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Winner of Cellulose Fibre Innovation Award 2024 (c) nova-Institute
Winner of Cellulose Fibre Innovation Award 2024
27.03.2024

Winner of Cellulose Fibre Innovation Award 2024

The “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2024” held in Cologne on 13-14 March demonstrated the innovative power of the cellulose fibre industry. Several projects and scale-ups for textiles, hygiene products, construction and packaging showed the growth and bright future of this industry, supported by the policy framework to reduce single-use plastic products, such as the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) in Europe.

The “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2024” held in Cologne on 13-14 March demonstrated the innovative power of the cellulose fibre industry. Several projects and scale-ups for textiles, hygiene products, construction and packaging showed the growth and bright future of this industry, supported by the policy framework to reduce single-use plastic products, such as the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) in Europe.

40 international speakers presented the latest market trends in their industry and illustrated the innovation potential of cellulose fibres. Leading experts introduced new technologies for the recycling of cellulose-rich raw materials and gave insights into circular economy practices in the fields of textiles, hygiene, construction and packaging. All presentations were followed by exciting panel discussions with active audience participation including numerous questions and comments from the audience in Cologne and online. Once again, the Cellulose Fibres Conference proved to be an excellent networking opportunity to the 214 participants and 23 exhibitors from 27 countries. The annual conference is a unique meeting point for the global cellulose fibre industry.  

For the fourth time, nova-Institute has awarded the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” Award at the Cellulose Fibres Conference. The Innovation Award recognises applications and innovations that will lead the way in the industry’s transition to sustainable fibres. Close race between the nominees – “The Straw Flexi-Dress” by DITF & VRETENA (Germany), cellulose textile fibre from unbleached straw pulp, is the winning cellulose fibre innovation 2024, followed by HONEXT (Spain) with the “HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0)” from fibre waste from the paper industry, while TreeToTextile (Sweden) with their “New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre” won third place.

Prior to the event, the conference advisory board had nominated six remarkable innovations for the award. The nominees were neck and neck, when the winners were elected in a live vote by the audience on the first day of the conference.

First place
DITF & VRETENA (Germany): The Straw Flexi-Dress – Design Meets Sustainability

The Flexi-Dress design was inspired by the natural golden colour and silky touch of HighPerCell® (HPC) filaments based on unbleached straw pulp. These cellulose filaments are produced using environmentally friendly spinning technology in a closed-loop production process. The design decisions focused on the emotional connection and attachment to the HPC material to create a local and circular fashion product. The Flexi-Dress is designed as a versatile knitted garment – from work to street – that can be worn as a dress, but can also be split into two pieces – used separately as a top and a straight skirt. The top can also be worn with the V-neck front or back. The HPC textile knit structure was considered important for comfort and emotional properties.

Second place
Honext Material (Spain): HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0) – Flame-retardant Board made From Upcycled Fibre Waste From the Paper Industry

HONEXT® FR-B board (B-s1, d0) is a flame-retardant board made from 100 % upcycled industrial waste fibres from the paper industry. Thanks to innovations in biotechnology, paper sludge is upcycled – the previously “worthless” residue from paper making – to create a fully recyclable material, all without the use of resins. This lightweight and easy-to-handle board boasts high mechanical performance and stability, along with low thermal conductivity, making it perfect for various applications in all interior environments where fire safety is a priority. The material is non-toxic, with no added VOCs, ensuring safety for both people and the planet. A sustainable and healthy material for the built environment, it achieves Cradle-to-Cradle Certified GOLD, and Material Health CertificateTM Gold Level version 4.0 with a carbon-negative footprint. Additionally, the product is verified in the Product Environmental Footprint.

Third Place
TreeToTextile (Sweden): A New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre

TreeToTextile has developed a unique, sustainable and resource efficient fibre that doesn’t exist on the market today. It has a natural dry feel similar to cotton and a semi-dull sheen and high drape like viscose. It is based on cellulose and has the potential to complement or replace cotton, viscose and polyester as a single fibre or in blends, depending on the application.
TreeToTextile Technology™ has a low demand for chemicals, energy and water. According to a third party verified LCA, the TreeToTextile fibre has a climate impact of 0.6 kg CO2 eq/kilo fibre. The fibre is made from bio-based and traceable resources and is biodegradable.

The next conference will be held on 12-13 March 2025.

Source:

nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH

INDA: Five new Board of Directors' members (c) INDA
05.03.2024

INDA: Five new Board of Directors' members

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the election of five new members to serve on its 2024 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors play a key role in advancing INDA’s strategic objectives, actively supporting both the industry and the membership. Their primary responsibility lies in ensuring that INDA remains responsive to the evolving needs of its members and the broader nonwovens industry, guiding the formulation of policies and programs.

The five new Board members include:

  • Jaren J. Edwards, President, Stein Fibers
  • Edward McNally, Sales Director Nonwoven, Oerlikon Nonwoven
  • Thomas Olsen, Senior Vice President, Americas Business Area, Suominen
  • Patricia A Sargeant, Vice President, Glatfelter Corporation
  • Paul Wood, President, Ontex North America

The Board is comprised of elected Board Officers. One-third of the entire Board is elected each year for a three-year term by INDA’s general membership. INDA’s Executive Committee, empowered to act on behalf of the Board between meetings, consists of the Board Officers plus appointees.
The Executive Committee includes:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the election of five new members to serve on its 2024 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors play a key role in advancing INDA’s strategic objectives, actively supporting both the industry and the membership. Their primary responsibility lies in ensuring that INDA remains responsive to the evolving needs of its members and the broader nonwovens industry, guiding the formulation of policies and programs.

The five new Board members include:

  • Jaren J. Edwards, President, Stein Fibers
  • Edward McNally, Sales Director Nonwoven, Oerlikon Nonwoven
  • Thomas Olsen, Senior Vice President, Americas Business Area, Suominen
  • Patricia A Sargeant, Vice President, Glatfelter Corporation
  • Paul Wood, President, Ontex North America

The Board is comprised of elected Board Officers. One-third of the entire Board is elected each year for a three-year term by INDA’s general membership. INDA’s Executive Committee, empowered to act on behalf of the Board between meetings, consists of the Board Officers plus appointees.
The Executive Committee includes:

  • Chair: Mark Thornton, Vice President, The Procter & Gamble Company
  • Vice Chair: Barbara Lawless, VP of Sales and Marketing – Medical Products, Precision Fabrics Group, Inc.
  • Past Chair: Bryan Haynes, Senior Technical Director for Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
  • Appointee: Mike Clark, President, Filtration Solutions, Hollingsworth & Vose Company
  • Appointee: Jodi Russell, Vice President R&D, Cleaning Innovation, Packaging & Sustainability, The Clorox Company
  • Appointee: Jeff Stafford, Vice President of Nonwovens, Milliken & Company
  • Appointee: Robert Weilminster, EVP & General Manager, US & Canada – Health, Hygiene and Specialties Division, Berry Global
  • Appointee: Tom Zaiser, CEO, Indorama Ventures
Source:

INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

23.02.2024

RISE® 2024: Call for Presentations and Award Nominations

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced a call for presentations and award nominations for the RISE® (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics) Conference. RISE will be held October 1-2, 2024, at the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. RISE is a two-day conference presenting new research and science that drives innovation and product development. The theme for this year’s event is “The Other Sustainability Story: Extended Use and Reduced Consumption.”

Nonwoven professionals are encouraged to submit their technical abstracts by Friday, April 12, 2024. Topics being considered are raw materials, equipment and processing, product-related technologies, and applications.  Abstracts may be submitted via the RISE website. For questions about abstract submissions, contact Deanna Lovell.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced a call for presentations and award nominations for the RISE® (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics) Conference. RISE will be held October 1-2, 2024, at the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. RISE is a two-day conference presenting new research and science that drives innovation and product development. The theme for this year’s event is “The Other Sustainability Story: Extended Use and Reduced Consumption.”

