Circular Economy, a challenge for the textile sector
We live in a world of constant change, in every sense; people, companies, climate, processes, trends, concepts, etc… Evolving is necessary and beneficial if we approach it in the right way. And for those of us who dedicate ourselves to creating/producing, it is no exception. Currently, production in a company is based on a cycle where raw materials are transformed into products, marketed, and then discarded. At GDI, we have adopted the concept of Sustainability as part of our core values. We seek to go beyond recycling and reusing materials, implementing actions in recent years to achieve a Circular Economy. In other words, produce, use, and throw away? No! Our approach is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. “The circular economy advocates using as many biodegradable materials as possible in the manufacture of consumer goods that can return to nature without causing environmental damage when they reach the end of their useful life. In cases where it is not possible to use eco-friendly materials, the objective will be to facilitate a simple decoupling to give them a new life by reincorporating them into the production cycle and composing a new piece. When that is not possible, it will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.” Some of the principles of the circular economy that we already implement in our operation are: Reuse: reusing certain waste or parts of it, which can still be used to make new products. Repair: giving broken products a second life. Recycling: using materials found in waste. But you might ask: how do you apply it? Which products have it? Well, a few years ago we started with the dream of contributing more and we began with research, tests, many tests with which we achieved extremely valuable processes that we are proud of: Garments made with recyclable material. This consists of the development of garments with fabrics made from PET bottles; it is one of the most convenient ways to recycle plastic bottles and prevent their accumulation. At GDI we produce an average of 230,000 garments annually with 50% PET, which represents the recycling of more than 688,000 PET bottles. Regeneration: Development of new garments with fabrics obtained from the recycling of clothing that has gone through a circular system. At GDI we produce an average of 68,000 regenerated trousers annually using fabrics from recycled garments. Also within this process, through our garment destruction program designed to protect our clients' brands, as part of our care for the environment, the material resulting from said destruction is reprocessed to generate new by-products: Fabrics for carpets, yarns for upholstery, among other things. At GDI, we strive to minimize our environmental impact with eco-friendly products and processes, reducing energy consumption and improving the environmental quality of our processes through sound resource management. Today, given the times we are living in, it is more important to reflect on the fact that we do not live in isolation. We share the same air, the same planet, and therefore, everything you or I do has a ripple effect. This is our small contribution as a responsible company, as the GDI family, for you, for me. Get in touch with us and together we'll develop a program that protects your corporate image and makes you part of this cycle for the environment! Liliana Jiménez Figueroa – Senior Account Executive by GDI
Latin American companies are committed to sustainability
In a survey of 450 CEOs, 60% said they have a strong affinity for issues such as gender equality, circular economy, climate change, and the workforce of the future. Sustainability and the circular economy, which a few years ago were almost ignored practices, quickly climbed among the priorities of the most prominent companies in Latin America and the world, and came to be among the aspects that receive the most attention today. Furthermore, 45% of business leaders in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico said they already have a sustainability strategy in their organizations; and 22% said they are working on one, placing this issue as a priority agenda among corporations in the region. The CEOs' responses suggest that sustainability is not seen as a "standalone program" but as a cross-cutting or multidisciplinary issue, a way of approaching business. Today it is difficult not to associate a company's profitability and economic development with its sustainability policy. Not only because a sustainable business is one that will be able to sustain itself in the long term, but for several other reasons: customer preference in choosing products and brands, talent attraction, and regulatory compliance. In all these areas, a sustainable company will have advantages over one that is not. In the case of the textile industry, which is the second most polluting industry in the world after the oil industry, achieving a balance between nature and textile production is paramount. The current trend is to develop textiles and materials that come from organic waste. In addition, textile companies are adopting new practices such as considering the life cycle, avoiding animal testing, and aligning their daily operations towards a sustainable lifestyle and collaborating against climate change. In Mexico, textiles are recycled at a rate of only 0.5% per year; on average, each person throws away 3 kg of clothing, of which only 15 grams would be recovered. This is why it is important to innovate with organic fabrics that reduce the pollution rate. At GDI we have