Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., Ltd. (President: Hanshichi Toyoshima, Naka-ku, Nagoya) will hold an online seminar on sustainable cotton titled "Sustainable Cotton Seminar" on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Conducted online.
On the day of the event, WWF JAPAN, which has a partnership agreement with TOYOSHIMA since 2019 on "response to water risk in the apparel production process" and "promotion of sustainable cotton", gave a lecture, and Ron, who is attracting attention for his unique sustainability vision. Harman invited Mr. Negishi, the general manager of the business, to introduce the initiative.
From TOYOSHIMA, as an authority that has been dealing with cotton for 180 years with its original business as a cotton merchant, the recent increase in demand for "sustainable cotton", the composition of various certifications, the difference between products and cotton cultivation, etc. I explained the recent trends from basic stories that are difficult to hear.
Among them, we will also introduce "BCI cotton", which is becoming mainstream worldwide and has become more common in general, and talk about future changes in the supply chain within the apparel industry. Also, from the consumer's point of view, we have provided an explanation that will serve as a guideline on what parts to pay attention to when selecting a product.
On the day of the seminar, which was the first day of the TOYOSHIMA 2021-22AW exhibition, which introduced various sustainable materials such as traceable organic cotton “TRUECOTTON” and upcycled fibers from PET bottles and smart wear, there were many people including business partners and media people. , 250 people participated online, and I was able to feel the height of the attention to sustainable cotton.
Below are the contents of the day.
In addition, we have stored the online seminar video of the day in the URL below, so please check it.
▶ Seminar video: https://bit.ly/cottonseminar_zoom
■ Name: "Sustainable Cotton Seminar"
<Program of the day>
・Greetings from the organizer (Kogo Kazama, Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., Ltd.)
・ What is the current state of the global environment (WWF JAPAN Mr. Shigeki Yasumura)
・What is organic cotton? (Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., Ltd. Teppei Tanaka, Kikuko Hirasawa)
・What is BCI cotton? (Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., Ltd. Takihonjoya)
・Future Fashion-What did we start with? (Ron Herman, Yukari Negishi)
·Question-and-answer session
<Speakers>
・Moderator: Ms. Arisa Kamata, model / ethical fashion planner
・ WWF JAPAN Nature Conservation (Freshwater, Education, PSP) Director Shigeki Yasumura
・ Little League Company Company Officer / Ron Herman Division Division Manager and Women's Director Yukari Negishi
・ Toyoshima & Co., Ltd., Ltd. Quality Control Department Kogo Kazama, 2nd Division 1st Section Teppei Tanaka, Marketing & Sales Planning Dept. Kikuko Hirasawa, 12th Division 1st Section Ya Takihonjo
[Point ①] Increased production in recent years! What are the growing demand for “organic cotton” and “BCI cotton” spreading worldwide? ?
Due to the growing interest in sustainable materials and awareness of the SDGs, the number of opportunities to see products and names using "organic cotton" has increased dramatically.
TOYOSHIMA, which has been handling cotton thread for 180 years, still boasts a top class handling volume of cotton in the textile industry. Among them, the demand for “organic cotton” is increasing year by year, and the production volume of organic cotton fiber was 239,787 tons from 2018 to 2019, an increase of 31% from the previous year, and the previous year from 2016 to 2017. This is an increase of 56% year-on-year. *1
*1 Source: Textile Exchange “Organic Cotton Market Report 2020”
What is “BCI Cotton” that is spreading around the world?
"BCI Cotton" stands for Better Cotton Initiative, the world's largest sustainable cotton advocacy program.
In general, various institutions have established standards for what is generally recognized as "sustainable cotton" with their own certification methods, and management of marks attached to products and materials is being carried out.
This sustainable "BCI Cotton" program was conceived to create a system that can maintain the productivity of farmers while reducing the burden on the environment in producing cotton.
BCI-certified cotton is increasing year by year and accounts for about 20% of the world's cotton production.
→ What is the mass balance method adopted by “BCI Cotton”?
In the complex and very long supply chain of textile production and distribution, it has been very difficult to track and select organically grown cotton. For farmers who grow cotton, which is the raw material, eco-friendly organic cotton cultivation has been a financial burden in terms of costs and profits.