Nonwoven professionals are encouraged to submit their technical abstracts by Friday, April 12, 2024. Topics being considered are raw materials, equipment and processing, product-related technologies, and applications.  Abstracts may be submitted via the RISE website. For questions about abstract submissions, contact Deanna Lovell.

RISE® Innovation Award
In addition, INDA is requesting nominations for innovative nonwoven products and technologies for the RISE® Innovation Award. INDA will consider categories such as raw materials, roll goods, converting, packaging, active ingredients, binders, additives and end products for nominations. This Award recognizes innovation in areas within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry, utilizing advanced science and engineering principles to develop solutions to problems and advance the usage of nonwovens.

Three finalists will be chosen to present their innovations to technology scouts, scientists, researchers, and industry professionals on Tuesday, October 1st. Nominations may be submitted via the INDA website. The Award submission deadline is July 29, 2024. For questions about the Award, contact Vickie Smead.

Last year, the RISE® Innovation Award was presented to TiHive for their SAPMonit technology.

Source:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

07.02.2024

RadiciGroup’s roadmap to a sustainable future

“From Earth to Earth”: The new plan defines goals and concrete actions in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas to foster value creation for all stakeholders and put new sustainability regulatory requirements at the centre of attention.

A project, designed to enhance RadiciGroup's transparency and commitment to develop a responsible business along its entire value chain from an economic, social and environmental perspective and focus on the ever more widespread and stringent sustainability regulatory requirements. These are the features and goals of the Sustainability Plan presented by the Group and called "From Earth to Earth", precisely to emphasize the intent to focus on the Earth and future generations.

“From Earth to Earth”: The new plan defines goals and concrete actions in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas to foster value creation for all stakeholders and put new sustainability regulatory requirements at the centre of attention.

A project, designed to enhance RadiciGroup's transparency and commitment to develop a responsible business along its entire value chain from an economic, social and environmental perspective and focus on the ever more widespread and stringent sustainability regulatory requirements. These are the features and goals of the Sustainability Plan presented by the Group and called "From Earth to Earth", precisely to emphasize the intent to focus on the Earth and future generations.

In the context of a complex and constantly changing scenario, the Group has therefore decided to capitalize on the goals achieved and look beyond them with a plan defining the medium-term targets and the actions to be taken to fulfil them and covering all areas considered to be "material”, i.e., relevant from the point of view of ESG and financial risks, opportunities and impacts. Indeed, the ultimate goal of "From Earth to Earth" is to support business continuity and the growth of the company and all its stakeholders.

The project was the result of a multi-year collaboration with Deloitte, which contributed an external and objective viewpoint on the definition of the material targets and themes. However, it was not an armchair exercise, but the result of an extensive listening process involving internal and external stakeholders, all of whom were sustainability experts who helped define a shortlist of strategic themes for both the Group and its main stakeholders. These issues were then analysed in detail using working tables on the different themes to identify the objectives in Environmental, Social and Governance areas and the related concrete actions needed to achieve them, in line with the European decarbonization and energy transition policies and the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a global blueprint for sustainable growth.

In particular, RadiciGroup’s environmental goals include: a 20% increase and differentiation in renewable source electricity consumption, an 80% reduction in total direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2011, attention to water consumption to limit the impact on local communities and biodiversity, the extension of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to measure the environmental impact of 70% of the products (in terms of weight) manufactured by the entire Group, collaboration among the various actors in the supply chain from an ecodesign perspective and the search for increasingly more sustainable and circular packaging solutions.

nominees Graphic: nova Institut
19.01.2024

Nominated Innovations for Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2024 Award

From Resource-efficient and Recycled Fibres for Textiles and Building Panels to Geotextiles for Glacier Protection: Six award nominees present innovative and sustainable solutions for various industries in the cellulose fibre value chain. The full economic potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be introduced to a wide audience that will vote for the winners in Cologne (Germany), and online.

Again nova-Institute grants the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the context of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference”, that will take place in Cologne on 13 and 14 March 2024. In advance, the conferences advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste and straw, a novel technology for dying cellulose-based textiles and a construction panel as well as geotextiles. The innovations will be presented by the companies on the first day of the event. All conference participants can vote for one of the six nominees and the top three winners will be honoured with the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award. The Innovation award is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

From Resource-efficient and Recycled Fibres for Textiles and Building Panels to Geotextiles for Glacier Protection: Six award nominees present innovative and sustainable solutions for various industries in the cellulose fibre value chain. The full economic potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be introduced to a wide audience that will vote for the winners in Cologne (Germany), and online.

Again nova-Institute grants the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the context of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference”, that will take place in Cologne on 13 and 14 March 2024. In advance, the conferences advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste and straw, a novel technology for dying cellulose-based textiles and a construction panel as well as geotextiles. The innovations will be presented by the companies on the first day of the event. All conference participants can vote for one of the six nominees and the top three winners will be honoured with the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award. The Innovation award is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

In addition, the ever-growing sectors of cellulose-based nonwovens, packaging and hygiene products offer conference participants insights beyond the horizon of traditional textile applications. Sustainability and other topics such as fibre-to-fibre recycling and alternative fibre sources are the key topics of the Cellulose Fibres Conference, held in Cologne, Germany, on 13 and 14 March 2024 and online. The conference will showcase the most successful cellulose-based solutions currently on the market or those planned for the near future.

The nominees:

The Straw Flexi-Dress: Design Meets Sustainability – DITF & VRETENA (DE)
The Flexi-Dress design was inspired by the natural golden colour and silky touch of HighPerCell® (HPC) filaments based on unbleached straw pulp. These cellulose filaments are produced using environmentally friendly spinning technology in a closed-loop production process. The design decisions focused on the emotional connection and attachment to the HPC material to create a local and circular fashion product. The Flexi-Dress is designed as a versatile knitted garment – from work to street – that can be worn as a dress, but can also be split into two pieces – used separately as a top and a straight skirt. The top can also be worn with the V-neck front or back. The HPC textile knit structure was considered important for comfort and emotional properties.

HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0) – Flame-retardant Board made From Upcycled Fibre Waste From the Paper Industry – Honext Material (ES)
HONEXT® FR-B board (B-s1, d0) is a flame-retardant board made from 100 % upcycled industrial waste fibres from the paper industry. Thanks to innovations in biotechnology, paper sludge is upcycled – the previously “worthless” residue from paper making – to create a fully recyclable material, all without the use of resins. This lightweight and easy-to-handle board boasts high mechanical performance and stability, along with low thermal conductivity, making it perfect for various applications in all interior environments where fire safety is a priority. The material is non-toxic, with no added VOCs, ensuring safety for both people and the planet. A sustainable and healthy material for the built environment, it achieves Cradle-to-Cradle Certified GOLD, and Material Health CertificateTM Gold Level version 4.0 with a carbon-negative footprint. Additionally, it is verified in the Product Environmental Footprint.

LENZING™ Cellulosic Fibres for Glacier Protection – Lenzing (AT)
Glaciers are now facing an unprecedented threat from global warming. Synthetic fibre-based geotextiles, while effective in slowing down glacier melt, create a new environmental challenge: microplastics contaminating glacial environments. The use of such materials contradicts the very purpose of glacier protection, as it exacerbates an already critical environmental problem. Recognizing this problem, the innovative use of cellulosic LENZING™ fibres presents a pioneering solution. The Institute of Ecology, at the University of Innsbruck, together with Lenzing and other partners made first trials in 2022 by covering small test fields with LENZING™ fibre-based geotextiles. The results were promising, confirming the effectiveness of this approach in slowing glacier melt without leaving behind microplastic.

