Search Results for: Germany

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

WITH fast fashion and quick turnover key commercial ingredients of today’s garment and apparel industry, excess textile production is prompting the sector to gravitate towards more recycling and reuse of materials, to conserve energy, increase sustainability and lower raw material costs.…

BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON

TEXTILE recycling has come a long way since the days of the rag-and-bone man a generation or so ago, with particularly dramatic changes happening in some European countries over the past ten years.…

BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON

AS textile recycling continues to gain importance worldwide, and the number of companies dedicated to processing used apparel or scraps increases as well, governments and industry are working to establish textile waste legislation.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

THE SYRIAN energy sector is currently reeling from the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the United States in the last quarter of 2011 in response to Damascus’ severe crackdown on protests that began in March of last year.…

BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, IN NEW DELHI, AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON

IT is an obvious strategy. When ingredients’ costs rise, shaving a few grams off the weight of a personal care product can save manufacturers money. But the risk that consumers will notice and ditch a brand is real, experts warn.…

BY MARK ROWE

IN the global push to make transport greener, the aviation industry is just beginning to take a serious look at how to ease the sector into using less fossil fuel. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), like many other airlines, is currently looking into projects that scrutinise kerosene biofuel blends in the quest to make transportation more environmentally friendly.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

Tobacco stocks have long been regarded as a safe haven for small investors. But they are currently so stable, speculators shy away. In the long term, however, American investment advisors are warning that tobacco companies may not be such a great bet.…

BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING AND XIAMEN

A GOOD sign that a branded food market is maturing is the growth of niches, and demand for certified-organic products in China is starting to rise. According to Euromonitor data, China’s organic food market has expanded from Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY214 million (USD33.9 million) in 2009 to CNY263 million in 2010.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

THE DUTCH government is pressing for a coordinated European Union (EU) response to fighting the Schmallenberg virus, a damaging disease spreading rapidly amongst livestock across Europe. Probably transmitted by insects, the virus is affecting goats, sheep and cattle, causing abortions, deformities, severe diarrhoea, fever and drops in milk production.…

BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING

WEAKNESSES in China’s nuclear certification system are an obstacle for domestic equipment suppliers wanting to seize market share when the policy-setting National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) approves a new reactor building programme. This has been held up by the Fukushima disaster, but China’s local certification regime remains more geared to screening imported equipment rather than encouraging high standards among local equipment providers.…