From the Sector

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.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) of Leeds, England has installed a FET-200LAB wet spinning system at the University of Manchester which will play a major part in advanced materials research to support sustainable growth and development.

This research programme will be conducted by The Henry Royce Institute, which operates as a hub model at The University of Manchester with spokes at other leading research universities in the UK.

The Henry Royce Institute identifies challenges and stimulates innovation in advanced UK materials research, delivering positive economic and societal impact. In particular, this materials research initiative is focused on supporting and promoting all forms of sustainable growth and development.
These challenges range from biomedical devices through to plastics sustainability and energy-efficient devices; hence supporting key national targets such as the UK’s zero-carbon 2050 target.

FET-200 Series wet spinning systems complement FET’s renowned range of melt spinning equipment. The FET-200LAB is a laboratory scale system, which is especially suitable for the early stages of formulation and process development. It is used for processing new functional textile materials in a variety of solvent and polymer combinations.

In particular, the FET-200LAB will be utilised in trials for a family of fibres made from wood pulp, a sustainable resource rather than the usual fossil fuels. Bio-based polymers are produced from biomass feedstocks such as cellulose and are commonly used in the manufacture of high end apparel. The key to cellulose and other materials like lyocell and viscose is that they can be recycled, treated and fed back into the wet spinning system for repeat manufacture.

Established in 1998, FET is a leading supplier of laboratory and pilot melt spinning systems with installations in over 35 countries and has now successfully processed more than 35 different polymer types in multifilament, monofilament and nonwoven formats.

The Swedish textile-to-textile recycling company Renewcell has signed a Letter of Intent with Eastman, a leading US cellulosic acetate fiber producer, for a collaboration to develop Naia™ Renew ES yarns sourced from Circulose®, Renewcell’s 100% recycled textile raw material. The agreement is Renewcell’s first with a US-based fiber producer and an important step in developing the first acetate-based applications to use Circulose® feedstock.

”Eastman considering Circulose® as a feedstock in the production of a premium yarn like Naia™ Renew reflects very well on the Renewcell team’s ability to work with partners to adjust and optimize our product for new fiber applications. This agreement signals an acceleration of our joint efforts to bring Naia™ Renew ES yarns derived from Circulose® to market. I look forward to working alongside Eastman in making fashion circular.” comments Patrik Lundström, CEO of Renewcell.

Ruth Farell, GM of Eastman Textiles says: ”we are thrilled to collaborate with a pioneeer such as Renewcell to lower our reliance on virgin feedstocks, redefine the essence of textile waste and close the loop within the textiles industry. This collaboration is at the heart of our strategy to launch a portfolio of products with increased recycled content”

Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda Ente del Terzo Settore renews its commitment in the field of responsible, eco-friendly fashion with a new ad hoc initiative for Fashion Graduate Italia: FASHION SCHOOLS FOR DESIGN - DRIVEN SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION. The project has been set up in a partnership and with the support of C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy).

The project “Fashion Schools for Design - Driven Sustainable Innovation” is presented at the eighth edition of the event organised by Piattaforma Sistema Formativo Moda, staged from 3 to 5 November at BASE Milano.

Embracing the theme of this edition of Fashion Graduate Italia, “Sustainable Innovation”, Piattaforma Moda has invited students from fashion schools, academies and associated institutes to participate in a training course regarding the planning and creation of an outfit in compliance with a responsible fashion approach: starting with the design, including the choice of sustainable materials supplied by some of the hub’s partner companies, and also involving a look at the communication strategy for the project.
To create their looks, the selected students followed two training courses organised by C.L.A.S.S.: “Introduction to next-generation Fashion” and “Introduction to smart ingredients”. These courses covered the values of next-generation fashion (integrating sustainability with design and innovation) and the characteristics of innovative and sustainable materials to produce the outfits.
 
The development process of the 11 final looks was followed in person by creative director Olivia Spinelli - Coordination and Creative Direction at IED Moda Milano and member of the Artistic Committee of FGI 2022 - and by tutor Camilla Carrara - founder and zero-waste designer of ZEROBARRACENTO -, the project coordinator of C.L.A.S.S.

The partners of C.L.A.S.S. that contributed by supplying their materials are: Berto, Brunello, Iluna Group, Re.VerSo™ by A. Stelloni Collection by Mapel and Tessitura Grisotto;  IED - European Institute of Design and ZEROBARRACENTO also gave support in the implementation of the initiative.

