From the Sector

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”.

• Revenue Increases to HK$8,316 Million with Net Profit After Tax Surging Significantly
• Recording a Turnaround to HK$381 Million
• Re-Establishes ESPRIT’s Market Leadership

ESPRIT HOLDINGS LIMITED has announced its audited financial annual results for the year ended 31 December 2021, highlighted by a significant increase in both revenue and profit attributable to shareholders of the Company to HK$8,316 million and HK$381 million respectively, in which the profit attributable to shareholders of the Company also recorded a turnaround versus the loss attributable to shareholders of the Company of HK$414 million for the six months ended 31 December 2020. Gross profit margin was 48.6%, 7.0% higher than the Corresponding Period. Please refer to the Company’s results announcement for the Current Year for further details.

Such financial improvement was attributable to various reasons, including (i) the new infrastructure and strategies instituted by the current management team; (ii) improvement in sales with higher gross profit margin; (iii) positive results of efficient cost control measures; (iv) improved inventory management; and (v) growth in E-commerce.

Although revenue in the Current Year was affected by lockdowns in the Company’s major European markets during the first quarter of 2021, and due to increased restrictions on entry requirements into stores during the fourth quarter of 2021, the Group generated revenue via three main channels: E-commerce, wholesale, and owned retail stores. As the ESPRIT brand website and third-party E-commerce partners continued to trade during lockdown, a large portion of the Group’s sales were generated online. This business model allowed it to mitigate some of the negative impacts of the Pandemic in the retail segment. Another driver of growth came from selling fewer discounted products from the Company’s retail business compared to 2020.

The Group has not forgotten the ESPRIT mission and long-standing commitment to sustainability. The Company has continued to work tirelessly towards developing cutting-edge materials that set new standards in terms of environmental sustainability. The Company has formulated and further advanced its ESG strategies to establish ESPRIT as an industry pioneer. Such strategies involve the greater use of sustainable fibers, developing new and innovative product options that support a circular economy, and ensuring environmental awareness is a key message that underpins all of the Group’s projects. To achieve these objectives, the Management has identified four key pillars of growth (Sourcing and Procurement; Marketing and Product; IT, Internet, and E-commerce; and The ESPRIT Brand Story) that are paramount in maintaining the loyalty of existing ESPRIT patrons and attracting new customers.

Looking ahead, the global economy is anticipated to be negatively affected by the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. The already unstable logistics industry and disrupted supply chain will likely be further impacted, which in turn will result in higher logistic service costs. Despite the unfavorable global economic outlook, the Group believes that under the leadership of its current management and with the support of dedicated staff members, the Company is on track to ongoing profit growth.

On March 15th C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub launched the 3^rd edition of C.L.A.S.S. ICON Award, the annual competition with the aim of sponsoring and rewarding a visionary creative who is able to combine design, responsibility, innovation and communication.

The next selected winner of the international competition for visionary fashion creatives who are able to convey the values of sustainability not only to fashion professionals, but also to the wider public, will be chosen in accordance to the principles of the C.L.A.S.S. Manifesto of Responsible Fashion (https://www.classecohub.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Copia-di-C.L.A.S.S.-ICON-MANIFESTO-2.pdf).

The prestigious reward for the game changers of fashion counts C.L.A.S.S. support at 360° degrees, from material consultancy to communication support and a partnership-like engagement in C.L.A.S.S. activities both on and off-line. This specifically includes:

• 2 coupons valued 1000 € each to source responsibly on THE SMART SHOP, the inspirational materials’ bank and samples' e-shop, that includes a premium selection of the C.L.A.S.S. Material Hub’s materials
• A consultancy session with C.L.A.S.S. TEAM: the ICON will have the chance to choose between an introduction to responsible innovation workshop or a specific session focusing on brand’s needs, for example responsible sourcing, certifications, communication.
• Full communication support in terms of press releases, social media and events organisation

C.L.A.S.S. is also happy to announce that its partners will offer an exclusively customed package of marketing and communication activities:

• Renoon is the app devoted to Responsible Shopping agglomerating thousands of ways to combine style and sustainability values may it be new, pre-loved and rental clothing. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes: a dedicated brand page on Renoon, the possibility to check and edit the description of the brand with Renoon's team and a featured article/interview on the new Renoon Library.
• IDEE BRAND PLATFORM is a company based in Milan, which provides dedicated support in all commercial activity for design and fashion brands through the various stages of their growth steps. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the support of the brand in commercial activities for SS23 and AW23/24.
• SUSTAINABLE BRAND PLATFORM is a digital platform to measure, improve and communicate fashion brands sustainability making it simple and affordable. Through the creation of a real DIGITAL TOOLBOX SBP wants to give fashion brands all the instruments they need to obtain a global assessment of their sustainable performance. The package dedicated to C.L.A.S.S. ICON includes the Ecoscoring for brand’s sustainability and the creation of its Sustainable ID Card on Sustainable Brand Platform, as well as the use of the SBP logo, communication on social media and an interview in SBP/Magazine.
• WHITE has always been attentive to the themes of responsible fashion and alongside the new generations of designers. That’s why they decided to support the international sustainability platform C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity, Lifestyle And Sustainable Synergy) with the annual award C.L.A.S.S. ICON, which promotes awareness in new sustainability values. For this reason, WHITE offers to the winner of C.L.A.S.S. ICON: a digital space on its WSM-WHITE platform and a physical space at the next show scheduled for September.

Applications are open until 1st May.
Email to classicon@classecohub.org, with a list of information such as brand vision and objectives, sustainability values and strategy, designer profile, a photo/video story of your latest collection, and any previous award (https://www.classecohub.org/c-l-a-s-s-icon).

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.

TEXO AB, a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association, is currently seeing a surge in demand for its Compfelt weaving looms for press felt base fabrics.

“These are far from standard machines,” explains TEXO President Anders Svensson. “Off-the-shelf industrial weaving machines generally range in their working widths from 1.9 to 3.2 metres, with those purpose-built for technical applications such as geotextiles extending to wider widths of six metres and beyond. Meanwhile, one of the machines we have recently successfully delivered and commissioned has a working width of 23 metres and is not even the widest of the many such machines the company has engineered and delivered worldwide since its formation.”

A second recently-delivered line has a more modest working width – in relative terms – of 13 metres.

Paper machines
The demand for such machines comes from the suppliers of paper machine clothing (PMC) to paper mills, who in turn operate colossal machines for paper manufacturing.
On of the largest paper making machines is currently believed to be located on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China and is 428 metres long – roughly the length of four football pitches. Naturally, such machines require equally large-scale components, which is where TEXO comes in. All paper machines require a regular supply of PMC fabrics which are employed in three separate areas of the paper machine – the forming section, the press section and the drying section.

Press felts
TEXO Compfelt weaving machines are specifically employed for the production of endless (tubular) woven base fabrics for the press section of paper machines, where water is mechanically removed from the newly formed sheet of fibres. In the simplest press, the sheet is carried by the PMC fabric between two rolls, where water is squeezed out by the application of load and pressure. This can also be assisted by the use of vacuum and heat. The PMC fabrics here need to be replaced regularly, with a maximum lifespan of six months.

Press felts have become increasingly sophisticated over the years, consisting of complex woven base structures which are subsequently combined with nonwovens via needlepunching on equally huge machines. The woven base fabrics are primarily made from polyamide for its strength and hygroscopic and elastic properties.

Dobby harness
“A major refinement of the machine has been the ability to equip it with up to 24 dobby harness frames to meet the demand for sophisticated structures from the PMC manufacturers. Although the PMC business represents a small proportion of the total cost of manufacturing paper, it can have a significant impact on the quality of the paper, the efficiency of a machine and machine production rates.”

Another significant development has been that of a self supporting base pre-filled with concrete, which has eliminated the need to dig out foundations in a plant to support the machine.

Retrofits
TEXO’s looms are built to last, but technology moves forward, and the company is also currently active in the retrofitting of existing machines built as far back as the 1970s.

Integration
TEXO has also just integrated its offices and production centre at its base in Älmhult, Sweden, to create a unified 5,000 square metre site.

Automatex, a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association, has recently supplied a number of its latest Industry 4.0-enabled automatic fitted sheet systems to customers in Europe.

The Automatex model FDC-77735-B90D-EC system enables the full production and folding of six fully-fitted sheets per minute – approaching 3,000 an average shift – overseen by a single operator and eliminating many of the repetitive cut and sew operations of the past. Elastics insertion –  usually a highly complex labour-intensive task – can be on all four sides of the sheet, two, or simply within the corners, depending on customer specifications.

