From the Sector

Archroma is bringing a comprehensive suite of denim solutions to the Bangladesh Denim Expo 2024 at the International Convention Center (ICCB) in Dhaka on May 6 to 7, 2024.

The demand for denim wear is on the rise, accompanied by consumers' heightened expectations for sustainability. Brands looking to meet this demand must not only deliver functional and stylish denim but also minimize environmental impact.

Archroma is presenting a range of planet conscious solutions at the expo, including DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30, DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK, EARTHCOLORS®, as well as their latest SUPER SYSTEMS+ for Denim and the recently launched DENIM HALO concepts.

Polartec, a Milliken & Company brand, underscores its dedication to building a more sustainable future as it pursues the 2025 People, Product and Planet Goals, including certified science-based net-zero targets.

The Milliken & Company 2023 Sustainability Report discloses performance against the diversified global manufacturer’s 2025 Sustainability Goals and Net-Zero Targets and details the company’s key impacts across its people, product, planet, and net-zero measures. It also includes updates on each of the key impact areas Milliken and Polartec adhere to, including:

• People: The company focused on protecting associates by reducing lost-time incidents, strengthened its commitment to an inclusive supply chain by hosting its inaugural Supplier Diversity Event, and surpassed its goal of serving 100,000 community volunteer hours one year ahead of schedule.
• Product: Milliken used sustainability assessments to analyze all new products and made measurable gains in its multi-year commitment to address end-of-life challenges for plastics.
• Planet: Investments in cogeneration, energy efficiency, and renewable energy procurement are keeping the company ahead of schedule relative to its 2025 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Renewable Energy Goal; however, paths to achieve its 2025 Landfill and Water Reduction Goals have proven more challenging.
• Net-Zero: Five years of progress on GHG and renewable goals have helped Milliken progress toward its 2030 scope 1 and 2 net-zero targets, and the company has improved its scope 3 accounting to allow for a more detailed and accurate perspective on value chain emissions.

Computerized flat knitting technologist SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at the upcoming International Exhibition for Garment, Textile Machinery and Accessories (IGATEX Pakistan 2024) exhibition in Lahore, Pakistan.

On display will be SHIMA SEIKI’s N.SSR®072 14G computerized flat knitting machine and SDS®-ONE APEX4 3D design system.

Shown for the first time in Pakistan, SHIMA SEIKI’s new N.SSR®072 computerized jacquard collar machine can produce shaped collars efficiently based on computer-generated designs. N.SSR®072 is based on the workhorse N.SSR®112 garment shaping machine, and offers similar leading technology in an economical yet reliable package.

Design is demonstrated on SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 design system. At the core of the company’s "Total Fashion System" concept, it provides support throughout the supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design, to machine programming, production and even sales promotion. Especially effective is the way SDS®-ONE APEX4 improves on the product planning and design evaluation process by replacing physical samples with digital prototypes. Based on photo-realistic simulations, these virtual samples minimize the need for actual sample-making, realizing significant savings in time, cost and material.

CARBIOS celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for its PET biorecycling plant in the presence of representatives of local authorities, partner brands and industrial partners who all make up CARBIOS’ ecosystem. Located in Longlaville, in the Grand-Est region of France, CARBIOS' first commercial plant will play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution, offering an industrial-scale solution for the enzymatic depolymerization of PET waste in order to accelerate a circular economy for plastic and textiles. The plant will have a processing capacity of 50kt/year of prepared waste when operating at full capacity. Work is progressing on schedule with significant quantities delivered to customers in 2026.

CARBIOS' technology enables PET circularity and provides an alternative raw material to fossil-based monomers, giving PET producers, waste management companies, public bodies and brands an effective solution to meet regulatory requirements and their own commitments to sustainable development. The plant will have the capacity to process 50,000 tons of prepared PET waste per year (equivalent to 2 billion colored bottles, 2.5 billion food trays or 300 million T-shirts). The plant will create 150 direct and indirect jobs in the region. In October 2023, CARBIOS obtained the building and operating permits for the site. The factory is currently under construction on land officially acquired from Indorama Ventures on 14 February 2024. In February 2024, CARBIOS and De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) announced their collaboration to manage construction. Several feedstock supply agreements, notably with CITEO and Landbell Group, will secure the vast majority of the raw materials required.  Close to the borders with Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, the plant's location is strategic for access to nearby waste supplies

