From the Sector

Textiles for technical applications often derive their special function via the application of coatings. This way, textiles become, for example wind and water proof or more resistant to abrasion. Usually, petroleum-based substances such as polyacrylates or polyurethanes are used. However, these consume exhaustible resources and the materials can end up in the environment if handled improperly. Therefore, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are researching materials from renewable sources that are recyclable and do not pollute the environment after use. Polymers that can be produced from bacteria are here of particular interest.

These biopolymers have the advantage that they can be produced in anything from small laboratory reactors to large production plants. The most promising biopolymers include polysaccharides, polyamides from amino acids and polyesters such as polylactic acid or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), all of which are derived from renewable raw materials. PHAs is an umbrella term for a group of biotechnologically produced polyesters. The main difference between these polyesters is the number of carbon atoms in the repeat unit. To date, they have mainly been investigated for medical applications. As PHAs products are increasingly available on the market, coatings made from PHAs may also be increasingly used in technical applications in the future.

The bacteria from which the PHAs are obtained grow with the help of carbohydrates, fats and an increased CO₂ concentration and light with suitable wavelength.

The properties of PHA can be adapted by varying the structure of the repeat unit. This makes polyhydroxyalkanoates a particularly interesting class of compounds for technical textile coatings, which has hardly been investigated to date. Due to their water-repellent properties, which stem from their molecular structure, and their stable structure, polyhydroxyalkanoates have great potential for the production of water-repellent, mechanically resilient textiles, such as those in demand in the automotive sector and for outdoor clothing.

The DITF have already carried out successful research work in this area. Coatings on cotton yarns and fabrics made of cotton, polyamide and polyester showed smooth and quite good adhesion. The PHA types for the coating were both procured on the open market and produced by the research partner Fraunhofer IGB. It was shown that the molten polymer can be applied to cotton yarns by extrusion through a coating nozzle. The molten polymer was successfully coated onto fabric using a doctor blade. The length of the molecular side chain of the PHA plays an important role in the properties of the coated textile. Although PHAs with medium-length side chains are better suited to achieving low stiffness and a good textile handle, their wash resistance is low. PHAs with short side chains are suitable for achieving high wash and abrasion resistance, but the textile handle is somewhat stiffer.

The team is currently investigating how the properties of PHAs can be changed in order to achieve the desired resistance and textile properties in equal measure. There are also plans to formulate aqueous formulations for yarn and textile finishing. This will allow much thinner coatings to be applied to textiles than is possible with molten PHAs.

Other DITF research teams are investigating whether PHAs are also suitable for the production of fibers and nonwovens.

Nearly 8,000 international visitors came to meet the 1,300 exhibitors at Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. This year's event was enhanced by a boldly designed showcase in the heart of Paris.
The offer was broader, more diversified and more accessible. Despite increasing requirements in the industry, visitor numbers remained stable. It was on these two objective notes that the latest edition of the Texworld and Apparel Sourcing Paris trade shows for the fashion industry came to a close, held from 5 to 7 February 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. During these 3 days, nearly 8,000 visitors came to meet 1,300 weaving and clothing companies from 25 countries on the two levels of Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3).

Visitors: a Euro-Mediterranean Top 5
This unprecedented concentration of international companies in Europe, which exceeds in number that of February 2019, is a reminder of the central role of European markets for the global fashion industry. This position is confirmed by the weight of buyers from the Euromed zone in the visitor structure: Top 5 is concentrated around buyers from France (20% of the total, up sharply on 2023), the UK (8.3%), Italy (7.9%), Turkey (7.2%) and Spain (6.8%). This Parisian event is proving to be an essential point of contact between designers, buyers and suppliers of fabrics or finished products.

Making the offer ever more accessible “Despite the slowdown in the clothing market, Europe remains a major market for textile and finished goods manufacturers" explains Frédéric Bougeard, President of Messe Frankfurt France. “For some players, it is becoming a strategic market to offset the uncertainties weighing on the Russian and American markets" he continues. Our mission is to fulfill our role as a market place, to adapt to these changes and to make the international offer more and more accessible." The February event also highlighted near sourcing. Nine Ukrainian companies grouped together under the banner of the Ukrainian Association of Textile and Leather Industry Companies (Ukrlegprom), as well as Bulgarian, Italian and Dutch companies, were able to take advantage of the show's visibility to include their expertise in the sourcing plans of French and European buyers.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, a new name for our trade fairs
Reflecting the adaptation of Messe Frankfurt France's strategy to changes in the market, Texworld Evolution Paris is changing its name to Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris. This move reflects developments in fashion sourcing and the expansion of brand universes. A growing number of buyers now want to be able to select materials, while also sourcing finished products directly to complement collections or expand their range. The new name is accompanied by a new dual baseline - Weaving the future; sourcing I business I solutions - to underline these developments and reinforce the fairs' service-led positioning.