Fabric is fed directly from the roll, with precise edge guiding and tension control, into a length-wise hemming and elastics insertion section with adjustable tension devices, before being measured and cross cut in an accumulator. It is then transferred to the cross hemming section, again with elastics insertion.

A side drop forming unit pre-forms the sheet before it is transported by a multi-axis clamp conveyor system to the corner sewing section, consisting of left and right overlock sewing heads. Here, the corners are robotically sewn at 90 degrees and labels are also attached when specified.

Further customised systems for folding are also supplied as required.

• Winners in Six Categories to be Announced at IDEA® 2022 in Miami Beach

Online voting for the IDEA® Achievement Awards representing the “best of the best” innovations in the global nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry in six categories will open on Feb. 28.

Industry professionals will have the opportunity to vote for the winners from the finalists and see award-winning achievements in person at IDEA® 2022, the World’s Preeminent Event for Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics, March 28-31, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Presented by INDA, in partnership with Nonwovens Industry magazine, the awards recognize the leading introductions in equipment, raw materials, short-life, long-life and nonwovens products, and sustainability. To vote on the Nonwovens Industry website, visit: https://www.nonwovens-industry.com/idea-reg-achievement-awards

In addition, INDA will unveil the IDEA® 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and Nonwovens Industry will announce the IDEA® Entrepreneur Achievement Award recipient at the event.  

All of the winners will be announced on March 30 at a ceremony at IDEA® from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. moderated by Dave Rousse, President, INDA and Karen, McIntyre, Editor, Nonwovens Industry.

The INDA Technical Advisory Board, consisting of technical professionals from member companies, has narrowed the competition from more than 100 online nominations to the following 18 finalists selected for their leading innovations since the last IDEA show in 2019.

The industry will have the chance to select their top choices from the three finalists in each of the following six categories through the online voting process:

IDEA® Equipment Achievement Award

• ESC-8 – Curt G. Joa, Inc.
  Imagine endless combinations of insert and chassis designs for adult incontinence production at the push of a button. With patent-pending ESC-8™ Electronic Size Change Technology, JOA has addressed the need for automated product size change. The release of this industry-leading, first-of-a-kind technology gives customers the flexibility to configure endless insert and chassis combinations while maintaining higher production speeds and minimizing raw material usage. The ESC-8™ can be integrated into new and existing machines.
   
• Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode – Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.
  Elastics are an integral component to many hygiene products. Imagine a diaper or incontinence product that is reliable, adhesive-free and extremely soft. Herrmann Ultrasonics Elastic Thread Anchoring (ETA) Sonotrode technology provides just that, in an industry first, easy-to-use closed-loop feedback manufacturing solution. The fixation of the elastic threads is accomplished with ultrasonic energy that offers a wide process window, without the need for tool changeovers, at processing speeds above 2,000 ft./min.
   
• Doffer Airlay Card – Technoplants SRL
  With airlaying suction and a doffing system like traditional roller cards, the Doffer Airlay Card makes it possible to produce carded webs with doffer in thicknesses from 10 to 1.500 gsm. With top and bottom suction, it can produce a partly carded and partly airlaid web. This card can comb, separate and make parallel all types of natural, synthetic and regenerated fibers for applications including hygiene, filtration, medical and gradient acquisition distribution layer (ADL).

IDEA® Raw Material Achievement Award

• sero™ premium hemp fiber – Bast Fibre Technologies Inc.
  sero™ 100 percent premium hemp fibers are the result of years of the company’s top-to-bottom supply chain experience. BFT’s proprietary processing technology is employed to carefully clean, individualize, and soften bast fibers that meet stringent nonwoven technical standards and are plastic-free, tree-free, and compostable. sero™ fibers are a plug-and-play replacement for plastic fibers that run seamlessly on major nonwoven platforms without compromising production speeds, efficiency, or uniformity.
   
• ODOGard – Rem Brands, Inc.
  Rem Brands, Inc.’s patented ODOGard® technology is a revolutionary advancement in odor elimination. This next-generation odor elimination mechanism works by covalent molecular bonding to malodors. Malodors are permanently attached to the ODOGard® molecule, changing them into non-odorous molecules forever. ODOGard® can be impregnated into pulp fluff and other kinds of media. Whether  malodors come from the air or from hygiene products, ODOGard® has it covered.
   
