As part of ITOCHU's initiatives to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, the Textile Company is working hard to build a materials-originated value chain centering around sustainable materials. We are working to create comprehensive proposals covering the entire process from the proposal of a material to the supply of products through the combination of our lineup of sustainable materials including cotton, polyester and wool and ITOCHU's background in production in China and the Asia region.
In 2018, ITOCHU began setting up a conifer-derived cellulose fiber pilot plant jointly with Metsa Group, a leader in the Finnish forest industry, and launched the Kuura brand on a trial basis in 2021. In 2019, ITOCHU launched the RENU Project with the goal of realizing a circular economy and has been globally developing the fiber-derived recycled polyester since then. In 2022, we launched the Wear to Fashion service collecting fiber products in the Japanese market, through a partnership with Ecommit Corporation and we continue to push forward with efforts to establish a circular economy in the textile and fashion industries.
While accelerating collaboration with Japanese and international partners with the goal of expanding the sustainable materials business, ITOCHU will work to contribute to the sustainability of the fashion industry by leveraging its global value chain, from raw materials to products.