From the Sector

Around EUR 355 million in overall turnover, 350 extruders delivered creating an additional recycling capacity for 1.6 million tons of recycled pellets as a result - these are the figures with which the EREMA Group was able to close the 2022/23 financial year in March.

"With demand for recycled plastics remaining high, the past financial year brought many challenges that we needed to handle," says Manfred Hackl, CEO of EREMA Group GmbH. The challenges included persistent delays in the supply chain and unexpected supplier outages. Logistics and production processes had to be adapted several times as a result. The situation has improved significantly meantime as a result of these measures and more stable supply chains.

The production locations in Austria manufactured 270 extruders and delivered them to customers around the globe. Taking the whole group into consideration, this figure rises to 350 including the extruders from PLASMAC, the Italian subsidiary. The recycled pellet production capacity of all extrusion systems delivered in financial year 2022/23 adds up to around 1.6 million tonnes per year. On top of that there are around 130 additional components and modules such as filter systems and ReFresher anti-odour units.

Recycling innovations for high-quality pellets
K 2022 - the highlight trade fair of the past financial year - saw the EREMA Group launch seven
new recycling systems and components. These included the new INTAREMA® TVEplus® DuaFil® Compact recycling system and the EcoGentle® plasticising unit, which was also newly developed. Thanks to their gentle polymer treatment and significantly lower melt temperature, both extrusion innovations deliver effective advantages in terms of the quality of the melt, recycled pellets, and final product, as well as impressive energy efficiency in post consumer and PET recycling applications. The significance of these innovations for plastics recycling is underlined by the nomination of the DuaFil® Compact technology for one of this year's Plastics Recycling Awards Europe in the category Recycling Machinery Innovation of the Year.
The same applies to the READYMAC 1109 TVE machine made to stock by EREMA Group subsidiary UMAC, as well as to the new ALPHA XS edge trim recycling machine for the inhouse recycling segment made by PLASMAC. The market launch of the deinking system presented at K 2022 by the EREMA Group company KEYCYCLE delivering a throughput of 1,200 kilograms per hour has been a success, as has the commissioning of a further unit sold to a film manufacturer.

40 years of EREMA
The beginning of the new financial year falls almost to the day on EREMA's 40th anniversary. On 14 April 1983, Helmut Bacher, Helmuth Schulz and Georg Wendelin founded EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GesmbH, laying the foundation for the 40-year success story. In celebration, the comapny will hold the event EREMA Discovery Day at the company headquarters on the 1st of June. This event with live insights into the latest post consumer and PET recycling technologies will also see the official opening of the newly built research and development centre.

adidas TERREX announces a multi-season collaboration with National Geographic, consisting of high-performance outdoor wear. The inaugural collection is built to celebrate the role of photography in the culture of outdoor sport - as well-equipped hikers turn their ability to explore more places, and spirit of adventure, into stunning content.

To celebrate this relationship, designers at adidas TERREX combed the National Geographic photography archives for stunning stills of some of the most remote yet moving locations on earth, integrated in unique all over prints in a bold new hiking collection. All pieces are unified by National Geographic’s iconic yellow icon.

Places celebrated in the collection include a snow-covered sandstone monocline in Comb Ridge, Utah, a 120-mile-long, north to south stretch that defines the State’s red rock landscape, as well as textured portraits of shale, - captured on the coast of Norway’s northernmost county - highlighting the sedimentary rock’s distinctive formations.

The 51-piece collection includes women’s, men’s, and gender-neutral offerings – all built to equip the wearer in multi-terrain environments:

• A part of the collection is the RAIN.RDY Jacket; a 2.5L waterproof and seam-sealed outer garment built to facilitate epic adventures. The men’s jacket features a bold print of the shell formations in the Porsanger Peninsula, Norway, while the women’s is inspired by stills of White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
• A long sleeve shirt is finished with the bold National Geographic yellow icon and reflective details.
• The TERREX Swift R3 GORE-TEX Hiking shoes offer the peak combination of a lightweight construction and cushioning as seen in trail running shoes with the stability of a hiking boot. Finished in a print inspired by a stunning aerial shot of Earth, the hiking shoes come with a GORE-TEX lining and membrane seal so water is kept out, and a Continental™ Rubber outsole for optimal grip in wet or dry conditions.
• The WIND.RDY: GET SHELTERED Jacket, with wind-resistant technology and a water repellent ripstop fabric, allows explorers to feel protected and confident in many weather conditions. The men’s and women’s versions come with bold prints inspired by photography including that of sandstone and snow at Comb Ridge, Utah. Smart design features including a bungee-cord enabled adjustable hem, a lightweight fabric and reflective details. Additionally, it features a bold new lenticular logo design that alternates between Terrex and National Geographic from different perspectives – and is made in part with recycled materials.

For the seventh time since 2017, the Discover National Fibre Initiative is inviting entries for the ‘DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Award’. The purpose of the DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Award is to raise awareness of exciting work involving natural fibres, and to help raise the profiles of leading researchers so as to enhance opportunities for commercial application of such work.

The DNFI Award 2023 will be judged in three categories: Innovative products/components or applications, innovative processes/procedures, research and science.
The evaluation criteria are: outstanding scientific work and technical feasibility, the extent of improvement or effectiveness of the innovation compared to existing products or processes in which the innovative product or process has been implemented and the potential for opening up new markets or sectors for products made from natural fibres.

Candidates for the DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Award 2023 are requested to send the application with the appropriate submission form by email.

Closing date for applications is 8 September 2023.

A little over three years have passed since RadiciGroup announced the acquisition of Zeta Polimeri, an Italian company headquartered in Buronzo (VC) with over 30 years' experience in the recovery of pre- and post-consumer synthetic fibres and thermoplastic materials. Today, the company has become a full member of the Group with its new name Radici EcoMaterials Srl.

The new company’s long-standing know-how, combined with RadiciGroup’s as a whole, will create a virtuous production system that recovers worn-out materials (fabric, yarn and granules), or otherwise unusable materials, and processes them into raw materials available for other production cycles by taking advantage of industrial synergy.

Radici EcoMaterials is a strategic production site because it handles all the preliminary recovery stages: the sorting, processing and pre-treatment of materials, including those used for the production of post-consumer yarns and engineering polymers. In this sense, Radici EcoMaterials is in line with the most recent European policies on sustainable textiles, which address minimizing the share of materials destined for disposal sites, favouring instead more structured recycling solutions.

Radici EcoMaterials is also GRS certified. GRS certification ensures the complete traceability of its materials, which are made in a safe plant that meets the highest environmental and social certification standards.

The company is also equipped with a photovoltaic system and, for the portion of its energy needs not covered by the photovoltaic source, it partially relies on renewable energy. The goal is to use 100% green energy in the next few years, in accord with RadiciGroup's goals.

January 2024 marks the official birth of ERCA TCS (Textile Chemical Solutions), a business unit of ERCA S.p.A. with a focus on the textile market. Founded in the 1960s, ERCA S.p.A. is an Italian company, present with six plants in three macro-regions: Europe, Latin America and Asia. The ERCA group produces specialty and auxiliary chemicals with a responsible innovation approach and its production covers several markets: textiles, cosmetics, polyurethanes, concrete.

Why a business unit that caters solely to the textile industry? The decision to give birth to ERCA TCS comes from the desire to be a unique and innovative reference point for ERCA's customers, with products and
services designed specifically for the needs of today's textile industry, grappling with the challenges and
opportunities of sustainability and responsible production.

ERCA TCS bases its activities on the principles of "Green Chemistry" with the aim of offering the textile industry chemical solutions that make the concepts of safety, performance and circularity a reality. The chemical auxiliaries of ERCA TCS are the result of a vision that incorporates responsible innovation, continuous research, and a desire to offer to the market effective yet ethically, environmentally, and economically sustainable solutions.

