Future Forward Factories
The “Future Forward Factories” project, initiated by Fashion for Good, focuses on transforming tier 2 processing in the textile industry through innovative low-impact, decarbonisation solutions. It aims to generate actionable blueprints for factories of the future that combine renewable energy and technology upgradation including mostly dry processing innovations. These blueprints take into account the macro geographical factors that are customised for every product to achieve next-zero facilities with a strong return on investment.
Problem Statement
While many textile factories focus on climate goals using proven technologies like renewable energy and water treatment, there remain gaps in integrating disruptive innovations in processing. Current decarbonisation efforts fail to fully utilise dry processing technologies and lack a scalable blueprint for sustainable factory setups that can operate commercially.
Executive Summary
The project aims to scale decarbonisation efforts in textile manufacturing by creating an open-source portfolio of factory blueprints. These blueprints will showcase best-in-class, low-impact solutions across different geographies and product categories, demonstrating how both new and existing solutions can come together to drive the industry towards net-zero emissions. By engaging strategic supply chain partners, we aim to operationalise these blueprints in various geographies, these demonstrator projects will help the existing supplier ecosystem to understand the operability of climate positive factories and will be able to pick and choose solutions out of these for their transition journey practices.
Goals of the Project
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Create an open-source portfolio of hyper-local, product-specific blueprints in five manufacturing countries.
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Establish new “demonstrator facilities” to showcase the operational viability of these blueprints.
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Form a consortium of suppliers, brands, and innovators to scale low-impact processing technologies.
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Develop financing models that blend debt, equity, and brand financing to support these innovations.
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Partners
Relevant Resources
What is textile processing? Understanding the fashion supply chain and its environmental impact
Good Fashion Fund Launches to Invest in Supply Chain Innovation
Fashion Players Team Up to Slash Textiles' Water and Carbon Footprint
How a Kering and adidas-Led Consortium Aims to Dry Out Fashion’s Water Problem
Global accelerator Fashion for Good has announced a new consortium, the D(R)YE Factory of the Future project, backed by Kering and adidas, among others, aimed at reducing water use in textile production. The initiative is directed at accelerating the fashion industry’s shift to dry textile processing—methods that use little to no water, produce no wastewater and reduce overall energy use.
Other Projects
Fibre Club
Fashion for Good’s Fibre Club unites brands and innovators to fast-track the use of sustainable materials in the fashion sector. These partnerships offer brands early access to cutting-edge fibres, ensuring beneficial supply agreements and easier incorporation into their supply chains. Fibre Club aims to not only shift the cost structure but to help align brands in a very fragmented and competitive industry.
Advanced Processing Matrix
The Advanced Processing Matrix (APM) aims to continue Fashion for Good’s efforts to accelerate the shift from wet to mostly dry processing in the fashion industry by validating innovative textile processing technologies with potential to drive CO₂e reduction, alongside improvements in water and chemical usage. The tool serves as the knowledge resource for Future Forward Factories aiming to transform facilities into near Net-0.
Behind the Break
“Behind the Break,” is a project aimed at exploring textile fibre fragmentation. The research aims to identify the root causes of fibre shedding during manufacturing, enhance existing test methods, and inform future industry best practices and policies to reduce textile pollution. A report accompanies the project, providing an overview of existing knowledge gaps, recent developments, critical insights, and emerging opportunities for meaningful action within the fashion and textile industry.
