From the Sector

The Lenzing Group scored a total of 30.5 points (4 points more compared to last year) and received for the first time a leading dark green shirt, the highest Hot Button ranking category. Lenzing once again convinced the non-profit organization Canopy with its innovative vision with regard to circular economy and REFIBRA™ technology, its high level of transparency in wood and pulp sourcing, as well as its active contribution towards protecting forests and preserving biodiversity.

In this widely recognized ranking, Canopy grades the world’s 31 largest producers of wood-based fibers with respect to their sustainable wood and pulp sourcing, their efforts with regard to using alternative non-wood feedstock and their achievements for lasting conservation in critical forests round the globe.

Leading in sustainable sourcing with a decade-long clean record
Wood and pulp are the most important raw materials for Lenzing’s sustainable production of cellulosic fibers. The Lenzing Group is particularly proud of its decade-long clean record of sustainable wood sourcing, evidenced by its long-standing credible commitment to wood certification, which Lenzing pioneered already in the 1990s. Lenzing’s commercial wood sources are  100 percent either certified by FSC® or PEFC™, or controlled in line with FSC® standards.

Social impact and afforestation project in Albania
At the backdrop of Lenzing’s long history of clean sourcing, the company is even more aware that the global forests are seriously threatened by illegal logging and deforestation but also by the consequences of climate change. This is why Lenzing – in addition to supporting a number of Canopy’s conservation projects – has set up a social impact and afforestation project in Albania (Southern Europe).*

Special focus on sustainable plantations in Brazil
For its latest investment in a pulp mill in Brazil, Lenzing actively collaborates with Canopy to ensure that the wood sourcing is in line with sustainable practices. The plant will be among the highest productive and energy-efficient facilities in the world and will feed the 40 percent excess bioelectricity generated on site as “green energy” into the public grid.*

REFIBRA™ technology: Commercially available since 2017
As a long-standing player in the industry, Lenzing has undertaken extensive research into many different alternative non-wood cellulose sources such as annual plants, like hemp, straw, and bamboo. Until now, textile waste has turned out to be the most promising alternative feedstock for scaled commercial use.
Lenzing’s lyocell fiber produced with the breakthrough REFIBRA™ technology (Eco Cycle technology for nonwoven applications) uses textile waste as part of the feedstock and is an important step towards a circular economy.*

50 percent recycled content by 2024
It is Lenzing’s vision to make textile waste recycling a common standard process like paper recycling and to offer fibers produced with REFIBRA™ technology with up to 50 percent recycled content from post-consumer waste by 2024.

*Please read attached document for more information

Technical textiles fulfil many functions: they hold, they lift, they fixate, they stretch – and they tension. In this function narrow textiles fulfil an important task in product development. And they offer significant advantages over metal or plastic tensioning devices such as springs, clamps or cable ties.

Properties
Textiles are light: a property that plays a central role in modern mobility. Textiles are flexible: from extremely high to extremely low elasticity: the force-elongation behaviour of elasticated narrow textiles can be precisely defined. Depending on the tensioning task to be performed. Textiles tension in tight packaging spaces: elastics can also be used where space is too tight for springs and clasps. Textiles are energy efficient: lightweight, with high tensioning force. Textiles are easy to handle: replace a connector spontaneously and without tools, quickly change the length or roll up and store a supply. And textiles are sustainable: natural fibres and rubber are natural and ecologically degradable raw materials; synthetic fibres can be completely produced from recycled materials.

Applications
Development teams in numerous industries leverage these properties for their products. For example, for flexible machine parts in mechanical engineering, for switch contacts in electrical engineering, for oscillation-capable locking systems in the construction industry, for noise- and vibration-free seating systems in the automotive sector or for grip rings in the toys industry.

Tasks
Particularly en vogue today, when we are spending more time than usual in our own homes: applications for narrow textiles in the furniture industry. They go far beyond the area of legacy home textiles: as tensioning elements in armchairs, sofas and chairs, as hinge solutions in cupboards, as fixation elements in extendable or folding tables. Narrow textiles are used for gripping tasks almost everywhere in the living room.