International technology group ANDRITZ has successfully started up a new nonwovens production line supplied to Teknomelt Teknik Mensucat San. ve Tic. A.S. in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye. The new neXline wetlace CCP (carded-carded-pulp) line produces nonwoven roll goods for biodegradable, plastic-free wet wipes

By combining the benefits of two technologies, spunlace and wetlaid, the line enables the use of bio-based fibers, like viscose and wood pulp, to produce a high-performance and sustainable wipe with the same technical product characteristics and performances as a conventional wipe made of synthetic fibers while protecting the environment.

Teknomelt is one of the leading manufacturers of nonwoven meltblown, spunbond, SMS and SMMS fabrics in Türkiye. The company serves a wide range of markets, exporting 45% of its production. With the new ANDRITZ Wetlace CCP line, the company is expanding its range of sustainable nonwovens production for wipes. 

TradeBeyond has announced an advancement in its traceability solution through the integration of artificial intelligence. This upgrade allows global brands and retailers to improve visibility and reduce risks in their supply chains.

TradeBeyond's latest platform enhancements incorporate artificial intelligence to automate documentary verification and document chain of custody. These improvements bolster efficiency, security, and reliability. Advanced AI verifies the authenticity and integrity of products, tracing their journey from raw materials to production and delivery in compliance with increasing ESG regulations and standards.

TradeBeyond’s enhanced traceability solution leverages AI to automatically scan all documents, including orders, invoices, bills of lading, and shipping advices. It compiles the chain of custody documentation and checks critical product and shipment documents against multiple databases of blacklisted entities for potential compliance risks. The AI also identifies gaps or missing documentation, alerting businesses and suppliers for resolution before shipping.

Recent global supply chain due diligence laws, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and others, have placed stringent requirements on brands and retailers to provide their goods' chain of custody. TradeBeyond’s AI simplifies compliance with these laws, while increasing the data accuracy, visibility, and transparency necessary for sustainable sourcing.

Trends such as fitness lifestyle and vitality, the quantified self movement, active ageing and the outdoor boom will significantly change the sports, health and wellness sector in the coming years. In addition, technical innovations will redefine the way people stay fit and healthy. The DiMo - Digital Motion joint project aims to help shape the transformation process. It ran in its first round in 2023 and will be continued for another four years with DiMo-NEXT.

The project aims to conduct transdisciplinary research into how people's experience of exercise can be improved, performance increased and a sustainable lifestyle made possible. The potential offered by digital technologies, particularly in the field of sensors, plays a key role here. The topic of clothing is also important as an interface between technological solutions and people. This is why KARL MAYER and Grabher are among the 26 project partners from industry and research, representing the textile industry.

The textile machinery manufacturer KARL MAYER is contributing its expertise in the field of wearables to the project work. The TEXTILE CIRCUIT team of its TEXTILE MAKERSPACE has already successfully implemented various projects in this area. In addition, an MJ 52/1 S from KARL MAYER is used at V-Trion, Grabher's research company in Lustenau, for the production of electrically conductive textiles.

DiMo-NEXT will be launched on April 1, 2024, shortly before Techtextil 2024 in Frankfurt am Main. KARL MAYER will present its contribution to the project work at the trade fair for the sector.

Stahl has published its 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. The report outlines Stahl's recent progress on its ESG Roadmap to 2030 and the steps the company is taking to live its purpose of Touching lives, for a better world.

Stahl’s ESG Roadmap to 2030 includes interim targets for 2023, making this a year in which Stahl reached several important milestones. For example, the company reduced its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 22% versus 2022. Furthermore, in 2023 the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated Stahl's scope 1, 2 and 3 targets, making it one of the first coatings companies on the SBTi-approved list.

To reduce its GHG emissions, Stahl is actively increasing its use of clean energy. At the end of 2023, renewable energy generation, such as solar panels, had been installed at four Stahl sites, compared to its target of three.

Measuring – and reducing – the impact of products is an important step in the company’s scope 3 emissions. As such, 353 Stahl products now have either life cycle assessment (LCA) or product carbon footprint (PCF) data, far exceeding the 2023 target of 50.
 
