Sustainability
Portugal's Textile Sector: Exemplary Sustainability
By Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
"One of the priorities in the Portuguese textile sector early on was the harmonization of procedures and processes with the environmental standards of the European Union and the relevant ISO standards," says The Needle’s Eye correspondent Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, who has been working in the EU member state at the southern tip of Europe and its clothing industry since the 1990s. In this article, the textile and clothing engineer highlights the background and aspects of Portugal's exemplary role in the implementation of sustainability concepts.
The beautiful coastal region in the south of Portugal - the Algarve - main but not the only attraction also for the tourist industry of the country at the southern tip of Europe. Photo: yh-f
Eco-Creativity a Prerequisite for Entrepreneurial Action
If Portugal's textile and clothing sector today stands as a role model for sustainable, entrepreneurial action in the true sense of the word, also in the economic sense, then this success has many parents: Since the 00s, we have been following how weaving mills, manufacturers of knitwear, dyeing mills and their customers in the downstream stage – garment production – have for the most part and continuously given CSR and sustainability an increasingly high priority. The result: transparency and responsible production procurement and working conditions, reduction of water and fossil energy consumption and environmentally friendly waste disposal are the standard rather than the exception among the approximately 4,100 companies (each with more than 50 employees).
This, coupled with short delivery routes, fast responsiveness including MOQs (minimum order quantities), high quality-oriented manufacturing expertise, the availability of qualified specialists, the targeted use of technology and integrated management systems – a congenial combination – has enabled the textile and clothing industry in this small country at the southern tip of Europe to achieve its current position as a highly interesting procurement center.
Looking into the causes of the ecological basic tenor, which is also particularly pronounced in the agricultural sector, in the cultivation of cork, olives, and wine, as well as partly with organic agro-tourism, the author is convinced that the close connection of the historic seafaring nation to flora and fauna is a driving force. Above all, however, the textile and clothing industry has always played a key role in the overall economy and was able to make a significant contribution to the country's economic recovery under the EU rescue package following the banking crisis in 2010.
And today?
According to ATP (Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal), one of Portugal's two industry associations, the textile industry's turnover in the first post-Corona year amounted to around 5.2 bn € (5.6 bn USD), ranking it fifth in Europe in terms of value. Clothing exports totaled around 3.9 bn € (4.2 bn USD) in 2022, accounting for around 12 percent of national exports.
Sustainability means......ensuring tomorrow's performance today. Twintex Indústria de Confecções Lda's Ecolife concept is a prime example of this realization. At its new headquarters in Fundao/Castel Branco in northern Portugal, established in 2019 and also the location for the logistics center that handles both raw materials and finished products, the family-owned company, founded in 1979, is completely self-sufficient in terms of its entire energy requirements thanks to its own photovoltaic system.
In addition to in-house production, the company works with 19 local garment manufacturers, achieving a total daily output of around 4,800 men's and women's items in the mid-price segment. Twintex products are GOTS-certified and the company uses the SMETA Ethical Audits, CPI2 (Carbon Performance Improvement), and Higg Index platforms to demonstrate its commitment to complete transparency and ongoing ecological initiatives. Because of the recent investment of 3.2 million USD for ecological and automated process optimization, CEO Bruno Mineiro is optimistic, not least because of the sustainability principle as an increasing demand criterion for international fashion brands and retail chains: "Today, Twintex products go to 21 countries in Europe, the USA, and Canada."
Innovation as a common thread
But small designer labels are also joining the movement toward a new sustainable normal: an interesting store scene is forming with pre-loved fashion, accessories, and interior design, growing not only in the Portuguese metropolises in Porto and Lisbon, but also in Braga, Cascais, and the tourist centers in the south of the Algarve. Start-ups are configuring exciting on-demand offers.
Portugal's end-to-end supply chain and far-reaching independence from textile imports across the value chain undoubtedly play a decisive role in its sustainable lead. Added to this is the close collaboration between the industry and teaching and research in the textile sector at the textile faculty of Minho University, the CENIT and CITEVE institutes, which in turn are linked to the two leading industry associations ATP and ANIVEC. In addition to the results already achieved towards more sustainable clothing, a large number of projects are currently in the pipeline, especially for the development of innovative and climate-friendly technical textiles, including for the automotive industry - the TechTex sector being Portugal's second strong domain.