"JUMBO-Textil specialises in precisely implementing the individual requirements for defined force-elongation values of elasticated narrow textiles: we adapt the technical properties of our products precisely to the specific task and the respective raw materials," explains Werner Thiex, Sales Director Automotive. "Precise technical specification plus sustainable raw materials – this is a crucial combination in the 21st century".

FINEXTM, Sateri’s marquee brand for recycled fibre, is now certified to the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) which provides verification of recycled raw materials through the supply chain.

RCS is intended for use with any product that contains at least 5% recycled material. Sateri has successfully produced FINEXTM viscose fibres with up to 20% recycled content. Under the RCS certification process, each stage of production is required to be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in the final business-to-business transaction.

These new developments were announced at the official launch of FINEXTM on September 23, 2020. About 160 guests, mostly senior representatives of major fashion brands and fabric and garment makers, gathered to celebrate the milestones that cement the status of FINEXTM as a game changer for sustainable fashion.

Themed ‘Sustainable Fashion for the Future’, the launch was jointly hosted by Sateri and China International Fashion Fair (CHIC) on the sidelines of the three-day Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics, a major industry expo.

In his address, Allen Zhang, President of Sateri, said, “The development of FINEXTM has been an intensive effort for Sateri from initial commercialisation, to partnering brands like Lafuma and Rico Lee, and finally to today’s launch. This is all made possible with collaboration across the value chain – working alongside yarn spinners, garment makers and brand partners – to bring a high quality and more planetfriendly product to consumers. The fashion industry is changing fast and, beyond functionality, circularity is now of the greatest importance in apparel manufacturing.”

In the ‘2020 Sustainable Fashion Report’ released by China’s leading business news publication CBNweekly earlier this week, results of a survey with stakeholders in the fashion value chain reinforced the potential of textile recycling as a solution to the problem of textile waste arising from over-consumption and production. The report identified technology and capital as the biggest barriers to textile recycling and highlighted the critical role brands play in mobilising manufacturers and consumers to advance sustainable fashion.

As part of its efforts to promote textile fibre recycling in China, Sateri is in dialogue with the China Association of Circular Economy (CACE) to undertake a comprehensive study on the industrial-scale textile waste recycling landscape in the country. The study is expected to commence next year.

Following the successful commissioning of two new Monforts Montex wide-width stenter lines and additional environmental management equipment at its plant in Germany, GtA – Society for Textile Equipment GmbH – is aiming to be the first textile finishing company to become entirely CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025.

GtA is a partner company to Germany’s large-format digital printing fabric leader, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, which has has this year been able to considerably expand its portfolio due to the new Monforts lines.

Headquartered in Gross-Zimmern, close to Frankfurt, Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH and its partners in Germany have an annual production of 37 million square metres of warp knits for a range of end-use applications, including garments, automotive interiors and technical textiles, but increasingly with a concentration on digital printing substrates.

Fault-free textiles

A new standard in pure white, 100% clean and fault-free textile substrates has been demanded by this market in recent years due to the rapid growth in digitally-printed banners and billboards – often referred to as ‘soft signage’.

The substrates of choice for digital printing are 100% polyester warp knits which are resilient and allow excellent take-up of inks, and vibrant colours and clear and precise images to be achieved with digital printing techniques. The knitted construction also has the advantage of elasticity, which is a plus in terms of flexibility for installers.

Critically, the warp knitted fabrics have extremely smooth surfaces which is becoming increasingly important due to the general move away from PVC coatings which were the standard in the past.

It was to finish these fabrics for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH as well as providing such services for many other customers, that the GtA plant in Neresheim, Baden-Württemberg, was established in 2015.

The purpose-built plant on a greenfield site was initially equipped with a fully-automated, 72 metre long Monforts installation comprising a washing machine integrated with a 3.6 metre wide, seven-chamber Montex stenter. The line quickly went from single to double shift production and then to 24/7 operation  to meet demand.

Expanded widths

Building on the success of this installation, GtA has now installed two more Montex stenter lines – both in expanded working widths of 5.6 metres and purpose-built at Montex GmbH in Austria.

A six-chamber Montex unit is combined with a washing machine to guarantee the purity of the substrates, while a five-chamber line is integrated with a wide-width coating machine. This new coating capability at GtA has led to a number of new additions to the Georg and Otto Friedrich DecoTex range for digital printing, including wide width fabrics with flame retardant, antimicrobial and non-slip finishes.

