From the Sector

How to recognize truly sustainable fashion? How can responsible recycling of garments and fabrics - as well as new formulas for circular economy - make a difference in fighting the climate emergency? These are just some of the topics addressed during THE TEXTILE LIBRARY CIRCULAR SYMPOSIUM, the open-ended program of virtual meetings with some of the most influential fashion and sustainability experts organized by the Museo del Tessuto di Prato in collaboration with C.L.A.S.S. ecohub.

The museum and the international platform that creates awareness and supports professionals who believe in fashion and sustainable textiles have joined forces to talk not only to fashion enthusiasts but to everyone, and explore a hot and often underestimated topic that involves everyday life. The series of meetings deepens and complements the new section entirely dedicated to circular textiles in the museum's Textile Library.

Like a real symposium, THE TEXTILE LIBRARY CIRCULAR SYMPOSIUM is a conversation arena involving 10 game changers who have been able to innovate not only with high-tech and responsible products and materials but also with new formulas, business models and production systems that respect the planet and people. Among the speakers of the cycle, visionary innovators who generate change at all levels: from the entire production system and beyond to retailers, leading international brands, research companies and communication experts, all the way to the final consumer.

The first appointment is Wednesday, May 13 at 5 pm CEST with the talk THE SUSTAINABLE PERSPECTIVE. True sustainable fashion is a choral and capillary system in which every actor plays a fundamental role. During the meeting, professionals from different fields, from cultural institutions to industrial production, from marketing to retail, will share their perspective on sustainability.

Recycling is the key word in THE SECOND CHANCE, the second meeting scheduled for June 10 h. 5 p.m CEST.

On September 29, also at 5 p.m. CEST, appointment for the talk A TICKET TO FASHION... AND BACK entirely dedicated to the new models of circular economy.

You can register here.

Under vacuum, the new BB Engineering large-area filter produces a homogeneous, pure melt with a targeted IV setting for instance, for returning polyester production waste to the melt flow, but also for achieving a homogeneous viscosity in the case of virgin material.

BB Engineering has expanded its melt filter portfolio to include a patented large-area vacuum filter designed especially for processing polyester waste. The so-called Visco+ filter is already known as the key component of the BB Engineering VacuFil recycling system. Now, it is also available as a separate and easily-integratable upgrade component for existing systems. Within this context, the uses of the Visco+ are by no means limited to just decontamination. Here, the Visco+ offers the following solutions:

• IV homogenization: if an existing production system is struggling with IV fluctuations, the Visco+ is able to actively intervene and balance out any irregularities;
• IV increase: if the final viscosity is insufficient when processing recycled materials, the Visco+ can increase the IV without the negative impact of long residence times.

In this way, the Visco+ enables fast and flexibly-controllable viscosity build-up and reliable viscosity monitoring of the polyester melt using a to-date unique, patented process. Depending on the intended end use, the melt can be ad-justed to the further processing procedure in a targeted manner. The requi-site melt properties above all the intrinsic viscosity, but also the purity and homogeneity are achieved in a reliable and reproducible manner and can also be adjusted during ongoing operation.

As a melt filter, the Visco+ operates like a liquid-state polycondensation unit. A maintenance-intensive reactor or a deposit-prone stirring unit are not required. Moisture is removed from the PET in the filter, which – in conjunction with an adjustable residence time – results in the desired IV increase in the vacuum. This enables a controlled IV build-up of up to 30%. The intrinsic vis-cosity is the central quality figure in PET recycling and rPET processing. It determines the melt performance in the downstream production process and the properties of the end products. The intrinsic viscosity is continually moni-tored by means of an integrated viscosity measurement unit and reliably adjusted in the event of deviations (caused by disparate input qualities, for ex-ample). At the same time, the filter provides an enormous material surface compared to the volume and continuously renews this. To this end, contamination can be removed particularly effectively from the starting material by means of automatically-regulated high-performance vacuum (1-30 mbar).