The RENU Jacket – Advanced Recycling for Cellulosic Textiles – Pangaia (UK) & Evrnu (US)
PANGAIA LAB was born out of a dream to reduce barriers between people and the breakthrough innovations in material science. In 2023, PANGAIA LAB launched the RENU Jacket, a limited edition product made from 100% Nucycl® – a technology that recycles cellulosic textiles by breaking them down to their molecular building blocks, and reforming them into new fibres. This process produces a result that is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable when returned to the correct waste stream – maintaining the strength of the fibre so it doesn’t need to be blended with virgin material.
Through collaboration with Evrnu, the PANGAIA team created the world’s first 100% chemically recycled denim jacket, replacing a material traditionally made from 100% virgin cotton. By incorporating Nucycl® into this iconic fabric construction, dyed with natural indigo, the teams have demonstrated that it’s possible to replace ubiquitous materials with this innovation.

Textiles Made from Easy-to-dye Biocelsol – VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (FI)
One third of the textile industry’s wastewater is generated in dyeing and one fifth in finishing. But the use of chemically modified Biocelsol fibres reduces waste water. The knitted fabric is made from viscose and Biocelsol fibres and is only dyed after knitting. This gives the Biocelsol fibres a darker shade, using the same amount of dye and no salt in dyeing process. In addition, an interesting visual effect can be achieved. Moreover, less dye is needed for the darker colour tone in the finished textile and the possibility to use the salt-free dyeing is more environmentally friendly.
These special properties of man-made cellulosic fibres will reassert the fibres as a replacement for the existing fossil-based fibres, thus filling the demand for more environmentally friendly dyeing-solutions in the textile industry. The functionalised Biocelsol fibres were made in Finnish Academy FinnCERES project and are produced by wet spinning technique from the cellulose dope containing low amounts of 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl substituents. The functionality formed is permanent and has been shown to significantly improve the dyeability of the fibres. In addition, the functionalisation of Biocelsol fibres reduces the cost of textile finishing and dyeing as well as the effluent load.

A New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre – TreeToTextile (SE)
TreeToTextile has developed a unique, sustainable and resource efficient fibre that doesn't exist on the market today. It has a natural dry feel similar to cotton and a semi-dull sheen and high drape like viscose. It is based on cellulose and has the potential to complement or replace cotton, viscose and polyester as a single fibre or in blends, depending on the application.
TreeToTextile Technology™ has a low demand for chemicals, energy and water. According to a third party verified LCA, the TreeToTextile fibre has a climate impact of 0.6 kg CO2 eq/kilo fibre. The fibre is made from bio-based and traceable resources and is biodegradable.

More information:
Nova Institut nova Institute
Source:

nova Institut

WOW International Conference calls for Presentations (c) INDA
06.12.2023

WOW International Conference calls for Presentations

INDA’s World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference is accepting abstracts on wipes products, markets, and technologies to be presented in Minneapolis, MN, June 17-20, 2024. The deadline for abstract submissions is January 12, 2024.

Experts in dry and wet nonwoven wipes, sustainability, end-use markets, substrate formation, raw materials and fibers, liquid ingredients, packaging, machinery, and market trends and data are encouraged to submit a brief abstract. The abstracts may be submitted via the WOW website.

Topics for consideration include:

  • Dry and wet wipes
  • Circular economy
  • Sustainability / End-of-life implications
  • Substrate formation
  • Skin care formulations
  • Raw materials
  • Packaging
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Market trends and consumer insight
  • Regulations
  • Ecommerce / Retail channels

INDA’s World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference is accepting abstracts on wipes products, markets, and technologies to be presented in Minneapolis, MN, June 17-20, 2024. The deadline for abstract submissions is January 12, 2024.

Experts in dry and wet nonwoven wipes, sustainability, end-use markets, substrate formation, raw materials and fibers, liquid ingredients, packaging, machinery, and market trends and data are encouraged to submit a brief abstract. The abstracts may be submitted via the WOW website.

Topics for consideration include:

  • Dry and wet wipes
  • Circular economy
  • Sustainability / End-of-life implications
  • Substrate formation
  • Skin care formulations
  • Raw materials
  • Packaging
  • Machinery and equipment
  • Market trends and consumer insight
  • Regulations
  • Ecommerce / Retail channels
Source:

INDA

INDA: Tampon by Sequel won 2023 Hygienix Innovation Award™ (c) INDA
20.11.2023

INDA: Tampon by Sequel won 2023 Hygienix Innovation Award™

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, connected absorbent hygiene and personal care professionals throughout the supply chain at the ninth edition of Hygienix™, the event for absorbent hygiene & personal care markets, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nov. 13-16.

Senior-level leaders enjoyed presentations in these key topics affecting the future of absorbent hygiene:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, connected absorbent hygiene and personal care professionals throughout the supply chain at the ninth edition of Hygienix™, the event for absorbent hygiene & personal care markets, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Nov. 13-16.

Senior-level leaders enjoyed presentations in these key topics affecting the future of absorbent hygiene:

  • AHP Trends, Innovation & Market Statistics
  • Redefining Absorbent Hygiene: Navigating Consumer Voice, Sustainable Innovations and the Circular Economy
  • The Proof Is in the Pudding – Demonstrating What’s Possible in AHP
  • Sustainability Inside & Out – Inputs & Packaging
  • Words Matter! Shaping Consumer and Industry Thoughts
  • Neither Fish nor Fowl: Designing Hybrid AHP Products
  • There Be Dragons: Tales of Innovation

The winner of the Hygienix Innovation Award™ was the Sequel Spiral™ Tampon by Sequel. The Sequel Spiral™ Tampon features a proprietary spiral design that is engineered to be more fluid mechanically efficient, meaning it is designed to absorb more evenly and not leak before it’s full. In August 2023, the Sequel Spiral™ Tampon received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical device and the company will now begin a series of consumer trials, with broad availability expected in Q1 of 2024.

New this year to Hygienix was Lightning Talks and pre-conference webinars. Lightning Talks are short presentations covering new trends, products and ideas in absorbent hygiene. The pre-conference webinar topics featured the new Quality Audit Program from INDA and EDANA, an in-depth look at the period care product category, and North American trends and insights in baby diapers.

Back was a hands-on workshop providing attendees with information on the various absorption systems used in disposable hygiene products. This workshop focused on the components and interaction of the absorption system in common commercial hygiene products. The workshop was led by Jim Robinson, Principal, Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC.

Jim Robinson received the honor of being named the 2023 INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award winner for his decades of technical advancements that have grown the nonwovens industry. Robinson has 33 years in the absorbent hygiene industry, including 28 years as a Technical Service Manager at BASF. Robinson has extensive knowledge of SAP applications, absorbent core formation, and hygiene article design, performance and testing.

Hygienix 2024 will be held Nov. 18-21, in Nashville, Tennessee.

More information:
INDA nonwovens Hygienix Sequel
Manjushree Group enters Indian nonwovens market with Reifenhäuser Reicofil line (c) Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik
06.10.2023

Manjushree Group enters Indian nonwovens market with Reifenhäuser Reicofil line

After four decades in the packaging industry, the Manjushree Group is entering the Indian nonwovens market. The entrepreneurs rely on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

The Manjushree Group operated a blown film line for packaging materials for the tea industry in the eastern part of India as early as 1983. In the years that followed, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia - and the family business grew into a group with several business segments. In 2018, the entrepreneurial family repositioned itself: it sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures with footholds in start-up financing, real estate business, and manufacturing - the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelted fabrics.

