From the Sector

Solvay opens consultation to cease production at Salindres site. The company announced a project to consult with its social partners to cease the production of TFA (Trifluoroacetic Acid) and its fluorinated derivatives at its Salindres site in France.

The envisaged discontinuation of these activities would result in the elimination of 68 positions assigned to the TFA and derivatives production between early 2025 and October 2025.

The plan to cease production is due to the continued negative financial performance of the Salindres plant over the past few years, driven by unfavorable market conditions that are unlikely to improve in the future.

Solvay will record provisions of approximately €50 million in Q3 2024 in relation to this project. The majority of the corresponding cash-out will occur from 2025 onwards. The guidance for 2024 underlying EBITDA and FCF remains unchanged.

TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain compliance in fashion and retail, announced a strategic collaboration with platform engineering firm Xoriant and environmental impact data leader Carbon Trail to deliver a comprehensive solution that supports international brands that want to implement more product marketing accountability.

The new solution is the first-of-its-kind in the industry and leverages Xoriant’s strong data architecture, Carbon Trail’s environmental impact data, and TrusTrace’s supply chain traceability data to provide brands with the information they need to market their products with specific details on how they’re made and where.

This new technological solution coincides with the implementation of the Green Claims Code, which launched in 2021 and was updated in 2023 to factor in product-specific environmental impact and strives to ensure that claims are clear, accurate and not misleading; provide specific and clear information about materials used; use accurate product filters and avoid misleading imagery; and support claims with verifiable strategics and third party accreditation.

On the data side, brands need to measure environmental impact on a product level, not only just related to carbon, but covering 16+ indicators such as water, land use, and microfibre impacts. Once environmental impact and supply chain data is aggregated, information can then be incorporated into a Digital Product Passport, a record that can tell a product's entire value chain via QR code/digital tag that will be required for EU brands between 2026-2030. For example, a buyer can theoretically scan a product’s QR code and be taken to a unique URL link in which the environmental impact for that specific product is available to view. This can be displayed alongside traceability data – like where the product has been manufactured – in addition to other information like recyclability, microplastics, product certifications, all those elements also come into play.

CARBIOS, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, and SLEEVER®, a French family-owned group International SME and innovative leader in shrinksleeve label technology, announced the signing of an exclusive, long-term contract to jointly develop Home Compost biodegradable mono-oriented transverse shrink films.

This partnership includes a master supply agreement of CARBIOS Active, the enzymatic solution developed by CARBIOS for PLA biodegradation. CARBIOS Active is integrated directly into the transformation process to make these PLA-rich films Home Compost, while guaranteeing quality compost. These films will enable sleeves to be used in applications as diverse as labeling, wrapping and securing packaging for the luxury goods and mass retail markets, offering an eco-designed solution for packaging with no dedicated value chain.

The Salvation Army announces a collaboration with celebrity fashion stylist Rebekah Roy for Sustainable Fashion Week. Rebekah will join as special guest for an exclusive online second-hand fashion event and share expert tips on styling second-hand fashion.  The webinar will be held on Tuesday 24th September at 8 pm (BST). The partnership presents an opportunity to promote second-hand shopping and create lasting change.  
 
Listed as one of the top 100 "Most original and influential people in the UK creative and media industries” by Time Out, Rebekah is an award-winning stylist whose career boasts working on more than 75 catwalk shows, including for London Fashion Week, Rolls Royce, Ascot and Harrods. Beyond the runway, Rebekah has collaborated with iconic musicians including Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Enya, Kate Nash and Max Rae.
 
As a strong advocate for sustainability, Rebekah has also pioneered the UK’s first vegan fashion show and regularly curates the Source Fashion show at London Olympia, reflecting her commitment to a sustainable lifestyle and her vision for a fashion industry that respects our planet.
 
Sustainable Fashion Week unites the community in taking creative action; to change the fashion system from the bottom up and the programme features a series of events to take action locally and change fashion globally.  As part of SATCoL’s commitment to sustain our planet and transform lives, the 30-minute webinar with Rebekah Roy will be available to the public for free and it will encourage second-hand shopping as she shares expert tips on styling vintage looks to make your wardrobe last. In addition to this, guests will receive a free guide to take away to support them further after the event.
 
