From the Sector

Rajiv Sharma has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Archroma with key responsibility for the Textile Effects business, effective October 1, 2024. Current Group CEO Mark Garrett will transition to the Archroma Board of Directors.

Rajiv Sharma comes to Archroma following a 14-year tenure with Coats Group plc, where he was Group Chief Executive for the last eight years. As head of the UK-listed company, which is the world leader in thread manufacturing and structural components for apparel and footwear, Mr. Sharma created a platform for profitable growth and shaped a company culture based on customer centricity, innovation, digitalization and sustainability.

In parallel with these leadership changes, Archroma’s Packaging Technologies business will be established as a focused business activity from October 1, 2024, with the aim of increasing its focus on the packaging business and accelerating its development. It will continue under the leadership of its CEO, Sameer Singla, who will report directly to the Archroma Board of Directors. Packaging Technologies has also delivered substantial growth with more dedicated leadership over the past two years and the organizational changes will help both Textile Effects and Packaging Technologies continue to focus on best serving their respective customers and markets.

Archroma, a leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, honed its vision of the future of the apparel and textile industry with the announcement of “PLANET CONSCIOUS+”, a roadmap designed to support brands and mills to chart their sustainability journey.

“Over the past decade, Archroma has been on a mission to lead the textile industry towards a more sustainable future. But the world’s challenges are escalating – from climate change to economic and geopolitical instability. We believe that the time is right for us to realign our vision to guide the next phase of our development. ‘PLANET CONSCIOUS+’ encapsulates both our responsibility and our potential as a company that touches and colors people’s lives every day, all around the world,” Mark Garrett, Group CEO, Archroma, said.

“PLANET CONSCIOUS+” has six dimensions, the first four of which have been rolled out over the past few months:

• SUPER SYSTEMS+: Powerful end-to-end systems that combine processing solutions and intelligent effects, SUPER SYSTEMS+ deliver measurable environmental impact, more durable colors and effects, and cleaner chemistry as compared to the current market offering. This allows brands and mills to select the impact they want to achieve in line with their sustainability goals.
• SAFE EDGE+: Groundbreaking initiative represents a major commitment to providing a roadmap for compliance and cleaner chemistries for use in the textile industry by combining The Safe Edge platform with Foundation+. Foundation+, Archroma’s beyond-compliance portfolio, is a curated selection of Archroma products that utilize innovative technologies to either design out hazardous or regulated substances or reduce them by more than 95% compared to the current industry standard limits.
• ONE WAY+: Combining Archroma’s One Way Impact Calculator, a world-first online tool for sustainable value chain mapping, with its expert-led Sustainability Improvement Program (SIP), ONE WAY+ helps mills and brands overcome their specific challenges with products and tools that offers the highest operational excellence and productivity, achieves savings of resources such as water, energy, and creates differentiation with value-added end-products.
• COLOR MANAGEMENT+: An advanced color design and development solution, COLOR MANAGEMENT+ helps mills and brands work together for improved sustainability. It incorporates the industry’s largest off-the-shelf color atlas selection alongside color standards created with Archroma’s SUPER SYSTEMS+ for reduced environmental impact and consistent and accurate color reproduction.

The remaining two pillars of “PLANET CONSCIOUS+” are being introduced today to underscore that innovation and transparency are the cornerstones of the Archroma way of working.

• INNOVATION+: Archroma brings together science, our technological expertise and in-depth market, customer, and regulatory knowledge to create groundbreaking solutions that have a positive environmental impact. To accelerate the shift to a circular economy and help manufacturers use resources more efficiently, Archroma’s research and development teams across Americas, Asia and Europe focus on innovating for cleaner chemistry and durable effects.
• COMMUNICATION+: By providing authentic, fact-based information to all stakeholders, Archroma helps improve transparency across the value chain. This enables mills and brands to communicate their sustainability goals and achievements with confidence and navigate issues like regulatory complexity and consumer skepticism.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwovens Industry, based in Cary, North Carolina, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, have announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) in Rome to explore a strategic alliance. This marks a significant step toward leveraging their combined expertise and resources to address global challenges and drive new opportunities in the nonwovens industry.