The new Montex stenter lines benefit from all of the latest innovations from Monforts, including the Smart Sensor system for the optimised maintenance planning of key mechanical wear components on the stenters. A comprehensive overview of the condition of all parts at any time is now available for operators within the highly intuitive Qualitex visualization software.

With Qualitex, all article-specific settings can be stored and the formulations for thousands of treatment processes called up again at any time. Individual operators can also personalise their dashboards with the most important machine functions and process parameters.

Environmental commitment

GtA is run by a seasoned team of textile professionals led by Managing Director Andreas Niess.

“We have received excellent service from Monforts from the outset and we were happy to place the order for these two new lines as part of our ongoing cooperation,” he says. “With all of the latest Monforts advances in technology we are fully in control of all production and quality parameters with these lines, as part of our significant commitment to innovative environmental technology.”

The GtA plant, which operates in near-cleanroom conditions, has also been equipped with proprietary technology to fully exploit the Monforts air-to-air heat recovery systems that are now standard with Montex stenters.

“Around 30 per cent of our investment volume at the site goes to energy-saving measures and we are sure that this commitment is worthwhile,” Mr Niess says. “As an example, our integrated heat recovery system fully exploits the waste heat from the process exhaust air and the burner exhaust gases of the Monforts stenters, allowing us to achieve an exhaust air temperature of  between 30 to 34°C, compared to what would conventionally be between 140 to 160°C. Another focus has been on exhaust air purification technology and here too, the latest technology has been installed with integrated heat recovery elements.”

This, he adds, saves 52% of the energy that would normally be used – equating to 5,800,000 KwH per year. The necessary audits for energy-efficient companies are also carried out annually.

In addition, GtA has purpose-designed the automatic chemical mixing and dosing systems that feed the padders for the key treatments that are carried out on the fabrics through the stenters.

The company is going further, however, in its pursuit of clean production and raw materials.

"We want to be an asset and not a burden on our immediate environment and therefore do not use any additives containing solvents," Mr Niess says. “We were the first to use fully halogen-free flame retardant chemistry, and we use bio-based, finely ground alumina products for the washing process instead of surfactants. PES polyester yarns made from recycled material are also increasingly used and the latest additions to our raw materials portfolio, the RC-Ocean products, are made from recycled sea plastic.

“We are now planning a combined heat and power plant for the production of electrical energy and heat and we will also build a photovoltaic system that converts solar radiation into electrical energy. GtA wants to be the first textile finishing company to be CO2-neutral in the manufacture of all of its products by 2025. The complete heat supply and heating for the 13,000 square metre production hall, as well as the office building and the hot water supply for the domestic water, is already energy-neutral. We are convinced that this commitment will pay off in the long term and our positive business development proves that sustainability and business profitability are perfectly compatible.”

In addition to the products for Georg and Otto Friedrich GmbH, GtA  offers its manufacturing capacities for other customers as a contract service.

All products are manufactured in accordance with Öko-Tex Standard 100, product class 1 and the company is also involved in the research and development of new sustainable manufacturing processes, in cooperation with many regional universities and funding project partners.

Mr Atte Virtanen has been appointed Head of Business Development at the Fortum Bio2X bioeconomy programme as of 1 May 2020. Atte will play a key role in establishing Bio2X partnerships, helping partners to advance more sustainable businesses, as well as developing industrial biorefinery operations together with the programme team.

Before joining Fortum, Atte was working 10 years in the Netherlands for Trespa International B.V and in Italy for Arpa Industriale S.p.A. In both companies, he was leading R&D activities in the areas of cellulose materials and thermosetting resins. In addition, Atte gained experience from production environment during his time at Stora Enso’s Kotka mills, where he worked several years both in paper production and in a paper impregnating plant.

Over the years, Fortum Bio2X has built a team with a focus on research and development, including piloting different production technologies. The programme is now moving on to the next phase by developing competencies in operations and maintenance. As part of this phase, Atte will help to shift the attention to commercializing the biomass fractions.