The webinar is a call to action to drive lasting change and SATCoL will take the opportunity to introduce the great work they do to help sustain the planet and give used textiles a second lease of life whilst, helping to raise vital funds for charity. The webinar will be hosted by Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), who operates around 250 stores and a UK-wide clothing bank collection service on behalf of the charity. SATCoL has received industry wide recognition in fashion for their efforts to support brands and retailers to meet their sustainability goals and the webinar encourages the public to also take part in diverting more items away from disposal and to shop second-hand.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announces the release of the International Fiber Journal’s (IFJ) special sustainability issue dedicated to nonwovens. This special edition, which was sponsored by INDA, is a key piece of the association’s 2024 strategic sustainability initiative, launched at the beginning of 2024 in response to feedback that sustainability remains one of the nonwovens industry’s highest priorities.

The IFJ special issue features exclusive content from industry leaders, including Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Glatfelter, Lenzing Fibers, NatureWorks LLC, Hollingsworth & Vose, MANN+HUMMEL, Nexus Circular, Henkel Corporation, and INDA. This edition explores key sustainability topics, structured around three core pillars vital to the industry’s future: Responsible Sourcing, Innovations in Sustainability, and End-of-Life Solutions. Featured topics include:

• Environmentally sustainable nonwoven materials
• Circularity in single-use plastics
• Potential of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in nonwovens
• Navigating regulatory challenges
• Advances in bio-based nonwovens
• The role of plastics and polymers in sustainability

“This special issue of the International Fiber Journal is a vital part of our multi-faceted sustainability initiative aimed at providing new and enhanced offerings to INDA members and the nonwovens industry. We are excited to see the industry come together to share insights on the sustainability challenges we face,” said Tony Fragnito, President of INDA.

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Indian sales representative Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services, Ltd., will participate in the upcoming Garfab-TX Surat exhibition, an international trade show on embroidery apparel technology, fiber, yarn fabrics and accessories, to be held in Surat, India from 13th to 15th September 2024.

Surat is known as the textile hub of India, especially in terms of man-made fibers, and while it has been mainly an industrial center for wovens, there has been recent interest by manufacturers in the region to expand into new areas, including knitting.

As inventor and pioneer of WHOLEGARMENT®, the company is exhibiting its MACH2®XS WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine. Featuring 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI’s original SlideNeedle™, MACH2®XS is capable of producing high-quality fine gauge WHOLEGARMENT® products in all needles. Representing the cutting edge in conventional shaped knitting is the N.SVR®123SP machine featuring a loop presser bed that permits inlay technique for producing hybrid fabrics with both knit and weave characteristics. N.SVR®123SP furthermore features i-Plating® inverse-plating capability for increased patterning capability, including the production of jacquard-like patterns in light-weight plain jersey stitch. Both machines feature such SHIMA SEIKI innovations as DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System (with “intelligence” on MACH2®XS), spring-type moveable sinker system, stitch presser, yarn gripper and cutter, and takedown comb.

SHIMA SEIKI’s SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system will be available for demonstrations on the creative side of fashion, from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling. Virtual sampling is a digitized version of sample making, accurate enough to be  used effectively as prototypes. By replacing physical samples, virtual samples reduce time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. Digital prototyping using virtual samples on SDS®-ONE APEX4 help to digitally transform the fashion supply chain for realizing sustainable manufacturing. Simulations are available not only for flat knitting, but for weaving, pile weaving, circular knitting and embroidery as well.

The sixth edition of Texhibition Istanbul from 11 to 13 September 2024 will once again bring together all components of the textile industry and offer an overview of all product groups in the textile preliminary stage: from woven goods to knitwear, from yarns and denim to artificial leather and textile accessories.

Texhibition Istanbul Fabric and Textile Accessories Fair, organised by İTKİB Fuarcılık A.Ş. in cooperation with the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association (İTHİB), is following on from this year's March event with the upcoming edition.

