. These requirements are described as
follows:
Environmental requirements:
Chemical supplies for a sustainable product must provide all the informa-
tion related to toxicity, biodegradability, and elimination. Toxic heavy metals,
formaldehyde, aromatic solvents, functional nanoparticles, genetically modified
organisms (GMO), azo-derived dyes, and enzymes are prohibited. Furthermore,
oils for textiles must not contain heavy metals.
Tabl e 5 Label types of sustainable products, depending on the decomposition of their textiles [4]
Grade Description
Grade 1 More than 95% certified organic textiles
Grade 2 More than 70% certified organic textiles, but 10% maximum of synthetic fibres
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 113
It is forbidden to discharge carcinogenic substances like aromatic solvents, phtha-
lates, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Companies with wet processes must have a
complete record of their chemical uses, energy, water consumption, and effluents
treatment, including local waste disposal. Wastes must be treated before discharge.
Workers must adhere to an environmental policy that includes objectives and
procedures to minimize effluents and discharges. Wastes must be clearly analysed
with their limit values for complying with a non-desired waste or contamination
risk based on GOTS norms, done by verifiers taking additional samples according
to ISO 17025.
PVC is not permitted in packaging processes. Every paper and board used in the
process must be recycled or certified, according to the norms of Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
(PEFC) for the chain of custody of forests.
Raw materials, intermediate products, end products, and accessories must comply
with strict limits on non-desirable wastes.
Social requirements:
The place of work must have good labour conditions related to safety and hygiene.
Employment must have a minimum wage for living, free of discrimination and
violent abuse, and fair working hours under the legal regulations.
7 Organizations that Support Sustainable Development
Programs in Textile Industry
Fairtrade is an organization that takes care of the sustainable development processes,
establishing a fair price, ensuring good work conditions, and fair trade with agricul-
tural workers. For example, Fairtrade has helped to increase the production of 2
million tons of cotton, compromised with a sustainable cotton plantation [2]. With
the help of increasing sales with Fairtrade programme (established in Brazil and
Guyana in Latin America), textile companies have developed new programmes to
respect the environment and encourage water optimization in cotton farming [2].
Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has a holistic focus on sustainable cotton production
and covers the three pillars of sustainability: environment, social, and economic
aspects. Members from BCI produce 5% of the total world consumption of cotton.
They want to continue attracting members to comply with the following objectives:
Finding better economic profitability for agricultural workers of cotton.
Reducing effects of water and pesticide usage to improve the human health and
environment of workers and to make a better farming with soil biodiversity.
Promoting decent work in agriculture communities and among workers of cotton
production.
114 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Facilitating an exchange of knowledge with the world on more sustainable cotton
production.
Increasing the traceability along the cotton supply chain.
Although all the organizations named above act in a global way, there are some
organizations that act regionally, like the Responsible Brazilian Cotton. Their objec-
tives are like BCI, increasing gradually social good practices and environmental and
economic benefits in the cotton unity production. With the help of the Brazilian Asso-
ciation of Cotton Suppliers (ABRAPA) and the Government, they have established
some rules to give accreditation for sustainable production:
Labour regulations.
Compliance with safety standards.
Prohibition of child and forced labour.
Prohibition of discrimination.
Freedom of union and support of collective negotiations.
Legal protection and environmental conservation.
Agricultural good practices application in Brazilian cotton production.
8 Sustainable Textile Industry Per Country
Sustainability in Latin America is influenced by designers, large companies, artists,
inventors, the retail market, fashion stores, and others. The development differs in
every country and thus the development of their textile industry as well. The main
objective in the Latin American textile industry is to minimize the environmental
impact of the actual textile production and to change the consumer behaviour (i.e.
fast consumption with less importance of recycling and quality of the products)
nowadays [7].
In this section, each Latin American country is analysed separately, and examples
of companies are given to demonstrate how sustainability has been established in
their respective country market.
8.1 Mexico
Mexico has a mixed textile industry, where there is strong competition between the
national textile products and imported products [15].
Important textile companies called “maquilas” are responsible to make new textile
products with raw materials from the USA. Strategically, they are in the north fron-
tier of Mexico with the USA. Maquilas are important because of their low-salary
workforce and governmental support [15].
The textile industry involves 72,000 companies and 470,000 employees in the
whole country [16] and constitutes 1.3% of the gross domestic product (GDP) [16].
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 115
Mexico imports raw materials from the USA and China principally to make textile
products to export back to the USA (60% of the total), which are made mainly from
cotton and denim. The second important market of Mexican textile products is the
United States with 22%, and 18% is exported outside of the American continent [17].
A big risk of its industry is the lack of competitiveness with Asian textile prod-
ucts, particularly from China and Vietnam that export textile products to the USA,
becoming a strong competitor for Mexican textile products [15].
Mexican companies have limited financial capability and are dependent on
importing the materials and supplies. Their lack of technology minimizes the chance
to compete with other textile products coming from overseas.
The other problem in Mexico is the contraband textile with low quality and price.
These products come from the USA and Asia. The contraband has favoured poor
working conditions, with informal and illegal structures [18].
Related to recycling, textile wastes are 1.4% of the total waste generated in the
country, where only 0.5% is recycled, that is around 3.152 tons, according to Natural
Resources and Environment Secretariat (SEMARNAT) [17]. The Mexican Govern-
ment has implemented new programs to increase recycling among its citizens; for
example, the “Tu Ola” programme, a reward system based on points to exchange with
new products when people follow eco-initiatives promoted by the government [16].
Other initiatives come from the private sector, where they collect textile waste and
transfer this material to recycled companies in the country. The aim is to reuse mate-
rials and people receive a reward based on green points that are convertible to food
products [19].
Some companies are implementing a sustainable system in their production that
involves the three aspects of sustainability. Results have a good response from the
people with the image of the company, and the growth of the company economi-
cally [20]. SME companies, for example, have challenges in their finance, formal-
ization, administrative capacity, and technology, which limit them to compete in an
efficient way [21].
In cotton farming, there has been an introduction of innovative technologies,
such as adoption of genetically modified seeds and narrow planting system. These
new ideas have decreased costs in phytosanitary controls, regulated better water
consumption, and have increased fibre production performance [2]. Mexico also has
an organic cotton industry that is managed by small family farmers. This production
is encouraged by C&A company, which inspects the whole value chain [17].
Mexico is the seventh-largest exporter of denim worldwide and the main supplier
to the USA [20]. According to INEGI, 40% of denim produced in Mexico is exported
to Latin American countries, like Peru, Chile, and Colombia, and 60% is sent to the
USA [21].
