From the Sector

The Enforcement Forum of ECHA agreed that the next REACH enforcement project will investigate how companies fulfil the registration, authorisation and restriction obligations for products and chemicals they import from outside the EU. The project will be done in 2023-2025 and will require close cooperation between REACH enforcement and national customs authorities in the Member States.
In its November meeting, the Enforcement Forum, responsible for harmonising the enforcement of EU chemicals legislation, agreed to focus its next project on the control of imports of substances, mixtures and articles.

This subject was triggered by high levels of non-compliance in imported goods detected in previous Forum projects, including a recent pilot project. The pilot found that 23 % of inspected products were non-compliant with requirements set by EU law and further controls are necessary.

Control of imports at the point of entry is the most effective means of checking that non-compliant substances, mixtures and articles do not enter the European market. The project will also work on further developing and strengthening existing cooperation between REACH inspectors and customs. By strengthening the control of imports, the project will also contribute to the goals of the EU’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

The Forum also agreed to publish its future advice on enforceability of new restriction proposals under REACH.

Opportunities for expanding the future role of the Forum, strengthening the control of imports and other areas were on the agenda in an open session where 41 representatives from stakeholder organisations and four candidate countries joined. Among other topics, the open session also addressed the enforceability of REACH restrictions, for example, in textiles or on the use of lead gunshot in wetlands as well as analytical methods relevant for the control of REACH duties.

The Forum’s Biocidal Products Regulation Subgroup (BPRS) re-elected Helmut de Vos (BE) for a second term as a Vice-Chair.

More than 350 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year, and vast amounts of plastic waste simply end up in the environment. The circular economy offers enormous potential for keeping plastics in the loop and thus conserving resources and the environment. Since 2018, six Fraunhofer institutes in the Fraunhofer CCPE cluster have been researching how to make the plastics value chain circular, and Prof. Manfred Renner has been the new head of the cluster since August 2022. Research results, implementation projects and strategies to accelerate the transformation to a circular plastics economy will be presented by Fraunhofer CCPE at the first international Fraunhofer CCPE Summit on February 8 and 9, 2023 in Munich.

In a circular plastics economy, resources can be saved, products can be intelligently designed for long service life, and end-of-life losses can be reduced. Systemic, technical and social innovations are needed to make the transition from a linear to a circular economy a success. This is what the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE is researching in the three divisions “Materials”, “Systems” and “Business”. The cooperation of the six Fraunhofer institutes IAP, ICT, IML, IVV, LBF and UMSICHT enables a multi-stakeholder approach in which the appropriate R&D competencies are bundled.

Fraunhofer CCPE would like to present and discuss successful projects and research approaches on an international scale at the Fraunhofer CCPE Summit on February 8 and 9, 2023 in Munich. The summit is to become an international forum for exchanging ideas for solutions and innovations for a circular plastics economy.

Cross-industry collaboration - local, regional and international
Since August 2022, Prof. Manfred Renner, Institute Director of Fraunhofer UMSICHT, is the new head of Fraunhofer CCPE. He succeeds Prof. Eckhard Weidner, who has retired. “Cross-industry cooperation - very local, but also regional and international - is the elementary prerequisite for a functioning circular plastics economy. At the summit, players from all points of the compass will meet and network in order to rethink the plastics value chain together," explains Prof. Manfred Renner, adding, “We want to provide answers to the following questions:  How can we make all Circular Economy principles, i.e. the ten R-strategies, known? How can industry, science and society best cooperate in a transformation to a circular plastics economy for the greatest possible impact?”

Results of the Fraunhofer CCPE cluster so far are innovative approaches for circular business models, intelligent collection, sorting, and recycling technologies, but also new formulations for circular polymers and compounds to enable multiple recycling cycles. With the newly developed assessment tool CRL® , companies can, for example, self-assess the maturity of products or product systems with regard to the circular economy. The tool checks the extent to which a product already takes into account circular economy principles in the areas of product design, product service system, end-of-life management and circular economy, and where there is still potential for improvement.

On June 13, EREMA Group and Borealis invited representatives of the international plastics and recycling trade press to Upper Austria for a sneak preview of the technological developments and lighthouse projects that the companies will present at K 2022, the plastics industry's international meeting place. The venue for the pre-K event was EREMA Group headquarters in Ansfelden.

