Pursuing a Circular and Sustainable Textile Industry in Latin America

Abstract

AbstractThe textile industry profiles of key countries in Latin America and their developments have been analysed, in terms of sustainability. Different aspects related to social consciousness, environmental, and labour aspects have been considered. Countries like Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina are presented as examples to describe the sustainable development in the Latin American textile sector. There was a decrease in Latin American textile markets due to the introduction of products from Asian countries. On the one hand, this scenario has put much pressure on Latin American countries to improve their textile products quality, a way to give a better value for their local consumers. On the other hand, labour costs in Latin America are increasing due to its economic development, which has been a big challenge for Latin American textile industries to compete in the international market. New technologies are also playing a major role to compete with products from Asia. Some examples are Mexico with its smart textileñ Colombia has enhanced its production speed as well as introduced high-quality customized products from local producers. In most Latin American countries, a sustainability agenda has pursued by the private sector, including artisanal textiles on their markets and recycled textile materials into their markets. These cases can be seen in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Uruguay. Countries with strong governmental support (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and, Peru) have a solid raw sustainable material export system, the most important ones are organic cotton, wool, and alpaca. A special case is Chile with its pulp cellulose production which will start its production in 2020, exporting to Asian countries, principally. Uruguay and Brazil are being considered as “slow fashion” capitals in the region; Uruguay, for its rich green chain of biological fibre production management, its eco-friendly materials like ceramics, hemp, silk, organic cotton, and recycled materials, and it is artisanal way to process high-quality wool; and Brazil, with its second-hand market, and new sustainable materials, such as natural dyes cotton, linen, and PET, based on natural plants. The volume of waste textiles is expected to increase over the years if every Latin American country does not have programmes to remediate this problem, particularly due to the importation of products. In conclusion, Latin America is therefore a potential growth market in the textile industry, due to its domestic demand, economic growth, and purchasing power. These countries have a strong possibility to develop sustainable textile industries, but a big challenge, because being sustainable requires a high initial investment cost as well as a strong policy and strategy to achieve it. KeywordsLatinamericaTextile marketSustainabilitySustainable materialsCircular economyRecycled materialsSustainable market