After four decades in the packaging industry, the Manjushree Group is entering the Indian nonwovens market. The entrepreneurs rely on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

The Manjushree Group operated a blown film line for packaging materials for the tea industry in the eastern part of India as early as 1983. In the years that followed, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia - and the family business grew into a group with several business segments. In 2018, the entrepreneurial family repositioned itself: it sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures with footholds in start-up financing, real estate business, and manufacturing - the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelted fabrics.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-performance spunmelts on an RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil - benefiting both from many years of experience in the packaging industry and from experience with Reifenhäuser's blown film lines. "We know a lot about plastic extrusion, for example when it comes to line operating parameters such as temperature and pressure. Processing is similar in both industries," explains Rajat Kedia. "The main difference is the distribution of the products: In plastic packaging, we had an established customer base and sold a lot of material to the big consumer goods manufacturers. The nonwovens market in India, on the other hand, is still forming, with thousands of small companies currently getting involved." These serve customers in their regions, such as hospitals.

The RF Smart Composite line is a standardized spunmelt line for smaller and emerging markets. The line produces nonwovens of the highest Reicofil quality with appropriately adapted throughput. This makes it ideally suited for applications in hygiene and medical technology and, with typically 8,200 annual production hours, it is extremely reliable. In addition, operators can start production quickly because in many cases the line can be integrated into existing buildings.

Before production could start, Manjushree built a new production building in Bidadi, a town an hour's drive from Bangalore International Airport. The building is designed to be sustainable: It uses natural light and fresh air, has comprehensive contamination control, and obtains almost all of its energy from renewable sources. Reifenhäuser Reicofil then installed, commissioned and tested the RF Smart Composite line.

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-quality spunmelted nonwovens, including ultra-soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings for customers in the hygiene and medical industries. The material can be used, for example, for baby diapers and feminine hygiene products, but also for medical articles ranging from surgical gowns to surgical drapes.

Source:

Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik

Hygienix Graphics INDA
05.10.2023

Glatfelter, Mundeo, and Sequel to Vie for Hygienix Innovation Award™

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, revealed the three finalists that will compete for the Hygienix Innovation Award™. Glatfelter, Mundeo, and Sequel will present their new absorbent hygiene products to senior-level leaders at Hygienix, Nov. 13-16, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here is a summary of the finalists’ products:

Glatfelter: GlatPure™
GlatPure™ is a range of bio-based absorbent hygiene components derived from renewable materials. This product range consists of a variety of plant-based and natural topsheets, an acquisition distribution layer, an absorbent core, a newly improved backsheet, and a landing zone. Crafted from 100% renewable fibers and biodegradable materials, and enriched with bio-based binders, GlatPure™ stands as the industry’s first fully functional, fossil-fuel free range of solutions.  

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, revealed the three finalists that will compete for the Hygienix Innovation Award™. Glatfelter, Mundeo, and Sequel will present their new absorbent hygiene products to senior-level leaders at Hygienix, Nov. 13-16, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Here is a summary of the finalists’ products:

Glatfelter: GlatPure™
GlatPure™ is a range of bio-based absorbent hygiene components derived from renewable materials. This product range consists of a variety of plant-based and natural topsheets, an acquisition distribution layer, an absorbent core, a newly improved backsheet, and a landing zone. Crafted from 100% renewable fibers and biodegradable materials, and enriched with bio-based binders, GlatPure™ stands as the industry’s first fully functional, fossil-fuel free range of solutions.  

Mundao: Diap’Earth®
From nature to nature: Mundao brings to market DIAP’EARTH®, an industrially compostable baby diaper. This diaper provides a circular solution to the AHP waste issue. Ecoconception (DIAP’EARTH is a bio-based & plastic free diaper) makes it possible to compost the diaper in an industrial composting facility to turn it into carbon where it can become fertilizer for soil. DIAP’EARTH has been successfully composted in major French cities.

Sequel: The Sequel Spiral™ Tampon
The Sequel Spiral™ Tampon features a proprietary spiral design that is engineered to be more fluid mechanically efficient, meaning it is designed to absorb more evenly and not leak before it’s full. In August 2023 the Sequel Spiral™ Tampon received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a medical device and the company will now begin a series of consumer trials, with broad availability expected in Q1 of 2024.

The winner of the Award will be announced at the end of the event, Thurs., Nov. 16th, at 11:30 am. Last year’s award recipient was Pads on a Roll™ by Egal Pads. Pads on a Roll is a wrapped super-thin absorbent period pad that dispenses like toilet paper in public bathroom stalls, preventing the personal embarrassment of not having a menstrual product when needed.

Conference Highlights
In addition to the award presentation, the Hygienix™ conference will focus on consumer-centric innovations, the circular economy, raw material advancements in sustainability, opportunities for advanced recycling in absorbent hygiene, optimizing the packaging footprint, new approaches for odor control, and market trends and drivers. Plus, INDA’s Government Affairs office will be in attendance to provide insights into recent regulatory and legislative issues. Participants can learn about how the current political landscape could affect the nonwovens industry.

More information:
Hygienix
Source:

INDA

Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry INDA
22.08.2023

INDA Announces Conference Program for Hygienix™ 2023

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the conference program for Hygienix™ 2023, November 13-16 to be held at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, LA.

The program details can be found on the Hygienix website.

The keynote speaker is Courtney Scharf, Chief Client Officer, Trend Hunter. Trend Hunter leverages big data, human researchers, and AI to identify consumer insights, and deep dive opportunities for the world’s most innovative companies, such as Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Georgia-Pacific, Kroger, Johnson & Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, Samsung, and Bacardi. Trend Hunter utilizes Artificial Intelligence and research to identify and curate top insights and trends to advise brands and businesses in their pursuit of innovation.

The Hygienix program will feature thought leaders in consumer-centric innovations, the circular economy, raw material advancements in sustainability, opportunities for advanced recycling in absorbent hygiene, optimizing the packaging footprint, new approaches for odor control, and market trends and drivers.

Experts presenting at Hygienix include:

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the conference program for Hygienix™ 2023, November 13-16 to be held at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, LA.

The program details can be found on the Hygienix website.

The keynote speaker is Courtney Scharf, Chief Client Officer, Trend Hunter. Trend Hunter leverages big data, human researchers, and AI to identify consumer insights, and deep dive opportunities for the world’s most innovative companies, such as Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Georgia-Pacific, Kroger, Johnson & Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser, Samsung, and Bacardi. Trend Hunter utilizes Artificial Intelligence and research to identify and curate top insights and trends to advise brands and businesses in their pursuit of innovation.

The Hygienix program will feature thought leaders in consumer-centric innovations, the circular economy, raw material advancements in sustainability, opportunities for advanced recycling in absorbent hygiene, optimizing the packaging footprint, new approaches for odor control, and market trends and drivers.