The Bio2X programme is part of Fortum’s strategy to build options for significant new businesses that improve resource efficiency and provide smart solutions. It aims to be the straw refiner with superior material efficiency and a leading supplier of responsible textile fibres. Bio2X focuses on an efficient use of the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fractions in order to replace fossil or otherwise detrimental raw materials in numerous end-use applications.

Center of competence for hygiene established in Wiener Neudorf to support Austria and the EU in the Covid-19 crisis for the industrial production of high-quality protective masks with a monthly capacity of 12 million pieces.

Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG found “Hygiene Austria LP GmbH”, in which Lenzing AG holds 50.1% and Palmers Textil AG 49.9%. The newly founded company will start producing and selling protective masks for the domestic and European markets from May 2020.

Over the past few weeks, Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have invested several million euros in a modern production infrastructure at the Wiener Neudorf location and secured the corresponding raw materials for protective masks production. In a first step, the company produces so-called mouth-nose protective masks (MNS) and surgical protective masks of class EN14683. Hygiene Austria LP GmbH plans to increase its capacities to over 25 million masks per month over the next few weeks and to expand this business geographically as well.

The demand for high-quality MNS and respiratory masks for medical personnel is increasing rapidly, and there is real competition on the international market for these products. In order to sustainably secure domestic supply now and in the future and to strengthen the business location, the two companies Lenzing AG and Palmers Textil AG have now set a milestone with their own competence center for hygiene based in Austria.

Hygiene Austria LP GmbH thus makes a significant contribution to combating the Covid-19 pandemic and ensures the long-term supply of these critical goods in Austria in high quality.

Labels and small accessories stand together for the company’s great passion for leather, featuring a mix of eclectic inspirations, complemented by a variety of solutions and with a new exclusive Green Book, with a very sustainable approach.

A creative selection of proposals enriched with a new line of completely green products defines the SS2021 collection by Vivolo. Sustainability is the running theme, thanks to the development of concepts that focus on the combination of zero-impact processing techniques and state-of-the-art materials, bringing to life RE Vivolo.
This special Green Book gathers a selection of products that provide a sustainable interpretation of the beauty of Vivolos work. The selection of specific raw materials defines five micro-areas in terms of options: leather (recycled, solvent-free and vegetable-tanned), eco-leather (solventfree and jacron), technical solutions (silicon and recycled post-industrial polyurethane), fabrics (organic cotton, recycled cotton, felt obtained from the recycling of post-consumer plastic materials) and the brand new plant-based options (Apple Skin, Piñatex® and Bananatex®). In parallel with this eco-line, the collection presents the evolution of more classical option.
The heritage style results in the selection of new designs, made thanks to an combination heat embossing and hand painting enhancing the quality of leather through the creation of miniature works of art. An additional highlight is the embroidery section.
Technical inspirations remain the most direct expression of the research by the inhouse R&D team. From the use of high-performance materials to the implementation of ideal processing techniques, the mood emphasizes the high-tech character of these options, through mirrored, reflective and  iridescent finishings along with a fluorescent color palette. Silicon and polyurethane make again in this season their appearance.

The collection comes to a close with the accessories – patches as well as  drawstrings, puller, buttons and cord stoppers, along with many others – conceived to become the added detail to embellish and enhance outerwear and knitwear. Once again, Vivolo proves its ability in  interpreting a style that transcends time, representative of the Made in Italy tradition along with an unparalleled approach to production.

Supply bottlenecks eliminated. All production lines back to full operation.

Following its temporary cutting back of production at the Nanjing site in China, Lenzing has now once again ramped up operations on all production lines to reach full capacity. Recently supply shortages of important raw materials arose as a result of intense transport controls in connection with the current situation surrounding the coronavirus. For this reason, output from two production lines was scaled back for a short time. All production lines are now fully operational again after the successful resumption of the required supplies to the manufacturing facility.

“Hot Button Report”, the Canadian non-profit organization Canopy particularly highlights the innovative strength of the Lenzing Group, its active contribution to forest conservation and high level of transparency.

