The Americas Trade and Investment Act

Finally a Policy Post!!! I took the liberty to read the piece of proposed legislation, so you wouldn’t have to.

On March 06, 2024, a proposed bipartisan bill was introduced by Senators Bill Cassidy, R-LA and Michael Bennet, D-CO, and Representatives Maria Salazar, R-FL and Adriano Espaillat, D-NY. It is formally known as The Americas Trade and Investment Act (Americas Act). In short, it was created to empower “the Americas” in prioritizing looking inward when trading, partnering, investing and manufacturing. 

The introduction of this plan offers hope to sustainably and comprehensively integrate and improve Western Hemispheric infrastructure, so that both public and private entities can effectively boost commerce while amplifying the economic potential of the Americas. The lawmakers specifically aim to “establish a regional trade, investment, and people-to-people partnership of countries in the Western Hemisphere” stimulating growth and integration through viable long-term private sector development and more. 

On a macro level, the long-awaited bill will expand trade partnerships simply by re-centering Latin America and the Caribbean as a primary source of critical resources and materials. The lawmakers believe looking inward is the solution to bolster our economy and bring stability to the hemisphere. The over-arching objective is to counter China’s growing geopolitical control over global manufacturing and offer an alternative for the United States.

News we can use…

For those of us with an interest in global sustainability and circularity of the garment and textiles industry, the provisions of the bill that piqued my interest can be found in Title II, Subtitle B, Chapter 3 - TEXTILE AND APPAREL, Sec 231

The Secretary of Commerce will create a program that awards grants to US textile and apparel manufacturers. The recipients awarded shall use grants to offset financial resources needed to modernize domestic textile and apparel supply chain capacities, which includes but isn't limited to purchasing new facilities or equipment, retooling old equipment, or creating/expanding operations for textile and apparel production in the US or Americas partner countries. Appropriations totaling $150,000,000 each year for 5 years have been authorized. 

Next, Sec. 232. Textile Reuse and Recycling Programs opens with the acknowledgment of the adverse impact of the textile industry, which unfortunately makes up more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, textiles are the single most common product made with slave labor in China. As a result, manufacturing textiles locally will increase the safety of the labor force.

Other aspects presented in this section is that the Secretary shall (b) give priority access to grants and loans to persons [under the Re-shoring/Near-shoring directives] seeking to carry out programs to reuse or recycle “covered products”. These items include but aren’t limited to ‘textiles’ (such as apparel, footwear, accessories and household linens) that are no longer wanted by an individual after purchase or cannot be sold by a business through retail. (c) Also, programs for new expanding or retrofitting existing facilities shall be established. These updates will include providing low emissions transportation for collection, drop off or mail back, sorting, pre-processing, reuse, or recycling of covered products; and providing components, chemicals, solvents, or machinery necessary for the transportation, collection, mail back, sorting, pre-processing, reuse, or recycling of covered products.

Lastly, the appropriation of $1,000,000,000 shall be authorized for the research and development of Innovation Programs and Public Education Programs. (d) Innovation Programs for R&D related to textile reuse and recycling, and Public (e) Education programs geared to advise on the dangers of fast fashion.

These lofty investments would level the playing field for textile businesses within the circularity and sustainability sectors, while most importantly lowering our nation’s reliance on China. The success of the bill in the US will rely on “consumers changing their habits by turning away from overconsumption and voting with their dollars rather than continuing to support brands that refuse to modernize their practices”.

*  It is important to note the Americas Act bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

Source:  

The Americas Trade and Investment Act (Americas Act), S. 3878 – 118th Congress, 2nd Session. (2024)

Shoaib, Maliha. “A New US bill incentivizes circular fashion in a bid to compete with China”, (Vogue Business, March 6, 2024).

Alaïa...sustainable??

Can ultra luxe, haute couture brand, Alaïa, be sustainable as well??

Before hoping into runway coverage of RTW AW24 fashion month shows, I wanted to spotlight a brand that I took notice of during Haute Couture Week for presenting a brilliantly designed collection that just so happen to be sustainable - Alaïa.  The brands Summer Fall haute couture collection was crafted entirely using a single fabric - Wool. Using the thread of only wool, the ateliers created tiny loops of merino wool yarn to construct knitwear, wool coats, denim, tops, trousers, gowns and accessories.

Peter Mulier, creative director of Azzedine Alaïa, remarked that during his reign at the helm of the brand, that he has prioritized the approach of craftsmanship in order to maximized the impact of the Alaïa’s output.