EREMA Group K 2022 preview
In Düsseldorf, the subsidiaries of the EREMA Group - which are EREMA, PURE LOOP, UMAC, 3S, KEYCYCLE and PLASMAC - will present their technological innovations, services and support together at a Group trade fair stand for the first time. Seven new recycling systems and components will be presented that enable large-scale plants with a production capacity of up to 6 t/h while setting a milestone in recyclate quality and process stability. This is made possible by technological innovations in the plasticizing unit that have been specially developed for high throughputs with low specific energy consumption, the new EREMA 406 laser filter with a 50 percent larger screening area, and new digital assistance systems that will be launched at K 2022 and made available on the BluPort® customer platform. These include, for example, the PredictOn app, which helps to anticipate and eliminate imminent malfunctions based on continuous measurement and evaluation of machine data.

New series of machines for new target groups
For customers looking for rapidly available recycling systems for simple applications, EREMA Group subsidiary UMAC has an innovation in store for K 2022. The company, which has so far specialised in refurbishing and trading in previously owned equipment, is expanding its business area and in Düsseldorf will launch READYMAC, a standardised, prefabricated recycling solution that can be produced from stock, based on proven EREMA TVE technology.

Finally, in the inhouse recycling segment, PURE LOOP and PLASMAC will round off the wide range of machines offered by the group of companies with their product portfolio.

Live recycling and lighthouse projects at the Circonomic Center
In the outdoor area of the K show, EREMA will bring plastics recycling to life with live demonstrations in conjunction with cooperation partners. Different waste streams are processed for this purpose. The wide variety of high-quality applications for recyclate will be showcased in the "products made of recyclate" exhibition, ranging from technical components to consumer goods and food packaging.

Borealis – accelerating the transition towards a more circular future
Borealis is committed to using their expertise and global reach to advance the circular economy of plastics. At the joint Pre-K 2022 kick-off on June 13, Borealis provided a preview of their integrated way of circular thinking and featured topics and activities at the K Fair 2022 in October. The preview covered new technologies and innovations including new packaging and infrastructure applications of the Bornewables™ portfolio of circular polyolefin products, manufactured with renewable feedstocks. New applications for Design for Recyclability, Re-Use, chemical recycling and advanced mechanical recycling were also on display.

Under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) initiative to enhance transparency and traceability in the garment and footwear industry, Haelixa realizes a pilot project with Costach Cooperative and Peruvian textile company Creditex to give sustainable rural cotton producers in Peru more visibility in the value chain.

In 2019, UNECE and United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) have set up an initiative to drive transparency and traceability for sustainable value chains in the garment and footwear industry. The initiative is jointly implemented with the International Trade Centre (ITC) with financial support by the European Union. Haelixa is proud to be part of the group of experts that develops policy recommendations, traceability standards, and conducts projects to set traceability benchmarks. With the support of the +Cotton Project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) a pilot is being realized in this context to mark and trace the finest Pima cotton for Creditex directly at the gin in Piura, Peru. Haelixa’s DNA marker connects the actual lint cotton to the entry on a blockchain system provided by UNECE. The Haelixa technology ensures that the information about the product’s origin and the journey of the product along the value chain is always safely embedded into the product itself. The marked cotton will be used to make exclusive pajamas sets for Cat´s Pajamas. DNA traceability will enable the verification of the premium origin of Peruvian Pima cotton in the final garment produced using sustainable practices by family farmers associated with the Costach cooperative.

Costach is the main cooperative of cotton farmers in Peru. The cooperative consists of 5,200 family farmers in the Piura region, producing mostly extra-long fiber of Pima Cotton. Since 2017, the +Cotton project has been supporting the farmers with training on sustainable practices and has been providing technical assistance for improved markets access.

Creditex is vertically integrated from cotton ginning to fine thread, up to the production of high quality apparel for international premium brands. The company takes social responsibility and environmental stewardship very seriously and therefore makes a strong partner for this project, empowering the cotton family farmers that hold the majority of cotton production in Peru.

Today, March 30, the European Commission released its long-awaited Strategy for Sustainable Textile, with the ambition to move the sector towards the path of sustainability. EURATEX welcomes the EU ambitions to act on sustainable textiles and investments, in order to change how textiles are made, chosen and recovered, but calls for a smart and realistic implementation. Many European companies have already chosen this path, therefore the strategy should support them in this process, especially considering today’s energy crisis.