As the nonwovens industry evolves, both associations recognize the need for a unified approach to navigate complex international markets. The potential alliance aims to deliver several key benefits:

1. Enhance the scope and value to Members: The increased integration of resources will enable both organizations to deliver greater value to members, offering an expanded range of educational programs, enhanced networking opportunities, and access to a wider breadth of industry insights.
2. Joint Advocacy and Representation: The alliance will amplify both organizations' collective voice, enhancing their ability to advocate for members' interests at local, regional, and global levels, ensuring that their needs and concerns are effectively addressed.
3. Operational Synergies: The alliance will create efficiencies, strengthen the collective talent pool, and optimize the use of financial resources to better support member and industry initiatives.
4. Innovation and Growth: The alliance will drive joint initiatives and projects that foster innovation, enhance industry leadership, and support the long-term growth and sustainability of the nonwovens industry.

The organizations will conduct a thorough due diligence process over the coming months to evaluate the strategic benefits and operational efficiencies of a potential alliance. Both associations remain dedicated to advancing their members’ interests and exploring new growth avenues within the nonwovens industry.

“This Letter of Intent underscores our commitment in exploring how we can better serve the nonwovens community and tackle industry’s evolving challenges,” said Murat Dogru, General Manager of EDANA. “Our purpose is to ensure that our members are well-positioned to thrive in a dynamic global environment. Reflecting on the Treaty of Rome signed decades ago, we hope that the signing of this Letter of Intent in Rome will pave the way for even greater achievements.”

INDA President & CEO Tony Fragnito added, “This potential alliance represents an opportunity to combine our strengths while openly engaging on the global issues affecting the industry. Better coordination will enhance our ability to serve the industry and our members while retaining our regionally focused support and representation.”

Haelixa has partnered with Italian fashion brand OVS for the second consecutive year. This collaboration aims to mark and trace cotton grown in Italy, ensuring trust throughout the supply chain.

Haelixa has integrated its DNA markers into the existing operations for OVS's cotton. The cotton is grown in Italy and marked with the DNA markers at the gin, close to the farm. The fibers are tested during the entire manufacturing process, ensuring that the cotton used in this OVS collection is ethically and sustainably sourced. This partnership is a testament to their commitment to promoting responsible and transparent practices in the fashion industry, providing customers with the assurance of the cotton's origin.

Traceability has become crucial in the fashion industry, with consumers demanding more information about the products they purchase. By partnering with Haelixa, OVS continues to meet this demand and set a new standard for cotton in the industry. This alliance will benefit customers and the farmers in Italy, giving them fair recognition for their work.

Simone Colombo, Head of Corporate Sustainability, says, “In 2024, we have continued with Swiss DNA Traceability supplier Haelixa in marking and tracing our OVS Cotone Italiano for the second year. Our goal is to approach 5% of our cotton requirements from cultivation in Italy within a few years.”

The collaboration between Haelixa and OVS has boosted the transparency of their supply chain. With the help of traceability provided by Haelixa, OVS is working towards improving its products' social and environmental impacts. OVS is firmly committed to sustainable and ethical practices and aspires to enhance its operations yearly. The partnership with Haelixa is a testament to their dedication to improving traceability in the fashion industry.

ALLIED Feather + Down (AF+D), a leader in high performance, ethically sourced, and recycled down, supplies down to NEMO Equipment’s GOOD DESIGN Sustainability Award-winning, fully recyclable Endless Promise® down sleeping bag collection.

AF+D is supplying down for NEMO’s Disco and Riff down sleeping bags. When these bags reach the end of their lifespan, they will be returned to ALLIED. After removing, cleaning, and reviving the down, ALLIED will incorporate the insulation into its RENU:TRACE offering, the world’s first and only fully traceable recycled down.

