The European Union, as the world's third-largest economy, consisting of 27 members, unveiled its Sustainable and Circular Textile Strategy in March 2022. The strategy aims to establish ecological design rules for sustainable products, regulating the manufacturing and sale of products in the EU market to reduce their adverse environmental impact. Despite having over 160,000 small and medium-sized textile businesses and generating €162 billion in revenue in 2019, the EU still discards 5.8 million tons of textiles annually, making the internal textile industry the fourth-largest resource consumer and fifth-largest greenhouse gas emitter. Consequently, the EU is committed to further driving the sustainable development of the textile industry to address these challenges.
In 2022, global apparel and footwear production reached 620 million tons, with an estimated projection of 1.02 billion tons by 2030. The EU accounted for 22% of global textile imports in 2022, making it one of the largest markets globally. Recognizing the harm caused by fast fashion to the EU's image, the EU declared a war on fast fashion in 2022 and concurrently developed the long-term EU Sustainable and Circular Textile Strategy.
From 2030, the EU market requires imported textiles to meet standards for "longevity" and "recyclability" and prohibits the use of harmful substances. Production processes must comply with social and environmental standards, which implies a longer product life cycle to support the circular economy model to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
The EU being the world's largest textile import market, textiles aiming to enter the EU market in the future must possess durability and recoverability. Therefore, Taiwan's textile industry must prioritize the development of recoverable fibers to maintain its competitive edge and achieve sustainability and carbon reduction goals. The necessitates comprehensive considerations in product and material design to meet the requirements of sustainable and circular textile products.
Porlite® is a fabric known for being sustainable and environmentally friendly, addition to its excellent performance. Its waterproof and breathable features are attributed to its polypropylene(PP) microporous material, enabling it to possess both breathability and moisture-wicking capabilities while enhancing its waterproof functionality. What's most significant is that the production process of Porlite® is environmentally conscious. During the membrane's manufacture, it doesn't require water or solvents, significantly reducing resource consumption. Due to the material's unique characteristics, the bonding process only necessitates low temperatures, eliminating the need for additional solvents. By reducing the usage of water and energies, naturally leads to much lower carbon emissions. When you choose Porlite, you demonstrate your commitment to the environment and a connection with nature.