From 1 to 3 July 2024 at Porte de Versailles
This new signature will be fully expressed at the next edition of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, including Avantex and Leatherworld, which will take place from 1 to 3 July 2024 in Hall 7 (7.2 and 7.3) of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. The show, which will remain the same size and offer a more selective range of products, will reflect this convergence between textiles and finished products. This session will also have no interaction with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which are due to open on 26 July, three weeks after Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris

CARBIOS and De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC), a provider of Engineering, Procurement and Construction services in the biotech’s and agro-processing industries, announce their collaboration to spearhead the construction of the world's first PET biorecycling plant. Under the agreement, De Smet has been entrusted with the project management and detailed engineering, including procurement assistance and CARBIOS partners’ management, to ensure the execution of the plant's construction in Longlaville, France, due for commissioning in 2025.  CARBIOS’ first commercial facility will play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution by offering an industrial-scale solution for the enzymatic depolymerization of PET waste to accelerate a circular economy for plastic and textiles.

With over 70 members of De Smet's expert team dedicated to the project and working alongside CARBIOS teams, the collaboration aims to guarantee the project timeline and budget while upholding quality, safety, health, and environmental standards. Construction is currently underway and on schedule.

The Lenzing Group has updated its climate targets to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit the human-induced global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has reviewed and confirmed this target improvement.

By 2030, Lenzing aims to reduce its direct emissions from the production of its fiber and pulp plants (scope 1) and its emissions from purchased energy (scope 2) by 42 percent and its indirect emissions along the value chain (scope 3) by 25 percent on the way to net zero, from 2021 baseline. This corresponds to an absolute reduction of 1,100,000 tons (instead of the previously targeted 700,000 tons).

The following targets were recognized and confirmed by the SBTi:

1. Overall net-zero target: Lenzing AG commits to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions along the entire value chain by 2050.
2. Near-term targets: Lenzing AG commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent by 2030 from a base year 2021. Lenzing AG also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions from purchased goods and services, fuels and energy-related activities as well as upstream transport and distribution by 25 percent within the same timeframe.
3. Long-term targets: Lenzing AG commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050 from a base year 2021. Lenzing AG also commits to reduce absolute scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent within in the same timeframe.

These updated targets replace the old SBTi approved Lenzing Group’s climate target in 2019.

A major capacity expansion has been completed at AkzoNobel’s Powder Coatings site in Como, Italy, which will help secure supply to customers across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Four new manufacturing lines are now operational following the €21 million project – two of them dedicated to automotive primers and two to architectural coatings. New bonding equipment lines have also been added, ensuring that the products meet and exceed industry standards.

The extra capacity in Como has been installed in a renovated building where powder coatings were originally made – a sustainable reuse of an existing part of the site, which was established in 1992. The new lines also use recycled energy and are focused on meeting the highest standards in sustainable production, supporting the company’s ambition to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.

AkzoNobel’s Como site is the company’s largest plant for producing powder coatings. It supplies products for market segments, such as home appliances, architecture, automotive, furniture and more.

“From Earth to Earth”: The new plan defines goals and concrete actions in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas to foster value creation for all stakeholders and put new sustainability regulatory requirements at the centre of attention.

A project, designed to enhance RadiciGroup's transparency and commitment to develop a responsible business along its entire value chain from an economic, social and environmental perspective and focus on the ever more widespread and stringent sustainability regulatory requirements. These are the features and goals of the Sustainability Plan presented by the Group and called "From Earth to Earth", precisely to emphasize the intent to focus on the Earth and future generations.

In the context of a complex and constantly changing scenario, the Group has therefore decided to capitalize on the goals achieved and look beyond them with a plan defining the medium-term targets and the actions to be taken to fulfil them and covering all areas considered to be "material”, i.e., relevant from the point of view of ESG and financial risks, opportunities and impacts. Indeed, the ultimate goal of "From Earth to Earth" is to support business continuity and the growth of the company and all its stakeholders.

The project was the result of a multi-year collaboration with Deloitte, which contributed an external and objective viewpoint on the definition of the material targets and themes. However, it was not an armchair exercise, but the result of an extensive listening process involving internal and external stakeholders, all of whom were sustainability experts who helped define a shortlist of strategic themes for both the Group and its main stakeholders. These issues were then analysed in detail using working tables on the different themes to identify the objectives in Environmental, Social and Governance areas and the related concrete actions needed to achieve them, in line with the European decarbonization and energy transition policies and the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a global blueprint for sustainable growth.

In particular, RadiciGroup’s environmental goals include: a 20% increase and differentiation in renewable source electricity consumption, an 80% reduction in total direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2011, attention to water consumption to limit the impact on local communities and biodiversity, the extension of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to measure the environmental impact of 70% of the products (in terms of weight) manufactured by the entire Group, collaboration among the various actors in the supply chain from an ecodesign perspective and the search for increasingly more sustainable and circular packaging solutions.

Green Theme Technologies (GTT), creators of the PFAS-free and water-free EMPEL® textile finishing platform, delivers advanced performance and a long term sustainability solution to the Japanese market. Green Theme Technologies, Inc. (GTT) is a US-based textile innovation company with a global vision to increase performance and eliminate pollution.

