From the Sector

• ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei for its responsible RF (Residual Free) line

Innova Fabrics, the Italian manufacturer of knitted fabrics for apparel, underwear and sports, confirms its choice of ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, the Japanese leader of premium stretch fiber, for its new responsible line RF (Residual Free).

Despite the deep-rooted history of the company's team in the world of textiles, Innova Fabrics is a reality that is not afraid to innovate with a focus on environmental sustainability. As a result of its push for local production and attention to third-party sustainability certifications (including OEKO-TEX Standard 100, one of the world's best-known labels for textiles tested for harmful substances), Innova Fabrics continues its promise of responsibility with an enrichment of its conscious proposals. In the last season, Innova has increased its smart proposition by launching the RF (Residual Free) line, with the aim of reducing the impact of microplastics residues produced by the fashion industry. This is possible thanks to the combination of two responsible ingredients: SENSIL® Biocare by Nilit and ROICA™ V550 by Asahi Kasei.

SENSIL® BioCare is the premium, sustainable nylon 6.6 fiber enriched with a special technology that helps reduce the persistence of textile waste in the ocean and landfills by acting during and after the product's life cycle. Therefore, if the microplastics in SENSIL® BioCare garments are released during washing, they will decompose much faster than conventional Nylon 6.6 fibers, reducing textile waste. ROICA™ V550, part of the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, is the premium, sustainable stretch yarn that degrades without releasing harmful substances into the environment, according to the Hohenstein's environmental certification. ROICA™ V550 also carries the Gold Level Material Health certificate from the Cradle-to-Cradle Product Innovation Institute, which evaluated the yarn's impact on human and environmental health. The strong relationship established between Innova Fabrics and ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is a long-standing one: from the very beginning, the textile company chose ROICA™ as its main reference for premium stretch, using ROICA Colour Perfect™ in most of its articles. Having experienced the innovation of the ROICA™ line dedicated to high-quality color, Innova decided to opt for the ROICA Eco-Smart™ line as part of the extension of its environmentally conscious line.

Thanks to the constant synergy with its premium partner in innovative and responsible stretch, Innova continues its path towards a textile and fashion industry that respects the planet, without forgetting profit. And this is just the beginning. Innova Fabrics pieces containing SENSIL® BioCare and ROICA™ V550

Officina39 will attend the Bangladesh Denim Expo in Dhaka on 10-11 May, a new edition after a two-year break, characterized by a focus on sustainability and the central theme "Beyond Business".

Officina39 has been committed for years to the reconversion of the sector’s technologies to an environmental point of view: this attitude is expressed in its latest Trustainable™ collection FW 23, based on the approach of honesty, transparency and social responsibility that drives the company. Officina39 will present Aqualess Fade, a technology just recently presented at Kingpins that recreates the bleaching effect of chlorine on fabrics, a waterless special compound for the discoloration of denim on indigo/black garments which is reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

Aqualess Fade completes and integrates Aqualess Mission, a combination of technologies that allows garment laundry processes to reduce 75% of the water use. Until now, the process included three eco-friendly technologies: Novascraper Indigo, a laser finishing technique that adds a natural, vintage look to denim garments; OZ-ONE Powder, an advanced product to give garments a bleached yet eco-friendly treatment, for a worn and distressed look; and Aqualess Aged, a waterless compound to give denim abrasion effects. Specifically, this last revolutionizing product has recently marked an important achievement which adds to the company’s sustainable credentials: Officina39 received, for its Aqualess Aged, the DeniSafe® certification of enzyme product(s) by Novozymes for safe production and safe use through dry application.

Bangladesh Denim Expo is also ideal for presenting the results of The Circle Book 2, the second chapter of a collective project gathering ten high-profile players of the textile supply chain. Officina39’s Recycrom™ technology and the expertise of Meidea, Lenzing, Tejidos Rojo, Calik Denim, Ribbontex, Spring85, Dr. Bock Industries, Crafil and RGT have merged together on the development of CULTURE.IN, a circular capsule collection transparently made from recycled and degradable materials: a practical demonstration of how the fashion industry can improve considering social and environmental impacts and goals.