• SharoWIPES™ – Sharon Laboratories
  SharoWIPES™ by Sharon Laboratories, Israel, is a technological breakthrough from in-depth scientific research addressing industry needs for more “clean label, non-irritating, eco-friendly” consumer wet wipes. With their unique anti-biofilm mechanism, SharoWIPES™ offer dual protection from microbial contamination of both the wet wipe formula, as well as the non-woven fabric. SharoWIPES™ preservation systems deliver broad-spectrum protection at low levels contributing to wet wipe brand equity with free from, microbiome friendly, vegan and biodegradable claims.
   

IDEA® Short-Life Product Achievement Award

• MDP™ – Dermasteel, Ltd.
  MDP™ presents a breakthrough approach to restoring the quality of life for men experiencing bladder leakage. MDP™ is a revolutionary nonwoven product for men coping with light urinary incontinence that is invisibly discreet, effective, comfortable, and reliable. It features Body ID Technology™ for customized adjustment, variable elasticity strapping, self-reflexive side panels for unimpeded breathability, form-fitting to the unique characteristics of each man’s anatomy, and the smallest carbon footprint of any comparable male incontinence option.
   
• Organic 2.0 – Ellepot A/S
  In young plant propagation, plastic products are used in large quantities. Ellepot’s new paper is a game-changer supporting plastic exit strategies. During six years in development, Ellepot and Ahlstrom-Munksjö partnered with OrganoClick, the developer of special binders using organocatalysis, a field of chemistry awarded the Nobel Prize in 2021. The product is approved for organic crops in Germany, the UK, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Canada and certified okay home compostable and biodegradable in soil.
   
• LifeSavers Wipes – LifeSavers LLC
  LifeSavers Wipes are personal hygiene wipes that change color if they detect abnormal health indicators in the urine. The launch product is a diabetic wipe, which will change color if there are abnormal levels of glucose in the urine. The wipes are therefore triple purposed as they assist with personal hygiene after urinating, act as an early warning system, and serve as an instant glucose monitor. UTI and kidney disease wipes are next in line.
   

IDEA® Long-Life Product Achievement Award

• Canopy Hero Pro – Canopy
  Today’s reusable respirators are uncomfortable, limit communication, and can lose effectiveness after cleaning. Disposable options pose similar issues and generate waste. Canopy® has created a next-generation, reusable respirator for healthcare workers that’s comfortable, easy to clean, exceeds federal safety standards, has a transparent front to allow for improved communication, costs less than disposables, and can help save 7,200 tons of waste daily. Its patented, transparent, fully mechanical filter helps protect those who protect us.
   
• Long-Life Cellulose-based Nonwovens for Higher Performance in Reusable Baby Diapers – Kelheim Fibres GmbH and Sumo Diapers
  Innovation exemplified: the trend-setting Sumo Baby Cloth Diaper shows how needle-punched/thermobonded nonwovens find their way into reusable diapers, thanks to Kelheim Fibres’ specialty viscose fibers with adjusted cross-sections (trilobal and hollow). This technology pushes liquid management capabilities and the absorbency of washable hygiene products to new levels, creating a unique duality of high-performance and high-sustainability credentials, and opening up new fields of application.
   
• Nanofiber Cabin Air Filter – MANN + HUMMEL GmbH
  MANN+HUMMEL has developed a hybrid media by combining electret-based spunbond and a pure mechanical filtration layer of ultrafine polymer fibers. The result: an outstanding separation of PM1 particles up to 95 percent, according to DIN EN ISO 16890. This technology enables stable filtration performance and long-term efficiency over the whole filter lifetime. The nanofiber layer can be combined with any cabin air filter media of the MANN+HUMMEL range, improving air quality in a vehicle’s cabin significantly.
   

IDEA® Sustainability Advancement Award

• Pureflow8 – In Flight Material Separator – Diaper Recycling Technology Pte. Ltd.
  New bolt-on additions to the company’s Generation 8 recycling platform guarantee increased performance in terms of material purity and work efficiency. While recovering up to 87 percent of diaper waste raw material’s financial investment, DRT pushes the boundaries further to meet sustainability targets and include active pulp scanning, fluidizing SAP re-gen technology, and gravimetric pulp refeed processes. DRT recognizes its teams and suppliers who have worked tremendously hard to complete this major milestone.
   