The green, high tech and circular commitment of ERCA TCS is demonstrated by a product and brand range that is totally based on the circular economy, which started from a problem - the disposal of used vegetable oil - and turned it into a resource, into a raw material for the production of chemical auxiliaries for the textile industry: REVECOL®, the circular range of high-performance, made-in-Italy, GRS-certified chemical auxiliaries. The REVECOL® range can be used on any type of fiber, recycled or not.

The Global Organic Textile Standard is pleased to announce the release of GOTS Version 7.0, which features an expanded scope of environmental and social criteria while maintaining a standard that is practicable for industrial production and appropriate for a wide range of products. During the regular year-long revision process, international stakeholders with expertise in organic production, textile processing, textile chemistry, human rights and social criteria, as well as representatives from industry, NGOs and civil society organisations, contributed to the new Version 7.0 through multiple consultation rounds. Final decisions were made by the multistakeholder GOTS Standard Revision Committee.

GOTS Version 7.0 provides a comprehensive solution for companies who want to produce organic textiles ensuring compliance with environmental and human rights due diligence along the entire supply chain, from field to finished product. With full traceability from origin to destination, GOTS certification provides an efficient means of verifying genuine sustainability efforts. GOTS 7.0 introduces new requirements to conduct risk-based due diligence of Certified Entities’ own operations and their supply chains based on the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and the OECD guidelines. The Social Criteria section was substantially revised to include a broader human rights-focused approach. GOTS 7.0 now allows recycled organic fibres as additional materials. Key requirements, such as certified organic fibre content, a general ban on toxic and harmful chemicals such as PFAS, conventional cotton and virgin polyester restrictions, and social compliance management, are maintained in GOTS Version 7.0.

Some of the changes in Version 7.0 include:

• GOTS and the Manual for the Implementation of GOTS were restructured, and sections were grouped to reflect the standard’s scope.
• New due diligence criteria ensures that Certified Entities address their actual and potential negative impacts on human rights and the environment.
• GOTS Environmental Criteria, Product Stewardship, and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) requirements will also apply to the subcontractors of chemical formulators.
• Criteria for the incoming organic material have been made stricter.
• Quinoline is included among the prohibited substances and some existing restrictions have been made tighter such as of “aniline, free”, residue limit is decreased to 20 mg/kg from 100 mk/kg.
• GOTS 7.0 reduces the permissible quantity of recycled synthetic (polymer) fibres in its certified products, taking into account the disadvantages associated with recycled synthetics, such as microplastics and poor quality.
• In the pursuit of circularity, GOTS will allow use of recycled GOTS Goods waste as an additional fibre in its certified products.
• GOTS Human Rights and Social Criteria will now require Certified Entities to respect internationally recognised human rights protocols, including the International Bill of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties.
• Criteria concerning Discrimination, Violence and Harassment were revised to make them more comprehensive and include the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Violence and Harassment Convention (C190).
• Certified Entities are now required to develop a plan to cover the living wage gap.
• GOTS Occupational Health and Safety criteria were revised to consider best international practices and recommendations from the ILO.

For more information, see the following documents:

• GOTS Version 7.0
• Change Log GOTS 7.0
• Change Log Manual for the Implementation of GOTS 7.0
• Guideline for the new structure of GOTS 7.0

The EU's plans to ban PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals will have an immense impact on companies globally. Perhaps even more than expected, as many manufacturers are unaware that they may have PFAS chemicals in their product line. A new online tool, launched today by NGO ChemSec, will help to solve this problem.

Just a couple of weeks after the big PFAS restriction proposal in the EU was published, ChemSec launches the PFAS Guide, which helps companies investigate the use of persistent chemicals within their businesses. The main feature of the PFAS Guide is the searchable database uncovering different PFAS uses and functions. The online tool also provides guidance on different aspects of the phase-out process from regulation and investigation all the way to testing and supply chain communication.

“We’ve been working to support companies in chemical substitution for a long time, and the last few years we’ve gathered a group of companies working specifically on the PFAS issue. The discussions with them made it clear to us that a main challenge is understanding if and where in your business you may have PFAS”, says Dr. Anna Lennquist, Project Leader for the PFAS Guide.