Experts presenting at Hygienix include:

  • Aquapak Polymers Ltd. – “Creating Sustainable Nonwovens for Hygiene Applications with Thermally Processable Polyvinyl Alcohol; A Water Soluble, Environmentally Friendly and High-Performance Polymer”
  • Asahi Kasei Advance Corporation – “Continuous-Filament Cellulose Nonwovens”
  • Confitex Technology – “Reusables Production: It’s Not All Green”
  • Egal Pads, Inc. – “Closing the Circularity Gap One Used Pad at a Time”
  • Essity – “Diaper Collection & Recycling in Australia”
  • ExxonMobil Chemical Company – “Innovate New Levels of Strong Comfort with Hygiene Solutions”
  • Henkel Corporation – “Reducing the Packaging Waste from Personal Hygiene Products”
  • INNOVATEGRN – “Accelerating Innovation / Embracing a Consumer-Centric Approach”
  • Kuraray Europe GmbH – “Safe and Eco-friendly Elastics for Absorbent Hygiene Products”
  • Nexus Circular – “Increasing Plastics Circularity for the Hygiene Segment Through Advanced Recycling”
  • W. Pelz GmbH –“Disposable Pads Meet Reusable Underwear”
  • Price Hanna Consultants – “Squaring the Circle: Why Demonstration Projects = Good Sustainability Strategy” and “Wellness and Natural Materials”
  • Rem Brands, Inc. – “Effective Reduction of Material Odors, In-use Odors, and Post-use Odors”
  • Sequel – “Spiraling into Business: How a Dramatic Innovation to the Tampon Met the World’s Largest Manufacturer of Feminine Hygiene”
  • Sparkle Innovations Inc. – Sustainability and Circularity in the Absorbent Hygiene Products Industry”

The Hygienix program will offer a hands-on workshop as well as two pre-conference webinars. Jim Robinson, Principal, Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC, will lead the in-person workshop on AHP Absorbent Hygiene Systems, Monday afternoon, November 13th. This workshop evaluates SAP absorption for different SAPs and participants have the opportunity to deconstruct and examine several hygiene products including infant, adult, and period care products to increase the understanding of these systems.

More information:
Hygienix INDA
Source:

Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry INDA

13.06.2023

Three Finalists Announced for the 2023 World of Wipes Innovation Award®


2XL Corporation, Avgol Nonwovens, and Yowel to compete for Award
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award®. The Award will be presented at the 17th annual World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, July 17-20, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia.    

The three products vying for this Award are a cleaning and disinfecting device from 2XL Corporation, a wipe utilizing biotransformation technology from Avgol Nonwovens, and a reusable towel dispensing system from Yowel.

The winner will be announced on July 20th at 11 am. The three companies competing for the Award are:


2XL Corporation, Avgol Nonwovens, and Yowel to compete for Award
INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award®. The Award will be presented at the 17th annual World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference, July 17-20, at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia.    

The three products vying for this Award are a cleaning and disinfecting device from 2XL Corporation, a wipe utilizing biotransformation technology from Avgol Nonwovens, and a reusable towel dispensing system from Yowel.

The winner will be announced on July 20th at 11 am. The three companies competing for the Award are:

Windup by 2XL Corporation
Meet the Windup: a groundbreaking new device that can clean and disinfect your home using a self-advancing microfiber roll that you never have to touch. Just one roll will clean your kitchen over 50 times. An innovative one-touch revolving roll and a versatile spray system that allows use of your favorite floor cleaner or our specially formulated disinfecting solution. No more stopping to change expensive pads or change filthy water. Get wound up for Windup.

Nonwoven wipe using biotransformation technology by Avgol Nonwovens
This innovative spunlace wipe utilized advanced biotransformation technology developed jointly by Indorama Ventures and Polymateria. Meeting the BSI PAS 9017 specification, this wipe in the event it becomes fugitive, and exposed to heat, sunlight, air and moisture will transform into a harmless, bioavailable wax at its end-of-life, eliminating microplastic pollution. Compatible with mechanical recycling and combatting ‘fugitive’ waste, this wipe represents a significant leap towards eco-friendly, sustainable nonwoven hygiene products.

The Yowel™ System by Yowel
Ready to help the earth and save money…every day? Yowel is a patented system for dispensing reusable towels. Instead of a roll of paper towels, place a Yowel full of reusable towels into your paper towel holder – or choose the countertop model, and you’re immediately reducing your paper towel consumption.  The Yowel System has 40 reusable towels and a mesh bag for used towels. Save money and help Mother Nature.

INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected the finalists based on the creativity, uniqueness, and technical sophistication employed in finding novel ways to expand the utilization of nonwovens. Categories considered for the award were wipes related raw materials, roll goods, converting, packaging, active ingredients, binders, additives, and end-use products.

Nice-Pak’s SecureFLUSH® Technology Flushable Wipes received the 2022 World of Wipes Innovation Award for their unique, 100% cellulose nonwoven that is strong enough to clean, yet break apart rapidly, when flushed. A specialty “lock and key” design of plant-based fibers and formula leverages patent-pending technology to break apart five times faster than the leading brand of two-ply toilet paper and ensure responsible care of plumbing and wastewater. SecureFLUSH® Technology Flushable wipes are available in Walmart, Amazon, and at Nicencleanwipes.com.

More information:
INDA WOW nonwovens World of Wipes
Source:

INDA

FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A./ Nabucco 6075 Reale © Foto: Indorama Ventures Fibers Germany GmbH / FIDIVI Tessitura Vergnano S.p.A./ Nabucco 6075 Reale
06.06.2023

Trevira CS at the Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas in Miami

Trevira CS is exhibiting for the first time at CSI Miami (Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas). Taking place on 6 – 7 June, 2023 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, CSI will bring together buyers and suppliers involved in cruise ship interiors, including interior designers, architects, outfitters, shipyards and suppliers.
 
On the Trevira CS stand, visitors can get an idea of the wide range of flame retardant fabrics suitable for use on board cruise ships. 53 fabrics from 20 Trevira CS customers will be on display that either have IMO certification and/or have been tested to the fire safety standards (FTP Code) required in the marine sector. Trevira CS fabrics are inherently flame retardant, meaning that their flame retardant properties cannot be washed out or lost through aging or use. This is due to the chemical structure of the polyester fiber: the flame retardant properties are firmly anchored in the fiber and cannot be altered by external influences. A surface-applied flame retardant finish is therefore not necessary.

Trevira CS is exhibiting for the first time at CSI Miami (Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas). Taking place on 6 – 7 June, 2023 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, CSI will bring together buyers and suppliers involved in cruise ship interiors, including interior designers, architects, outfitters, shipyards and suppliers.
 
On the Trevira CS stand, visitors can get an idea of the wide range of flame retardant fabrics suitable for use on board cruise ships. 53 fabrics from 20 Trevira CS customers will be on display that either have IMO certification and/or have been tested to the fire safety standards (FTP Code) required in the marine sector. Trevira CS fabrics are inherently flame retardant, meaning that their flame retardant properties cannot be washed out or lost through aging or use. This is due to the chemical structure of the polyester fiber: the flame retardant properties are firmly anchored in the fiber and cannot be altered by external influences. A surface-applied flame retardant finish is therefore not necessary.

In the marine sector, the demands placed on textiles are not only high in terms of fire protection, but also with regards to light resistance and durability. This is particularly true for textiles used in outdoor applications. These must be extremely robust, as they are exposed to moisture and sunlight. To meet these requirements, Trevira CS has launched a range of 30 new spun-dyed, UV-stable filament yarns. Besides color depth and durability, spun-dyed yarns offer another advantage: They are more sustainable because the fabrics made from them can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way than textiles that are dyed in one piece or consist of brightly colored yarns. In fabric production, a large share of resource consumption goes to the dyeing and finishing of fabrics as well as the use of chemicals and water. However, with spun-dyed yarns, these processing steps are unnecessary – the yarn immediately comes out of the spinneret in the desired color, reducing the products’ environmental impact.

The topic of sustainability is also taken up in other Trevira CS products. For example, Trevira CS fabrics are available in recycled versions. They consist of fiber and filament yarns obtained in different recycling processes. Filament yarns are produced using recycled PET bottles, they contain 50% post-consumer recycled material. Recycled fibers are obtained using an agglomeration plant and in further processing steps from residual pre-consumer waste from production. They consist of 100% recycled material (pre-consumer recycling). All flame retardant recycled Trevira® products are GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified.
Fabrics made from these yarns are marked with the Trevira CS eco trademark. The prerequisite for this is a recycled content of at least 50%. Among the fabrics presented at the Trevira CS trade fair stand are 8 fabrics bearing the Trevira CS eco brand.