With the wipes sector adapting to demands for products that protect consumers from COVID-related risks, industry experts will present the latest insights for moving forward post-pandemic at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference.   

The shift from “clean” to “safe” in the world of wipes will be among the key topics thought-leading speakers will address at the in-person event, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.

The information-packed program will tackle timely topics to support decision making on the following key themes: Circular and Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends and Developments in Flushability Issues.

World of Wipes Session Highlights

• Lifestyle Shifts and the World of Wipes: Meeting the Changing Consumer Demand to Secure Growth – Liying Quian, Research Analyst, Euromonitor International will explore personal and beauty care trends based on consumer surveys that could shape wipes’ long-term performance
• The Supply Chain – Import Pressures Versus Domestic Manufacturing – Jacob Smith, Director, Supply Chain and Customer Care, Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division, North America, Berry Global will share his expertise and experience on how COVID-19 has impacted domestic production and international sourcing of wipes
• Packaging Sustainability:  A Global Perspective – David Clark, Vice President of Sustainability, Amcor will look at how consumer brands, retailers and others are responding to consumer demand for more sustainable packaging and discuss progress and risks in the U.S. and other countries
• How Sustainable are You Willing to Be? New Technology to Support Use of Recycled Fiber Sources – Richard Knowlson, Principal, RPK Consulting will tackle the question of how new manufacturing technology can help produce more sustainable nonwoven substrates in today’s price-sensitive environment
• Dead Turtle Logos – What We Know So Far in the EU – Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC will share the latest learnings on the European Union’s Single Use Plastic Directive and the impact of the plastic-free packaging logos on consumer attitudes
• Challenges and Pitfalls of Scaling Up a Waste Cleaning Wipes Collection and Recycle System – Sergio Barbarino, Research Fellow, Fabric and Home Care Open Innovation, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company Europe will look at cleaning wipes’ potential to be recycled and become a convenient pioneering experimental platform
• Case Study: Surface Disinfection Incompatibility with Medical Devices Creates Potential Patient Risks – Caroline Etland, Ph.D., RN. CNS, ACHPN, Associate Professor, Hahn School of Nursing, BINR, University of San Diego will share real examples of the issues healthcare facilities face with surface disinfection incompatibility that make cleaning and disinfection a major challenge

In addition to the conference program, WOW 2022 also features two nights of tabletop displays and receptions; the presentation of the World of Wipes Innovation Award® and the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award; and 11 hours of face-to-face engagement during a welcome reception, first-time attendee mentorship program, and breakfast connections. The event kicks off with the WIPES Academy, a 1.5-day value-added training opportunity on June 27-28.

Cobra International, a leading manufacturer of advanced composite products for the watersports, automotive, marine, and industrial sectors, will highlight recent diversification into new composite markets at JEC World 2022, with exhibits ranging from VTOL drones to carbon fibre prosthetics.  Cobra will also demonstrate how it is working alongside automotive and water sports customers to further enhance the sustainability of products in these sectors.

High Volume Production Capacity for the UAV sector
Cobra will display a wing from the Swiftlet UAV. This compact tactical fixed wing UAV platform has a 5.5m wingspan and was developed by the Royal Thai Air Force and National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) for survey, monitoring and search and rescue operations. Cobra manufactured the 32kg Swiftlet composite airframe using a combination of CNC cut carbon sandwich internal structure and PVC foam sandwich skins using both high grade glass fibre and carbon fibre reinforcements.  

Sustainability Options for Automotive and Watersports
Sustainability has a been a key focus for the Cobra Waterports division and CAC, the Cobra automotive business unit. At JEC World 2022, Cobra will showcase the increasing material and process options it has developed with both bio-resin and natural fibre reinforcements variants presented alongside more traditional carbon fibre parts.

Visitors will be able to get up close to a new Bio SUP Wingfoil board featuring a basalt, flax, bamboo and GreenPoxy bio-epoxy construction created for partners NSP, as well as state-of-the-art compression moulded prepreg foils. Cobra’s first fully recyclable surfboard incorporating the Recyclamine® resin technology that Cobra was recognised for in the 2020 JEC Innovation Awards will also be on display alongside a new Audi e-tron foil by Aerofoils – the world’s safest electric hydrofoil board.