The strategy recognises the strategic importance of textiles, which are not only used as apparel or furniture, but applied in cars, medical equipment, agriculture, etc. It acknowledges the European Industry pro-active initiatives to tackle microplastics, to solve challenges of market surveillance and the skills needs. More cooperation is needed for re-use and recycling of textiles and to set up an EU market for secondary raw materials. On this last point, EURATEX ReHubs initiative is developing proposals to size EPR potential, to transform waste into value, and create a new capacity and jobs.

The proposed “transition pathways”, which will translate the strategy into action, will be critical in this respect: how will these sustainability targets be reached, what will the cost for SMEs be, how can companies be supported in that green transition, what about the impact on global competitiveness? These are essential questions to be addressed in the coming months.
The Textile strategy is part of much broader package, including as many as 16 new legislative actions and other policies which will directly impact on textile value chain. In particular the Sustainable Product Initiative Regulation released on March, 30 includes game-changing provisions on Digital Product Passport, Eco-Design, SMEs and Green Public Procurement.  The Regulation has an overwhelming ambition and, to be realistic, it would require a new way of joint working between institutions and business, and which builds on lessons learned on data flow across value chains, interoperability, conformity assessment and effective measures to support SMEs.

If wrongly implemented, such an unprecedented wave may cause a complete collapse of the European textile value chain under the burden of restrictions, requirements, costs and unlevel playing field. On the contrary, the changes ahead can boom the entire textile ecosystem and create a model of successful green and digital transition in manufacturing, which starts in Europe and expands globally.

Already in 2019, EURATEX asked policy makers to work together and remove barriers to circular economy, solve the market surveillance paradox in which laws are made but not checked, and to help create scale economies to make sustainable textiles affordable, hence the norm.

For example, there are 28 billion products circulating per year in EU, which is an impressive task for market surveillance authorities including customs. EURATEX has been stressing non-sufficient market surveillance and it is actively working on solutions for a fair and effective market surveillance of textile products through Reach4Textiles. EURATEX very much welcomes that the European Commission recognizes our work and the need for market surveillance by establishing more harmonised efforts in the EU.

EURATEX also welcomes the establishment of the Digital Product Passport. It has a high potential to improve every step in the textile value chain, from design and manufacturing to recycling and purchasing. At the same time, EURATEX calls the co-legislators to take into account the role of SME’s in this transition and to put forward pragmatic initiatives, supporting SME’s across the EU in a systematic approach.

Alberto Paccanelli, EURATEX President, concludes: EURATEX calls for true cooperation with all policy makers and other stakeholders across the value chains to advise, pressure-test and use this opportunity for a successful transition. Our ambition must be to reconcile sustainability, resilience and competitiveness; we know it can be done”.

The vision of the OEKO-TEX® Association, which was founded in March 1992 through a partnership between the Hohenstein Research Institute and the Austrian Textile Research Institute (OETI), is still reflected today in the organization's core values: trust, safety, and sustainability. For three decades, OEKO-TEX® has pursued the goal of building trust for companies and consumers and enabling them to make responsible decisions to protect people and the planet. "Our services bring transparency to the international textile and leather industry supply chains," says OEKO-TEX® Secretary General Georg Dieners. "They enable all stakeholders to make mindful decisions that help preserve our planet for future generations."

OEKO-TEX® market leadership
In 1992, 20 years before the United Nations announced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), OEKO-TEX® launched STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, now one of the best-known labels for product safety.
"It emerged from the Schadstoffgeprüft nach ÖTN 100(tested for harmful substances according to ÖTN 100), developed by OETI in 1989 to address increasing public interest in textile ecology and health," the Austrian Textile Research Institute reminds us. The limit values and test methods on which STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is based were internationally standardized and are adapted to the latest scientific findings and legislation at least once a year - a principle that is applied to all OEKO-TEX® standards. Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecheels, the owner of the textile testing service provider Hohenstein, adds: "From the very beginning, we have considered the needs of all players in the textile value chain and continue to create solutions for current and future market requirements."

At least seven SDGs are firmly integrated into the OEKO-TEX® product portfolio. For example, Good Health & Well-Being (SDG 3) and Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6) are reflected in the STeP by OEKO-TEX® factory certification, and Responsible Consumption & Production (SDG 12) and Climate Action (SDG 13) are implemented through the comprehensive MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® product label.