The long-term goal in developing sustainable products is undoubtedly to enter a circular economy. For this new path, an innovative Trevira CS product development was launched, producing flame retardant fibers and filament yarns from chemically recycled raw material. In this case, the basic raw material for the chemical recycling was PET bottles, but essentially it could be most any other PET recyclables, such as packaging material or even textiles. Chemical recycling involves depolymerization, a sequence of chemical reactions in which the polymer chains are broken down again into their original components, i. e. the monomers. In a further processing step, impurities are removed. Before the polymerization process is initiated, a small amount of MEG (mono ethylene glycol) is added.

The same technology used to produce the original (virgin) raw material for Trevira CS is also used here. The flame retardant modification is added during polymerization. In this way, the flame retardant properties are indelibly anchored in the polymer.

By recycling valuable materials such as packaging material, waste can be avoided. The raw material obtained from the recycling process is comparable to the original material can be used again in high-quality products.

Source:

Indorama Ventures Fibers Germany GmbH

(c) Sappi Europe
18.05.2023

Sappi at ITMA 2023

As a global provider of sustainable woodfibre products, Sappi will be showcasing its solutions for the garment industry under the theme “Fashion meets Forest” at ITMA 2023 – with sublimation papers and its dissolving wood pulp, used for the production of garment fibres under the “Verve” brand name.

How can the woodfibre industry support a more sustainable garments market? Sappi is eager to answer this question at the ITMA and has created a “knowledge trail” for visitors to explore under the motto “Fashion meets Forest”. Visitors to the stand can follow the journey from wood via cellulose and fibre to the finished yarn and the printed garment.

Sublimation papers: Expanded production capacity in Carmignano
Sappi’s Transjet sublimation papers stand for fast, uniform ink transfer and minimal ink consumption. As a premium supplier, Sappi is constantly striving to meet its customers’ needs. So, at this year’s ITMA, various sublimation papers with optimised qualitative properties will be on show.

As a global provider of sustainable woodfibre products, Sappi will be showcasing its solutions for the garment industry under the theme “Fashion meets Forest” at ITMA 2023 – with sublimation papers and its dissolving wood pulp, used for the production of garment fibres under the “Verve” brand name.

How can the woodfibre industry support a more sustainable garments market? Sappi is eager to answer this question at the ITMA and has created a “knowledge trail” for visitors to explore under the motto “Fashion meets Forest”. Visitors to the stand can follow the journey from wood via cellulose and fibre to the finished yarn and the printed garment.

Sublimation papers: Expanded production capacity in Carmignano
Sappi’s Transjet sublimation papers stand for fast, uniform ink transfer and minimal ink consumption. As a premium supplier, Sappi is constantly striving to meet its customers’ needs. So, at this year’s ITMA, various sublimation papers with optimised qualitative properties will be on show.

Sappi maintains the high quality of its coated Transjet and uncoated Basejet sublimation papers by regularly investing in new, state-of-the-art technologies. At the end of April, a new warehouse has been inaugurated at the Carmignano mill in Italy. In the next month’s, Sappi will further invest in two new converting machines with a width of 1.9 meters and 3.2 meters as well as in a fully automated packaging line. All the investments will support the company’s vision of having a complete in-house solution for the sublimation industry, have a positive impact on CO2 emission, satisfy the increased demand of their customers as well as further improve lead times.
 
“Verve” dissolving wood pulp for high-quality textiles
Sappi will also be showcasing its dissolving pulp (DP) brand “Verve”. DP provides the feedstock raw material toward producing rayon fibres such as Lyocell and viscose and further into yarns and fabrics. Textiles produced from wood based cellulosic fibres are noted for their breathability, colour fastness, softness, drape, absorbency and biodegradability. In addition to the garment industry, dissolving pulp is also used in various household and pharmaceutical products.

Source:

Sappi Europe

(c) NatureWorks
15.02.2023

New Ingeo™️ PLA Biopolymer Manufacturing Facility in Thailand

NatureWorks, the manufacturer of low-carbon polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, hosted a cornerstone laying ceremony to celebrate construction of their new Ingeo™️ PLA manufacturing complex in Thailand. The ceremony which took place on February 1st, 2023 commemorated the progress made to date on the new fully integrated biopolymer facility. The day also featured a ceremonial groundbreaking that mirrored the ceremony held in Blair, Nebraska, USA in 2000 when NatureWorks began construction on the world’s first commercial scale PLA manufacturing facility.

The new manufacturing facility located on the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC) in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand is designed to be fully integrated including production sites for lactic acid, lactide, and polymer. With completion expected in the second half of 2024, the manufacturing site will have an annual capacity of 75,000 tons and will produce the full portfolio of Ingeo biopolymer grades.

NatureWorks, the manufacturer of low-carbon polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymers made from renewable resources, hosted a cornerstone laying ceremony to celebrate construction of their new Ingeo™️ PLA manufacturing complex in Thailand. The ceremony which took place on February 1st, 2023 commemorated the progress made to date on the new fully integrated biopolymer facility. The day also featured a ceremonial groundbreaking that mirrored the ceremony held in Blair, Nebraska, USA in 2000 when NatureWorks began construction on the world’s first commercial scale PLA manufacturing facility.

The new manufacturing facility located on the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC) in Nakhon Sawan Province, Thailand is designed to be fully integrated including production sites for lactic acid, lactide, and polymer. With completion expected in the second half of 2024, the manufacturing site will have an annual capacity of 75,000 tons and will produce the full portfolio of Ingeo biopolymer grades.

The expanded global production of Ingeo biopolymer will support growth in markets including 3D printing and hygiene as well as compostable coffee capsules, tea bags, flexible packaging, and food serviceware that demand sustainable, low-carbon biomaterials and require the high-performance attributes that Ingeo is uniquely suited to deliver.

“This ceremony is a meaningful milestone for the entire NatureWorks team,” said Rich Altice, president and CEO of NatureWorks. “For the last three decades, we have not only been building a company and manufacturing facilities, but also a whole new industry and market for low-carbon, renewable biomaterials that are revolutionizing the sustainability and safety of packaging and product materials used in our everyday lives.”

More information:
NatureWorks PLA biopolymer
Source:

NatureWorks

(c) nova-Institut GmbH
24.01.2023

Six nominees for„Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023“

For the third time, nova-Institute awards the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the frame of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023” (8-9 March 2023). The conference advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste, banana production waste and bacterial pulp, a novel technology for producing lyocell yarns and a hygiene product. The innovations will be put to the vote of the conference audience on the first day of the event, with the awards ceremony taking place in the evening. The innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023” is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

For the third time, nova-Institute awards the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the frame of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference 2023” (8-9 March 2023). The conference advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste, banana production waste and bacterial pulp, a novel technology for producing lyocell yarns and a hygiene product. The innovations will be put to the vote of the conference audience on the first day of the event, with the awards ceremony taking place in the evening. The innovation award “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year 2023” is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

Here are the six nominees
Vybrana – The new generation banana fibre – GenCrest Bioproducts (India)

Vybrana is a Gencrest’s Sustainable Cellulosic Fibre upcycled from agrowaste. Raw fibres are extracted from the Banana Pseudo stem at the end of the plant lifecycle. The biomass waste is then treated by the Gencrest patented Fiberzyme technology. Here, cocktail enzyme formulations remove the high lignin content and other impurities and help fibre fibrillation. The company's proprietary cottonisation process provides fine, spinnable cellulose staple fibres suitable for blending with other staple fibres and can be spun on any conventional spinning systems giving yarns sustainable apparel. Vybrana is produced without the use of heavy chemicals and minimized water consumption and in a waste-free process where balance biomass is converted to bio stimulants Agrosatva and Bio Fertilizers & organic manure.