• Fitesa® 100 Percent BioBased Bico – Fitesa
  Fitesa® S Bico 100 percent BioBased PE/PLA is a technically sophisticated plant-sourced nonwoven that has been successfully applied in innovative baby diapers as topsheet, backsheet, and front ear components to deliver classic spunbond strength with good abrasion resistance and converting performance. It is responsibly sourced, PE soft, and sustainable, leaving a negative carbon footprint by reducing environmental CO2. It represents the next generation of hygienic nonwovens designed to make work easier and life better.
   
• Fiber-based Screw Caps – Glatfelter Corp. and Blue Ocean Closures
  Finally, an alternative to metal and plastic screw caps! Blue Ocean Closures partnered with Glatfelter and ALPLA to accelerate and produce sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging solutions. The companies optimized their use of renewable and recyclable wood fibers and airlaid materials by creating paper-based screw caps that are durable, strong, and water-resistant. The method of proprietary vacuum press forming allows for low production cost and high scalability.
   

IDEA® Nonwoven Product Achievement Award

• Sontara® Silk – Glatfelter Corp.
  Sontara® Silk perfectly fits facial contour, is luxurious on the skin, and has a minimal environmental impact. When infused with lotion, these masks have enhanced elasticity, conform closely to the skin, and have excellent adhesion. Sontara® Silk has superior translucency and ensures even penetration of active ingredients onto the skin. Sontara® Silk fabric is manufactured with premium fibers derived from natural raw material. These sustainable materials allow the product to be biodegradable and compostable.
   
• HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo – Sustainable Nonwoven Substrates – Suominen Corporation
  Suominen’s latest moist tissue product, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo achieves dry tissue dispersibility through a proprietary blend of 100 percent sustainable cellulosic materials, minimizing environmental impact. This flushable nonwoven has a premium hand feel for a luxurious consumer experience. In addition, it passes dispersibility standards set by INDA (GD4) and the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG.) HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo is produced in Europe and North America and represents multi-year development and market insights to deliver a personal care product ideal for today’s consumer.
   
• LS SAF™ Nonwoven Fabrics –Technical Absorbents
  Technical Absorbents developed a new grade of Low Shrink (LS) superabsorbent fiber (SAFTM) for use within a new range of nonwovens that are more resistant to shrinkage. The new LS SAFTM fiber and resulting fabrics were developed in response to demand from the medical industry for a superabsorbent nonwoven suitable for use in advanced wound pad dressings. The new fiber was engineered to be capable of withstanding the moisture used in the EtO sterilization process.

Moving forward after this year, the IDEA® Achievement Award will be presented every two years under the new cycle announced for the event with the subsequent IDEA® taking place April 23-25, 2024.

BB Engineering GmbH (Germany) delivers a melt filter for recycling PET flakes to polyester manufacturer Indorama Polyester Industries (Thailand). Indorama will be using the type NSF38 filter in its recently assembled recycling system in order to produce rPET granulate from flake PET bottle waste. The NSF38 filter enables continual filtering – in other words, the system switches from one filter to the other during the process without the need for conversion shut-downs. The filter allows the processing of consumer waste for example, in the form of shredded PET bottles into new, high-quality rPET granulate. This granulate is subsequently processed into manmade fibers in spinning systems.

The NSF38 is a switchable filter with a filter surface area of ap-prox. 16 m2 on each side, with throughputs of between 1,000 and 1,900 kg/h. The filter inserts each contain 19 pleated filter candles (60 x 1,000mm Ø). The filter medium comprises a sin-tered metal fiber nonwoven with a filtration fineness of 25 μm. This ensures that the melt remains free of contaminants and gel particles, which in turn enables the production of high-quality end products.

• Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) published a strategy paper on the defossilisation of the chemical and material industry with eleven policy recommendations

The Renewable Carbon Initiative, an interest group of more than 30 companies from the wide field of the chemical and material value chains, was founded in 2020 to collaboratively enable the chemical and material industries to tackle the challenges in meeting the climate goals set by the European Union and the sustainability expectations held by societies around the globe.

RCI addresses the core of the climate problem: 72% of anthropogenic climate change is caused directly by extracted fossil carbon from the ground. In order to rapidly mitigate climate change and achieve our global ambition for greenhouse gas emission reductions, the inflow of further fossil carbon from the ground into our system must be reduced as quickly as possible and in large scale.