Show notes regarding the collection describe it as: 

“ …simple and pure, less meaning more…finding freedom and invention in intimacy being reduced to an essence. Minimizing focus to expand possibilities”.  

Working with less, pushed boundaries without limiting the collection’s creativity and appeal at all.  I found this concept fascinating, and awe-inspiring.  To see images of the sculptural, circular pieces come down the runway was astonishing, and even more impressionable on the psyché once processing the exceptional technique used to create the collection.  

Another interesting design element was the use of 3-D printing with wool to create the jaw dropping asymmetrical maxi length dresses that wrapped around the models torso creating a spiraling structured cut out bodice.

zendaya photo source

True sustainability is innovative and resourceful with minimal environmental impact on products and materials.  Merino wool is a renewable resource from the fleece of merino sheep - that’s biodegradable.  Actually if put to the test, merino wool passes “life cycle assessment (LCA)” on many fronts.  

Conducting a simple LCA evaluates each stage of the material to determine whether its truly sustainable based on the complete lifecycle of a product.  The first step is SOURCING.  As mentioned earlier, the merino wool fibers comes from merino sheep.  These animals can produce as much as 18kgs of wool per year.  How often the sheep are sheared is determined by the farmer, but it can safely occur as frequently as 2-months.  Next is MANUFACTURING. This part of the process is less sustainable as it is mechanical.  Once the fleeces are collected they have to be sorted, cleaned and process which uses quite a bit of water and energy.  The third step is TRANSPORTING.  Depending on the distance the materials must travel, determines how much emissions are used by the vehicles.  However, this stage is known to be relative carbon-intensive.  Fourth stage of LCA is USAGE.  The usage of merino wool is positive and sustainable as the material is can be worn several times between washing due to the breathability and odor-resistance of the fibers.  Lastly, is the END OF LIFE stage of the wool. Merino wool (if untreated) is fully biodegradable and compostable. 

Fabric of the Future - Cactus Leather by DESSERTO

Mexico is home to one of the latest sustainable textile innovations - Cactus Leather. Thanks to its semi-arid climate, the country has an abundance of cactus growing. The fast-growing plant doesn’t need water irrigation, nor do its farms use any pesticides. It is a resilient plant that can withstand drought and scorching temperatures. Cactus manages to thrive despite the adverse effects and challenging conditions resulting from climate change. It’s quite adaptable and can sequester carbon into the soil keeping the growing areas fertile. Thus the production of cactus leather makes a significantly lower impact on the environment compared to conventional leather and PVC-based alternatives.

photo source: DESSERTO

Located in the State of Zacatecas, DESSERTO naturally grows cacti on a 14-acre farm. It is the sole cultivator and manufacturer of this unique cactus leather. Providing sustainability throughout the entire value chain of its product production. USDA-certified, organic cactus is grown there on the grounds of the company, and it is watered only with rainwater. The cactus crops are sustainable for several reasons, including but not limited to access to raw materials, energy-efficient sun drying of the cactus, soil regeneration, and CO2 sequestering capacity.

Focus on NOPAL - The Process

Only the mature leaves of the NOPAL (prickly pear) cactus are harvested, which occurs twice a year (thanks to the plentifulness of the crops). The pads are cleaned, smashed, and left out in the sun to dry for nearly a week. Once dried, the cacti fibers go through a process that extracts a powdered protein, which is eventually mixed with the organic dyes to form a liquid bio-resin formula. And this formula, when combined with a carrier material, forms Cactus leather. There is dried mulch that remains as "waste" from the process, and it’s mostly used as animal feed, but it can be used in other ways such as dietary supplements and to brew beer.

DESSERTO proudly provides plant-based biomaterials as an alternative to animal leathers, that are made from organic renewable compounds. The company is also a USDA Certified Biobased Product, and is V-Label Certified (providing cruelty-free vegan materials).

As for now, the Founders only provide cactus leather as the final product for designers to create their own designs using the plant-based product. However, they are entrusting the resources, responsible innovation, creativity, and financial investments of the fashion industry to bring awareness to all, and eventually rectify its harmful global impact. In efforts to make a broader impact, DESSERTO has teamed up with forward-thinking brands beyond fashion such as Hublot & Mercedes Benz, who have used the bio-material alternative leather as an eco-friendly, cruelty-free solution for their products.