The launch of the third edition of the Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award started on October 27, 2022. The Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award (ISFA) is the international competition born out of the collaboration between Connecting Cultures, the foundation that guides the Out of Fashion platform, and C.L.A.S.S., an international eco-hub that since 2007 has been advocating for a new generation of fashion in which the union of design, innovation, communication, and responsibility shapes a conscious and competitive business, capable of playing both an economic and social role.

The Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award invites stylists, photographers, designers, illustrators and artists to create visual imagery, a project that highlights awareness, respect for people and the planet that define the values of sustainable fashion in the fashion system.

Award submissions will be examined by an international jury composed of:

• Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
• Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
• Rita Airaghi, Steering Advisor, Gianfranco Ferré Research Center
• Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana
• Jeanine Ballone Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
• Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
• Sara Kozlowski, Vice President of Program Strategies, Education, and Sustainability Initiatives, Council of Fashion Designers of America
• Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
• Renata Molho, journalist, former editor-in-chief of L'Uomo Vogue and former editor-at-large of L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Casa Vogue
• Stefania Ricci, Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
• Jovana Vukoje, Senior New Brands Specialist, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana

The winning projects of past editions were Take a Walk on the Green Side by Emma Scalcon (2021 - Italy) and Fashion Affair by Vishal Tolambia (2022 - India), two very different works that highlighted how challenging sustainability issues are in the contemporary communication landscape.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
The winner will be announced in March 2023 and will receive a cash prize of €3,000.00.

Hologenix, creators of CELLIANT®, and global textile solutions provider UNIFI®, makers of REPREVE®, have announced their partnership to introduce CELLIANT® with REPREVE®. CELLIANT with REPREVE has the infrared properties of science-backed CELLIANT infrared technology and the sustainable footprint of REPREVE, a brand of recycled fiber.

CELLIANT is a blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals, which, when embedded into textiles, allows them to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local circulation and cellular oxygenation. This aids significantly in muscle recovery, increases endurance, and improves overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.

REPREVE recycled performance fiber consists of high-quality fibers made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste. It is also certified and traceable with U TRUST® verification and FiberPrint™ technology, to back up customers' recycled claims. Compared to virgin fiber, REPREVE helps to offset the use of petroleum, emitting fewer greenhouse gasses and conserving water and energy in the process.

CELLIANT with REPREVE’s official preferred North America knitting partner is Beverly Knits, one of the largest circular knitters in the US, developing fabric for all markets including intimate apparel, activewear, outdoor products, mattress and bedding, automotive, industrial and medical. Beverly Knits also operates Creative Dyeing & Finishing, LLC.

Kornit Digital Ltd. unveiled its Impact Report for 2021 highlighting progress made against goals and further expanding its commitment to a long-term strategy designed to transform the world of fashion and textiles into one that is more sustainable. The comprehensive analysis details Kornit’s performance related to climate action, waste management, green chemistry, and diversity in the workplace, as well as other areas of the Company’s Environmental, Social, and corporate Governance (ESG) framework.

Key Accomplishments Against Baseline (2021)  
Kornit’s ongoing dedication to improving ESG practices within its own operations has resulted in Company-wide achievements in the areas of:

Climate Action and Waste Management*

• ~16% reduction in GHG emissions intensity from x 9.11-e to 7.68 MTCO2-e
• 39% reduction in hazardous waste intensity from 1.7 tons to 1.04 tons
• 57% reduction in non-hazardous waste intensity from 33 tons to 14 tons

Green Chemistry

• Complete elimination of Acute Toxic Amines (CLP category 1, 2, 3) CMR
• 20% reduction of VOC level in Robusto Inkset and 30% of VOC in Eco Ink/Green

DEI and Community Engagement

• An increase in women in management, from 30% to 35%
• Reporting 88% of employees feeling respected and free to be authentic at work - *Intensity measures are per $1 million of revenue.

Kornit Digital’s Impact Strategy
Propelled by an ambition to make a positive impact across all areas of its business and throughout the fashion and textile industries, Kornit further adjusted its Impact Strategy this year towards more expansive, longer-term goals and objectives. Kornit’s refined strategy reflects the Company's dual role as a change agent in the industry—both as a leader empowering the fashion industry to be more sustainable, and as an accountable participant responsible for embracing social and environmental change to make the world a better place.  
The holistic strategy accounts for both roles, across two fundamental pillars—"Enable the Change” and “Be the Change”—and incorporates both social and environmental KPIs designed to meet the Company’s goals and respond to stakeholders’ input, as well as industry and ecosystem needs

Kornit is officially unveiling the report during a press event at PRINTING United Expo 2022.