In the “Hot Button Report” issued by the Canadian non-profit organization Canopy, the Lenzing Group was once again rated number one in the world, thus confirming its role as the sustainability trailblazer in the textile industry. In this widely recognized ranking, Canopy grades the world’s 32 largest producers of wood-based fibers with respect to their success in achieving sustainable wood and pulp sourcing. Wood and the pulp derived from it are the most important raw materials underlying Lenzing’s sustainable production of cellulosic fibers.

“We are extremely proud of this top ranking. It underlines our leading position as a sustainability trailblazer in the manufacturing sector and in the fiber industry in particular. It gives our customers the confidence that we have created the right structures to prevent the sourcing and use of wood from ancient and endangered forests”, says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group. “Environmental protection and the prudent use of resources are an integral part of our responsibility to nature and society”, he adds.

Lenzing primarily convinced the non-profit organization Canopy this year thanks to its innovative strength used to promote the circular economy in the textile industry, its active contribution towards protecting the forests and preserving biodiversity as well as its high level of transparency in pulp sourcing.

Lenzing received a total of 26.5 points (up 3.5 points from the previous year) and was thus given the “light to mid green shirt” rating. This means that in using the wood-based cellulosic fibers produced by the Lenzing Group, there is only a very minimal danger that wood is derived from primeval forests and endangered forest areas. In the Wood and Pulp Policy published by Lenzing, the company confirms that it only sources wood and pulp from non-controversial sources.

Berlin - 200 exhibitors, around 1,000 visitors and over 20 speakers from Germany and abroad – the ATSG textile fair premiered in Berlin from 11 to 13 September 2019 brought together exhibitors, speakers and trade visitors from all over the world. Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications, said he was satisfied with the event at the Estrel Conference Center: "The first step has been taken, now we will establish the ATSG as an important event of the Berlin fashion and textile world".

The ATSG was the first fair of its kind in Germany. "There are many fashion trade fairs for sale from wholesale to retail. Berlin has so far lacked an event for companies of all sizes, including micro-brands and small fashion labels," continues Jason Prescott. The exhibited product categories included fabrics, technical clothing, mixed and knitted fabrics, home textiles, leather, natural and synthetic fibres, readymade goods and fashion accessories. Visitors to major European fashion brands as well as small, independent brands from the Berlin fashion scene were able to take a close look at raw materials and finished garments and discuss their ideas personally with the exhibitors. In parallel, China Textile Brand Show (Berlin), sponsored by Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), made its debut bringing in more than 150 superb Chinese manufacturers with their best collections for Germany and EU market.

Opening Ceremony, Lectures and Fashion Show

The ATSG was opened by Chinese government representatives and international association delegates. More than 20 lectures on the three days provided the latest impulses for thought and discussion. In their lectures and panel discussions, speakers from all over the world presented current positions on topics such as "All China? Or is there more to it?", "Application examples of artificial intelligence in the fashion industry", "Optimal logistics concepts for Europe", or "The importance of sustainability in the European fashion industry".

Wilson Zhu, COO at Li & Fung, one of the world's largest trading houses based in Hong Kong, explained in his keynote speech his view on the digitization of global supply chains: "From raw materials in the textile factory to consumer tracking: In retail, every step of the value chain is determined by digitization.

Companies need to be close to consumers and their supply chains must enable a seamless flow of data and information from start to finish". Customers and their requirements have also changed: "They want to know about origin, recyclability and production standards and use their information to adjust their purchasing behavior accordingly.” Other speakers included Jeff Streader of the brand investment platform Go Global and Salman Khokhar of Brand Lab Kollective Moda. The fashion show on the second day featured creations by local Berlin labels (Damur, Danny Reinke, Aline Celi, Yoona Tech) as well as Asian brands exhibiting at ATSG.

Successful kick-off

Exhibition organiser Jason Prescott draws a positive balance: "Looking back on the three days, I am very proud of what went well. Which has been confirmed for us: We're on an exciting path, have taken our first steps here in Berlin and will continue to develop the exhibition." The creators of ATSG 2019 are taking ideas for the year 2020 with them, especially from the many intensive discussions with exhibitors and visitors: "The ATSG has offered visitors and exhibitors a unique opportunity to identify new growth strategies, look around for market partners, learn from each other and establish networks. We are very pleased that the concept was used here in Berlin," concludes Chase Vance, Director of JP Communications.