Two problems in denim production that make a non-sustainable process are the
high consumption of water and toxic chemicals used to make the colour in denim
(heavy metals).
Sustainable denim is produced by the company Triarchy made of eucalyptus
fibres, a product 100% renewable. For its production, they consume 80% less water
than traditional denim. There is not enough information about sustainable denim in
116 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Fig. 4 Designs with sustainable products from Amor & Rosas [23]
Mexico, but it seems that the impact of a denim sustainable production would be
extremely high, considering the high export volume of this product, giving Mexico
an important niche market.
Examples of sustainable companies are Amor & Rosas, which uses eco-textiles,
hemp, and recycled cotton to produce high-quality textile products. Their products
are masks, bags, and different styles of clothes for women and men. They mix the
Mexican culture with sustainable products to promote local artisans as a trend in the
fashion sector [22].
Someone/somewhere also has sustainable textile products inspired by the Oaxacan
craft, using recycled cotton yarns. Oni Original company uses recycled material to
produce shoes, with PET yarns and recycled skin bags. Their incomes are reinvested
for environment-related projects (Fig. 4).
8.2 Colombia
This country is famous for the export of garments that are located mainly in Medellin.
49% of the garments used in Colombia are imported to cover its high demand [24].
Sustainability initiatives in Colombia can be found in three ways:
1. Direct working with communities, where practices and materials from artisans
are used to make a production industrially. The aim is to combine the identity
of folk cultures with the textile industry. These processes are well regulated by
the government, which is worried about working conditions and the preserva-
tion of manufacturing processes. Moreover, they protect the product prices, to
make them profitable and more competitive in the industry [6]. Examples are
Artesanias de Colombia,Wayuu Products, and Nasa Community. According to
Artesanias de Colombia (2019), there are 31,000 artisans in 29 regions of the
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 117
country, where 71% of them are women. 73% of them work manually on their
products, and 22% have simple machines to support the production [24].
2. Companies working with ancestral techniques linked with industrial
processes, where artisans and industrial companies work together to produce
sustainable textile products. Examples are Pre-Columbian and Indigenous
Loom.
3. Circular systems or neo-craft. They avoid the production of waste by using
it as a raw material to produce new textile products. Companies examples are
Croquis company.
There are also projects that support sustainable production like Pro Colombia,an
organization that promotes tourism, foreign investment, and exporst of non-mining
products to improve the image of the country. There are other companies that have
considered implementing technology in the textile industry, specifically a 3D fashion
design, to make more efficient and sustainable fashion collections [25]. This project is
being implemented for companies like CLO, Audaces, and MorganTecnica, dedicated
to the development of Industry 4.0 in Colombia.
Colombia wants to be the fashion centre in Latin America. The fashion sector in
Colombia has increased notoriously in Latin America, with special environmental
care and ethical work practices, promoting the slow and eco-fashion involved in
small and medium-sized industries. Additionally, the Colombian government has
participated in this process by making social and sustainable policies [7].
Paloma &Angostura works with the hiring and reintegration of violence victims,
implementing a code of behaviour based on the World Labour Organization (WLO).
They also use biodegradable and natural fibres and evaluate the life cycle of their
products [26].
Fokus Green is a company that cares about environmental impact reduction and
water consumption. Their products are free of pesticides and artificial dyes, and they
use cotton and recycled PET bottles. They avoid 30 million litres of water per year
and they recover 50,000 plastic bottles from the ocean annually [27].
Bareke has created new labour opportunities for indigenous people and artisans of
the region. They offer training for sustainable production to produce bags made of
natural fibres. They plant seeds of palm trees and use natural dyes for their products
(mud or banana peels as raw material, for example) (Fig. 5).
Little &Ramonas, famous for its slow fashion products, uses only origin-certified
suppliers and recycled raw materials with eco-friendly management of leather. Their
products are famous because they can be worn any season of the year [29].
True Love &Poems makes their business virtually, promoting a circular economy
system, local production, and a responsible business (Fig. 6).
118 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Fig. 5 Presentation of Bareke on its webpage [28]
Fig. 6 Presentation and products of True Love & Poems [30]
8.3 Uruguay
Uruguay is famous to produce wool, a sustainable raw material. They export 39.3
million kilograms to 40 markets in the world [7], being the third exporting country
in the world of combed wool behind China and Czech Republic (2018) [8].
Uruguay is considered a slow country, having many national companies with
textile products made from local brands with natural resources. Slow fashion has a
low-scale production system with a high standard of innovation, unseasonal clothes
design, no-waste generation processes, and organic or natural raw materials. Slow
fashion pursues less environmental impact, fair manual labour, and manufacturing
that improves quality and reduces quantity.
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 119
Fig. 7 Promotion of Ana Livni products, following the slow fashion via Instagram [31]
Uruguay has a system of animal welfare—special care of animals with sustain-
ability, protecting them from hunger, fear, distress, discomfort, pain, and diseases
[31].
Ana Livni, one of the Uruguayan designers with a sustainable business, uses fair
prices for their products and utilizes ethical work practices [7]. Ana Livni started the
slow fashion 15 years ago (Fig. 7).
Calmo promotes responsible consumption and production. They work with renew-
able raw materials with sustainable processes. Their products are timeless and with
their own labels.
Madame Hibou has noble materials like Peruvian organic cotton. They care about
the value chain of their products and the working conditions to produce them. They
also have a production of Green Denim with a 100% sustainable process. This brand
is being compromised by slow fashion.
Mola is an event which organizes conferences, exhibitions, workshops, and
promotes sustainability programmes [7]. Mola integrates sustainability, innovation,
and technology with Latin American products.
8.4 Argentina
Argentina produces fine wool called Lana Merino, different from traditional wool.
Lana Merino is softer, with higher quality and adapts better to the skin. Their weaves
have more fibres due to small air bubbles that help to keep the body heat. Argentina
ranks third in Lana Merino supplier. Clients of this kind of wool are with a high
purchasing power and value more than the high wool quality, besides the products
are environment-friendly, animal care, and fair working conditions [33].
The Sustainable Textile Centre applies a holistic and multidimensional vision of
fashion, helping the sustainable sector of textile and fashion industry. They want to
be an important research and academic centre with international recognition [33].
Wool farming is especially important in Argentina, giving them an economic and
social edge. This raw material is produced mainly in Chaco, Santiago del Estero,
120 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
and Santa Fe, where 80% of the producers are small farming centres. Argentina
produced 42,400 tons in 2017/2018, and 43,750 tons in 2018/2019 [35] of national
wool, with sustainable programs promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock
and Fisheries (PROLANA), with the aim of care for animals with conscious and fair
working conditions [35]. The major destinations of wool export are China, Germany,
and Italy, with 6,186 tons, 4,998 tons, and 2,167 tons of wool, respectively [35].
