The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) joins 130 recycling, fashion, and footwear organizations around the globe in demanding legislative entities modernize textile labeling requirements. The move would advance sustainability, circularity, and authenticity solutions in the fashion and textile recycling industries. #CutTheTape benefits consumers by providing more product information using digital means.
BALTIMORE, Aug. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- THE PROBLEM: Each year, the annual production of label tape produces approximately 5.7 million miles (about 9.2m km) of tape, which is long enough to stretch from the earth to the moon and back twelve times. Labeling requirements have not been updated since the 1960s. Current outdated labeling requirements are inconsistent and hinder efforts to trace the origins of materials to be more sustainable and support a circular economy.
THE SOLUTION: digital technology solutions – such as QR code labels – would reduce labeling waste and eliminate at least 343,000 MT of emissions from industry supply chains while providing consumers with more detailed and accurate product information. The data would also aid in the garment's lifecycle, by providing details about resale, repair, rental, upcycling, or recycling. We urge the United States Federal Trade Commission and other entities worldwide to use digital means to standardize labeling requirements.
ACTION NEEDED: We urge government regulators to amend international, national, and local regulations to allow fully digital labeling solutions to be adopted. QR codes would make products more useful and valuable for longer periods in the circular economy while unlocking new opportunities for resale, repair, rental, upcycling, or recycling.
SMART President Steve Rees explained, "Greener e-labeling clears the way for transparency and accountability in the global textile recycling space.
QR codes will empower consumers by providing more accessible information and key data that can strategically extend a garment's or item's lifecycle as it moves through the resilient reuse and recycle distribution chain."
SMART calls on legislative leaders to take immediate action to create stringent digital labeling guidelines, which will lead to more responsible outcomes, helping the world economy and the environment. Please join our global effort and #CutTheTape.
Open Letter to Congressional Leaders:
To Whom It May Concern:
11 July 2023
As representatives of the global fashion and sportswear related industries, and its enablers and stakeholders, we are coming together to urge supranational, national, and local authorities around the world to modernize their domestic textile, garment, footwear, and related accessories labeling requirements and legally allow and support the use of more sustainable and economic, digital labels for required labeling information.
During the past 60 years, a confusing array of labeling requirements – relating to care instructions/symbols, fiber content, importer requirements, and origin of textiles, garments, footwear, and related accessories – have proliferated around the world. Created with the best of intentions to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions, these requirements are now hindering the industry's efforts to be more sustainable and support the circular economy, including the enhancement of traceability. Industry estimates show that, collectively, these requirements now result in the annual production of approximately 5.7 million miles (about 9.2m km) of label tape – enough to stretch from the earth to the moon, and back, twelve times each year.
Fortunately, digital technology solutions – such as QR code labels – are now available to cut the considerable amount of material that these regulations require our industry to produce. Shifting to the use of digital labels would significantly reduce labeling waste and significantly aid in decarbonization efforts, resulting in the elimination of at least 343,000 MT of CO2e from industry supply chains.
Indeed, reacting to the growing interest by consumers to receive information digitally, governments around the world are starting to embrace digital approaches – such as the proposed EU digital product passport and replacement of traditional labelling requirements with the option to use electronic labeling for consumer electronics products (e.g., Singapore, Australia).
But to really move the needle, we need to take bolder action and, if we can do so, the opportunities are endless.
- Amending supranational, national and local regulations to allow the adoption of fully digital labeling solutions would enable consumers to access more detailed and accurate information about the textiles, garments, footwear, and related accessories they are considering buying, such as more in-depth materials and origin information and supply chain details, without the industry being held back because of a need for the physical (limited) space for a label, and that can be updated in real-time to support more resilient supply chains.
- Product information would also become more accessible to a wider range of consumers, making it easier to read (including for individuals who are sight impaired) and be delivered in languages easily understood by them.
- Reducing the excessive amount of unwieldy and uncomfortable labeling tape the industry currently uses to a simple QR code or other digitally enabled tool would also discourage consumers from cutting off labels after purchase and ensure that the product's information remains available throughout the garment's lifecycle.
- Keeping this information with the product – which is what consumers and policy makers alike want – would make these products more useful and valuable for longer periods in the circular economy while unlocking new opportunities for resale, repair, rental, upcycling, or recycling.
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 labeling requirements and empower their consumers with more accessible information through greener e-labeling is now.
We look forward to working with you to build a more responsible and agile industry.
