From the Sector

• Textile Exchange report shows growth of preferred fiber and materials market needs to be accelerated
• With post-pandemic fiber production increasing, the transition to preferred fibers and materials must be a non-negotiable decision, notes Textile Exchange.

According to a new Textile Exchange report, the market share for preferred fiber and materials grew significantly in 2020. The Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report 2021 outlines the market for plant fibers such as cotton, hemp, and linen; animal fibers and materials such as wool, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, down, silk, and leather; manmade cellulosics (MMCFs) such as viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate, and cupro; as well as synthetics such as polyester, polyamide, and more.

The report is a unique annual publication about global fiber and materials production, availability, and trends, including those associated with improved social and environmental impacts, referred to as ”preferred.” The comprehensive report includes quantitative data, industry updates, trend analysis and inspiring insights into the work of leading companies and organizations as they create material change.

The results show that between 2019 and 2020 the market share of preferred cotton increased from 24 to 30 percent and recycled polyester from 13.7 to 14.7 percent. Preferred cashmere increased from 0.8 to 7 percent of all cashmere produced while Responsible Mohair Standard certified fiber expanded from 0 to 27 percent of all mohair produced worldwide in its first year of existence in 2020. The market share of FSC and/or PEFC certified MMCFs increased to approximately 55-60 percent. While the market share of recycled MMCFs is only 0.4 percent, it is expected to increase significantly in the following years.

Brands’ increased interest in the use of preferred fibers and materials was also demonstrated by 75 percent increase in the total number of facilities (to 30,000) around the world becoming certified to the organization’s portfolio of standards in 2020. However, the report also notes that despite the increase, preferred fibers only represent less than one-fifth of the global fiber market. Less than 0.5 percent of the global fiber market was from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.

Indeed, global fiber production has almost doubled in the last 20 years from 58 million tonnes in 2000 to 109 million tonnes in 2020. While it is not yet clear how the pandemic and other factors will impact future development, global fiber production is expected to increase by another 34 percent to 146 million tonnes in 2030 if the industry builds back business as usual. If this growth continues, it will be increasingly difficult for the industry to meet science-based targets for climate and nature.

Textile Exchange aims to be the driving force for urgent climate action, and its Climate+ strategy calling for the textile industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline in the pre-spinning phase of textile fiber and materials production, while also addressing other impact areas interconnected with climate such as water, biodiversity, and soil health.

The Turkish company ARIKAN Mensucat Industry and Trade Inc. was founded in 1993 and is located in Kahramanmaraş, one of the southernmost cities of the country. Today, the family-owned company employs around 1,500 people and finishes around 55 tons of knitwear every day. In addition to many well-known Turkish fashion manufacturers, ARIKAN also supplies international manufacturers in Europe, Russia, the Gulf States and other leading international markets.

The German machinery manufacturer BRÜCKNER supported the Turkish company from the very beginning. From the foundation of the dyeing and finishing plant, BRÜCKNER supplied three stenters for the finishing of the high-quality knitted fabric in 2014. Two more lines followed in 2016. For decades, BRÜCKNER has been the market leader for the finishing of knitted fabric. Especially for very fine and elastic fabric, special line configurations and technological know-how are necessary to be able to produce a high-quality end product. During the drying and heat-setting process, for example, extremely accurate and uniform temperature distribution over the entire length and width of the dryer is essential. In the BRÜCKNER stenter this is achieved, among other things, by the alternating arrangement of the thermal zones every 1.5 meters and by the proven split-flow air system.

The machine operators at ARIKAN appreciate the easy control of BRÜCKNER lines. The visualization is intuitively designed and offers many auxiliary systems for an optimized production process. In addition, significant energy savings can be achieved with just a few changes to the machine parameters.

The management at ARIKAN attaches great importance to energy saving, especially in the fabric finishing department. The drying process is one of the most energy-intensive in the entire process chain, therefore the biggest savings can be made here. These have a direct impact on the manufacturing costs of the textiles and thus on competitiveness in the market. In the meantime, talks are already in progress for another BRÜCKNER line which will include a very special feature: a combined heating system for the dryer. For many customers - and so also for ARIKAN in Turkey - e.g. steam energy is available free or very cheap. With the combined heating system developed by BRÜCKNER it is possible to use this steam energy for heating up the dryer and thus to achieve significant savings. If the available steam is not sufficient for a running process, it is automatically switched over to gas heating. This mode of operation does not only have an effect on the energy costs, but also makes a considerable contribution to environmental protection.