The cotton industry (the second important raw material in the textile industry)
considers Argentina as the second consumer and producer of wool in the Latin
American region, employing 26,500 workers in the whole value chain [36]. 75% of
its production is in Chaco and Santiago del Estero regions and they are exported.
Argentina satisfies the national demand of 140,000 tons, and the other 40,000 tons
are exported to Indonesia, Vietnam, Colombia, and India [2].
The challenge for farmers is a plague that affects cotton farming. To fight this
problem, the National Service of Agri-Food Health and Quality has a program to
eradicate the cotton weevil. The program is focused on phytosanitary to reduce
the damage of the plague with diverse actions like management, planification,
monitoring, technology, and training [37].
Related to fashion, clients in Argentina follow European and American styles,
rather than artisan styles. In this line, Argentinian designers have their stores with
luxury clothes and sustainable [38]. One of these places is Galería Patio del Liceo,
a shopping mall of mini stores of sustainable designers.
An example of sustainable fashion is Animana, a company famous for their textile
and materials made from Alpaca, Guanaco, and Llama, mixed with a French style of
their clothes. Manto Abrigos is famous for its organic cotton dresses, with the use of
llama wool coats, and other products like leather clutches and flat-brimmed hats [39].
Maydi has hand-knitted products like sweaters, tops, bottoms, dresses, and bags made
with natural fibres under fair working conditions, using an environment-friendly
method to make textile products. These small sustainable locals are increasing in the
country due to the preferences of clients for clothes to show respect to the environment
and animals.
About recycling, there are some private initiatives that cover some percentage of
waste textiles to produce other new products.
There is a potential project from the company Vitnik, called Retazos, which will
take waste textile material from the big industry to make new materials like designed
furniture, toys, and other decorative products [40]. Ventures, like Reinventando,of
the designer Lucila Dellacasa, transforms unworn shirts into night suits.
Recycling is also present in some sustainable stores in Argentina like Facon,
which have an upcycled effect, with denim and leather jackets, knits, leather purses,
and other products [40]. Contenido Neto, another company that recycles PET bottles
to produce strands and fashion accessories [6]. Their interest in sustainability is
with the research of nylon socks biodegradation, which lasts 2000 years. With this
information, they have decided to make a mix of waste of nylon socks and natural
fibres, making a new crafted material to sell [7]. The small sustainable fashion in
Argentina has one important disadvantage, which is its difficulty to scale up to an
industrial size using traditional techniques.
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 121
Instead of these initiatives, in Argentina, there is no special program to manage
the recovery of textiles [40]. The only governmental institution found, is the
Environmental Control Agency (APRA) recovering non-woven textiles.
8.5 Chile
Nowadays, Chile is not a famous producer of raw materials in the textile industry.
The fashion market in Chile is 70–90% imported [41].
Most of the sustainable ideas come from the private sectors which have manage-
ment and programs for recycling of worn clothes to get new materials, with the aim
of showing awareness about the contamination of the textile industry and also to be
more conscious of the impact of the fast fashion.
Rembre Mill is a company aligned with recycling. They collect worn clothes and
waste textiles to create eco-filling to make pillows and box bags. The textile in good
conditions is donated to foundations for reuse in the market [41].
Modulab produces jewellery, containers, and handbags from university wastes [7].
They also have a link with important brands in the country like Patagonia and Natura,
with the support of the government leading sustainable projects. Alma and Hibrida
are other examples, famous of jewellery collections made of recycling materials
and for their special awareness of recycling and footprint of consumption, with the
production of pendants, bracelets, chokers, organic volumes, and bangles [7].
Retail companies and famous brands are protagonists with initiatives and
campaigns, giving discounts to clients to buy new clothes if they recycle worn clothes,
like Par i s store. According to this company, they have recycled 1,000 tons of waste
textiles per year. Waste textiles are processed by I:CO, a German company located
in Berlin. They classify the textile and then transform these into new products or
reduce them into their primary materials. Furthermore, they can reuse textiles and
introduce them again to the second-hand market.
Another project started in Chile is the use of forest products as a new raw material,
which is exported to China, principally. This is the case of Arauco, a forestry products
company that will start in 2020 to produce textile pulp to produce viscose and rayon
fabric. This is a sustainable fibre that diversifies the market of the company. They will
produce 550 tons per year, of which 70% will be exported to China as a substitute
of polyester, helping the Chinese textile industry to follow a circular economy, with
zero-waste generation and to cover the needs with bio-sustainable products [42].
Sustainability in Chile is promoted by local designers and small textile companies
that make a mix of artisan and fashion textile products. Raiz Diseño is an example of
local sustainability production in Chile, in which they show the benefits of sustainable
products and how they can be sold to consumers [5]. Institutions like The Institute
of Agricultural Development (INDAP) and ONA Foundation are focused to support
the craft sector in the competitive area of textile industry [7]. Another company is
Volver a Tejer with their Chilean artisan products [7].
122 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
Challenges in Chile are related to making government policies to implement
recycling, to have a bigger impact, to teach people about the impact of fast fashion
in the environment and the waste volume, and also about fair working conditions.
8.6 Ecuador
Ecuadorians are influenced by tendencies of fashion that encourage clients to have
responsible consumption. There are a few clients that claim about the origin of the
products and do a responsible consumption.
Enkador is an Ecuadorian company with a sustainable model of production to
make new products from bottles and polyester yarns to produce clothes and carpets,
pillow fillings, and others. The company keeps a production volume of 6,000 kilos
per year, which exports 47% of the total production to Colombia, Venezuela, Chile,
Peru, Central America, and the rest for its own national consumption.
In the traditional model, there are a few links between industry and academia. One
proposal is to link these two in the fashion industry by four ways: making proposals
to reuse the wasted clothes to be applied in new clothes or textile objects; use waste
clothes as foundry fill; create new fibres from wasted clothes; and use computer-aided
design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD) systems to decrease the waste
in industries.
8.7 Brazil
Brazil is one of the biggest textile manufacturers in Latin America, being the fifth
behind China, India, USA, and Pakistan, with 2.4% of total global production.
Furthermore, Brazil is in fourth place in the volume of garment production and
organizes the fifth largest fashion week in the world [6]. The textile industry in
Brazil represents more than 5% of the gross national product (GNP), highlighting
their importance in the country [43].