HeiQ AeoniQ™ – technology for more sustainability of textiles – HeiQ (Austria)
HeiQ AeoniQ™ is the disruptive technology and key initiative from HeiQ with the potential to change the sustainability of textiles. It is the first climate-positive continuous cellulose filament yarn, made in a proprietary manufacturing process and the first to reproduce the properties of polyester and nylon yarns in a cellulosic, biodegradable, and endlessly recyclable fibre.
HeiQ AeoniQ™ can be manufactured from different cellulosic raw materials such as pre- and post-consumer textile waste, biotech cellulose, and non-valorized agricultural waste, such as ground coffee waste or banana peels. It naturally degrades after only 12 weeks in the soil. Each ton of HeiQ AeoniQ™ saves 5 tons of CO2 emissions. The first garments made with this innovative cellulosic filament fiber were commercially launched in January 2023.

TENCEL™ LUXE – lyocell filament yarn – Lenzing (Austria)
TENCEL™ LUXE is LENZING’s new versatile lyocell yarn that offers an urgently needed sustainable filament solution for the textile and fashion industry. A possible botanical alternative for silk, long-staple cotton, and petrol-based synthetic filaments, is derived from wood grown in renewable, sustainably managed forests, and produced in an environmentally sound, closed-loop process that recycles water and reuses more than 99 % of organic solvent. Certified by The Vegan Society, it is suitable for a wide range of applications and fabric developments, from finer high fashion propositions to denim constructions, seamless and activewear innovations, and even agricultural and technical solutions.

Nullarbor™ – Nanollose & Birla Cellulose (Australia/India)
In 2020, Nanollose & Birla Cellulose started a journey to develop and commercialize tree-free lyocell from bacterial cellulose, called Nullarbor™. The name derives from the Latin “nulla arbor” which means “no trees”. Initial lab research at both ends led to a joint patent application with the patent “production of high-tenacity lyocell fibres made from bacterial cellulose”.
Nullarbor is significantly stronger than lyocell made from wood-based pulp; even adding small amounts of bacterial cellulose to wood pulp increases the fibre toughness. In 2022, the first pilot batch of 260kg was produced with 20 % bacterial pulp share. Several high-quality fabrics and garments were produced with this fibre. The collaboration between Nanollose & Birla Cellulose now focuses on increasing the production scale and amount of bacterial pulp in the fibre.

Circulose® – makes fashion circular – Renewcell (Sweden)
Circulose® made by Renewcell is a branded dissolving pulp made from 100 % textile waste, like worn-out clothes and production scraps. It provides a unique material for fashion that is 100 % recycled, recyclable, biodegradable, and of virgin-equivalent quality. It is used by fibre producers to make staple fibre or filaments like viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate or other types of man-made cellulosic fibres. In 2022, Renewcell, opened the world’s first textile-to-textile chemical recycling plant in Sundsvall, Sweden – Renewcell 1. The plant will eventually reach 120,000 tons of annual capacity.

Sparkle sustainable sanitary pads – Sparkle Innovations (United States)
Globally, around 300 billion period products are discarded every year, resulting in millions of tons of non-biodegradable waste. Since most conventional sanitary pads contain up to 90 % plastics, they do not biodegrade for around 600 years. Sparkle has designed sustainable, plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable Sparkle sanitary pads. From product to packaging, they are made up of around 90 % cellulose-based materials with top sheet, absorbent core, release paper, wrapping paper and packaging made of cellulose-based fibres. Whether Sparkle pads end up in a compost pit, are incinerated or end up in a landfill, they are a more sustainable alternative compared to conventional pads that contain large amounts of plastics, complex petro-chemical based ingredients and artificial fragrances. When tested according to ISO 14855-1 by a leading independent lab in Europe, Sparkle pads reached over 90 % absolute biodegradation within 90 days in commercial composting conditions.

(c) Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited
22.11.2022

Indorama Ventures’ Deja™ brand named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has been named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award at the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2022. The award was for IVL’s DejaTM Carbon Neutral pellets, a carbon-neutral virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, helping to reduce environmental impact.

The Deja™ brand covers carbon neutral virgin and recycled PET resins and a range of recycled PET (rPET) products, including flakes, resins, fibers, and yarns. It provides IVL’s global customers with a range of high-performance applications, including packaging, lifestyle, automotive, apparel, and medical equipment. The solutions help environmentally conscious companies meet their sustainability goals.

IVL has set ambitious 2025 and 2030 targets, which shall be met through its six-pronged decarbonization strategy, including energy transition, improving operational efficiency, circular feedstock, and future technologies. The company also has a goal to recycle 100 billion PET bottles annually by 2030.

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) has been named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award at the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2022. The award was for IVL’s DejaTM Carbon Neutral pellets, a carbon-neutral virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, helping to reduce environmental impact.

The Deja™ brand covers carbon neutral virgin and recycled PET resins and a range of recycled PET (rPET) products, including flakes, resins, fibers, and yarns. It provides IVL’s global customers with a range of high-performance applications, including packaging, lifestyle, automotive, apparel, and medical equipment. The solutions help environmentally conscious companies meet their sustainability goals.

IVL has set ambitious 2025 and 2030 targets, which shall be met through its six-pronged decarbonization strategy, including energy transition, improving operational efficiency, circular feedstock, and future technologies. The company also has a goal to recycle 100 billion PET bottles annually by 2030.

Chemical Week Sustainability Awards recognize the industry's best efforts in addressing financial, operational, and strategic challenges by focusing on ESG and sustainable product development. The awards were assessed by S&P Global, the world's leading credit rating agency, and a panel of experts from various companies across the chemical industry's value chain.

Graphic NatureWorks
16.11.2022

CJ Biomaterials and NatureWorks: Joint commercialization of novel biopolymer solutions

  • Future plans for the nonwovens market

The two companies will develop sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ PHA and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ PLA technologies NTR and CJ Biomaterials

CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and NatureWorks, an advanced materials company that is the world’s leading producer of polylactic acid (PLA), have signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) that calls for the two organizations to collaborate on the development of sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ Biodegradable Polymers and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymers. The companies will develop high-performance biopolymer solutions that will replace fossil-fuel based plastics in applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food serviceware to personal care, films, and other end products.

  • Future plans for the nonwovens market

The two companies will develop sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ PHA and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ PLA technologies NTR and CJ Biomaterials

CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang and leading producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and NatureWorks, an advanced materials company that is the world’s leading producer of polylactic acid (PLA), have signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) that calls for the two organizations to collaborate on the development of sustainable materials solutions based on CJ Biomaterials’ PHACT™ Biodegradable Polymers and NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymers. The companies will develop high-performance biopolymer solutions that will replace fossil-fuel based plastics in applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food serviceware to personal care, films, and other end products.

The initial focus of this joint agreement will be to develop biobased solutions that create new performance attributes for compostable rigid and flexible food packaging and food serviceware. The new solutions developed will also aim to speed up biodegradation to introduce more “after-use” options consistent with a circular economy model. The focus on compostable food packaging and serviceware will create more solutions for keeping methane-generating food scraps out of landfills, which are the third largest source of methane emissions globally, according to World Bank. Using compostable food packaging and serviceware, we can divert more food scraps to composting where they become part of a nutrient-rich, soil amendment that improves soil health through increased biodiversity and sequestered carbon content.