The Visco+ is particularly suitable for recycling PET waste that is to be reused for high-end products.

• Successful measures to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on the safety and health of employees, customers and partners and securing sustainable business development
• Implementation of strategic investment projects and climate targets progressing on schedule – launch of first TENCEL™ branded carbon-zero fibers
• New level of transparency in the textile industry: introduction of blockchain technology
• Target setting: Lenzing raises the bar even higher and sets new sustainability goals

The Lenzing Group presented its Sustainability Report 2020 on April 22, 2021, World Earth Day. Featuring the title “Stand up for future generations”, Lenzing once again emphasized its commitment to taking responsibility beyond the products it makes. The non-financial report, prepared in accordance with the reporting standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Austrian Sustainability and Diversity Improvement Act (NaDiVeG) and reviewed by KPMG Austria GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, illustrates how the company is responding to the global challenges of our time.

The 2020 financial year of the Lenzing Group was largely dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenzing took short-term measures to safeguard its business operations and mitigate the effects of fiber prices and fiber demand which came under increasing pressure. The priority was to protect employees and strengthen long-term partnerships with suppliers and customers. Following the current fight against the coronavirus and its consequences, the company continues to move ahead determinedly to achieve its sustainability targets, also against the backdrop of such a difficult market environment.

With the implementation of its science-based targets, the Lenzing Group actively contributes to mastering the problems caused by climate change. In 2019, Lenzing made a strategic commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent per ton of product by 2030. The overriding target is to be climate-neutral by 2050.*

The launch of the first carbon-zero TENCEL™ fibers certified as CarbonNeutral® products in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol – the leading global framework for carbon neutrality – represents another important milestone from the reporting year. As of June 2021, Lenzing will also market the first VEOCEL™ branded lyocell fibers as certified CarbonNeutral® products.

Promoting the circular economy
Lenzing also sets standards for the entire fiber, textile and clothing industry with respect to the circular economy which is of such crucial importance in climate and resource protection. In order to enhance resource efficiency and offer a solution for the global problem of textile waste, the company developed the REFIBRA™ recycling technology. REFIBRA™ is the only technology in the world enabling the production of new lyocell fibers on a commercial scale from cotton scraps derived from manufacturing cotton clothing as well as from used garments. In this way, an important contribution is made to promoting circularity in the textile industry.*

New level of transparency in the textile industry
In addition to environmental protection, the issue of transparency along the supply chain poses a major challenge to the textile industry. Working in cooperation with TextileGenesis™, Lenzing offers an innovative solution to ensure greater transparency on the basis of blockchain technology. Following several successful pilot projects with renowned fashion brands, this digital platform was ultimately launched in 2020 to enable the traceability of textiles, from the fiber to all stages of production and distribution. Thanks to the innovative Fibercoin™ technology of the TextileGenesis™ platform, Lenzing and its partners are able to issue so-called “blockchain assets” in direct proportion to the physical fiber deliveries of the brands TENCEL™ and LENZING™ ECOVERO™. These digital assets function like a “fingerprint” and thus prevent adulteration.*

Target setting: Lenzing raises the bar even higher
The Lenzing Group operates in line with three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally positive” sustainability strategy: partnering for change, advancing circularity and greening the value chain.*

*See attached document for more information..

• PrimaLoft and Origin Materials have launched a program to develop high-performance, carbon-negative insulating fibers for diverse apparel applications, including for leading outdoor, fashion, and lifestyle brands, as well as home goods applications such as hypoallergenic insulated bedding.
• PrimaLoft, an advanced material technology company and a world leader in the development of high-performance insulations and fabrics, will develop the fibers with Origin Materials to address demand for sustainable, high-performance materials from its over 900 global brand partners. PrimaLoft iconic brand partners include Patagonia, Stone Island, L.L. Bean, Lululemon, adidas and Nike.
• The program will focus on carbon-negative PET and next-generation polymers produced by the Origin Materials patented technology platform, which turns sustainable wood residue into cost-advantaged, carbon-negative materials that reduce the need for fossil resources.