Composites Evolution Ltd has teamed up with leading natural fibre reinforcement specialists Bcomp to launch a new range of flax-epoxy prepreg materials, designed to offer enhanced sustainability without compromising on performance.

Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs combine Composites Evolution’s high-performance Evopreg epoxy resin systems with Bcomp’s award-winning ampliTex™ flax reinforcements, to deliver a family of materials which offer outstanding performance for component applications.

To reach the full performance of natural fibres, Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs have been tailored to be compatible with Bcomp’s powerRibs™ reinforcement grid, enabling the same stiffness and weight as thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts while decreasing the CO₂ footprint by 85% and improving safety thanks to a blunt braking behaviour without dangerous debris or sharp edges.

Composites Evolution’s Sales & Marketing Director, Ben Hargreaves, explains further.
“Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for many of our customers - particularly those involved in motorsports and high-performance automotive applications. As you’d expect in these sectors though, sustainability can’t come at the expense of performance the two must go hand-in-hand. This is something that other prepreggers can struggle with, as natural fibres behave very differently to carbon or glass, for example.”

Customers would be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of natural fibre composites, and to show where and how they can be adopted without the need for significant changes to existing composite component production processes.

One such customer is Retrac Group, whose composites division is one of the UK’s most experienced composites engineering companies across motorsports, automotive and aerospace. It recently used Evopreg ampliTex™ + powerRibs™ to produce a demonstrator bonnet panel for a race-bred supercar. Project Manager Alan Purves explains.

“We’re seeing a growing interest in flax fibre composites, particularly in the motorsports and niche vehicle sectors. It is therefore essential that we have developed an in-depth understanding of the processing requirements and performance capabilities of these materials, and are ready to respond to our customers' requirements. Being able to tap into the combined expertise and experience of both Composites Evolution and Bcomp is proving invaluable.”

• Testing and development achieve rigidity and safety milestone

Basaltex, pioneers in innovative uses of basalt fibres, has achieved a significant milestone in developing and testing a new composite material solution comprising fibres of basalt combined with EconCore’s patented honeycomb technology.

This new material development has greatly improved fire resistance and is highly rigid, as well as the usual honeycomb properties of light-weighting.

The company has tested the composite of basalt fibres, a bio resin and rPET honeycomb.

Filaments of only stone fibres are extruded at a temperature of 1450°C, similar to glass but with a number of advantages, not least the absence of boric acid in the process.

Combining this ecological fibre with EconCore’s sustainable technology using rPET, and the bioresin polyfurfuryl alcohol - 100% derived from a waste stream of sugar cane - make this a very sustainable and environmentally friendly product, unlike the majority of thermoset solutions in this type of application.

Railway applications require materials with enhanced fire resistance and the testing has shown that the EconCore-Basaltex solution fits these needs well, at the same time offering the perspective of drastic weight reduction against traditional monolithic GRPs used rather widely in train interiors.

Such sandwich panel could be deployed in applications such as cladding panels, partitions, tables and flooring. The thermoset skin layers give a fast cure at elevated temperature, meaning short cycle time and enabling automated production’.

As well as the railway interior application, this new material combination could be used in any application that requires fire performance combined with a low weight.

• Introducing TexCoat G4 to US textile industry
• Non-contact precision spray fabric-finishing system enhances sustainability and process control

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will be showcasing its TexCoat G4 non-contact precision spray fabric-finishing system at the Techtextil North America trade show, held Aug. 23 to 25, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

With extensive sustainability benefits, unprecedented tracking and process control, and Industry 4.0 integration, the TexCoat G4 provides consistently high-quality fabric finishing, with no chemistry waste, and significantly reduced water and energy consumption.

Baldwin’s innovative non-contact spray technology eliminates chemistry dilution in wet-on-wet processes. The TexCoat G4 consistently and uniformly sprays chemistry across the fabric surface and applies it only where needed, on one or both sides.