Highlights:

• Over 500 exhibitors will be presenting a wide range of products such as woven fabrics, knitwear, denim, accessories, artificial leather and yarns covering 35,000 square metres
• Over 25,000 trade visitors are expected from more than 100 countries, including the European Union, Great Britain, the USA, North Africa and the Middle East
• Yarn Hall completes the range of the preliminary stage and has firmly established itself at Texhibition with 41 exhibitors
• BlueBlackDenim showcases Türkiye's leading 25 denim manufacturers and inspires with creative denim installations
• Texhibition Trend Areas: The trend areas are created by combination of quality and creative themes of fabrics, yarns, denims and accessory products from the participants
• Texhibition Art Events: digital art, accessoires and yarn installations

Gerard Fres Ltd (GFL), a sweater manufacturer founded in France and based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has adopted Pivot88, a TradeBeyond company, to optimize its quality inspection processes.

Established in 1997 and known for its focus on sustainability and ethical production, Gerard Fres has been a pioneer in the knitwear industry, specializing in pullovers and exporting around six million pieces annually to various countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.

By incorporating Pivot88's technology, Gerard Fres aims to further its mission of ensuring supply chain efficiency from product design to end-consumer satisfaction, while maintaining quality and ethical and sustainable production principles.

Pivot88, known for its robust compliance, quality testing, and traceability solutions, will provide Gerard Fres with a platform that offers real-time oversight and comprehensive data analytics. This will enable Gerard Fres to conduct more effective and efficient quality inspections.

A sunny yellow shade on a mission to fill our homes with optimism, pride and a splash of vibrant color – that’s True Joy™, AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year for 2025.

Supported by three complementary color palettes, True Joy is the result of extensive research into color, design, cultural, economic and social trends, which identified a desire to make a joyful leap into the unknown, celebrate craftsmanship and embrace who we are.  
 
“In this rapidly changing world, it’s easy to feel uncertain about our next steps,” explains Heleen van Gent, Creative Director of AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center. “But change creates an opportunity for imagination; a chance to create something even better. With our new Color of the Year and ColourFutures 2025 palettes, we want to inspire consumers to celebrate their roots and creativity and embrace the optimism of moving forward in their homes and spaces.”
 
AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center has been translating trends into desirable colors for homes for more than 30 years. Its annual ColourFutures trend forecast meeting brings together in-house experts, international architects, designers and journalists to share insights into how our reactions to the world around us impact our color choices. Junior designers and interns were also included for the first time this year, to ensure that consumers from the widest possible age range were represented in the influential Color of the Year decision-making process.
 
Their discussions led to three decorative paint color stories being designed around True Joy to help consumers find the right complementary colors to match their mood and design preferences. The Bold color story urges you to leave your comfort zone and inject adventure into your home with bright and uplifting colors, while the Human color story encourages you to bring creativity into your home by filling it with unique handmade pieces. The Proud color palette invites you to embrace your identity and have the confidence to create a home that’s just as unique as you are.
 
Apart from Deco brands, the on-trend colors, textures and special effects have been designed for other key markets and segments, including aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, metal furniture, lighting, cabinetry, flooring, and building and architectural products.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK will be exhibiting for the first time at COMPAMED 2024 in Düsseldorf, taking place between between 11 – 14 November 2024, to reflect the company’s increasing profile in the medical sector. COMPAMED is a international trade fair for the medical technology supplier sector, showcasing a range of high-quality medical technology components, services and production equipment for the medical industry.

FET are experts in medical fibre technology and innovations, designing and delivering high performance equipment for a range of precursor medical products. This includes turnkey solutions for nonwoven medical devices, wound care and dressings and synthetic absorbable sutures.

FET’s expertise lies in laboratory and pilot melt spinning equipment for a vast range of applications, especially precursor materials used in high value medical devices and specialised novel fibres from exotic and difficult to process polymers. FET has processed over 100 different polymer types and its systems can melt spin resorbable polymers in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats, collaborating with specialist companies worldwide to promote greater sustainability through innovative manufacturing processes. Where melt spinning solutions are not suitable, FET provides an alternative with pilot and small scale production wet and gel spinning systems.