Origin Materials, Inc. (“Origin Materials”), a leading carbon negative materials company, and PrimaLoft, an advanced material technology company and a leader in the development of high-performance insulations and fabrics, announced a new program to develop carbon-negative, insulating, high-performance fibers. The fibers will be used across a diverse array of end products, including insulating fiber for leading outdoor, fashion, and lifestyle brands, as well as home goods applications such as hypoallergenic insulated bedding.

The companies will work to rapidly develop and commercialize new products derived from Origin Materials’ platform. The collaboration will leverage the leadership position of PrimaLoft as a specialty producer of insulating fibers and filaments with over 900 global brand partners, as well as a large global network of manufacturers that employ a wide array of textile processes to make its products, including extrusion, carding, spinning, finishing, weaving, knitting, dyeing, airlaid, meltblown, and other technologies.

The collaboration builds on PrimaLoft’s “Relentlessly Responsible™” mission to elevate both performance and sustainability, through innovation. The platform includes PrimaLoft® Bio™, which was developed and launched into the market in late 2018 as an effort to battle microplastics in the ocean; PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™, which provides materials manufactured with greater than 50% CO2 savings; and PrimaLoft’s post-consumer recycling initiative. The next frontier for the company is non-petroleum based raw materials, including products that biodegrade and other circular economy solutions.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from Pureko Sp. z o.o. to supply a needlepunch line for their plant in Myszków, Poland. The line will process recycling fibers from garment waste for the production of technical felts dedicated to furniture and geotextile applications. The final products will have fabric weights ranging from 300 to 500 gsm, and the production capacity will be up to 750 kg/h. Installation and start-up are scheduled for the third quarter of 2021.

The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes a complete neXline needlepunch eXcelle line – from web forming to needling – as well as engineering and ANDRITZ’s recently launched scanning gauge.

This is the second ANDRITZ line to be supplied to Pureko, thus demonstrating the strong partnership between both companies. Three years ago, Pureko invested in a new, modern plant supplied by ANDRITZ Asselin-Thibeau to produce fluffy nonwovens used in the furniture, textile, and clothing industries. The new line will enable Pureko to continue its ongoing growth.

Founded in 2009, Pureko is one of the most important producers of nonwovens in Poland. The company’s nonwoven products are mainly used for wadding; they are free of chemicals, do not involve any health hazards, and are hypoallergenic. Pureko’s products carry top certificates such as INTERTEK, FIRA, OEKO-TEX, and the National Institute of Hygiene.

• Major Monforts denim customers continue to pioneer new initiatives that are pushing the boundaries of sustainable production.

Recycling their cotton waste has become one way these companies can do more with less, and at the recent Kingpins24 Flash online event, Sedef Uncu Aki, director of Orta, headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey, announced a new partnership with leading recycling operation Gama Recycle.

Traceable
“Through this local partnership we will supply the waste from our spinning mills and return around 3,000 tons of premium quality cotton back to them,” she said. “We have established a truly controlled and traceable system and partnering with a domestic recycling centre is important because a lot the carbon emissions associated with recycling usually come from transportation.”

Orta’s ZeroMax range meanwhile uses no cotton at all, being based on Lenzing’s Tencel cellulosic fibre, while the company’s involvement in denim production for a recent launch by Levi Strauss, of jeans made with organic cotton and Circulose – a breakthrough material developed by re:newcell of Sweden and partners – was hailed as a further step forward.

To make Circulose, re:newcell repurposes discarded cotton textiles, such as worn-out denim jeans, through a process akin to recycling paper. The incoming waste fabrics are broken down using water. The colour is then stripped from these materials using an eco-friendly bleach and after any synthetic fibres are removed from the mix, the slurry-like mixture is dried and the excess water is extracted, leaving behind a sheet of Circulose. This sheet is then made into viscose fibre which is combined with cotton and woven into new fabrics.