Customers can expect no bath contamination during the finishing process, as well as minimal downtime during changeovers, which are made easy with recipe management that includes automated chemistry and coverage selection. The TexCoat G4 also enhances sustainability by wasting no chemistry during color, fabric or chemistry changeovers, and because only the required chemistry volume is applied to the fabric, wet pick-up levels can be reduced by up to 50 percent—leading to 50 percent less water and energy consumption.

Furthermore, in single-side applications, drying steps can be eliminated for various textiles, including those that are back-coated and laminated, thereby streamlining and simplifying the production process.

ISKO, a global, leading premium denim ingredient brand, announced its participation in The Jeans Redesign – a project, established by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative, to encourage and guide the denim industry to transform the way jeans are made and move towards a circular economy for fashion.

ISKO meets the requirements for participation set by The Jeans Redesign guidelines and has made a commitment that 85% of its entire fabric production will consist of recycled material content made from pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials. This production will be independently verified by Textile Exchange audit bodies.

This achievement is made possible using ISKO’s R-TWO™ technology which is created through a patented and exclusive yarn spinning technique that retains the unique properties and benefits found in ISKO’s statement fabrics. ISKO’s R-TWO™ is the embodiment of its Responsible Innovation™ mindset and aligns with the principles of a circular economy espoused by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – to ensure durability, material health, recyclability and traceability. R-TWO™ positions ISKO as a sustainability leader and enables it to exceed the project guidelines to create denim that is designed to be used more, made to be made again and made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs.

Dibella's long-standing forwarding partner Hamacher was taken over by the sustainably committed logistics specialist Heppner at the end of 2018. The new constellation takes Dibella another step further in terms of climate-neutral transport: the logistics company, which originates from France, focuses on the environmentally friendly transport of goods and is investing heavily in a carbon dioxide-neutral vehicle fleet.

"With our first sustainability report, we introduced the monitoring of our carbon dioxide emissions. It turned out that the transport of our textiles produces the most climate gases. We have therefore consistently switched to sea freight and almost without exception do not ship goods by air. However, we still see a need for optimisation from the port of Rotterdam to the customer or to our warehouse. After the takeover of our long-standing forwarding partner Hamacher by the logistics specialist Heppner, there is now a breath of fresh air in our climate-friendly delivery initiative. The company is committed to environmentally friendly transports and a low-emission vehicle fleet. Together we now want to look for solutions to make the "last miles" of our deliveries climate gas neutral," says Ralf Hellmann, Managing Director of Dibella.

Departure into a clean future
Spedition Heppner, with its origins in Alsace, is a family-owned company with worldwide operations and 3,320 employees handling more than 72 million freight items annually. More than a decade ago, the logistics specialist began recording the carbon dioxide emissions released by its fleet of vehicles and steadily reducing them by switching to environmentally friendly energy sources. With a mix of gas, bio-fuel and electric drive, the discharge of greenhouse gases caused by the company's trucks is to be reduced by twenty percent by the year 2025. By 2050, the entire fleet should be diesel-free. To achieve a carbon dioxide-neutral footprint, Heppner is also testing hybrid forms of transport (rail, inland waterways, truck) as well as alternative delivery options (cargo bike).

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, confirmed the introduction of the first seamless trail running shoe made with bio-based Dyneema® fiber by norda™, a Canadian shoe brand.

Designed for runners by runners, norda™ was founded under the mission to empower athletes to unlock their peak potential through innovation and cutting-edge technology. The brand’s flagship product, norda™001, utilizes bio-based Dyneema® fiber to enhance performance and sustainability in a lightweight construction.

The shoe upper is seamlessly constructed with Dyneema® fabric, which benefits from the intrinsic properties of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® fiber is engineered at the molecular level to provide high strength, low weight, waterproof and breathable properties – fusing the technical performance of ultra-light materials with aesthetic design that does not sacrifice strength or durability.

In addition to the increased foot stability and wearer comfort of the upper, Dyneema® fibers are also used to increase abrasion resistance and stretch in the shoe laces – providing four times the level of strength when compared to standard lace materials like nylon and polyester.

“When we set out to create the norda™ 001, our mission was to design an ultra-strong and durable high performance trail running shoe, and do it as sustainably as possible,” states Willamina and Nick Martire, Co-Founders, norda™. “To achieve our goal, we had to look outside of the standard materials used by the footwear industry. We realized the properties of bio-based Dyneema® beat everything available today.”