*Intensity measures are per $1 million of revenue.

Der Geschäftsführer des WifOR-Instituts, Prof. Dr. Dennis Ostwald, hat auf der BVMed-Jahrespressekonferenz am 13. Oktober 2022 die Nachhaltigkeitsstudie „SEE-Impact-Study der deutschen MedTech-Branche“ vorgestellt, die vom BVMed-Institut in Auftrag gegeben wurde.

Die SEE-Impact-Study untersucht die gesamte Wertschöpfungs- sowie vorgelagerte Lieferkette der Medizintechnik-Branche und zeigt neben dem ökonomischen auch den ökologischen und sozialen Fußabdruck der Produktionsseite auf. Damit wird erstmalig eine Standortbestimmung einer Branche für die sozialen und ökologischen Faktoren geschaffen, die die Herausforderungen identifiziert und quantifiziert. Hiermit schafft der BVMed für die Branche und seinen Mitgliedsunternehmen einen Orientierungsrahmen für die Entwicklung einer Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.

As an accredited testing and certification body, the “OETI - Institut fuer Oekologie, Technik und Innovation GmbH“ (OETI for short) has been successfully responding to prevailing market requirements for 55 years and, in the process, has made a name for itself worldwide. To mark its anniversary, this international centre of excellence with its origins in Austria is taking a look back at the most important milestones in its history as well as providing interesting insights into future developments.

As renowned flooring manufacturers founded the Austrian Carpet Institute on 25th of September 1967, no one could have imagined how successful the company would become. But even back then, one thing was clear to the experts: the need to establish a carpet research and testing centre in the form of an association. Today, over five decades later, OETI is a testing and certification services provider for OEKO-TEX® certificates and labels, textiles, leather, due diligence along the textile and leather supply chain as well as for personal protective equipment (PPE), flooring technology, furnishings and indoor air quality.

In 1992, OETI was a founding member of the ‘International OEKO-TEX® Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile and Leather Ecology’ with independent certifications and product labels. Ever since, OEKO-TEX® has enabled companies along the textile and leather supply chain and every consumer to make responsible decisions for safe, environmentally friendly and fairly manufactured products.

In line with its focus on sustainability, OETI and its Swiss parent company, TESTEX AG, wanted to build the new OETI headquarters using low energy construction techniques and ensure its carbon-neutral operation. To achieve these goals, the highest possible thermal insulation and energy optimisation standards were applied, while the carbon-neutral power supply is generated by its in-house photovoltaics system as well as domestic renewable energy.

The new headquarters, which the company moved into in 2021, provides space for 75 employees over 2,500m2 and boasts bright and perfectly equipped office areas. The laboratory areas, the analytical/chemical laboratory and the physical / fire laboratory were also designed based on the latest methods and technologies. This makes OETI, alongside its Swiss parent company TESTEX, the second fully fledged laboratory site in the entire, global TESTEX Group.

• Partnership with Spectro Coating Corp. Expands Horizons for the World’s First In-fiber Sustainable Infrared Viscose

CELLIANT® Viscose, which converts body heat into energy, is a combination of nature and performance. It was developed by materials science leader Hologenix®, creators of CELLIANT, a natural blend of IR-generating bioceramics used in textiles, and Kelheim Fibres, a leading manufacturer of viscose specialty fibers. It is the world’s first in-fiber sustainable infrared viscose.  Now Hologenix has partnered with Spectro Coating Corp., the largest vertically integrated flock coating and flock fabric manufacturer in the world, to create the first flocked infrared material with CELLIANT Viscose.

Flocking is an application method in which tiny fibers are piled on to the surface of a textile, creating textures for both decorative and functional purposes. CELLIANT Viscose in a flocked material has many potential applications in the medical field for tapes, bandages, braces and orthopedic products, home textiles and decor, dog beds, clothing, and more.  CELLIANT features natural, ethically sourced minerals, which convert body heat into infrared energy for increased local circulation and cellular oxygenation.  These CELLIANT minerals are then embedded into viscose plant-based fibers. The Viscose fibers are then flocked onto a base material. CELLIANT Viscose provides all the benefits of being a viscose fiber — lightweight, soft, highly breathable, excellent moisture management — as well as the fiber enhancements from CELLIANT infrared technology.

CELLIANT Viscose is the first IR flocked material that Spectro is producing. CELLIANT Viscose also represents a further expansion into sustainable products for Spectro. In addition, Spectro products are made in the USA, as is CELLIANT’s mineral blend.