sustainable projects that seek to reduce the environmental impact of our company and that of our business partners. Recycled Garments Program: They are made with fabrics manufactured from PET bottles, which is one of the most convenient ways to recycle plastic bottles. Furthermore, at practical levels there is no difference between traditional and recycled polyester. During the recycling process, the fiber is reconstituted at a molecular level, and therefore recycled polyester is just as strong, durable, and has the same properties as virgin polyester. The two polyesters differ in their environmental impact; PET has a much lower environmental impact than traditional polyester. Regenerated Garments Program: They are made with fabrics made from recycled textiles; That is, they are made from regenerated waste from post-consumer cotton garments. Natural fibers such as wool and cotton can be mechanically recycled, but the process decreases the length and quality of the fibers, which is why it is necessary to add virgin fibers. These latter serve as a supplement, since it is not currently possible to include 100% recycled materials in garments. Controlled Garment Destruction Program: With this service, we prevent post-consumer uniforms from having a negative impact on the planet and on our client's corporate image. The intention is to prevent our clients' uniforms from being discarded, polluting the environment, or from falling into the hands of someone outside the company, damaging its corporate image. The program begins with GDI collecting the uniforms or the Client sending them. Afterwards, a process of destroying garments begins, ensuring that the misuse of obsolete uniforms is avoided. Customers are given photographic evidence and a document certifying the destruction of all the garments. The resulting material is reprocessed to generate new by-products, which are used as carpet fabrics, upholstery yarns, among other things.
Do you know what Clean Technologies are?
Clean technologies are those that, when applied, produce no side effects or disrupt the environmental balance. They are based on sustainability and primarily use natural and renewable resources such as aerothermal, geothermal, and hydrothermal energy. The main reason for the existence of so-called "clean technologies" is none other than to reverse the global environmental imbalance that affects us all. Some of the objectives of clean technologies are based on three pillars: Types of Clean Technologies. Within clean technology, there are branches or categories that share a common goal but operate in different strategic sectors. Some of these are: There are various sectors where the implementation of these technologies has begun, but it is a process that takes time, as it involves creating a completely different culture from the traditional one, but one that is necessary for the well-being of the ecosystem. At GDI, we are concerned about the environment, and therefore we contact suppliers who seek to use these new technologies to ensure that the garment creation process includes fabrics made from natural fibers. We also have a software and cutting system that allows us to make a more precise cut without generating so much waste or fabric scraps.
Eco-Fashion: A Trend in the Textile Industry
Sustainable fashion, also known as slow fashion, encompasses all clothing, shoes, and accessories whose manufacturing processes are environmentally friendly. While the priority in 2020 was combating Covid-3, the fashion agenda for 2021 is now focused on sustainability. The fashion sector is accelerating changes that will make it more environmentally and socially sustainable. This is one of the most urgent and ambitious goals in the industry, as, having been considered one of the most polluting businesses worldwide, change has become imminent due to the current state of the ecosystem. There are three key elements to sustainable fashion: Awareness and the desire to create change have been gradually growing in both Europe and the United States, and are gaining significant traction in Latin America as well. In Latin America, the cultural richness and artisanal techniques of each country are taking center stage, not only to celebrate them nationally and internationally, but also as a key component in generating business models with more ethical and sustainable fashion. These models can compete with fast fashion, which is increasingly losing ground among more committed and informed consumers. For a garment to be considered sustainable, it must meet certain criteria, such as environmentally friendly production and/or the use of natural or organic materials, like cotton, algae, bamboo, natural dyes, and so on. Many of the materials most commonly used by the fashion industry today face challenges such as resource scarcity, rising costs, and limited recyclability. Many factors must be considered to determine a material's sustainability. Two of these are renewability and the source of a fiber. For the sake of our planet, there are already new materials that require fewer resources for their manufacture and have longer life cycles, and which are being used by large companies. At GDI, we strive to make our garments environmentally friendly, which is why we seek to make them mostly from cotton and linen, working with suppliers who are committed to environmental stewardship. GDI has joined the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, guaranteeing that the cotton used in our products comes from a sustainable supply chain. We care about your image, quality, and comfort without neglecting the environment.