Although we are still at the beginning of the process of transition of the Moroccan textile sector towards more sustainability, it is clear that the era of the linear production model of this industry is coming to an end. A green future is on the horizon!
For Morocco, the need to transform this strategic sector so that it applies the principles of circularity seems obvious, especially after the adoption by the European Commission of its “strategy for sustainable and circular textiles”, aimed at make all textile products on the European Union (EU) market more ecological and circular throughout their life cycle.
Although difficult to operate, this transformation, imposed both by the climate emergency and by the need to comply with increasingly restrictive EU regulations on circularity and sustainability, remains affordable and achievable, given regard to all the assets enjoyed by the Kingdom.
“Morocco is well placed to succeed in this transition, in particular thanks to the full and complete awareness of all the players in the sector, both private and public, and their close collaboration”says the regional manager in charge of investment at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Thomas Pellerin.
From linear to circular: take advantage of new opportunities
In the opinion of the expert, there is a need for the Moroccan textile and clothing sector to evolve to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the restructuring of global supply chains and to take into account the requirements that the European Green Deal – a set of measures aimed at putting the EU on the path to ecological transition – will impose on products imported into the EU by 2030, in particular those specifying that textile products must as far as possible be made from recycled fibers.
“Nearly 78 billion dollars are needed to green Moroccan industry and mobilize investment, in favor, among other things, of a sustainable and competitive textile, according to the World Bank”he stressed, noting that this represents an annual investment of 3.5% of GDP by 2050, which is at the heart of IFC’s strategy in Morocco.
In this regard, the official highlighted the main measures, resulting from the recent thematic study carried out by the IFC, that Morocco must adopt to succeed in the green transformation of the textile industry, including the need to set up the systematic recovery of post-industrial waste, and establishing modern collection and recycling plants on a larger scale.
It is also a question of locally building an upstream sector (yarn, fabric, printing, dyeing) which ensures traceability for the brands, and increasing collaboration between local companies upstream of the chain to satisfy the rules of origin and processing for preferential access to Europe, he continued.
And note that it is also about investing in innovation and technology, as well as creating new partnerships with buyers who will support the sector’s transition from a CMT model (Cut-Assembly-Finish/Cut, Make and Trim) to a full production package model, an issue which the Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Industries (AMITH) fully and actively takes up.
Make way for action!
“The circular transition will only be achieved through collaboration and the federation of efforts, experiences and expertise. The circular transition is based on a shared vision and commitment to position Morocco as a green, sustainable and essential partner for international buyers”said Thomas Pellerin.
As such, a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and AMITH aimed at promoting the transition of the sector, while strengthening Morocco’s place in global supply chains, was signed last April.
According to him, this agreement will make it possible, in particular, to lay the foundations for a post-industrial textile recycling sector and to mobilize private investment to make textiles in Morocco a more sustainable industry.
And to recall the launch of a working group, the Tanger Circularity Exchange, to bring together around the same table the various players concerned, namely the manufacturers (warp and weft, knitwear, denim); textile waste collectors (formal and informal); sorters; recyclers (cotton, poly and mixed); spinners and weavers; as well as buyers all these actors.
“We are working to put in place concrete actions to initiate this circular transition: define pilot actions, strengthen mechanisms for sorting and collecting textile scraps, define the circular textile offer that Morocco can provide, think about the integration of the smallest manufacturers in this recycling sector“, he assured, indicating that a first meeting is planned in Tangier by October 2023.