Institutions consisting of the textile upstream and downstream textile industries officially form the Sustainable Textile Chain (RTL) association to collaborate inclusively in finding solutions to increase economic, social and environmental sustainability.

The participating institutions include PT Asia Pacific Fibers Tbk, PT Asia Pacific Rayon, PT South Pacific Viscose, PT Pan Brothers, Tbk, Clothing Apparel Group, PT Sri Rejeki Isman, Tbk, H&M Group, as well as sustainability activists (Yayasan Inisiatif Dagang Hijau and KEHATI Foundation) facilitated by Partnership-ID.

Chairperson of the RTL Basrie Kamba said that this RTL was established to accommodate the collective efforts of stakeholders who have similar concerns on sustainability issues.

"This association has a goal to encourage every effort to transform the Indonesian textile, textile product and fashion industry for growth and benefits for humans and the earth," said Basrie at the launch of the RTL, Thursday (9/9/2021).

According to him, in the long term, RTL will roll out initiatives and campaigns to build industrial consumer behavior that cares about the environment, promoting responsible and sustainable practices along the value chain of the textile, textile products, and fashion industries.

RTL will also collaborate with other stakeholders, including from other countries, to create a sustainable textile industry chain.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita welcomed the initiative to establish RTL in order to fulfill the sustainability aspects that are demanded by the global market.

"The key to implementing sustainability values ​​in the textile industry is to build partnerships and synergistic collaboration between relevant stakeholders. Therefore, I really appreciate the establishment of the Sustainable Textile Chain (RTL) as a form of partnership and synergistic collaboration," said the Minister of Industry.

Kadin agrees on the same thing. Deputy Chairperson of Kadin for Maritime, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Shinta Kamdani, said that with the establishment of this association, it is hoped that it will continue to support the achievement of sustainable textile products within their respective companies.

"Indeed we have to collaborate. We hope that this association can run well and we all continue to support our textile sustainability efforts and be successful," said Shinta.