Last week, Phnom Penh became the center of a crucial conversation about the future of the textile and apparel industry. On March 31st and April 1st, 2025, industry leaders, government officials, international brands, and workers’ advocates gathered at the Cambodia Global Textile Summit 2025 to tackle pressing issues like sustainability, innovation, and competitiveness in the country’s textile sector.
The event was organized by TAFTAC (Textile, Apparel, Footwear & Travel Goods Association in Cambodia), Better Factories Cambodia (BFC), and GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), with support from EUROCHAM and the Skill Development Fund. It was also fully backed by Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT), highlighting the government’s commitment to advancing the industry.
A Spotlight on Circular Fashion
One of the summit’s key moments came on April 1st, when our founder, Marina Chahboune, joined an insightful panel titled “Driving Textile Circularity through Global Collaboration and Local Action.” She shared the stage with experts including Mr. Bun Srey, Director of Shun Wei Recycling, Mr. Keith Teh, an operations and production management expert at Wan He Da Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and Mrs. Ann Runnel, CEO of Reverse Resources. The discussion, moderated by Mrs. Kristin Sommer, Team Lead for Environment and Due Diligence at GIZ Fabric, covered global trends in circularity andCambodia’s textile waste challenges.
A major highlight was the launch of the Circular Fashion Partnership (CFP) Cambodia, building on the success of CFP Indonesia launched in October 2024. This program aims to accelerate textile waste recovery and recycling, creating scalable solutions for a more circular fashion industry in Cambodia.
Beyond the Panel: Hands-On Collaboration
The summit wasn’t just about discussions, it was about action. All the Consortium partners of the Circular Fashion Partnership Cambodia, GIZ Fabric, GIZ Cambodia, Circular Economy, Reverse Resources, Closed Loop Fashion & Global Fashion Agenda, visited Shun Wei Recycling and the Green Up Waste Management Facility with their partner Kakkar Spinning Mills to see the country’s recycling ecosystem and supply chains in action. We also got the chance to visit I Apparel International Group, a pioneering manufacturer known for its state-of-the-art, sustainable manufacturing processes and commitment to ESG standards. Behind the scenes, working group meetings and consortium discussions helped shape the next steps, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned in pushing circular fashion forward.
With the Circular Fashion Partnership Cambodia now in motion, we’re excited to keep the momentum going and turn these discussions into tangible progress.