Brazil has 29,000 textile companies that offer 1.5 million direct jobs and 8 million
indirect jobs, where 75% are women [7].
Brazilian must import a big percentage of synthetic fibre, compared to its national
consumption. 60% of the polyester is imported and the remaining 40% is bought
from Brazilian companies [47].
Arab countries are the most important countries where Brazil exports its textile
and apparel products [44]. The Brazilian government has a special program called
Tex Brazil, with the aim to support the export of Brazilian products, making
agreements with international companies mainly in fashion weeks and fashion events.
Related to working conditions, all Brazilian industries must pay the minimum
wage, due to government policy [45]. Workers are mostly women from families
based on agriculture activities [7].
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 123
Brazil has a big potential for biological fibre production, such as rubber, cotton,
bamboo, coconut, jute, sisal, flax, hemp, etc., and can be improved by using
technological development.
Brazil has a strong cotton production (the fourth largest exporter of cotton in the
world) which allows it to be a self-sufficient country [7]. Its importance is due to
good weather to produce cotton during the off-season in the Northern Hemisphere,
which allows Brazil to export cotton throughout the whole year.
The organic cotton in Brazil is managed by the Responsible Brazilian Cotton
Program, certified by Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The Brazilian organic cotton is
naturally coloured, without using dyes, and without using contaminated processes
as bleaching and dyeing. Embrapa Cotton is an organic cotton production company
that exports organic-coloured cotton to countries like France and Germany.
The Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB) is a multidisci-
plinary team that searches for sustainable processes to change the Brazilian leather
production. CSCB has a transparent interaction with customers and efficient deliv-
eries [45]. The certification is given by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality
and Technology (INMETRO).
Rubber is another sustainable raw material in Brazil that is produced in the
Amazon region. Its extraction has international support, and the process is regulated
by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other academic projects.
In Brazil, there are controls in place at every part of the sustainability initiative to
introduce Brazilian textile products in markets, which are focused mainly on United
States, Japan, and the European Union. These companies are also aware of social
and environmental standards:
1. Social standards, related to working conditions, legal employment, discrimi-
nation rules, and all related to workers.
2. Environmental standards, related to water scarcity, waste and efflu-
ents management, greenhouse gas emissions, energy-saving, and dangerous
substances to people and the environment.
3. Product safety and ethical integrity.
For ethical consumption, sustainable companies have created the sustainable
supply chain (SSC) and the eradication of slave labour in Brazil, with the aim of
changing consumer behaviour, encouraging products with less socio-environmental
impact in their production.
One of these companies is the Sustainable Fashion Lab that works in three key
sustainable goals in the fashion industry:
1. Education: With the use of professional training courses for the industry, which
adds themes like gender, diversity, fair working conditions, and sustainable
issues.
2. Culture and consumerism: Making sure that every market has fair working
conditions and sustainable processes.
3. Product life cycle: Giving information to stakeholders about the effects in
the environment of the products, related to their toxicity, water use, and CO2
emissions.
124 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
An example of sustainable companies is Pesquisa, highlighted by its coloured
primitive species program, which investigates the improvement of natural colour of
cotton.
Another example of sustainable textile industry is Justa Trama, a brand with an
agroecological productive of the whole cotton value chain, recognized for a good
programme for workers and responsible consumption. The company is an example of
a sustainable development model. The company does not use intermediaries, which
allows for better commercialization and remuneration.
Other company associated with sustainability activities in Brazil is Ethical Fashion
Brazil, which is a company that has the aim to improve a better fashion system with
values such as sustainability, fair treatment of workers, scientific and critical thinking
as a key to improving fashion, and courage to face the reality in the fashion industry
and try to change it [46].
Apex-Brazil is a company that helps 25,000 Brazilian sustainable businesses to
improve competitiveness in the international market and to create links with larger
companies to include their sustainable products in global value chains. Apex is also
concerned with good sustainability practices. Apex is the fourth largest producer of
apparel and textile production worldwide, the second largest employer in manufac-
turing industry in Brazil, the fourth largest producer of knitwear, and the sixth largest
producer of denim internationally [47].
Additionally, there are some companies that are involved in slow fashion, namely
as follows [7]:
1. Flavia Aranha: Use of biodegradable materials and suppliers that are free of
chemicals (dyes and printing) and raw materials from artisan processes.
2. Agustina Comas: Use of recyclable materials like scraps and pieces of clothing,
giving them a new cycle or reuse.
3. Insecta Shoes: Making shoes with second-hand clothing materials, with a B+
certification.
4. Contextura: Company that augments their creations with slow design principles,
testing sustainable methods studied in academia.
5. Marcia Ganem: Use of polyamide fibres to produce new clothing.
6. Atelie Viv o: Their policy is to reduce consumption with a do-it-yourself culture
(DIY).
7. EcoEra Award: Searching of companies with conscious practices in their
production chain.
Related to fashion, Brazil has one of the most important Fashion Weeks in the
world, which showcases beachwear, fitness, jeanswear, and lingerie segments called
Inspiramais, a fest where more than 190 exhibitors show their sustainable textile
products to clients around the world [7].
The challenges of Brazil are focused on two aspects: increasing the ecological
production of cotton, getting financial resources, and developing the dying process
and the fixed colour process in the natural cotton.
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 125
Challenges of sustainability in the fashion industry in Brazil are managed by
sustainable Fashion Lab, a multisectorial platform of 40 leaders, with the collabora-
tion of the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT), The Brazilian
Association of Textile Retail (ABVTEX), and the International Labour Organiza-
tion (ILO), have created a strategy to achieve sustainability goals in the country by
2027, related to fair and sustainable fashion industry. Sustainable Fashion Lab bases
their sustainable development on, firstly, creating possible futures for the Brazilian
fashion industry, and secondly, identifying key actions to advance efficiently with
sustainability. There are four objectives:
1. Understanding the risk and opportunities of the industry.
2. Identifying strategies to achieve the main sustainable challenges.
3. Innovative ideas to help in transforming the process.
4. Establishing good contacts with ecosystem stakeholders.
The future of sustainability in the textile industry are:
1. Certifications for sustainable products and ensuring their standards.
2. Industry 4.0, introducing automation to textile industries, which can be saved
until 70% of water in production manufacturing, and contributing to the
transformation of circular economy processes.
3. Conscious consumption, higher quality of products with greater durability.
In recycling, according to the Brazilian Support Service for Micro and Small
Enterprises (SEBRAE 2014), Brazil produces 170 tons of textile waste annually, of
which 80% is sent to dumps and landfills. 20 recycling companies exist in Brazil,
which most of them prefer to import recycled textile industries more than using
national textile waste, because of the poor management of this material in the
country [48].