Circular Park
Omer Ahmed, CEO of Artistic Milliners also announced plans for his company’s new 70,000 square-foot Circular Park in Karachi, Pakistan, at Kingpins24 Flash.

Once complete, this will add three million square metres of additional denim capacity a month to the company’s production and take its total recycled output to a monthly five million metres.
Ahmed observed that there is currently a lack of sustainable fibres that are readily available to use for denim production at scale.

“Organic cotton is too expensive, and in my opinion always will be,” he said. “Cottonised hemp is also not cheap and it’s hard to mix with cotton, while the new regenerated cellulose fibres that are now emerging are promising, but currently in short supply. Recycled polyester is meanwhile still based on petroleum resources which we want to move away from. As a consequence, there are only a few other options for us as a manufacturer and this new project will help us minimise our own waste while significantly lowering our carbon footprint.”

Other Monforts denim customers to introduce cotton fibre recycling operations at their plants recently include AGI Denim, Bossa and Soorty.

Vertical savings
Refresh is the name of the latest collection from AGI Denim – reflecting the company’s significant reduction in water consumption.

The company has just opened new fibre spinning and denim mills at its complex in Karachi, Pakistan.

“Over the years we’ve gone through a series of backward integration steps to become fully vertical,” said AGI Denim executive director Ahmed Javed, at Kingpins24 Flash. “In our latest expansion, we revisited every step of the production processes in order to make resource savings.”

Innovations have included the installation of proprietary robotics for garment finishing, but the most attention has been paid to water savings.

“Pakistan is one of the largest cotton-producing companies in the world and we’re fortunate that the type of cotton that is grown here is well suited to denim production and also helps us lower our carbon footprint, with everything done in close proximity,” Javed said. “In the lifecycle of a pair of denim jeans, however, cotton fibre production contributes 68% of water consumption. While we cannot control how much water cotton needs for it to grow, we can rethink the way we use it in our factory.”

Refresh-branded denims are washed from 100% recycled water as a result of the company’s new wastewater treatment plant, which puts production wastewater through a series of steps beginning with equalisation, followed by aeration and concluding with sedimentation. The water travels through filtration and ultrafiltration systems before being subjected to an activated carbon system and finally a reverse osmosis system to reduce any dissolved salts.

AGI now recycles 4.4 million gallons of water each month – enough to wash a million pairs of jeans.

Sustainable
Monforts has a leading position in the field of denim finishing with its well proven Thermex continuous dyeing systems, Montex stenter dryers and other lines for resource-efficient and economical processing.

“Our denim partners are constantly setting themselves new goals in respect of sustainable production – and more importantly, achieving them,” says Hans Wroblowski, Monforts Head of Denim. “We work closely with them with the aim of constantly optimising processing parameters and achieving further savings in energy, water and raw materials throughout the dyeing and finishing stages of production.”

The latest Monforts innovation for denim is the CYD yarn dyeing system. This technology is based on the effective and established dyeing process for denim fabrics that is now being applied for yarn dyeing. The CYD system integrates new functions and processes into the weaving preparation processes to increase quality, flexibility, economic viability and productivity. A full CYD line is now available for trials at the company’s Advanced Technology Centre in Mönchengladbach, Germany.”

• AFRY engineering partner when Renewcell expands operations to lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future

Renewcell has awarded AFRY an engineering assignment for their recycled textile materials production expansion at SCA's Ortviken paper mill in Sundsvall, Sweden. The assignment includes project and construction management services, process, mechanical and piping engineering, electrical, automation and instrumentation engineering, fire and HVAC design, as well as civil design. The project is a continuation of AFRY's previous feasibility studies.

The trend in textiles and design requires sustainable fashion. Customers require fashion companies to reduce their environmental impact through new technologies and innovations for the circular economy. One important element is recycling of textile fibers that is a path towards a more sustainable fashion.