PFAS are a source of growing concern
It has been estimated that 95 percent of all manufactured goods rely on some form of industrial chemical process. A large share of the chemicals used in these processes have been linked to adverse impacts on human health and the environment. PFAS are a clear example of this problem. PFAS have been manufactured and used in products such as make-up, non-stick pans, water- and greaseproof textiles, food-packaging materials, and firefighting foam since the 1950s and are still used in a wide variety of products around the world today.

But they are also substances of growing concern due to their problematic properties. Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of several thousand man-made chemicals that accumulate in the environment and cause health impacts for generations. They are, for example, linked to cancer, lung disease, diabetes, reproductive abnormalities and learning difficulties. Since PFAS do not degrade, these “forever chemicals” are now so widespread that is safe to say that every single human being on the planet have detectable levels of these toxic chemicals in their blood.

A couple of weeks ago, a big proposal to restrict PFAS in the EU was published. The five EU Member States behind the proposal submitted a broad restriction proposal that clearly shows the need for the industry to put all resources into phasing out all PFAS substances.

Global Fashion Summit, a leading international forum for sustainability in fashion, will convene core stakeholders across the fashion ecosystem and parallel industries to drive tangible action on social and environmental sustainability. The Summit is presented by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA). GFA is a non-profit organisation that is accelerating the transition to a net positive fashion industry, under the patronage of HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark. Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2023 will take place on 27-28 June in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The theme of Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2023 is ‘Ambition to Action’. Under this premise, the Summit will present content experiences focused on tangible impact.

The theme will underly all elements of the Summit and Main Stage speakers will showcase inspiring thought leadership for accelerated change by exploring a matrix of interconnected topics. The 2023 Copenhagen Edition will build on more than a decade’s worth of Summit guidance and outcomes by dedicating even more focus towards action-oriented workshops and case studies. Through these formats, the forum will demonstrate tangible learnings and concrete recommendations that can help drive implementation.
 
The forum will also host strategic roundtable meetings with the aim to mobilise industry leaders to build alliances with solution providers, policy makers, investors and other industry stakeholders and implement immediate solutions. Such alliances can set in motion progress towards a net positive industry. With upcoming policy expected to influence the fashion industry even further this year, the Summit will shed light on the ongoing pieces of legislation currently under discussion both within the EU and worldwide.

This year’s Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition is supported by Principal Sponsor, Maersk. A globally renowned leader in logistics that aims to deliver a more connected, agile and sustainable future for global logistics. Maersk will support the Summit's agenda to accelerate industry transformation by highlighting how logistics can help the fashion and lifestyle industry in reaching their sustainability goals.

Additionally, the Innovation Forum will present a curated exhibition of other leading sustainable solutions. Summit attendees can meet with exhibitors covering the entire value chain – from innovative materials to end-of-use solutions. Innovation Forum Matchmaking will enable small and large fashion businesses to advance their sustainability journey, by providing the unique opportunity to be matched with relevant solution providers. 

ECHA has added nine chemicals to the Candidate List because of their hazardous properties. They are used for example in flame retardants, paints and coatings, inks and toners, coating products, plasticisers and in the manufacture of textile, leather or fur and paper.

Entries added to the Candidate List on 17 January 2023:

• 1,1'-[ethane-1,2-diylbisoxy]bis[2,4,6-tribromobenzene]
• 2,2',6,6'-tetrabromo-4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol
• 4,4'-sulphonyldiphenol
• Barium diboron tetraoxide
• Bis(2-ethylhexyl) tetrabromophthalate covering any of the individual isomers and/or combinations thereof
• Isobutyl 4-hydroxybenzoate
• Melamine
• Perfluoroheptanoic acid and its salts
• reaction mass of 2,2,3,3,5,5,6,6-octafluoro-4-(1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropan-2-yl)morpholine and 2,2,3,3,5,5,6,6-octafluoro-4-(heptafluoropropyl)morpholine

Information on these substances' uses and reasons for inclusion on the Candidate List is available here.

