Pat-Nie Woo chairs the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium, set up to explore greener textile production
Environmentally friendly practices are not generally synonymous with the latest fashion. But that may soon change, as leading Hong Kong clothing manufacturers look for ways to go fashionably green.
Eleven leading Hong Kong textile-makers, together with the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA) have formed the Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium (SFBC) to share information and devise new ways to make the trade more environmentally friendly.
The consortium represents every aspect of the production process, from design to yarn-spinning, textiles to garment production. "When we first started hearing about eco-clothing, the focus was very much on the material side," SFBC Chairman Pat-Nie Woo said. "But the raw material side is only part of the equation. In order to make more sustainable garments, one needs the whole supply chain," he added.
SFBC launched in April to coincide with World Earth Day. The group, which does its manufacturing in the Chinese mainland, supplies to major international retailers, including UK chain Marks & Spencer, Swedish store H&M and US firms such as Gap and JC Penney. Members include lingerie maker Ace Style Group, Crystal Group, Fountain Set, Glorious Sun Enterprises, Gunzetal, High Fashion International Management, Lever Style, Sun Hing Industries, TAL Apparel, which supplies Burberry, and design firm I Limited.
Making a difference
According to Mr Woo, 30 per cent of the world's textiles came from the mainland last year, while textiles and apparel account for nearly 40 per cent of Hong Kong's exports. "With one in three of the world's textiles coming from China, the impact such changes can make would put Hong Kong and the rest of China on the world map for sustainable development in our industry," he said.
A former accountant, Mr Woo is now director of Central Textiles, one of only two large yarn spinners in Hong Kong. He first started exploring the idea of forming a consortium last year. With help from CITA, the founding members came together early this year to share their experiences and devise new ways to produce in a more environmentally sustainable way.
According to Mr Woo, textile manufacturing has a "definite impact" on the environment at every level of production, from the amount of energy it uses to the waste water it generates from the dyeing and finishing process. Then, there are the mounds of scrap fabric that end up going to waste. One garment house alone, he noted, uses more than 91 million metres of fabric. About 18 million metres – enough to cover 6,000 football pitches – end up as waste.
One of the group's first initiatives is to recycle scrap fabric by turning it into 30 per cent recycled denim. Another is converting factories into more energy-efficient plants. Mr Woo estimates that it is feasible to cut energy use by 20 per cent with current technology available. That means a medium-sized factory, which on average uses 35 million kilowatt hours of energy annually, can save seven million kilowatt hours per year; that's enough to power 1,750 households.
Carbon credit scheme
SFBC is also devising a carbon accounting standard in concert with WWF Hong Kong. This would allow manufacturers to add labels to clothing, informing consumers about the carbon footprint that went into producing the garment.
The consortium is also looking into selling the emissions savings as carbon credits. "The additional revenue stream, while not much, would be an incentive for companies to reduce energy," Mr Woo said.
SFBC, together with the UK-based RITE Group, an industry association, will host a Global Sustainable Textile Conference in Hong Kong next year. Mr Woo said the conference "will definitely put Hong Kong at the forefront of sustainable development in our industry."
Mr Woo said that the consortium's 12 founding members are laying the groundwork for sustainable practices that the industry as a whole can eventually adopt for a greener future. "If we can achieve the goals we've set, they will make an impact on the industry, in Hong Kong and globally."