In line with DSM’s commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, bio-based Dyneema® boasts the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema® with a carbon footprint that is 90 percent lower than generic HMPE. Sourced from renewable, bio-based feedstock, DSM’s latest advancement in fiber technology uses the mass balance approach to further reduce the reliance on fossil fuel based resources, while still contributing to a more circular economy.

Marabu is one of the first ink manufacturers to achieve climate neutrality. All Marabu Business Units will, where possible, make a specific contribution to achieve the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with PROJECT GREEN and therefore participate in the Green Deal.

"We are safeguarding the future of the next generations and are proud that we have managed to be a climate neutral company from July 2021 with the Tamm and Bietigheim sites. All our products, whether printing inks or creative colours, are climate neutral, too," explains York Boeder, CEO Executive Committee. "Our so-called PROJECT GREEN combines all measures that are taking us on our journey to climate neutrality. Climate protection is a particular concern for us, to which we have made a binding commitment within the scope of an extensive sustainability strategy. In accordance with our Marabu Green Deal, we avoid and reduce emissions wherever possible, e. g. by using green electricity, energy-saving schemes, mobility concepts or environmentally friendly materials. We offset all unavoidable CO2 emissions by supporting internationally certified climate protection projects. We are continually implementing measures to improve our carbon footprint and update them annually to make their success measurable. We have therefore set ourselves the active goal of reducing our CO2 emissions by another 25 % by 2030."

For decades, Marabu has invested in the research and development of safe production processes, environmentally friendly products, and clean technologies with the aim of preserving the natural environment. Marabu has worked with Climate Partner to analyse all the CO2 emissions from the sites in Tamm and Bietigheim and determine its carbon footprint. Including all product-related factors such as raw materials and logistics, Marabu currently generates approx. 18,500 tons of unavoidable CO2 emissions. This value is the positive result of a number of climate-friendly measures pursued by Marabu, such as the early switch to green electricity in 2007.

Marabu's main activities to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions:

• Energy - Switching to green electricity from hydropower
• Mobility - Migration of the company's vehicles to electric and hybrid cars as well as in e-charging stations
• Production - Use of renewable energies and resource-efficient production processes
• Raw materials - Replacing critical substances with environmentally friendly alternatives for new and existing products
• Transporting - Climate-neutral freight carriers and lower-emission transport methods like shipping or road transport replace air freight wherever possible
• Product technology - Modern, low-emission products

Outdoor apparel company Patagonia and circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company have signed a multiyear sales agreement for Infinited Fiber Company’s unique, premium-quality regenerated textile fiber Infinna™, which is created out of textile waste. The move marks a major milestone for both companies towards making textile circularity an everyday reality: The deal guarantees Patagonia access to the limited-supply fiber over the coming years and secures future sales income for Infinited Fiber Company as it ramps up production.

Infinna is a unique, virgin-quality regenerated textile fiber with the soft and natural look and feel of cotton. It is created from cotton-rich textile waste that is broken down at the molecular level and reborn as new fibers. Because it’s made of cellulose – a building block of all plants – Infinna is biodegradable and contains no microplastics to clog our seas. Clothes made with it can be recycled again in the same process together with other textile waste.

In April, Infinited Fiber Company announced plans to build a flagship factory in Finland to meet the growing demand for Infinna from global fashion brands. It is currently supplying customers from its R&D and pilot facilities in Espoo and Valkeakoski, Finland. The planned flagship factory will have an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons, which is enough fiber for roughly 100 million T-shirts made with 100% Infinna. Infinited Fiber Company expects to have sold the new factory’s entire output for several years during 2021.

More than 92 million metric tons of textile waste is produced globally every year and most of this ends up in landfills or incinerators. At the same time, textile fiber demand is increasing, with Textile Exchange estimating the global textile fiber market to grow 30% to 146 million metric tons by 2030 from 111 million metric tons in 2019. Infinited Fiber Company’s fiber regeneration technology, which uses cellulose-rich waste streams as its raw material, offers a solution both to stop waste from being wasted and to reduce the burden of the textile industry on the planet’s limited natural resources.