EMPEL® is a solution for textile mills looking to provide clean, high-performance finishes, and GTT actively promotes this innovative technology to all relevant Japanese companies, including mills, manufacturers, and brands. YKK, the Japanese global leader in zipper manufacturing, has already adopted the EMPEL® technology into their manufacturing process and promotes the technology globally in their new DynaPel™ collection.

GTT’s activities in Japan are supported by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. GTT has been approved for JETRO’s Invest Japan Support Program, which allows GTT to leverage its resources to set up an office in Japan in the future and for J-Bridge Program to forge relationships with prospective Japanese partners.

More than 82 companies, businesses and social organizations – including AkzoNobel – are involved in a major Dutch research program focused on developing new technologies that will help solve some of today’s societal challenges.
 
Seven broad consortia have been established as part of the government-funded “Perspectief” program, with AkzoNobel set to play a leading role in the SusInkCoat project, which will explore how to make inks and coatings more sustainable.

The company will work together with private partners and other societal stakeholders to develop new materials, processes and applications to improve the durability, functionality and recyclability of coatings, thin films and inks. The program, which will run for the next five years, is backed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy and the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

“Our discussions about collaborating with our SusInkCoat partners have been very positive,” says AkzoNobel’s R&D Director of Scientific Academic Programs, André van Linden, who is also the co-lead of SusInkCoat. “We’re all facing the same societal challenges – how to become more circular – and we’re looking for the same solutions in different application areas. But we’ve never done that together for this specific research topic, so we need an ecosystem to help us solve these challenges.
 
Van Linden adds that the program – one of many R&D projects the company is involved with – will also support AkzoNobel’s ambition to achieve 50% less carbon emissions in its own operations – and across the value chain – by 2030.
 
 “We want to make the recyclability of materials - such as furniture, building materials and steel constructions - easier by introducing functionalities like self-healing, higher durability and triggered release,” he continues. “The more you can leave the materials in their original state, the more sustainably you can operate.”

AkzoNobel will be collaborating with Canon, Evonik, GFB, PTG and RUG Ventures, who together possess extensive knowledge of market demands, supply chains and production processes. All the SusInkCoat partners will also work with academic researchers at several Dutch universities in an effort to identify promising developments that can be commercialized, used for education purposes or for outreach to the public.

Research being conducted by the other six consortia includes investigating methods to make tastier plant-based food; flat optics for more sustainable hi-tech equipment; and cheaper and more accessible medical imaging technology.

The fashion industry, which has strategic importance for the Turkish economy with its value-added production, employment, and exports, came together with representatives of global brands and Laison offices at the 'Green transformation' summit. At the meeting hosted by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters' Association (IHKIB), the studies carried out in the process of adaptation to the Green Deal were put under the spotlight, and the expectations of the Turkish fashion industry from the stakeholders were also expressed.

The opening of the meeting, attended by representatives of relevant ministries and foreign representations, national and international fund providers, as well as brands and buying groups were brought together, was made by Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and IHKIB President Mustafa Gültepe. In his speech, Gültepe underlined Türkiye's importance in the global apparel industry, by realizing approximately 3.5 percent of world apparel exports. Gültepe continued as follows:

"As IHKIB, we aim to increase our current annual exports, which are around $20 billion, to $40 billion. The road to the goal goes through Europe and America because the European Union is our largest market in apparel. We export 60 percent of our total apparel exports to EU countries. When we add other European countries and the USA, the ratio approaches 75 percent. While working on alternatives for the $40 billion in exports, we need to focus more on the European and U.S. markets because, as the data shows, the path to $40 billion in apparel exports goes through Europe and the U.S. We already have long-standing collaborations with brands centered in Europe and America. With our knowledge, speed, production quality, design power, and geographical proximity to Europe, we distinguish ourselves from competitors. We took a very important step in the transformation process exactly one year ago. We shared our action plan, which is a road map for our fashion industry's compliance with the Green Deal, with the public on January 30, 2023."

After Mustafa Gültepe's opening speech, Euratex Director General Dirk Vantyghem, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Trade Bahar Güçlü, and Deputy Secretary General of ITKIB Özlem Güneş made presentations regarding the ongoing efforts in the Green Deal process.

Dirk Vantyghem discussed the sustainability strategy of the textile and apparel industry and the expectations from the EU administration, while Bahar Güçlü provided information about the reflections of legal regulations related to the Green Deal on Türkiye.

Deputy Secretary General of ITKIB Özlem Güneş emphasized the significant opportunity that the Green Deal represents for the Turkish apparel industry, providing comprehensive insights into the efforts conducted by IHKIB regarding the Green Deal adaptation process.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited has been awarded the 'Platinum Medal' by EcoVadis Sustainability Assessment, underscoring the company's commitment to sustainability.

Indorama Ventures actively participates in the annual EcoVadis assessment to measure its sustainable practices, ensuring alignment with the diverse requirements of key customers across various business segments and operations. In the latest evaluation for 2024, the company achieved a Platinum Medal with a score of 80, surpassing last year’s score of 77. Indorama Ventures is ranked in the top 1% of all companies assessed within the primary industries of basic chemicals. The company demonstrated above industry-average performance in all four assessment areas: environment, labor human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.