For example, CITEVE, a non-profit organization supported by EU funds, has joined the interregional EU RESET program as a promoter of technology deployment and application-oriented innovation development to improve compliance with corporate social responsibility.
"Investments in sustainable concepts are already proving to be an additional decisive competitive factor for fashion 'Made in Portugal'," says César Araújo, President of the Portuguese clothing association ANIVEC and CEO of Calvelex operations in northern Portugal. Photo: yh-f
Portugal's young designer scene shows a strong awareness of the climate-friendly use of materials in collaboration with local fabric manufacturers - natural dyeing techniques, and recycled and reprocessed denim are typical elements. Models: Catarina Moura Photo: Portugal Fashion
Portugal at the heart of the EURATEX recycling program
The RegioGreenTex project launched last year by the European Textile and Clothing Federation (EURATEX) aims to create industrial centers for recycling in five European regions. One of them – the north of Portugal – is an outstanding textile center. "With the creation of the RegioGreenTex Regional Hubs, partners – including companies, researchers, associations, and legislators – are coming together to define the strategy, roadmap, and related activities to create tangible ecosystems for circular textiles," says EURATEX, Brussels.
On board from Portugal are CITEVE, then Sasia SA, a textile recycler with 70 years of experience, now GRS and SGS-certified, will use its technologies and expertise to develop sustainable and innovative fibers with new blends and new raw materials, which will later be used to create several new products. The big challenge: the post-use phase and, in particular, sorting and separation.
The third member of the Portuguese team is Tintex Textiles SA, which has won a number of innovation and environmental awards, with its mission to implement responsible business practices (certified to ISO 9001, 14001, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, GRS, GOTS, and BlueSign, among others). The Tintex Group is contributing its experience in knitting, dyeing, and finishing to the project. "On the one hand, through the direct application of our knowledge in the originally developed solutions and, on the other, through process enhancements," explains Innovation Director Pedro Magalhães to The Needle’s Eye.
The role of the institute involved in the project within the trio from the Portuguese side is the provision of technological knowledge among the partners and coordination of the task package in particular. The main aim of this is to support SMEs in the implementation of industrial pilot projects: By also enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to work together with others as a result, the aim is to create recycling hubs in each region and in the EU as a whole. António Braz Costa, CITEVE Director General comments: "When RegioGreenTex was launched to advance the pursuit of unprecedented goals, Portugal had already demonstrated R&D and industrial capacities so relevant to recycling that its inclusion in this consortium was only natural.• Institutes of Northern Portugal: citeve.pt; cenit.pt• Clothing and textile associations: anivec.com; atp.pt• Communication platform: portugaltextil.com
On board from Portugal are CITEVE, then Sasia SA, a textile recycler with 70 years of experience, now GRS and SGS-certified, will use its technologies and expertise to develop sustainable and innovative fibers with new blends and new raw materials, which will later be used to create several new products. The big challenge: the post-use phase and, in particular, sorting and separation.
The third member of the Portuguese team is Tintex Textiles SA, which has won a number of innovation and environmental awards, with its mission to implement responsible business practices (certified to ISO 9001, 14001, Oeko-Tex Standard 100, GRS, GOTS, and BlueSign, among others). The Tintex Group is contributing its experience in knitting, dyeing, and finishing to the project. "On the one hand, through the direct application of our knowledge in the originally developed solutions and, on the other, through process enhancements," explains Innovation Director Pedro Magalhães to The Needle’s Eye.
The role of the institute involved in the project within the trio from the Portuguese side is the provision of technological knowledge among the partners and coordination of the task package in particular. The main aim of this is to support SMEs in the implementation of industrial pilot projects: By also enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to work together with others as a result, the aim is to create recycling hubs in each region and in the EU as a whole. António Braz Costa, CITEVE Director General comments: "When RegioGreenTex was launched to advance the pursuit of unprecedented goals, Portugal had already demonstrated R&D and industrial capacities so relevant to recycling that its inclusion in this consortium was only natural.• Institutes of Northern Portugal: citeve.pt; cenit.pt• Clothing and textile associations: anivec.com; atp.pt• Communication platform: portugaltextil.com
Designer Maria Gambia develops models for Tintex using fabrics created as part of the Colorau® project. Photos: Portugal Fashion; Tintex-Group
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As part of the European Green Deal, RegioGreenTex promotes cooperation in research and development to establish a systematic circular economy business model throughout the EU.