“Recyclable and naturally biodegradable, down is one of the most sustainable insulations on the planet and plays an important role in a circular economy,” said Daniel Uretsky, President with ALLIED. “We launched our RENU:TRACE recycled down program in 2022 as a way to recycle down in a closed loop, the only way to ensure this recycled material is 100% traceable and ethically sourced. We are proud to partner with NEMO on this award-winning collection.”

All ALLIED down is 100% ethically sourced and traceable back to the region where it was produced, and unless traceable down is both sourced and recycled in a closed loop, it is virtually impossible to ensure that any recycled down comes from purely ethical sources. Before RENU:TRACE, brands had to make a decision to either focus on post-consumer recycled material OR ethically treated animals.
 
While NEMO is the first to participate, the RENU:TRACE program is available to all of ALLIED’s partner brands.

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.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has achieved ISCC+ certification for three of its fiber manufacturing sites. In addition to one already ISCC+ certified fiber plant, this marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing commitment to sustainability and circular economy practices. Across its entire business, a total of nine Indorama Ventures sites are now ISCC+ certified, offering a diverse range of sustainable products, including PTA, PET chips, fibers, and fabrics.

The newly certified high-performance fiber portfolio will serve customers who require technical yarns such as in the Mobility, Tire cords, Airbags, Industrial or Mechanical Rubber Goods sector. The new offerings include:

• Mass balanced (M.B.) polyamides PA6.6 and PA4.6 from the company’s sites in Obernburg (Germany) and Pizzighettone (Italy). Developed in collaboration with key partners, these products match the performance of standard polyamide yarns while reducing GHG emissions by approximately 55% at the polymer level.
• Bio-based high-tenacity PA4.10 (M.B.) yarn made in Obernburg (Germany) for tire and specialties applications. This 100% bio-content polymer, produced from bio-based Sebacic Acid and bio-based Di-Amino Butane (DAB) component via mass balancing, supports significant GHG emissions reduction due to the innovative raw material.
• Recycled PET yarns and tire cord fabric from Indorama Ventures’ site in Kaiping (China). These yarns and fabrics made from 100% recycled PET, represent the company’s efforts to drive the evolution towards circular practices and lower carbon products.

ISCC+ Certification
The ISCC+ (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) is a globally recognized standard for the sustainable production of biomass, and bio-based products, including recycled content. This certification ensures that materials are sourced and processed responsibly, reducing the environmental impact and promoting a circular economy.

Protective gloves, such as those used for work, sport or household gardening, retrieve their protective function from a special coating. This coating provides abrasion resistance, makes the material waterproof and resistant to chemicals or oil, and even protects against cuts and punctures. Until now, coatings made of oil-based polymers, nitrile rubber or latex have been the main materials used. Scientists at the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) have succeeded in developing a robust yet flexible glove coating using environmentally friendly lignin in a 3D printing process.

Coatings that are subject to mechanical stress always suffer from a certain degree of abrasion that is dispersed in the surrounding area. This is also the case with coated protective gloves. In order to avoid long-term pollution of the environment, materials should be used whose abrasion particles are biodegradable. The aim of the research project was to improve conventional protective equipment and integrate more sustainable materials.

The biopolymer lignin is a natural component of plant cells that is produced in large quantities as a by-product of paper manufacturing. Due to its properties, it represents an environmentally friendly alternative to oil-based coating polymers.

The scientists developed biopolymer compounds containing lignin, which were used to produce thermoplastic materials that can be processed using 3D printing.

Lignin has few polar groups, which makes lignins hydrophobic and therefore insoluble in water. For this reason, they biodegrade slowly. This makes them particularly suitable for durable coating materials.

Despite this durability, lignin particles that are released into the environment through abrasion biodegrade faster than the abrasion of conventional coatings. This is due to the much higher surface/volume ratio.

The use of 3D printing makes it possible to produce the coating precisely and efficiently. The 3D printing process also makes it possible to adapt the glove to the individual needs of the wearer. This increases wearer comfort and promotes freedom of movement.

The research project shows that the use of lignin not only offers ecological benefits, but that protective gloves coated with it are also particularly durable and resistant. They meet safety standards and at the same time contribute to sustainability in the world of work.