- 1 Accelerating Circularity
- 2 Accessories Council (AC)
- 3 Advanced Textiles Association (ATA)
- 4 AFIRM Group
- 5 African Coalition for Trade
- 6 American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
- 7 American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI)
- 8 American Bridal and Prom Industry Association (ABPIA)
- 9 American Circular Textiles Group (ACT)
- 10 American Sheep Industry Association (ASI)
- 11 APICCAPS – Portuguese Footwear, Components, Leather Goods Manufacturers' Association
- 12 Apparel Export Promotion Council, India
- 13 ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries
- 14 Asociación Hondureña de Maquiladores (AHM)
- 15 ASSOCALZATURIFICI- Italian Footwear Manufacturers Association
- 16 Association Marocaine des Industries du Textile et de l'Habillement (AMITH)
- 17 Association of Lao Garment Industry (ALGI)
- 18 Association of Light Industry Enterprises of the Kyrgyz Republic (Legprom)
- 19 Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA)
- 20 Australian Fashion Council
- 21 Australian Hide Skin and Leather Exporters Association
- 22 Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
- 23 Brazilian Association od Sporting Goods Industry and Commerce – APICE
- 24 British Footwear Association (BFA)
- 25 California Fashion Association (CFA)
- 26 California Retailers Association
- 27 Cámara de la Industria del Calzado de Argentina (CIC)
- 28 CAMTEX
- 29 Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute (CCMI)
- 30 CEC- European Footwear Confederation
- 31 China Chamber of Commerce for Textiles (CCCT)
- 32 China Leather Industry Association (CLIA)
- 33 Coalition of New England Companies for Trade (CONECT)
- 34 Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP)
- 35 Consumer Brands Association
- 36 Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
- 37 Corporate Council on Africa (CCA)
- 38 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
- 39 Czech Footwear and Leather Association (ČOKA)
- 40 Dominican Free Zones Association (ADOZONA)
- 41 European Branded Clothing Alliance (EBCA)
- 42 Fashion Accessories Shippers Association (FASA)
- 43 Fashion and Textile Chamber o the National Business Association of Colombia (ANDI)
- 44 Fashion Makes Change
- 45 Fédération Française de la Chaussure (FFC)
- 46 Federation of European Sporting Goods Industries (FESI)
- 47 Federation of Spanish Footwear Industries (FICE)
- 48 Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
- 49 Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP)
- 50 FTTH: Fédération Tunisienne du Textile et de l'Habillement
- 51 FUNDACIÓN INEXMODA
- 52 Gemini Shippers Association
- 53 Global Fashion Agenda (GFA)
- 54 Greenabl Shippers
- 55 Groupement Des Entreprises Frances Partenaires (Madagascar Free Zone Association)
- 56 Halloween & Costume Association
- 57 Hong Kong Apparel Society
- 58 Hong Kong Footwear Association
- 59 Indonesia Textile Association (API)
- 60 Indonesian Footwear Association
- 61 International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
- 62 International Apparel Federation (IAF)
- 63 International Council of Tanners (ICT)
- 64 International Safety Equipment Association
- 65 Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association (IHKIB)
- 66 Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC)
- 67 Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF)
- 68 Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA)
- 69 Kangaroo Industry Association Australia
- 70 Kenya Association of Manufacturers
- 71 Leather and Hide Council of America
- 72 Leathergoods And Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB)
- 73 Malaysian Textile Manufacturers Association (MTMA)
- 74 Mauritius Exporters Association
- 75 Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA)
- 76 National Association of Foreign Trade Zones (NAFTZ)
- 77 National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA)
- 78 National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC)
- 79 National Retail Federation (NRF)
- 80 Network Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD)
- 81 Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)
- 82 Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association – The PCC
- 83 Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association
- 84 Pakistan Textile Council
- 85 Polish Chamber of Shoe and Leather Industry (PIPS)
- 86 PRINTING United Alliance
- 87 Proeksport Albania Association
- 88 Promotional Products Association International (PPAI)
- 89 Responsible Business Coalition
- 90 Retail Council of Canada (RCC)
- 91 Retail Council of New York State
- 92 Retail Industry Leaders Association
- 93 Retail Innovation Club (RIC)
- 94 Retail NZ Inc
- 96 Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA)
- 97 Shoe Manufacturers' Association of Canada
- 98 Singapore Fashion Council (SFC)
- 99 Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA)
- 100 Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association
- 101 Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
- 102 Taiwan Textile Federation
- 103 TASD – Footwear Industrialist's Association of Turkiye.
- 104 Textile Council of Hong Kong
- 105 Textile Exchange
- 106 Textile, Apparel, Footwear & Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC)
- 107 The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
- 108 The American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City & Danang.
- 109 The Apparel Export Council of Egypt
- 110 The Association des Industries d'Haïti (ADIH)
- 111 The Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI)
- 112 The Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community (COTANCE)
- 113 The Fashion Connection
- 114 The Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Trade Association (FJATA)
- 115 The Federation of Malaysian Fashion Textiles and Apparel (FMFTA)
- 116 The National Federation of Thai Textile Industries (NFTTI)
- 117 TIC Council Americas
- 118 Travel Goods Association (TGA)
- Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association
- 119 Turkish Clothing Manufacturers' Association (TGSD)
- 120 U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- 121 U.S. Fashion Industry Association (USFIA)
- 122 U.S. Global Value Chain Coalition (USGVC)
- 123 UNIC Italian Tanneries (UNIC)
- 124 Union of Private Sector Development of Tajikistan
- 125 Uzbekistan Textile and Garment Industry Association
- 126 Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (Lefaso)
- 127 Vietnam Textile & Garment Association (VITAS)
- 128 Washington Retail Association
- 129 World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI)
- 130 World Innovation, Technology, and Services Alliance (WITSA)
Media Contact
Kathleen Cairns, SMART, 4437144836, Kathleen.Cairns@fallstongroup.com
SOURCE SMART
Share this article