There are three major problems of recycling in Brazil:
Dirt and mixture waste textile products with a high cost of separation.
No fiscal or tax incentives to make a business of recycling products.
Logistic costs.
A movement created to raise consumer awareness of the true cost of fashion in
the whole value chain of textile production is Fashion Revolution with participation
via online or physical presence. In Brazil, the movement has created promotions of
ethical fashion and has spread in 45 events, 29 cities, and 31 universities in 2016.
One important focus of the movement is the students involved in debates about
ethical fashion and bad working conditions of the traditional value chain of textile
production. An example is Rio Grande do Sul state, known as the sustainable fashion
production state.
126 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
8.8 Peru
Peru is famous for its global alpaca production, which contributes 80% of the total
production [49]. Alpaca is recognized by its less need of water for washing and its
properties: it is hypoallergenic, breathable, lightweight, and soft. Also, Alpaca has a
variety of natural colours, and is free of dyes.
Peru is the principal exporter of alpaca fibre and tanguis cotton in the region
[5], produced for small families which operate farms in Northern Peru. The textile
industry in Peru has vertical integrity in the whole value chain [50]. They produce
mainly high-quality raw materials such as alpaca and cotton.
The Peruvian cotton is called scientifically Gossypium barbadense and it has
two varieties:
Pima: recognized by its extra-long staple length, softness, quality, durability,
resistance to pilling., shine, and hand feel.
Tanguis: good cotton for blending with natural or synthetic fibres to create
advanced materials [50].
Peru is facing a decrease in cotton production because of the decline of its quality,
not investing in a genetic improvement of the species. Also, there are products more
productive than cotton, like crop, rice, and sugarcane, another cause for the decline
of cotton production [2].
Peru is managing a sustainable production of its textiles with specific projects in
the whole value chain, optimizing alpaca breeding and improving its genetic resource
management with the aim to advance in quality [50].
According to Designs company, Peru has made a sustainable positive impact,
saving 48,450,000 litres of agricultural water annually, keeping out 20.750 [kg] of
carbon dioxide to the air, and avoiding the use of 185 [kg] of deadly toxic pesticides
annually.
The government has made some rules to protect the value chain of Alpaca produc-
tion, promoting companies the use of alpaca in their production, highlighting the
concept of sustainability in the whole value chain: eco-friendly, care and well-being
for Alpacas and their farmers, good practices in alpaca shearing, and its manage-
ment [50]. International organizations like Alpaca AIA and the Association Civil
Alpaca del Peru-ASCALPE in alliance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irri-
gation (MINAGRI), have specified technical norms, control points, and minimum
criteria to comply with alpaca breeding good practices. They also promote the export
and national sales in volume and value, contributing to the positioning of alpaca fibre
and its derived products nationally and internationally with the brand called Alpaca
del Peru”. The strategic importance of protection and promotion of the alpaca fibre
value chain has the aim to assure the sustainability of thousands of families involved
in this activity, friendly with the environment and prioritize the protection of the
workers and animal well-being.
Companies are assuming the sustainable production challenge. One of them is
Indigenous Designs, products made by Peruvian artisans that operate under fair trade
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 127
alignments and training programs for artists communities. They work strongly in
social sustainability, taking care of fair living wage, safe working conditions, spread
of prosperity among local artisans. The company helps farmers to reach organic certi-
fications, ensuring a higher price, and avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides.
They invest in promoting naturally coloured alpaca fibre without the need for dyes.
One example is Indigenous Designs that has a lot of certifications to produce organic
cotton and export it. All of them are listed as follows:
USDA certified organic cotton since 1994.
OEKO-TEX certification, independent testing that ensures 100% of non-toxic and
safe use of materials.
Coloured alpaca: it creates a demand for coloured alpaca wool, activating the
genetic diversity of Peruvian alpaca populations.
Safe dyes: Ensures non-harming dyes certified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100,
using a dyeing process that eliminates harmful chemicals and waste.
Coloured cotton: use of cotton with few pesticides and water, a more sustainable
choice.
Pure collection: using only nature fibres, with security to people involved in the
production and respecting animals.
Another company that is following sustainable production is Anpi Organic,
famous for its baby clothes promotion with 100% certified organic cotton, taking
care of the health of babies, the environment, and promoting a fair-trade business.
Broaches used are free of nickel and they use recycled paper and recyclable bags for
packaging.
Related to fashion, Flashmode is a fundamental event of Peru, where they promote
ethical fashion. The aim of this show is to access an exigent market in Europe, North
America, or Japan, where the environmental aspect has high importance nowadays.
The last collection was ethical fashion, where they promote minimum environmental
impact in textile production, use of organic and natural textiles, reduced use of
pesticides, limited use of chemical dyes products, and use of recycled materials.
Peru has an interest in promoting sustainable production in the textile industry,
but there are no deep statistics to analyse it. The major challenge they have in the
future is the less formal labour practices as the most important area to improve.
9 Conclusion
In this review, it is found out that there was a decrease in the Latin American textile
markets due to the introduction of products from Asian countries. This scenario has
put much pressure on Latin American countries to increasingly improve the quality
of their products and become more sustainable to give a better value for their local
consumers. However, the labour costs in Latin America are also increasing due to
its economic development, which has been a big challenge to the Latin American
textile industry to compete with the international market.
128 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
In most Latin American countries, the private sector with the development of
artisanal textiles has pursued sustainability agenda actively with the transformation
of recycled textile materials into new products. These cases can be seen in Argentina,
Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay.
Countries with strong governmental support are related to the export of raw
sustainable materials like organic cotton, wool, and alpaca. These examples are found
in Brazil (cotton), Argentina (wool), Uruguay (wool), and Peru (alpaca), respectively.
These programs improve the working conditions of farmers, invest in new projects
to improve the quality of species and to promote internationally their products, and
be more competitive against other exporter countries. There is a big potential to be
more productive, due to space and nature found in Patagonia to make a sustainable
plan with cared animals.
New technologies are also playing a major role to compete with products from
Asia. Examples like in Mexico with its smart textile and Colombia has enhanced
its production speed as well as have introduced high-quality customized products
from local producers to recover their strong textile industry presence before it was
overtaken by Asian textile suppliers.
Uruguay and Brazil are being considered as “slow fashion” capitals in the region.
Uruguay, for the management of its rich green chain of biological-fibre production,
the use of eco-friendly materials and its artisanal way to process wool with high
quality; and Brazil, with the buy of second-hand market, and the use of new sustain-
able materials such as natural dyes cotton (organic cotton), linen, and PET based on
natural plants, with the aim to reduce costs.
Mexican companies have limited financial capacity and are dependent on
importing the materials and supplies, especially from the USA. They have a lack
of technology, which do not have the possibility to compete with other textile prod-
ucts from overseas. Another problem in Mexico is the contraband of low quality and
price of textiles, from the USA and Asia which has favoured poor working condi-
tions, with informal and illegal structures. The potential to make a sustainable textile
market in Mexico is big, considering that 80% of their products are exported to the
USA.
The waste textile volume is expected to increase in the next years if every country
does not have programs to remediate this problem, because of the tendency to import
products from famous brands that gives clients a status symbol that differentiates
them from others.
Latin America is a potential growth market in textile industry, due to its domestic
demand, economic growth, and purchasing power. Countries in this region have a
strong possibility to develop sustainable textile industries, but also feel pressure to
implement new ideas over the next few years. This is because being sustainable
requires a high initial investment cost as well as a strong policy and strategy to
achieve it.
Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile 129
References
1. Balanay R, Halog A (2019) Tools for circular economy: review and some potential applications
for the Philippine textile industry. Circ Econ Text Apparel Text Inst Book Ser. 49–75. https://
doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102630-4.00003-0. Accessed 10 May 2020
2. FAO (2018) Estudio Nichos de Mercado del Algodón. http://www.fao.org. Accessed 15 June
2020
3. Fernandes, P (2020) Circular Economy as a way of increasing efficiency in organizations,
APCER. http://www.portoprotocol.com. Accessed 10 June 2020
4. Como se incorpora la sustentabilidad en la industria textil en Latinoamerica (2018) CEPAL.
http://www.conferencias.cepal.org. Accessed 29 May 2020
5. Mordorintelligence (2019) Latin American textile industry growth, trends, and forecast
(2020–2025). https://www.mordorintelligence.com/. Accessed 10 Feb 2020
6. World Integrated Trade Solution (2020) Textiles and clothing export and import by region.
http://www.wits.worldbank.org/. Accessed 15 May 2020
7. Gwilt A, Payne A et al (2019) Global perspective on sustainable fashion. Part 1: Latin America,
pp 1–43
8. Silvia Z (2017) Towards a sustainable and ecological fashion. DAYA, Diseño, Arte y
Arquitectura. Nr. 2, December 2016 ‘June 2017, pp 61–73. ISSN 2550-6609
9. Inexmoda (2018) Economía Circular. http://salaprensainexmoda.com. Accessed 10 May 2020
10. SOCILA (2016) Algodón Orgánico Potencial en América Latina. http://www.socila.eu.
Accessed by 13 Jun 2020
11. Uddin F (2019) Introductory chapter: textile manufacturing processes. Intech open. http://dx.
doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87968. Accessed 10 Feb 2020
12. Embrapa (2020) Embrapa cotton. http://www.embrapa.br. Accessed 2 June 2020
13. Textile Exchange (2017) Organic cotton market report. http://textileexchange.org. Accessed 2
June 2020
14. Romero P (2000) Sustainability and public management reform. Am Rev Public Adm.
30(4):389399
15. Garcia A, Diaz O (2019) La evolución del sector textil en la región centro-occidente de Mexico:
“Del taller de costura al tianguis”. núcleo Básico de Revistas científicas argentinas (Caicyt-
Conicet). Nr. 32 Summer 2019
16. Schlomski I (2018) Mexico: cotton production recovers. Bremen cotton report, Issue 37/38.
Accessed 28 Sept 28
17. Comercio Exterior (2019) Logística retail: la industria textil en México. https://ibercondor.mx/
blog/. Accessed 10 May 2020
18. Eyhorn F, Ratter S et al (2005) Organic cotton crop guide, Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FIBL)
19. Deschamps T, Carnie B et al (2016) Public consciousness and willingness to embrace ethical
consumption of textile products in Mexico. Text Cloth Sustain 2:6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40
689-016-0017-2
20. Dussel E (2017) Efectos del TPP en la economía de México: impacto general y en las
cadenas de valor de autopartes-automotriz, hilo-textil-confección y calzado. Centro de Estudios
Internacionales Gilberto Bosques, México
21. Maldonado G (2016) Hablemos mezclilla: Mexico, uno de los mayores productores de jeans
en el mundo. Fashion United. https://www.fashionunited.mx/noticias/retail. Accessed 15 May
2020
22. Soto R (2019) 5 marcas mexicanas de moda que apuestan por reducir su impacto ambiental.
The Happening. https://www.thehappening.com/. Accessed by 15 May 2020
23. Amor y rosas (2020) www.amorandrosas.com.mx . Accessed by 31 May 2020
24. Artesanías de Colombia (2019) Panorama Artesanal Ilustrado. 1st Edition, June 2020. Bogota,
Colombia
25. ProColombia (2019) Los beneficios de la tecnología 4D para la moda colombiana. https://pro
colombia.co. Accessed 5 June 2020
130 S. G. Jarpa and A. Halog
26. Contreebute (2019) Cinco marcas de moda sostenible en Colombia. https://www.contreebute.
com. Accessed by 5 June 2020
27. Fokus green (2020) Fokusgreen official webpage. https://fokusgreen.com/. Accessed 5 June
2020
28. Bareke (2020) Bareke official webpage http://www.en.bareke.com/. Accesed by 5 June 2020
29. Little & Ramonas (2020) Instagram profile of Little & Ramonas. http://www.instagram.com/
littleramonas/. Accessed 5 June 2020
30. True Love and Poems (2020) Webpage of true love and poems. http://trueloveandpoems.com.
Accessed 5 June 2020
31. IWLO (2019) Wool sheep welfare. Accessed 5 May 2020
32. Livni A (2020) Ana Livni, Moda lenta Uruguay. http://Instagram.com/ana_livni/. Accessed 5
May 2020
33. Centro Textil Sustentable (2020) Centro textil sustentable. http://www.cts.org.ar. Accessed 5
May 2020
34. Argentine wool federation (2019) Argentine wool statistics. EL 728 (06/2019)
35. Senasa (2020) el Encarpado, una herramienta para prevenir la dispersion del picudo del
algodonero. http://www.senasa.gob.ar. Accessed 5 May 2020
36. Gate away to South America (2018) Patagonian Lamb: a worldwide reputation of quality.http://
www.gatewaytosouthamerica-newsblog.com/. Accessed 5 May 2020
37. Gonzalo E (2019) Wool: global and national markets, perspectives, and possibilities. Labora-
torio de Lanas Rawson-EEA Chubut INTA. Accessed 5 May 2020
38. Risso N (2019) Industria textil: cuales son las perspectivas de un sector debilitado, El Cronista
(in press)
39. Animana (2020) Webpage of animana. http://www.animanaonline.com.ar. Accessed 2 June
2020
40. Maurello M (2019) Sustentabilidad. Donde empiezan los residuos textiles y como terminar con
ellos, La Nación. https://www.lanacion.com.ar/moda-y-belleza/. Accessed by 2 June 2020
41. Valenzuela L (2019) La ropa tambien contamina: Con iniciativas aisladas Chile avanza en el
tratamiento de residuos textiles de la industria de la moda, País Circular. https://www.paisci
rcular.cl/industria/. Accessed 5 May 2020
42. Mundo Marítimo (2019) Arauco desde 2020 producira por primera vez pulpa textil en Chile
para exportar al mercado asiático. https://www.mundomaritimo.cl/noticias/. Accessed 3 May
2020
43. Al Mahuz A (2018) A brief history of Brazilian Textile Industry. Available via Textile Today.
https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/brief-history-brazilian-textileindustry/. Accessed by 22 May
2020
44. Legal Team Brazil (2018) Business opportunities- introduction to the Brazilian textile industry,
available via Bizlatinhub. https://www.bizlatinhub.com/opportunities-brazil-textile-market/.
Accessed 22 May 2020
45. Bassi M, Galleli B et al (2015) Brazil’s fashion and clothing industry: sustainability,
competitiveness and differentiation. Int J Environ Sustain Dev 24:280–295
46. Ethical Fashion Brazil (2019) Agency and platform for sustainable fashion businesses. http://
ethicalfashionbrazil.com/ethical-fashion-brazil/. Accessed by 20 May 2020
47. Apex (2020) Apex Brazil. http://www.portal.apexbrasil.com.br. Accessed 20 May 2020
48. Amaral M, Zonatti W et al (2018) Industrial textile recycling and reuse in Brazil: case study
and considerations concerning the circular economy, Gest. Prod, Sao Carlos. https://doi.org/
10.1590/0104-530X3305.
49. Peru Moda (2020) Peru Moda textile industry. http://www.perumoda.com. Accessed 21 May
2020
50. Tinoco O, Raez L et al (2009) Perspectivas de la moda sostenible en el Perú. Revista de la
Facultad de Ingenieria Industrial 12(2):68–72
Chapter
Full-text available
This chapter discusses the revolutionary idea of a circular economy within the textile industry and highlights how it could entirely change the manner in which textiles are made, used, and disposed of. The second-most polluting industry in the world is textile industry, which is recognized for leaving a significant environmental footprint. The textile industry consumes 35% of all pesticides. A feasible way of dealing with these environmental issues while also generating economic benefits is to move towards a circular economy. Moreover, the chapter describes how a circular strategy might take the place of the traditional linear model, which is characterized by resource depletion and waste generation. The environmental effects of the industry are considerably reduced in a circular economy by the utilization of recycled or sustainably sourced materials, energy-efficient procedures, and eco-friendly colors. Furthermore, the circular economy encourages local manufacturing and distribution, which reduces distant travel's energy consumption and emissions. The requirement for frequent substitutions is reduced, resources are conserved, and waste is reduced by enhancing the lifespan of textiles through resilient design and maintenance procedures. Stronger governance, collaboration, and changes in consumer behavior are essential in accelerating this transition. Governments must establish laws and policies that encourage sustainability. While funding and cooperation are essential for innovation and systemic change. Developing the full potential of a circular economy in the textile industry will depend on changing customer behaviors through education and easily accessible alternatives that are environmentally friendly.
Article
Full-text available
La creciente preocupación por el aumento del tamaño de las ciudades y su consiguiente generación de desechos, hace necesario una gestión sostenible de desechos. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la rentabilidad económica del reciclaje de desechos textiles en dos ciudades del Sur de Chile: Temuco y Puerto Montt. Como metodología se realizará un presupuesta de capital y flujo de caja para evaluar el valor actual neto y la tasa interna de retorno de la inversión en los escenarios de reciclaje en cada ciudad. Los resultados indican que es más rentable realizar la instalación de una planta de reciclaje en Temuco que en Puerto Montt analizando los escenarios. Se concluye que existe una relación positiva entre la cantidad de habitantes de la ciudad y los ingresos percibidos en el reciclaje textil.
Article
Full-text available
Text in Spanish. Detailed analysis of the impact of TPP for Mexico´s economy in general and specifically for three global value chains: autoparts-automobiles, yarn-textile-garments and footwear. Published by TPP 4, published by the Mexican Senate (Instituto Belisario Domínguez, Senado de la República).
Chapter
Full-text available
Introduction Textile fibers provided an integral component in modern society and physical structure known for human comfort and sustainability. Man is a friend of fashion in nature. The desire for better garment and apparel resulted in the development of textile fiber production and textile manufacturing process. Primarily the natural textile fibers meet the requirements for human consumption in terms of the comfort and aesthetic trends. Cotton, wool, and silk were the important natural fibers for human clothing articles, where cotton for its outstanding properties and versatile utilization was known as the King Cotton. Cotton is an important natural fiber produced in Asian and American continent since the last around 5000 years in the countries including the USA, India, China, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, etc. [1]. The advancement of fiber manufacturing introduced several man-made fibers for conventional textile products; however, cotton is to date a leading textile fiber in home textiles and clothing articles. The chemistry of cotton fiber is the principal source of interesting and useful properties required in finished textile products [2]. Strength, softness, absorbency, dyeing and printing properties, comfort, air permeability, etc. are the important properties of cotton to remain an important textile fiber in the market. By 2018 cotton fiber was significant with a market share of 39.47% as raw material in textile products. Cotton fiber grown with increased environment-friendly properties is called organic cotton. It is grown without using any synthetic chemicals or pesticides, fertilizers, etc. Organic cotton is produced through crop with the processing stages in an ecological environment. Turkey, the USA, and India are the main countries producing organic cotton. The other important natural fibers used in conventional textile products are wool and silk. Wool fiber is known for its warmer properties and used mainly in winter wear mainly. Wool-based textile items are projected to witness a CAGR of 3.7%, in terms of volume, from 2019 to 2025. Importantly, wool fiber is renewable and recyclable, which supports its demand in this industry [3]. Silk fiber is known for its unmatchable softness and low linear density. Relative to cotton and wool, natural silk is not produced in significant quantity. It is indicated to have the highest revenue growth rate of 4.67% from 2019 to 2025. A recent study of textile fiber market share by the IHS Markit has shown the synthetic fibers consumed highest (mainly represented by polyester and nylon fibers) followed by cotton, cellulosics, and wool fibers (Figure 1) [4]. China is the major manufacturer of synthetic fibers. Excluding polyolefin fibers, China produces around 66% of synthetic fibers in 2015.
Article
Full-text available
In Mexico, there are certain municipalities and communities that are reknowed for the quality of their textile production. The textile clothing industries have played a significant role in driving cpitalist economic delopment in the country. Their development has been constant and uninterrupted, with a strong global presence, but they are struggling to maintain their particular characteristics and cultural components. However, there exists data that show economies with a longstanding tradition of textile production move slowly toward patterns where the tradeplays the predominant, determinant role. During the 1980s, the expansion of maquiladora-origin textiles defined a “second economic axis” in regions and communities that suffered a decline in their economic activities (primarily in agrarian sectors). Their “economic domain reorganization” as based upon the traits and competitive advantages found in the local economies of each region, creating patterns of productive specialization, driving employment and the economy. For decades, the market and industry were concentrated in large urban centers. Today, the mass movement of people, products and things from one place to another leads to easier access to a diversity of national and international merchandise, transforming patterns of trade. Keywords:Textile industry, maquila, regional trade, trade flows.
Chapter
Full-text available
Instituting circular economy (CE) for sustainability is the aim of taking stock of various analytical/assessment tools. A review of these tools reveals a continuing endeavor to incorporate in the procedures the systems and life cycle thinking and the triple bottom-line framework of sustainable development (economic, social, and environmental). Over time, the CE tools have been modified with the incorporation of some unique attributes in the cases being studied. Life cycle assessment (LCA) remains the popular and the only standardized procedure to analyze CE issues in industries, specifically in the environmental aspect. However, consistency, measurement, and aggregation issues are the major setbacks of having an integrated LCA for economic, social, and environmental impacts. The alternative tools used across the world to study the economic, social, and environmental aspects of CE have increased in both number and sophistication. Optimization and systems models have been increasingly used on a case-based format. Although the downside is the less standardized approach with less chances of comparability in terms of results, these models have been designed appropriately to tackle challenges associated with intricate, multifaceted, and encompassing sustainability and CE issues to improve policy development. In the textile industry, LCA as a popular tool is only used for environmental sustainability assessment but not much in social and economic aspects. The Philippine textile industry still has to catch up in the application of those tools for sustainability assessment. A framework has been suggested for the country's roadmap/guide to attain circularity in textile industry operations.
Article
Full-text available
Textile products are present in all aspects of our lives and drive a significant part of the world economy. Issues related to enterprise competitiveness, sustainability, limitation of natural resources, environmental and social impacts are increasingly considered. In this context, the recovery and recycling of textile materials are essential. This study aimed to present an overview of the Brazilian textile and clothing industry, highlighting the mechanical and chemical recycling processes and reuse. We also discuss the reasons for importing textile waste, and considerations about circular economy concepts, correlating them to the key factors and obstacles involving industrial operation of textile recycling. The authors conducted technical visits to textile recycling industries in order to observe the production processes and identify their main challenges. Nevertheless, the initiatives show that Brazil is on track for industrial sustainability, following a global production trend.
Article
Full-text available
de sostenibilidad ha penetrado en los diferentes niveles de la industria europea de textiles y modas debido a tres razones fundamentales: 1) la presión de ONGs, Sindicatos y ambientalistas en general, quienes demandan productos y producción limpia y sensible al comercio justo; 2) los impactos ambientales de la tradicional industria textil, cuyas secuelas no son tratadas adecuadamente, generando contaminación; y, 3) el incremento de la conciencia ambientalista a nivel del planeta, en su conjunto. Debido a estas razones y presionados por la creciente expansión de la industria textil china, los países europeos vienen desarrollando nichos de mercado orientados a productos “verdes”, priorizando las fibras naturales, especialmente algodón orgánico. En el Perú, sectores de la industria textil y de modas se orientan decididamente a trabajar moda sostenible, lo cual genera oportunidades tanto en el mercado nacional como en el rubro de las exportaciones
Article
Full-text available
The Mexican economy has been showing a continuous and arguably remarkable growth in the last decade, and it is expected that this strong economic growth is based on a balance between social equity, fiscal growth and environmental protection. This composite situation requires us to have a clear understanding of changes in consumer behaviour and their attitudes towards ethical consumerism in this region. With the use of a semi-structured questionnaire, this pilot study presented a detailed analysis of the consumer attitudes towards ethical consumerism in relation to their socio economic class levels in this region, the public consciousness and willingness to embrace ethical consumption of textile products in Mexico were thus determined. It is hoped that this knowledge provides the basis for the initiation of a framework of activities and measures to develop sustainable consumption habits and to educate consumers on the subject of ethical consumption.
Article
Full-text available
The rapid market integration trend over the past decades has led to an intensive growth of international trade, directly influencing the way companies develop their strategies to compete in new markets. Sustainability has emerged to represent a source of competitive advantage through differentiation, reinforced by the increasing value attributed by society to environmental protection. This exploratory study seeks to understand the drivers of differentiation and sustainability towards competitive advantage. Through a qualitative approach, we conducted interviews with industry players. The results point out that differentiation through sustainability is shown to be important if integrated with other distinctive elements, such as design, quality and after-sale services. In addition, it indicates that in order to become sustainable, it is important to use synergies through the fashion production chain. As a result, the study highlights the opportunities and challenges for the consolidation of sustainability in the Brazilian fashion and clothing industry.
Article
The rapid market integration trend over the past decades has led to an intensive growth of international trade, directly influencing the way companies develop their strategies to compete in new markets. Sustainability has emerged to represent a source of competitive advantage through differentiation, reinforced by the increasing value attributed by society to environmental protection. This exploratory study seeks to understand the drivers of differentiation and sustainability towards competitive advantage. Through a qualitative approach, we conducted interviews with industry players. The results point out that differentiation through sustainability is shown to be important if integrated with other distinctive elements, such as design, quality and after-sale services. In addition, it indicates that in order to become sustainable, it is important to use synergies through the fashion production chain. As a result, the study highlights the opportunities and challenges for the consolidation of sustainability in the Brazilian fashion and clothing industry.
Global perspective on sustainable fashion
  • A Gwilt
  • A Payne
Gwilt A, Payne A et al (2019) Global perspective on sustainable fashion. Part 1: Latin America, pp 1-43