Renewcell is a multi-award-winning textile recycling company based in Sweden. The company’s vision is to inspire an Industrial Evolution towards a sustainable world by producing high quality materials from recycled textiles. “There is a way to put fashion first without putting the environment in second place” – Renewcell describes their business concept. With their technology, the company has succeeded in recycling and regenerating textile fiber from old clothes to turn into new clothes. For example, H&M, a partner of Renewcell, has launched a garment that is half made with Renewcell’s fabric.

Today, Renewcell has a demo plant in Kristinehamn, Sweden, with the possibility to recycle over 4,500 tons of textiles each year. The company has now signed a major agreement with one of the world's largest producers of viscose fiber. With that as a basis, together with a well-proven process and technology, they are now building a full-scale production plant in Sundsvall, Sweden. When the new plant is ready for production, it will have the capacity to recycle 60,000 tons of textile waste annually, which is just over half of Sweden's annual textile consumption. The new plant is expected to be commissioned in 2022.

“We are pleased to continue the partnership with AFRY, which began with the feasibility study they delivered in 2020. With AFRY, we feel secure in having a partner with both world-leading expertise and the ability to deliver projects on time and within budget. Together, we lead the fashion industry into a sustainable and circular future,” says Christer Johansson, Project Director at Renewcell.

“We are extremely proud to be part of Renewcell’s investment. We are excited to contribute in this transition towards more sustainable solutions for the future and look forward to continue this journey together with Renewcell,” says Ulf Strenger, Business Unit Manager at AFRY.

• Rucksack aus der Flasche: Recycelte und vegane Alltagsbegleiter für unterwegs

Der recycelte Rucksack "Hamburg"
Der ideale Begleiter: Ob ins Büro, zur Uni, zum Kurz-Wander-Trip oder zum alltäglichen Shoppen, der neue Jean&Len Rucksack “Hamburg“ ist ein nachhaltiges 2-in-1-Multifunktionstalent mit jeder Menge organisiertem Stauraum. Ob als Rucksack oder Shopper getragen, überzeugt das aus recycelten PET-Flaschen produzierte Stauwunder mit seinem schlicht-modernem Design. Der lässige Rucksack lässt sich im Handumdrehen als Shopper verwenden: Einfach den Druckknopf der Träger lösen und schon verwandelt sich der Rucksack in eine lässige Shopper-Bag, die Du über der Schulter tragen kannst. Dank des wasserabweisenden Reißverschlussmechanismus und einer Imprägnierung, die schmutz- und nässeabweisend wirkt, hält der Rucksack Wind und Wetter stand. Der Rucksack “Hamburg“ ist in den Farben Graumeliert, Khaki, Navy-Blau oder Schwarz erhältlich.

Das großzügige Hauptfach inklusive einem extra Laptopfach (bis 13,3 Zoll) bietet viel Stauraum für alle Essentials des Alltags. Ein kleineres Außenfach am Rücken eignet sich besonders für wertvolle Gegenstände, damit diese gleichzeitig griffbereit und sicher aufgehoben sind. Für den optimalen Tragekomfort sorgen eine Rückenpolsterung und verstellbare Träger.

Der vegane Rucksack "Kopenhagen"
Style-Upgrade: Der Rucksack „Kopenhagen“ ist ein stylischer und funktionaler Rucksack im begehrten Skandi-Style. Das creme-beige Außenmaterial aus veganem Leder ist schmutzabweisend und leicht zu reinigen. Laptops mit einer Größe von bis zu 13, 3 Zoll können im großzügigen Hauptfach mit extra gepolstertem Laptopfach verstaut werden, wertvolle Gegenstände wie Handys finden im Geheimfach am Rücken Platz.

Die Jean&Len Rücksäcke „Hamburg“ und „Kopenhagen“ sind ab sofort im Onlineshop unter www.jeanlen.de erhältlich.

Sicomin announces its latest collaboration with GREENBOATS® as they deliver the first ever natural fibre composite (NFC) nacelle for an offshore wind turbine.  