CJ Biomaterials and NatureWorks plan to expand their relationship beyond cooperative product development for packaging to create new applications in the films and nonwoven markets.  For these additional applications, the two companies will enter into strategic supply agreements to support development efforts.

More information:
NatureWorks Biopolymere packaging
Source:

NatureWorks

Foto: (c) Starlinger & Co Gesellschaft m.b.H.
11.10.2022

Starlinger PET recycling lines in India: Bottle-to-fibre and bottle-to-bottle

Ganesha Ecopet Private Limited, a subsidiary of Indian PET recycling pioneer Ganesha Ecosphere Ltd., has recently opened its new Warangal facility under the brand name Go Rewise where it produces rPET for filament yarns and fibres, as well as for food-grade packaging.  

The company has installed two Starlinger PET recycling lines in its facility in Warangal, Telangana state. Ganesha Ecopet plans to supply the produced rPET granulates under its newly introduced brand enterprise Go Rewise. Launched under the umbrella of one of India's rPET industry leaders, Go Rewise is committed to supplying highest quality rPET products that are produced in a resource-efficient process.
One Starlinger recycling line, a recoSTAR PET 165 H-VAC, processes washed PET bottle flakes for the Go Rewise polyester filament yarn applications and reaches an output of approx. 14,000 tons per year. With the second Starlinger recycling line, Ganesha is producing food-grade rPET resins.

Ganesha Ecopet Private Limited, a subsidiary of Indian PET recycling pioneer Ganesha Ecosphere Ltd., has recently opened its new Warangal facility under the brand name Go Rewise where it produces rPET for filament yarns and fibres, as well as for food-grade packaging.  

The company has installed two Starlinger PET recycling lines in its facility in Warangal, Telangana state. Ganesha Ecopet plans to supply the produced rPET granulates under its newly introduced brand enterprise Go Rewise. Launched under the umbrella of one of India's rPET industry leaders, Go Rewise is committed to supplying highest quality rPET products that are produced in a resource-efficient process.
One Starlinger recycling line, a recoSTAR PET 165 H-VAC, processes washed PET bottle flakes for the Go Rewise polyester filament yarn applications and reaches an output of approx. 14,000 tons per year. With the second Starlinger recycling line, Ganesha is producing food-grade rPET resins.

Ganesha Ecosphere looks back on 30 years of experience in the PET recycling business and can be considered a role model regarding sustainable business activities. Founded in 1987, the company started out as a yarn processing facility. It was among the first companies in India to start reprocessing PET waste to manufacture recycled polyester staple fibre (RPSF) and recycled polyester spun yarns (RPSY) in 1994. By today, the group has established a large network of over 300 scrap vendors located across the country and operates four factories in India - two in Uttar Pradesh, one in Uttarakhand, and the recently opened one in Telangana. It also recently operationalised its first factory outside India in Nepal. With over 500 customers and exports to more than 18 countries, the company ranks among the largest rpet producers in India with 130,000 tonnes per year and currently recycles around 16 - 18 % of India's total PET waste.

Source:

Starlinger & Co Gesellschaft m.b.H.

07.07.2022

Carbios, On, Patagonia, PUMA and Salomon team up to advance circularity

Carbios has signed an agreement with On, Patagonia, PUMA, and Salomon, to develop solutions that will enhance the recyclability and circularity of their products.
 
An important element of the two-year deal will be to speed up the introduction of Carbios’ biorecycling technology, which constitutes a breakthrough for the textile industry. Carbios and the four companies will also research how products can be recycled, develop solutions to take-back worn polyester items, including sorting and dismantling technologies, and gather data on fiber-to-fiber recycling as well as circularity models.
 
The challenge the four brands share, is that their ambitious sustainable development goals can only partially be met by conventional recycling technologies which mostly target bottle-to-fiber recycling. Future regulations will require more circularity in packaging and textile. Yet the market consensus is that there will soon be a shortage of PET bottles, as they will be used for circular production methods in the Food & Beverage Industry.   
 

Carbios has signed an agreement with On, Patagonia, PUMA, and Salomon, to develop solutions that will enhance the recyclability and circularity of their products.
 
An important element of the two-year deal will be to speed up the introduction of Carbios’ biorecycling technology, which constitutes a breakthrough for the textile industry. Carbios and the four companies will also research how products can be recycled, develop solutions to take-back worn polyester items, including sorting and dismantling technologies, and gather data on fiber-to-fiber recycling as well as circularity models.
 
The challenge the four brands share, is that their ambitious sustainable development goals can only partially be met by conventional recycling technologies which mostly target bottle-to-fiber recycling. Future regulations will require more circularity in packaging and textile. Yet the market consensus is that there will soon be a shortage of PET bottles, as they will be used for circular production methods in the Food & Beverage Industry.   
 
Carbios’ innovative process constitutes a technological breakthrough for the recycling of polyester (PET) fibers, which are widely used in apparel, footwear and sportswear, on their own or together with other fibers. PET polyester is the most important fiber for the textile industry with 52 MT produced, even surpassing cotton at 23MT. The biorecycling process uses an enzyme capable of selectively extracting the polyester, recovering it to recreate a virgin fiber. This revolutionary technology makes it possible to recover the PET polyester present in all textile waste that cannot be recycled using traditional technologies.
 
PET plastics and fibers are used to make everyday consumer goods such as bottles, packaging and textiles. Today, most PET is produced from fossil resources, then used and discarded according to a wasteful linear model. By creating a circular economy from used plastics and fibers, Carbios’ biorecycling technology offers a sustainable and more responsible solution.

More information:
Carbios PET circularity
Source:

Carbios

26.05.2022

New french recycling technology to recycle 50 million PET food trays per year

Indorama Ventures, VALORPLAST, Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) and CITEO collaboration delivers a commercial recycling solution for monolayer PET trays

Thai-based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) with its facility Wellman France Recycling in Verdun, has been working on the PET trays recycling for 6 years and through an ongoing project with VALORPLAST and supported by CITEO.

The project has the objective to develop and validate recycling for monolayer and multilayer PET trays. VALORPLAST has collected significant quantities of post-consumer PET trays and several industrial runs have been conducted by Wellman. The produced flakes are being tested by several actors to develop high quality applications. Those tests have led by IVL to develop a commercially feasible recycling solution for monolayer PET trays with the collaboration of Klöckner Pentaplast.
The new technology is processing monolayer PET trays used for food packaging (meat, produce and cheese) into a high-quality product, suitable for new tray production.

This new recycling innovation will see over 50 million post-consumer PET trays diverted away from landfill or incineration.

Indorama Ventures, VALORPLAST, Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) and CITEO collaboration delivers a commercial recycling solution for monolayer PET trays

Thai-based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) with its facility Wellman France Recycling in Verdun, has been working on the PET trays recycling for 6 years and through an ongoing project with VALORPLAST and supported by CITEO.

The project has the objective to develop and validate recycling for monolayer and multilayer PET trays. VALORPLAST has collected significant quantities of post-consumer PET trays and several industrial runs have been conducted by Wellman. The produced flakes are being tested by several actors to develop high quality applications. Those tests have led by IVL to develop a commercially feasible recycling solution for monolayer PET trays with the collaboration of Klöckner Pentaplast.
The new technology is processing monolayer PET trays used for food packaging (meat, produce and cheese) into a high-quality product, suitable for new tray production.

This new recycling innovation will see over 50 million post-consumer PET trays diverted away from landfill or incineration.

Testing has now moved into commercial production. 500 tonnes of PET trays are now being processed monthly and transformed into a high-quality tray flake, which can be used to produce new trays. The purity of the flakes is comparable with high-quality bottle flake. A further scale up is foreseen, and the company plans to process 10KT of tray flake in 2022.

More information:
PET recycling fibers
Source:

 Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited