Textile and apparel value chains are long and complex, spanning many types of companies, each with its own social and environmental sustainability challenges. IDH’s Materials Program is mature and is driving impact at scale, achieving market transformation in the global cotton value chain by creating both supply and demand for Better Cotton. We continue to build on this strong foundation of sectoral expertise by convening partners, funding research, and working with brands to scale innovative solutions that address sustainability issues in sourcing materials other than virgin material.
Given the linkage between material use and design, IDH is extending its focus on alternatives for virgin material which includes recycled cotton, recycled polyester, and responsibly sourced man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) to identify innovative solutions addressing key sustainability challenges.
Alternate Material Accelerator Program (AMAP)
IDH will broaden and deepen engagements with the textile sector, focusing on three material categories: recycled cotton, recycled polyester, and MMCFs; which have been identified through our existing engagement with textile retailers and brands and an in-depth understanding of their socio-economic and environmental impacts from global consumption figures.
In November 2022, IDH launched the Alternate Material Accelerator Program (AMAP) in India. As the name suggests, the program aims to accelerate the adoption of recycled cotton and polyester by 2025 and man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) by 2030. The program seeks to create a shift towards a more sustainable and responsible textile waste economy by enabling supply-side shifts towards responsible production by utilizing existing waste streams as raw inputs; by enabling demand-side shits by working collaboratively with Brands and retailers who have the capability to influence and choose the materials that go into their goods, as well as the ability to innovate systems to reuse, reduce use and extend the lifespan of materials and products they use and sell. Lastly, by mobilizing policy and incentives to bridge the gaps to sector-wide shifts.
Given that India is a major center for the production and consumption of textiles, AMAP has a strong regional emphasis on the Indian subcontinent with opportunities to leverage our existing network in key cotton-growing countries as well as major garment manufacturing hubs including China, Vietnam, Pakistan, and India, to solve potential cross-value chain barriers, Further, we are also well placed to continue working closely with 90+ brands and retailer partners in the EU and USA to drive systemic changes.
Our approach
- We will identify and strategically invest in an innovative alternate material that is sustainable, resource-efficient, scalable, and achieves a better environment.
- We will convene the industry to create an enabling environment, addressing bottlenecks and production challenges, to secure brand commitment, and cultivate both demand and supply. We will facilitate innovation and engineer co-investing structures for driving the selected material to scale.
- We will work collaboratively to create an enabling environment to facilitate policy dialogue and discussion
- This approach will deliver greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, aligning with leading brand commitments to achieve science-based targets (SBTs).