New ratings and certifications
In 2023, 2,161 of Stahl's products were certified by Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC), in line with ZDHC MRSL V3.1. These products represented 70% of the company’s sales revenue, demonstrating increased demand for coatings with a lower risk to health and the environment.

Stahl was also proud to achieve a Platinum rating from EcoVadis for the second year in a row, which places it in the top 1% of companies evaluated. Stahl also exceeded its 2023 target of an average EcoVadis rating of at least 60/100 for their top ten suppliers, with an average rating of 68/100 reported in December 2023.
Fostering a safe and welcoming work environment

A core pillar of Stahl’s ESG approach is how it supports its employees’ physical and mental well-being. The 2023 ESG Report outlines several examples of this commitment, such as improvement in its key safety KPIs for the third year in a row.

Besides keeping people safe, Stahl continues to make progress in fostering an open and inclusive workplace. For example, in support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Stahl appointed its first female leadership team member, trained 98% of its staff in DEI and established DEI committees at all Stahl sites. In addition, to strengthen communication, engagement and collaboration across the workforce, Stahl also established an internal workplace hub, MyStahl.

• CARBIOS Group’s solid financial structure: cash position of €192 million on December 31, 2023
• Construction progress of world’s first PET biorecycling plant in France: in line with delivery targets for customers in 2026
• Licensing: international sales teams deployed in more than ten countries, with several partnerships feasible for 2024

CARBIOS reported its operating and financial results for the financial year 2023. The financial statements as of December 31, 2023, were approved by the Company’s Board of Directors at their meeting on April 10, 2024.

2023 Financial highlights
The consolidated financial statements of the Company as of December 31, 2023, are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and adopted by the European Union.

For 2022 and 2023, these IFRS consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of CARBIOS, the parent company, and the financial statements of its fully integrated subsidiaries Carbiolice and CARBIOS 54. The group formed by CARBIOS, Carbiolice and CARBIOS 54 is hereinafter referred to as the “Group”.

These IFRS financial statements for the Group have been prepared to provide high quality information in line with that of similar companies and based on international standards.

Outlook
Given the progress made by the Group during 2023 and the success of the financing operation closed in July 2023 as well as the received grants, CARBIOS confirms its operating targets and the provisional calendar of the industrial and commercial deployment of its PET biorecycling technology.
2024  • Construction of the Longlaville plant further to permits obtained in October 2023
2024  • Recruitment of plant operations team and training at demonstration facility
2026  • First significant deliveries to clients

Alongside this project, CARBIOS aims to sign its first licensing contracts for its PET biorecycling technology in 2024.

For the second chapter of their Spring/Summer 2024 collection, adidas and Yohji Yamamoto continue to explore the concept of Contra-Natural. The collection highlights the tensions at the heart of Y-3: sport and boundary pushing design, organic and synthetic, linear perfection and natural imperfection.

For Chapter 2, Y-3 introduces a selection of dynamic apparel looks with a focus on refined cotton twill workwear inspired garments and reimagined sporting classics. Subtle yet bold overshirts, cargo pants, and tops are constructed with utility pockets and adjustable hems, while updated takes on the iconic adidas Superstar Tracksuit are elevated with topographical map piping. A selection of garments inspired adidas’ Teamgeist soccer jerseys rounds out the apparel collection, with each piece bearing a digital rust print inspired by the natural process of oxidation. Accompanying the apparel offering is a suite of accessories including nylon backpacks, totes, and holdalls.

From apparel to footwear, the second seasonal chapter plays host to an expressive selection of silhouettes as adidas performance Running technology is recontextualized through the lens of Y-3. Moving boldly into tomorrow, Yohji Yamamoto’s take on adidas’ pinnacle running silhouette takes the form of the Y-3 PRIME X 2 STRUNG, while the Y-3 ADIOS PRO 3.0 arrives in three colorways.

From the past, reborn, to the future, the Y-3 Spring/Summer 2024 Chapter 2 collection is then punctuated by the Y-3 WATER SLIDE, the Y-3 SANDAL, and an update to the instantly recognizable Y-3 ITOGO which sees the silhouette’s straps swapped out for an engineered print.