Green fashion practices start in the factory, say Hong Kong manufacturers as they make processes sustainable

Textile and apparel companies are reducing water and energy use, building green factories, eliminating waste, and upcycling the clothes consumers discard

As they build sustainability into their processes, they are discovering how much more they ane other players in the fashion industry need to do

Reading Time:4 minutes

Integral is a production facility in China of Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer Esquel that promotes sustainable production.

Published: 7:30am, 17 Dec 2019Updated: 9:15pm, 17 Dec 2019

For Esquel, sustainability starts from the ground up.

This year, the Hong Kong-based textile and apparel manufacturer unveiled phase one of Integral, its latest award-winning project in Guilin, a city in southern China. The production facility includes state-of-the-art garment and spinning operations housed in sleek, bamboo-inspired buildings.

Everything is built with sustainability and the environment in mind: the pavements are made from a mixture of concrete, discarded buttons and other materials, while specially designed glass fixtures on rooftops capture solar energy. There are modern dining halls and a gym. Cutting-edge research, covering everything from natural dyes to organic cotton production, is conducted in innovation and learning centres, and botanical gardens.

Additions at Integral are planned, including a lake and an organic garden that will be used to help feed the 1,500-strong workforce.

An aerial shot of Integral in Guilin, China.

The facility, covering 500,000 square metres, doesn’t just look impressive – it also signals the company’s commitment to becoming a more sustainable business.

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Green fashion practices start in the factory, say Hong Kong manufacturers as they make processes sustainable

Textile and apparel companies are reducing water and energy use, building green factories, eliminating waste, and upcycling the clothes consumers discard As they build sustainability into their processes, they are discovering how much more they ane other players in the fashion industry need to do

Textile and apparel companies are reducing water and energy use, building green factories, eliminating waste, and upcycling the clothes consumers discard

As they build sustainability into their processes, they are discovering how much more they ane other players in the fashion industry need to do