The Teijin Group companies Teijin Carbon America, Renegade Materials and Teijin Aramid will participate in CAMX. the largest, most comprehensive composites and advanced materials event in North America, in San Diego, USA. At the TEIJIN booth, visitors can explore innovative composite solutions and learn about the comprehensive technical support and provided services.

Teijin's diverse network of materials companies excels across various fields, ranging from high-performance carbon and aramid fibers to cutting-edge industrial textiles and revolutionary, cost-effective prepreg composite solutions. The shared commitment to quality, innovation, and environmental responsibility unites Teijin in their mission to deliver eco-friendly solutions across multiple industries and applications, including pressure vessels, aerospace, and both defense and commercial aircraft construction.

Teijin’s dedication to acquiring appropriate certifications for sustainable production and product development underscores the high level of commitment to lead in this field. In the past years, Teijin has continuously striven to minimize their carbon footprint and global impact, while also supporting customers on their own sustainability journeys. This year, Teijin Aramid achieved the EcoVadis Gold Medal recognition, placing the company in the top 5% of all companies across all industries globally and in the top 3% of all man-made fiber manufacturers worldwide.

Teijin Carbon has been awarded the ISCC Plus certification for its production in Germany and Japan and is on track to receive the same certification in the U.S. in the coming months. This accreditation allows the Teijin Carbon Group to prove to its customers sustainable products that contribute to a circular economy. Teijin Carbon is diligently working toward establishing new sustainability standards, promoting ecological innovations, and fostering partnerships for a more sustainable world.

Teijin is looking forward to engaging with customers and partners at CAMX 2024 in San Diego to discuss innovative ideas for the circular economy and recycling processes.

Teijin Carbon is one of the world's leading manufacturers of Tenax™ carbon fibers and carbon fiber-based materials, with production sites in the US, Germany, Japan and Vietnam. Teijin Carbon develops solutions for the aerospace, automotive, energy, electronics and sporting goods industries using high-performance technologies in an international environment. They work closely with their partners to create a fully circular value chain. The goal to make Teijin’s products net CO₂-free by 2050 aligns with the commitment to global society to find solutions and take action to combat it.

As a manufacturer of intermediate materials in the US, Renegade Materials is known for its product expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction. Renegade Materials distinguishes itself by merging cutting-edge materials science with advanced prepreg manufacturing and testing equipment, all meticulously controlled by rigorous quality management systems. Renegade is steadfast in their commitment to the development and largescale production of advanced, multi-functional materials that offer engineered solutions to the current composite design, usage and affordability initiatives in the aerospace industry.

Teijin Aramid is a global leader in high-performance aramid fiber, a subsidiary of the global Teijin Group. Specializing in high-performance aramid fibers, their materials are used in automotive and aerospace industries, ballistic protection and more.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited through its direct subsidiary – IVL Dhunseri Petrochem Industries Limited - and Dhunseri Ventures Limited have formed a joint venture with Varun Beverages Limited, PepsiCo's second-largest bottling company globally outside the US, to establish several greenfield state-of-the-art PET recycling facilities in India.
 
The joint venture has begun the construction of two PET recycling facilities, planned for completion within 2025, with potential for more. One facility is in Kathua within the Jammu Division of the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, situated in Northern India, while the other is in Khurdha within the State of Odisha, located in Eastern India. The aim is to reach 100 kiloton annual capacity of recycled PET (rPET) across all the facilities when combined.

This initiative aligns with the escalating demand for rPET content in India, driven by both regulatory mandates and a collective effort towards a circular economy for PET. The surge in demand reflects a significant shift, with projected volumes increasing from approximately 400 kilotons in 2025-2026 to over 1 million tons by 2031. Mandates such as the Indian government’s compulsory requirement of 30% recycled plastic content in plastic packaging by 2025-2026, escalating to 60% by 2028-2029, underscores the urgency and importance of this transformation. Moreover, this move aims to effectively cater to the needs of India’s beverage Brand Owners, many of whom have established ambitious sustainability goals in line with regulatory directions.