In BCI, "Mass balance method" Through the introduction of this system, through the huge volume of distribution and the entire complicated existing supply chain, everyone involved in each process changes their awareness, thereby improving the productivity and profits of cultivation farmers who have had a heavy burden. It is a sustainable program that will be returned to you.
There is no product called "BCI cotton", but BCCU points are given to cotton cultivated in a sustainable manner as defined by BCI. The cotton is inherited while it passes through each process such as cotton, thread, and textile, and retailers and brands that are affiliated with BCI pay compensation to BCCU that has been connected. The “mass balance method” is a system in which support and education are provided to farmers through BCI.
Rather than only farmers bearing the cost of reducing the environmental impact, we will reduce the impact of fashion on the environment by changing the awareness of everyone involved in the supply chain, such as apparel trading companies, brands, and retailers!
We hope that not only farmers who grow cotton, which is the raw material, but also production sites such as spinning and textiles, the brands we sell, and consumers who are consumers, will learn about BCI and make better choices. By receiving them, the farmer's cultivation environment will be improved, and the negative impact of fashion on the global environment will be reduced.
The number of brands and retailers affiliated with BCI is increasing year by year, mainly European and American brands that are expanding globally.
BCI also publishes detailed reports every year on water discharge, pesticide use, etc., and is operated with the strong desire that all people involved become involved and sustain it.
TOYOSHIMA has been a member of BCI for cotton since 2017.
“What is BCI Cotton?” Talk session Moderator Arisa Kamata and Takihonjoya TOYOSHIMA
[Point 2] What role should the fashion industry play in recent years' remarkable deterioration of the water environment?
WWF Shigeki Yasumura
At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Shigeki Yasumura, Director of the WWF JAPAN Nature Conservation (Freshwater, Education, PSP) Office, spoke about the role the fashion industry should play and how it can contribute to the deterioration of the global environment, especially the deterioration of the water environment. rice field.
Water is one of the essential resources for living things, including humans, but in the textile industry, in addition to the large amount of water used throughout the supply chain, water pollution is also a major problem. (It is said that 17-20% of industrial water pollution is caused by textile dyeing and finishing.)
Various certifications are increasing for sustainable things and initiatives around the world. It was explained that the fashion industry is also required to make sustainable efforts such as BCI and OCS, increase recognition and penetration of certification, and make sustainable choices. At the end of the talk, WWF's initiative "together possible" was also introduced.
[Point 3] Announcing the 2021 Sustainability Vision, and introducing the sustainability promotion status and new initiatives from Ron Herman, who is attracting attention.
Moderator Arisa Kamata and Ron Herman Yukari Negishi
At the end of May, Ms. Yukari Negishi of Ron Herman, which is attracting attention for its sustainability vision of "zero CO2 emissions by 2030," spoke about the company's efforts to date and the future.
Ron Herman has set a new big goal to consider the environment, quickly declaring such things as "Abolition of over-the-counter sales" and "Target of 80% proper par consumption rate", which have become a hot topic in the industry. We overturned the customs and conventions that were thought to be common sense in the industry so far, and talked about our efforts and thoughts on how to enjoy fashion while being considerate of the environment and think positively about the future of fashion.
Our Sustainability Vision presents four major guidelines: (1) protect the environment, (2) deepen our ties with the community, (3) deliver happiness to our customers, and (4) increase the happiness of our team members. He also introduced the goals/initiatives and achievement status.
And there was also an introduction of "THE BEAUTIFUL", a collaborative project with ORGANIC by JOHN PATRICK, a brand that has been handled since Ron Herman's landing. From TOYOSHIMA, we provide traceable organic cotton "TRUECOTTON" and "FOOD TEXTILE" dyed using food waste.
Sales will start at the Ron Herman Shop from Saturday, August 28th.
"THE BEAUTIFUL"
◆ About TOYOSHIMA
Founded in 1841. During our 180-year history, we have expanded our business areas in response to the changing times. Currently, we purchase and sell raw materials, yarns, and fabrics from all over the world, and handle a series of processes from final product planning to production management and delivery. In addition, as a sustainable lifestyle proposal company, we develop and provide various sustainable materials, invest in tech ventures, and promote the development of smart wear. Since 2019, we have made our statement "MY WILL" to express our stance on sustainability and technology.
https://www.toyoshima.co.jp/
https://my-will.jp