• Potential loss of competitiveness, caused by the EU’s inaction of the energy crisis, and Chinese and US subsidies to domestic industry

Following yesterday’s European Council summit and its conclusions on the measures to tackle the energy crisis, the European textiles industry is extremely concerned about the fast loss of competitiveness of Europe and demands urgent action to save the industry.

The chain of factors determining this sharp decline in competitiveness is twofold. First, the energy cost in Europe is more than 6 times higher than in the US, China, and neighbouring countries. This factor alone has almost erased the business case for producing in the EU. At present, many textiles and clothing companies are producing at net loss or have shut down production. The industrial conditions have worsened in such a way that there is no business case to invest in Europe or buy products produced or processed in the EU. It is only the sense of responsibility of the entrepreneurs towards the European society that is keeping the plants and production running.

Secondly, while the EU is passive and extremely slow in articulating a credible and effective response to the energy crisis, the main international competitors and trade partners (China, India and the US respectively) have developed comprehensive state-aid frameworks for their domestic industry despite not being affected by this crisis at all. The latest example is the 369-billion-dollar scheme of the Inflation Reduction Act rolled out by the Biden administration.

Recent trade data  already indicate a loss of global competitiveness: imports to the EU have grown tremendously in 2022 (+35% year-to-date). It is also evident that the surge in imports goes in parallel with the surge of natural gas price. It is expected that energy prices will remain high and volatile, opening the door for imports to gain substantial market shares in the EU.

The chart indicates the development of the Title Transfer Facility (TTF) until September 2022 since Eurostat data for Q4 2022 has not been published yet. Euratex is aware that the market situation has eased somewhat since in the past months, but the crisis remains because gas prices are still extremely high in comparison to last year. This suggests that the current loss of competitiveness of the EU manufacturing will not be recovered even with lower energy prices, unless measures are taken to correct the unlevel playing field on which the EU industry has to operate in the international markets. Only with an ambitious and comprehensive relaunch plan at EU level, Europe will be able to restore its credibility as a global manufacturing powerhouse and investments.

If the status quo is maintained, not only the EU will not be able to recover its competitive position on the global business stage, but it will also fail its plans to reach zero-net emissions and achieve circularity. It is evident that these ambitions - that the industry is passionately supporting - need massive capital investments. However, in the current scenario an investments diversion can only be expected to markets where governments are actively supporting those investments and energy costs are much lower – regardless of their fossil- or non-fossil origin.

The European textiles industry – the whole value chain, from fibres, nonwoven, to fabrics, clothing manufacturers - are facing unprecedented pressure deriving from the current geopolitical situation, the new macroeconomic conditions and unfair competition from third states. The situation is going to worsen if no emergency action is taken, especially because a recession is expected in the coming months.

The main structural component of the EU manufacturing are SMEs: these are economic actors that are particularly exposed to the current crisis as they do not have the financial leverage to absorb the impact of energy prices for much longer. Urgent EU action is needed to ensure their survival.

EURATEX calls on the EU political leaders in the Commission, in the European Council and in the national capitals to:

1. Raise the ambition and adopt a comprehensive approach at EU level: energy, state-aid and trade policy must be brought together in a single strategy with concrete emergency solutions and with a clear SME dimension;
    
2. Let all hesitations aside and adopt a meaningful price cap on natural gas wholesales, that should be ideally no higher than 80 euro/MWh. In parallel, it should also be ensured that electricity prices are brought to a sustainable price level;
    
3. Change the European posture on state-aid, even temporarily. An ambitious plan of investments and state-aid in green technologies to support the industrial transition should be rolled out.

Such a plan, however, should not be conceived as a retaliation against our most necessary and like-minded trade partners. Access to finance and markets must be safeguarded for all those actors who are capable and willing to invest in Europe, on the basis of reciprocity. In   these challenging times for geopolitical stability, ensuring strong trade ties with our traditional allies and partners is of utmost importance. The roll-out of an investment and state aid plan should not interfere, but rather support, the dialogue with the US (and other partners) and the deepening of our trade and investment partnership. Such a dialogue should be accelerated in the context of the TTC as well as at WTO level.