Today, the international association consists of 17 independent research and testing institutes focused on textile and leather, with contact offices in over 60 countries. They are responsible for the joint development of the test methods and limit values in the OEKO-TEX® Standards and carry out laboratory tests and factory audits according to globally uniform specifications. These comprehensive product and process audits to ensure appropriate risk management, consumer and environmental protection, and legal compliance. With their wide-ranging research and development, the accredited OEKO-TEX® test institutes provide important insight for innovations within the textile and leather industry. They work in close cooperation with manufacturers and make a significant contribution to the development of high-quality textile and leather products at all stages of the value chain.

Mirror of social and political development
Being close to the market, and ideally, one step ahead is essential to supporting companies who are adapting to constantly changing conditions and meeting consumer expectations. Therefore, the development of OEKO-TEX® is not only a reflection of scientific knowledge but also of social and political trends. The focus is always on standardizing sustainable action and measures and making it easier for the industry to quickly and comprehensively implement sustainability goals.

Exchange with third parties is particularly valuable for this purpose. OEKO-TEX® participates in various international multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, the ZHDC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), and Greenpeace.
In addition to cooperation with external multi-stakeholder initiatives, the OEKO-TEX® International Advisory Board (IAB) meets annually. The core function of the IAB is to help review consistent and market-oriented Standards development proposals by the OEKO-TEX® Working Groups. In addition, OEKO-TEX® is conducting a public stakeholder consultation to gain further insights from all interest groups, which it will integrate into further development of the Standards.
Using three decades of experience for the future
The founding goal of enabling responsible choices that preserve our planet for future generations has become increasingly urgent over the past 30 years. So, OEKO-TEX® is even more resolute than ever in developing comprehensive solutions. We stand by industry and consumers as a trusted partner for the challenges ahead. In addition to the IMPACT CALCULATOR launched in January 2022, which helps STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified production facilities reduce their carbon emissions and water consumption, this summer, the association will launch a service to help companies transition to the upcoming Due Diligence Laws.

Under the ClusterXchange pilot scheme, the EXTRATEX partnership organised a 5-day exchange in Czech Republic, hosted by CLUTEX (cluster for technical textile).

15 participants visited strategic and innovative companies in the field of smart materials and advances technologies, as well as research centres and the Liberec University.

During the exchange, 92 B2B meetings were organized between local companies and the exchange participants, with 75% of the contacts established leading to follow-ups after the conclusion of the exchange. This collaboration laid the foundation for potential cross-border and cross-sector business collaboration, and participants of the physical exchange improved their competences in the field of smart materials and advanced technologies.

According to a testimony from the company Bipier Srl, their participation in the exchange allowed the establishment of two important working relationships with Bcb Informatica Y Control and Vyskummy Ustav Chemickych (Research Institute for Man-Made Fibers). This cooperation wil allow Bipier Srl to equip their machines with quality temperature control, and to expand the distribution of their products.

It looks like a normal shirt, but it has it all: The new SmartTex shirt uses integrated sensors to transfer physiological data from astronauts to Earth via a wireless communication network. In this way, the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system will be evaluated and documented, especially with regard to long-term manned space missions. Developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in cooperation with DSI Aerospace Technology, the Medical Faculty of Bielefeld University and textile research partner Hohenstein, SmartTex will be tested for the first time as part of the Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2) project by German ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer, who will leave for his ‘Cosmic Kiss’ mission on the International Space Station (ISS) for six months on October 30, 2021.

"We were already able to gain valuable insights into the interaction of the body, clothing and climate under microgravity conditions during the previous projects Spacetex (2014) and Spacetex2 (2018)," explains Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert Dr. Jan Beringer. The insights provided at the time by the mission of ESA astronaut Dr. Alexander Gerst have now been directly incorporated into the development of the new SmartTex shirt at Hohenstein. "Matthias Maurer can wear his tailor-made shirt comfortably on his body during his everyday work on the International Space Station. For this, we used his body measurements as the basis for our cut development and the production of the shirt. We integrated the necessary sensors as well as data processing and communication modules into the shirt's cut in such a way that they interfere as little as possible and are always positioned in the right place, regardless of the wearing situation. This is the prerequisite for reliably measuring the relevant physiological data." The SmartTex shirt is intended to provide a continuous picture of the vital functions of astronauts. This will be particularly relevant for future long-term manned space missions to the Moon and Mars.