In the energy and transport sector, this means a vigorous and fast expansion of renewable energies, hydrogen and electromobility, the so-called decarbonisation of these sectors. The EU has already started pushing an ambitious agenda in this space and will continue to do so, for instance with the recently released ‘Fit for 55’ package.

However, these policies have so far largely ignored other industries that extract and use fossil carbon. The chemical and material industries have a high demand for carbon and are essentially only possible with carbon-based feedstocks, as most of their products cannot do without carbon. Unlike energy, these sectors cannot be “decarbonised”, as molecules will always need carbon. The equivalent to decarbonisation via renewable energy in the energy sector is the transition to renewable carbon in the chemical and derived materials industries. Both strategies avoid bringing additional fossil carbon from the ground into the cycle and can be summarised under the term “defossilisation”.

To decouple chemistry from fossil carbon, the key question is which non-fossil carbon sources can be used in the future. Rapid developments in biosciences and chemistry have unlocked novel, renewable and increasingly affordable sources of carbon, which provide us with alternative solutions for a more sustainable chemicals and materials sector. These alternative sources are: biomass, utilisation of CO2 and recycling. They are combined under the term “renewable carbon”. When used as a guiding principle, renewable carbon provides a clear goal to work towards with sufficient room to manoeuvre for the whole sector. It enables the industry to think out of the box of established boundaries and stop the influx of additional fossil carbon from the ground.

The systematic change to renewable carbon will not only require significant efforts from industry, but must be supported by policy measures, technology developments and major investments. In order to implement a rapid and high-volume transition away from fossil carbon, and to demonstrate its impact, a supportive policy framework is essential. The emphasis should be put on sourcing carbon responsibly and in a manner that does not adversely impact the wider planetary boundaries nor undermines societal foundations. An overarching carbon management strategy is required that also takes specific regional and application-related features into account, to identify the most sustainable carbon source from the renewable carbon family. This will allow for a proper organisation of the complex transition from today’s fossil carbon from the ground to renewable energy and to renewable carbon across all industrial sectors.

RCI has developed eleven concrete policy recommendations on renewable carbon, carbon management, support for the transformation of the existing chemical infrastructure and the transformation of biofuel plants into chemical suppliers. The policy paper “Renewable Carbon as a Guiding Principle for Sustainable Carbon Cycles” is freely available for download in both a short version and a long version.

Link for Download: https://renewable-carbon-initiative.com/media/library/

Flocus ™, the trademark for kapok fibers, offers a range of kapok textile materials such as fibers, yarns, textiles and nonwovens. The company presents the most performing and zero carbon footprint solutions based on Flocus™ kapok available for the leather goods industry, a sector that is making an important transition to sustainability in terms of processing and raw materials.

As for nonwoven, some of their most used products in the world of leatherware are:

• Maliwatt - 50% Kapok, 50% PLA (based on corn), a 100% biodegradable non-woven which can be used in the shoe sole. Maliwatt can be thermopressed/heat press and turned into a paper/cardboard type and lightweight structure. It is the perfect material for sneakers, casual and active shoes thanks to its quick dry, antibacterial, hydrophobic, hypoallergenic, Insulation properties. Other frequent applications are in the field of automotive, construction and car panels, sound absorption and acoustics panels and geo textiles.
• HDE /Hydroentanglement - 50% Kapok, 50% Organic cotton. It is a 100% natural and biodegradable material that can be used in the shoe production as a sole, intersole or as a padding for shoes and bags. Thanks to its termoregulating, lightweight, hypoallergenic, thermoconductivity, insulation, soft touch, hydrophobic, anti-moth anti mite properties, it is used for a large range of applications. It is popular in the apparel world as a cruelty free filling for winter jackets, replacing duck down, and in the home industry ad a stuffing for mattresses, duvets, furniture, sleeping bags.

The offer for the leather goods industry includes also Flocus™ kapok-based fabrics in different blends and weights: linings, coatings, fabric inserts, accessories, components rich in performance and style. For example, kapok and organic cotton with GOTS certification, kapok with Tencel and recycled polyester (Repreve), kapok with linen, organic cotton and a small percentage of Spandex.

These materials were presented at the September 2021 edition of Lineapelle in the exhibition "A New point of materials", dedicated to eco-responsible innovations in terms of technologies, applications, materials and machines.