Textile companies looking to become more sustainable now have a place to turn. North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles and The Institute of Textile Technology recently launched the creation of the Council for Economically Sustainable Textile and Apparel Businesses (CESTAB). CESTAB is a joint undertaking of the college and the institute to address sustainability issues facing the textile and apparel supply chain industry.
“Sustainability has become one of the most pressing issues facing the textile industry,” says Allen Gant, president and CEO of Glen Raven, Inc. and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Textile Technology. “The institute, in collaboration with the College of Textiles, is endeavoring to provide much needed leadership for the textile industry in addressing sustainability issues in a scientific and consistent manner.”
CESTAB was created in an effort to provide validated information, analyses and resources to promote sustainable social, economic and environment practices within the global textile supply chain. The goal of the council is to: provide resources to textile supply chain participants in hopes of providing a more uniform approach for addressing sustainability issues; generate objective and verifiable scientific research addressing gaps in the textile sustainability knowledge base; and provide and promote education at the undergraduate, graduate and continuing education levels for textile supply chain participants as well as the public.
“CESTAB will provide a well-needed focus in the textile industry bringing together leading companies, latest research findings and best practices,” says Blanton Godfrey, dean of the College of Textiles. “The institute’s leadership in creating this focus for the college and for industry is an important first step in helping us all focus on priorities and building programs for sustainability that will provide a solid foundation for important business decisions as well as research programs.”