Jakarta, 5 October 2023 – On the commemoration of World Circular Textiles Day (WCTD), Rantai Tekstil Lestari (RTL) emphasized the urgency of creating a comprehensive roadmap for Indonesia’s Textile and Textile Products (TPT) industry. The call was delivered by Basrie Kamba, Chairman of RTL and President Director of Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), during the hybrid event held in Jakarta.
The Importance of Roadmap for Textile Industry
Basrie highlighted that a national roadmap is essential to reduce the environmental impact of the textile sector while also strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesian textiles in the global market.
“If Indonesia has a roadmap that includes sustainable fashion and sustainable textiles, circularity will naturally be part of it,” Basrie stated. He further underlined the importance of collaboration across the entire value chain, from upstream to downstream, to build a circular fashion ecosystem.
As a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable textiles, RTL plays a vital role as a connector among stakeholders, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and joint initiatives. RTL also seeks to publish materials that allow the public to better understand the concept and practices of sustainable textiles.
“We must share our stories about what we have done to promote sustainable textiles. If not, Indonesia—or even ASEAN countries—will continue to be blamed as polluters. Our voices must be heard, but at the same time, we must keep innovating,” Basrie added.
Echoing this vision, Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs at Bappenas, stressed the need for an actionable sustainable fashion plan as part of Indonesia’s national development strategy.
The event also welcomed Cyndi Rhoades, co-founder of World Circular Textiles Day, who joined virtually from London. She shared the global vision of reaching full textile circularity by 2050, a future where materials are renewable, recyclable, safe, and continuously circulated.
“We define this era as one where products and services are designed for multiple uses, material value is retained with maximum positive impact, and societies are socially just, resilient, and supportive,”
The commemoration of World Circular Textiles Day 2023 reaffirmed the collective call for Indonesia to adopt sustainability as a central pillar in its textile industry development—ensuring resilience, innovation, and competitiveness in the international market.