The CAC team (Automotive Business Unit of Cobra) will present a set of OEM mirror cap parts that showcase a range of carbon SMC, woven visual carbon, pure woven visual flax, hybrid flax-carbon and painted flax construction options for the same component.  Clear carbon aesthetic and structural parts including CAC made M-carbon components for the BMW S 1000 RR Motorcycle will furthermore underline the high quality and eye-for-detail for which CAC is renowned.

Carbon Prosthetics
An entirely new composite application for the company, Cobra will also show two composite prosthetic devices at JEC which were productionised by the in-house design and development team. Working alongside a leading Thai university and a medical device OEM, Cobra created a rapid and cost effective series production process for a lightweight carbon fibre prosthetic foot. In another example of lightweight composites creating major quality of life improvements, Cobra has also designed and manufactured a carbon and glass fibre prepreg foot support for Elysium Industries.

The Sustainable Apparel Forum takes place on 10 May 2022 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, bringing together government ministers and advisors, the European Union, UN bodies, brands, global fashion campaigners, brands, manufacturers and industry leaders.

This year’s SAF, the third such event, aims to establish Bangladesh as one of the world’s most responsible apparel sourcing destinations. That’s why senior government representatives will be speaking and in attendance, listening to the needs of industry and what needs to be done to take Bangladesh garment production to the next level.

Senior representatives from globally renowned recycling and renewable energy companies will also be in attendance as well as exhibit their sustainability and green technologies, products and solutions under the same roof.

The SAF will showcase opportunities for much-needed green financing in the industry.
Issues under the spotlight will include climate action, environmental social & governance (ESG) and green finance, purchasing practices, circular economy, and regulatory reforms.

Speakers of the SAF include Dr Tawfiq-e-elahi Chowdhury, Bir Bikrom, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on power, energy and mineral resources; Salman F Rahman, MP, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on private industry & investment; Tipu Munshi, MP, commerce minister of Bangladesh; Begum Monnujan Sufian, MP, state minister for labor and employment of Bangladesh; Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on ministry of environment, forest and climate change of Bangladesh;  Anna Athanasopoulou, head of unit for social economy & creative industries European Commission;  Barbara Bijelic, financial sector and regulatory engagement lead centre for responsible business conduct, OECD;  Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, sectors engagement lead, UNFCCC; Gagan Bansal, global material innovation & strategy manager, H&M; Javier Santonja Olcina,  regional head, Bangladesh & Pakistan, Inditex; Faruque Hassan, president, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BGMEA); Dr Mark Anner, founding director, Center for Global Workers’ Rights and also professor, Penn State University, USA; Ayesha Barenblat, founder and CEO, Remake;  Najet Draper, vice president research, Better Buying; and  Tuomo Poutiainen,  country director, Bangladesh, ILO.

This collaborative and educational project showcases the use of waste as a resource and prolonging the life of the garment through color. It came to life thanks to key brands who donated items that were then transformed by Officina39’s Recycrom™ applications into a renewed head-to-toe look that was then displayed as an art installation.

What’s the Recipe for change? For Officina39 and Adriana Galijasevic’s Cocircular Lab, this question gives shape to the collaborative and educational project Circular Explorations, specially presented at Amsterdam Denim Days Festival on April 22-23.

Sharing ground values and a common view on the fashion of tomorrow, Officina39, Italian based Chemistry plus Creativity company for the textile sector, joined hands with Adriana Galijasevic’s Cocircular Lab and influential brands to celebrate the importance of an ongoing commitment towards circularity.

Several donated items – overstock, second-grade production or damaged, unsold pieces – were updated with newly developed applications made with Officina39’s Recycrom™, the one-of-a-kind, patented dyestuffs range made from textile waste. This Circular Explorations capsule is displayed at Denim Days Festival as an art installation, not only to dress people but also to get them acquainted with circularity because they are an important player in closing the loop.

The Recipe for change that emerges from this color research is based on important values and keywords:

• Consciousness – awareness of oneself and one's surroundings
• Courage – the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
• Creativity – the power to imagine and produce new possibilities.
• Connection – a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else, the act or state of connecting.
• Collaboration – the act of working together for a common goal.