With more than 2.5 million tons of composite materials in use in the wind industry globally, and the first generation of wind turbines now approaching end of life, there is still a lack of well-established recycling options. GREENBOATS’ mission is to demonstrate how large-scale NFC structures in wind energy can lower energy consumption in manufacturing and significantly improve the sustainability of the composite materials used in the turbine.

In 2020, GREENBOATS was commissioned by a leading wind energy technology developer to design and manufacture a sustainable NFC nacelle. The resulting 7.3m long structure has a surface area of approximately 100m2 and was engineered by GREENBOATS to satisfy all DNV-GL load cases required for an offshore turbine nacelle, including 200km/h max wind loads and 2KN loads on the guard rails.

Sicomin’s market leading GreenPoxy® range met these challenging engineering requirements, with the company’s recently expanded manufacturing capability also matching the potential supply volumes required by wind turbine manufacturers.  

Sicomin’s DNV-GL type approved bio-based epoxy was used to infuse BComp flax fibre reinforcements and balsa cores, with Sicomins’ intumescent weatherproof gelcoat applied on the outer surface. Cured panels were cut to shape, formed over a male plug and bonded together, before flax reinforcement plies, hand laminated with GreenPoxy resins and vacuum bagged, were added along all the panel joints lines.  Finally, Sicomin’s highly UV resistant clear coating products were used to protect and enhance the finish of the flax fibre feature stripe details.

• Demo plant sorts post-consumer plastic waste and will produce ready-for-market fully formulated polymer pellets
• Brand owners and converters will be able to access material for qualification and market validation in early 2021
• EverMinds™ in action: Pioneering collaboration brings together expertise vital to advancing the circular economy

Borealis and TOMRA have today announced the operational start of their advanced mechanical recycling demo plant in Lahnstein, Germany, the result of a partnership that marries chemistry with technology for unsurpassed results.

The state-of-the-art plant processes both rigid and flexible plastic waste from households. And unlike many current recycling plants, it will produce the advanced solutions necessary for use in high-demanding plastic applications in various industries, including automotive and consumer products. With high purity, low odour, high product consistency and light colour fractions, these Borcycle™ M grade recycled polymers will meet customer quality requirements across the value chain.

The purpose of this demo plant is to generate material for brand owners and converters to qualify, validate and prove fit for use in their highly demanding applications. Technical success will set the groundwork for a commercial-scale advanced recycling plant.

“This plant is just the beginning of what’s possible when key players in the value chain come together to make a truly significant impact in the market,” says Volker Rehrmann, Executive Vice President and Head of Circular Economy at TOMRA. “Having just launched the new Circular Economy Division, it is clear what a large role waste management and pivotal projects like this have on moving towards a sustainable future. We are proud to have initiated one of the most advanced mechanical recycling plants when it comes to post-consumer polymer waste. This will become an important enabler as we accelerate the transformation to a circular economy in the years to come, and we are excited to be a part of this pioneering project.”

Operation of the plant is a joint enterprise between Borealis, TOMRA and Zimmerman. Borealis is responsible for the plant’s commercial success and contributes its expertise and knowledge in innovation, recycling and compounding. Likewise, TOMRA contributes as a provider of technology-led solutions and brings its proven expertise, established process and market knowledge, which, in turn, enable the circular economy through advanced collection and sorting systems. Zimmerman is a waste management company with experience in sorting multiple types of waste, including plastics, and is responsible for successful plant operations and product quality.

“At P&G we are making packaging with the ‘next life’ in mind to help drive a more robust circular economy.  We must increase the supply of high quality recycled plastic to enable the industry to deliver on this vision,” says Gian De Belder, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Technical Director, R&D Packaging Sustainability. “The innovative new approach that Borealis is taking shows potential to step-change both the quantity and quality of PCR available for our brands, and help us to achieve our 2030 goal to reduce our use of virgin plastic in packaging by 50%, or 300 kilotonnes annually. Early tests of the material looks very promising!”