For example, during the BEAT experiment (Ballistocardiography for Extraterrestrial Applications and long-Term missions), Matthias Maurer will be the first astronaut to wear a T-shirt equipped with sensors that measure his ballistocardiographic data such as pulse and relative blood pressure. For this purpose, the sensors were calibrated in the :envihab research facility at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne. Details on the contraction rate and opening and closing times of the heart valves, which are normally only accessible via sonography or computer tomography, can also be read from the data material. The goal is to study the effects of the space environment on the human cardiovascular system. To be able to analyse these effects realistically, Matthias Maurer's ballistocardiographic data will be recorded before, during and after his stay on the ISS. For the future, a technology transfer of the SmartTex shirt for application in the field of fitness or even in telemedicine is conceivable.

Wireless Compose-2 (WICO2)
The project was planned and prepared by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and its cooperation partners DSI Aerospace Technology, Hohenstein and the University of Bielefeld. The wireless communication network reads sensor data and can determine the position of people and objects in space by propagation times of radio pulses. It is also available as a platform for several experiments on the ISS. The determined data is temporarily stored within the network and read out at regular intervals by the astronauts. These data packets are then transferred to Earth via the ISS link and analysed by the research teams. It can generate its own energy from artificial light sources via solar cells.

ESA astronaut Dr. Matthias Maurer in summer 2021 during preliminary talks on the Cosmic Kiss mission in DLR's :envihab in Cologne. © DLR

Sensors measure physiological data during a test run on Earth. © DLR

With the "SmartTex" shirt, astronauts can wear the necessary sensors comfortably on their bodies. © DLR

Dr. Jan Beringer, Hohenstein Senior Scientific Expert. © Hohenstein

From the 09-11^th of October, CHIC will take place with around 500 fashion and lifestyle brands on 53,000 sqm in the National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai and offers a perfect overview of the fashion innovations in all fashion areas of the next season.

Chinese consumers place increasing value on sustainable products, the topic of "sustainability" is present in all areas of CHIC, in cooperation with WGSN the latest trends in sustainable fashion S / S 22 are shown. Together with China Fashion and WWD, companies that produce particularly sustainably are honored as part of the "Pursuer of excellence in sustainability" event.

The organizers put a special focus on the expansion of digital tools for the trade fair participants, which were used in the run-up to the trade fair for intensive visitor marketing and at the trade fair to optimally network supply and demand, WeChat plays a central role here. The CHIC WeChat mini program has been expanded and integrates the CHIC e-catalog, tailored to the needs of exhibitors and visitors.

The next editions of CHIC will take place from 3-5^th of November 2021 in Shenzhen and from 9-11^th of March 2022 in Shanghai.

• Strong operating result: EBITDA at EUR 217.8 mn, cash flow from operating activities at EUR 199.8 mn
• Major strategic projects continue fully on track – production start of the lyocell plant in Thailand in the fourth quarter of 2021
• Start of strategic cooperation agreement for textile recycling with Södra
• New milestones in the implementation of group-wide carbon neutrality: EUR 200 mn investment in existing locations in Asia
• Guidance 2021: Lenzing expects EBITDA of at least EUR 360 mn

The Lenzing Group reported a significant improvement in revenue and earnings in the first half of the year. Growing optimism in the textile and apparel industry and the ongoing recovery in retail caused a substantial increase in demand and prices on the global fiber market, in particular at the beginning of the current financial year.

Revenue rose by 27.5 percent to EUR 1.03 bn in the first half of 2021. This increase is primarily attributable to higher viscose prices, which stood at more than RMB 15,000 in May thanks to significantly higher demand for fibers, especially in Asia. The focus on wood-based specialty fibers such as TENCEL™, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ branded fibers also had a positive impact on the revenue development; the share of specialty fibers in fiber revenue rose to 72.8 percent in the reporting period. The negative impact of more unfavorable currency effects was consequently more than offset.

The earnings development essentially reflects the positive market development and was additionally reinforced by measures to improve efficiency. Energy and logistics costs increased significantly throughout the entire reporting period. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) more than doubled and amounted to EUR 217.8 mn in the first half of 2021 (compared to EUR 95.6 mn in the first half of 2020). The EBITDA margin rose from 11.8 percent to 21.1 percent. Net profit for the period amounted to EUR 96.1 mn (compared to a net loss of EUR minus 14.4 mn in the first half of 2020) and earnings per share to EUR 3.06 (compared to EUR 0.06 in the first half of 2020).

“Lenzing had a very strong first half-year. The demand for our sustainably produced specialty fibers once again developed excellently,” says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group.