Combined together, they produce CHANGE, which is a driving force for a better tomorrow.

This collaborative and innovative project that addresses circularity is also in direct support of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production, number 9-Industry innovation & Infrastructure and number 17-Partnership for the Goals.

Archroma and Stony Creek Colors (“Stony Creek”), a manufacturer of traceable natural indigo dyes, announced that they have entered a strategic partnership to produce and bring to the market Stony Creek’s IndiGold™ high-performance plant-based pre-reduced indigo at scale.

Stony Creek extracts its dye from proprietary Indigofera plant varieties grown in partnership with family farms as a regenerative rotational crop.

Stony Creek Colors developed the new IndiGold™ concept as on of the world’s first pre-reduced natural indigo dyes, which was then developed with Archroma to offer a plant-based alternative to synthetic pre-reduced indigo. The dyestuff will be sold as a 20% concentration in a soluble liquid form that displays similar performance to comparable synthetic indigo products available on the market.

Stony Creek Colors evolved into an innovative leader in plant-based indigo due to its complete development of an improved agricultural value chain, from seed breeding and production to biomass harvest and extraction. The company has been selling its US grown indigo to denim mills since 2015.

The pre-reduced plant-based indigo partnership took root in 2020 when Stony Creek was looking to work with like-minded partners to produce the new dyestuff at scale. Archroma emerged as the ideal partner as the company is well known for its expertise in indigo manufacturing and application, as well as for its commitment to transform the denim industry towards creating better blue jeans.

Archroma immediately offered to support the idea of Stony Creek Colors with extensive pilot scale manufacturing trials and engaged with its network of denim machinery manufacturers to test the first samples in industrial conditions. The trials showed excellent coloration and the typical indigo wash down, as with synthetic indigo. Archroma will produce the first batches of IndiGold™ in Salvatierra, Mexico, and has other locations where the product could be made. The company will support Stony Creek Colors through its manufacturing and logistics capabilities, and its expertise in denim dyeing with customers using pre-reduced indigo.

While this development was underway, the global innovation platform Fashion for Good selected Stony Creek Colors as an innovator in its global Innovation Program. The program connects brands with innovators to work together to test, validate and ultimately scale disruptive innovations in the fashion industry to drive positive impact. Through the program, Fashion for Good facilitated a collaboration between brand partner Levi Strauss & Co. and Stony Creek Colors which was announced in December 2021. The partners will pilot the use of IndiGold™ in denim mills at scale, with the goal of unlocking key learnings around shade application and other efficiencies of this new dyestuff.

Manufy, a marketplace for sustainable fashion production, has launched a new version of their platform. The platform connects conscious brands with sustainable manufacturers in hopes to create a cleaner future for the clothing industry. Now decked out with many more functionalities, Manufy aims to facilitate sustainable business between both parties from start to finish.  

Over the course of the last year the Manufy team has been busy gathering feedback from its growing user base. The platform started out as a place where manufacturers and brands from Europe could connect and chat with each other, but the team found out both parties wanted more. “We constantly reached out to our users to listen to their needs. We’ve compiled all those ideas and implemented them in version two!” says Michiel Dicker, co-founder of Manufy.

Not only a full visual transformation, but many functionalities were added: “Users can now easily start a sampling process, organise projects from start to finish and get sustainability insights” Dicker says. “Manufy is becoming your one-stop-shop for all your sourcing needs!”

The start-up, which launched in december of 2020, has seen a sharp increase in user activity over the last year. With trade shows being canceled due to covid, lots of manufacturers and brands were looking for new ways to do business. Going digital was one of the logical steps.

The production requests being placed on the platform cover a wide range of garments. Hoodies and t-shirts are popular, but the Manufy team also sees lots of shoes, caps, bags, dresses, swimwear and lingerie requests coming in.

Another notable trend in the industry is the ever growing demand for sustainable clothing production. With reports on climate change coming out and more and more consumers asking for sustainable alternatives, brands are making an effort to source their products more responsibly. The fashion industry, being the second largest polluting industry, needs a sort of paradigm shift. “We should focus more on making lower quantity, higher quality products. Making it on demand would be best” says Dicker.

• Cifra selects ROICA™ for a new generation of sportswear in the name of wellness and sustainability
• Performance Days, Hall C1 – stand N08

Cifra, a leading Italian company in Warp Knit Seamless, has chosen ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei, an international reference for premium and smart stretch, for a new generation of clothing dedicated to wellbeing, travelwear and athleisure, made with Cifra exclusive and patented technology in the name of uniqueness and sustainability.

Innovative garments for men and women that combine fashion and function, guaranteeing optimal comfort at any time of the day. Base layers, tops, leggings, jumpsuits made with natural yarns, or recycled pre and post-consumer yarns in combination with ROICA™ EF, the first recycled stretch yarn certified Global Recycled Standard (GRS) able to complete proposals that offer design, performance and responsibility.

The design of the garments, created in Cifra's design office, combines a perfect shape with body mapping technology that creates dedicated ventilation zones for a feeling of comfort and freshness as well as an innovative aesthetic impact.

And when it comes to comfort, ROICA™ activates a new generation conversation linked to the demands of the contemporary consumer looking for well-being in line with the concepts of safety and healthiness emerging in all aspects of daily life. In fact, ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei is the secret stretch ingredient of the modern wardrobe, able to "activate" garments by giving comfort, beauty, quality together with responsible and certified values.

All of this translates into the synergy of development with Cifra. The products, the materials that compose them, along with the way of production and who produces them, transparency and traceability are all aspects that become an integral part of the common proposal that Cifra and ROICA™ are able to offer by joining forces.

"We firmly believe in the new generation of companies oriented towards the creation and supply of valuable products, fully respecting people and the environment, while meeting the performance required by contemporary lifestyles," says Shinichiro Haga, Senior Executive Manager of the ROICA™ Division.

• 2021 Annual Results: First IFRS consolidated statements integrating the subsidiary Carbiolice
• Plan to build a first industrial facility with a strong financial support from the French Government and the Grand-Est Region: site selected in France in partnership with Indorama Ventures, world leader in the production recycled PET
• Successful commissioning of a demonstration facility in September 2021 and confirmation of the validity of the scale-up of Carbios’ enzymatic recycling technology
• Takeover of Carbiolice and full integration in the consolidated IFRS statements since June 4th, 2021
• Appointment of Philippe Pouletty as Chairman of the Board of Directors on April 1st, 2022
• Appointment of Emmanuel Ladent as CEO of the Company on December 1st, 2021
• Strengthening of Carbios’ financial structure: capital increase of €114 million with French and International investors and €30 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB)
• Group’s cash position of €105 million as of December 31, 2021, which does not include the €30 million EIB loan due to be drawn down in the first half of 2022

Carbios, a pioneer in the development of enzymatic solutions dedicated to the end-of-life of plastic, announced its operating and financial results for the year 2021. The financial statements as of December 31, 2021, were approved by the Company’s Board of Directors at their meeting on March 31, 2022.

“In 2021, Carbios achieved several technical and industrial milestones testifying of the soundness and successful execution of our strategy. The excellent results obtained from our demonstration plant confirms the industrial scale-up potential of our biological technology for the recycling of PET plastics and fibers. Together with our Consortium members, we also produced the world’s first food-grade PET sample bottles produced entirely from enzymatically recycled plastics; a world first. In addition, we have strengthened our financial structure by raising a landmark €114 million in May 2021 and we have taken full control of Carbiolice in June. In line with our objectives and with a strong financial support from the French Government and the Grand-Est Region, we will soon enable France to host the world’s first industrial facility dedicated to the biological recycling of plastics. Carbios’ enzymatic process will make it possible to recycle more than 50,000 tons of PET plastic waste per year,” comments Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of Carbios. “Our priority for 2022 is to finalize the terms of our partnership with Indorama Ventures, which will host the world’s first industrial facility operating our biological recycling process at its French production site in Longlaville. This year will also be about optimizing our commercial strategy, while continuing our innovation efforts on the end-of-life of other polymers.”

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