From the Sector

• New partnership will recycle over 1.6 billion PET beverage bottles in the Czech Republic by 2025

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), the world’s largest producer of recycled PET for beverage bottles, completed a deal for an 85% equity stake in Czech Republic-based PET plastic recycler, UCY Polymers CZ s.r.o. (UCY), boosting the country and Europe’s plastic collection and recycling ambitions.

As a result of the investment, IVL will recycle about 1.12 billion additional post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles in the Czech Republic every year by 2025, increasing the total bottles recycled by UCY across the Czech Republic, Germany and Central Europe to 1.6 billion bottles per year. IVL, a global sustainable chemicals company, is investing USD1.5 billion globally to expand recycling facilities and sustainable production, including boosting its recycling capacity to 750,000 tons per year by 2025.

UCY is a strategic fit for IVL as a backward integration into the company’s expanding recycled PET (rPET) footprint in Europe and across the world to secure feedstock for rPET products. UCY can produce 40,000 tonnes of recycled PET flake per year. IVL will develop UCY to serve the increasing demand for recycled PET in Europe.

UCY will work with IVL’s existing PET flake production facilities in the region. These provide the washed and shredded post-consumer bottles as PET flake feedstock to produce recycled PET resin that is suitable for food contact use. PET is fully recyclable and the most collected and recycled plastic packaging in Europe.

ROICA™ main objective is to focus on and respond to new generation values in fashion. Values that are key for contemporary consumers, who are the ones leading the change throughout all the supply value chain, and have received even more attention since the beginning of the pandemic. ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei team knows that value creation is the basic foundation of contemporary business. Its teams are ready to go to the next level, answering to the market demand for innovation while sharing its responsibility efforts towards the new generation of consumer.

For this reason, the ROICA™ strategy is based on two key elements. On the one side, a strong focus on responsible innovation, able to respond to new fashion needs and desires while not harming the environment nor the society at large. On the other hand, a consolidation of partnerships along the whole supply chain through conversations and collaborations with companies sharing the ROICA™ values, in order to deliver creativity, solutions and design to all contemporary consumers. For example, in terms of fabric producers ROICA™ has been working alongside industry leaders such as Brugnoli, Candiani Denim, CIFRA, Dresdner Spitzen, Eusebio, Iluna Group, Innova Fabrics, Inter Jersey Milano, Lauma Fabrics, L/E Textile, Maglificio Ripa, M.I.T.I., Penn Italia - Penn Textile Solutions GmbH, Piave Maitex, Sitip S.p.A., Sofileta, Taubert Textil, Tessitura Colombo, TINTEX Textiles, TVB Textil-Vertrieb-Beratungs.

See attached document to read more about the current wardrobe stories.

Global Fashion Summit, an international forum for sustainability in fashion, will convene core stakeholders across fashion, parallel industries, investment, policy and NGOs to forge alliances for a new era. The Summit is presented by Global Fashion Agenda, the non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration in fashion to drive impact, under the patronage of HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark. Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2022, will return in physical form on 7-8 June in the Royal Opera House, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Formerly known as Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the forum has been renamed to manifest the organisation’s global outlook and reach. Global Fashion Summit will build on the 13-year history of the renowned Copenhagen Fashion Summit by strengthening its representation and connections with diverse perspectives from across the world. Therefore, the Summit will be hosted in various key cities in the future, in addition to its flagship edition in Copenhagen.
 
Under the theme ‘Alliances for a New Era’, Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2022 will endeavour to form previously inconceivable alliances within the fashion industry and examine atypical cross-industry alliances, in a bid to accelerate the transition to a net positive reality.
 
The theme will underly all elements of the Summit. It will be represented on the Summit main stage during plenary sessions consisting of high-level keynote speeches and panels. These will bring together speakers that are often perceived as direct competitors to have transparent conversations about their mutual challenges and collaborate to discuss the actions needed to tackle the urgent issues. The programme will also include industries such as transportation, food and energy, to consider the challenges that are similarly experienced in other sectors and learn from successful solutions that are being demonstrated outside of fashion.
 
Going beyond the stage content, the Summit will apply the theme in practical terms by mobilising leaders to implement immediate actions through newly formed partnerships with solution providers and other industry players, setting long-term industry commitments, hosting leadership roundtables and creating binding industry agreements that will provoke progress based on its sustainability performance level.
The Innovation Forum will present a curated exhibition of sustainable solutions. Participating brands will be able to connect with exhibitors covering the entire value chain – from innovative materials to on-demand manufacturing. The forum’s Matchmaking service will offer small and large fashion businesses the opportunity to advance their sustainability journey by being matched directly with relevant solution providers.
There will be an in-depth assessment of the impact that the Summit and its resulting alliances have on the industry. This will be published in the aftermath of the event, examining the concrete outcomes from the Summit and providing a baseline for future forums.

Über 200 Vertreter*innen aus der Faserverbundbranche, dem Bauwesen und der Wissenschaft nahmen im Januar 2022 am Abschlussforum des BMBF-Innovationsforums „FiberBuild – Faserverbundindustrie erschließt Bauwesen“ teil, um das Potenzial von faserverstärkten Werkstoffen für Bauanwendungen zu diskutieren, neue Geschäftsfelder zu analysieren und sich branchenübergreifend zu vernetzen. Zu dem zweitägigen Online-Event hatte der Projektinitiator, das Fachnetzwerk CU Bau des Composites United e V., eingeladen.
 
Über 200 Interessenten waren der Einladung gefolgt und erhielten Einblicke in die Welt der Faserverbundwerkstoffe. Neben einer Studie zum Marktpotenzial dieser Materialien im Bauwesen sowie dem Konzept einer Ideen-TransferPlattform stellten Referenten aus dem gesamten DACH-Raum ihre bisherigen Erfahrungen mit Produkten aus faserverstärkten Werkstoffen für bspw. Brückenbauten und -sanierungen, Türme und Masten, Leichtbaudächer oder -fassaden vor.

Diese Werkstoffe zeichnen sich insbesondere durch überzeugende strukturelle Eigenschaften bei vergleichsweise niedrigem Materialeinsatz aus und bieten somit ökologische Vorteile. Durch die höhere Lebensdauer, reduzierte Wartungsaufwände, einfache Handhabung und geringere Transportlasten bieten sie gleichzeitig auch ökonomische Vorzüge. Sie erlauben ebenfalls eine besondere Designfreiheit und die Integration von erweiterten Funktionalitäten, wie etwa die Schadensüberwachung durch integrierte Sensoren.

Am zweiten Veranstaltungstag lag der Fokus auf der Bauindustrie, die sich aktuell mit der Forderung nach klimaschonenden und nachhaltigen Werkstoffen und Technologien konfrontiert sieht. Benötigt werden material- und energieeffiziente Lösungen zur Reduktion von CO2-Emissionen. Faserverbundverstärkte Baustoffe können hier Lösungen aufzeigen.

Außerdem setzen die stagnierende Produktivität sowie der andauernde Fachkräftemangel bei steigenden Personalkosten die Baubranche zusätzlich unter Druck. Hier bieten sich Ansatzpunkte über digitales, vollautomatisiertes Bauen sowie Produktionssysteme mit mehr Standardisierung bzw. einer Vorfertigung in der Fabrik. Leichtbauweisen mit Faserverbunden verfügen über einen hohen Vorfertigungsgrad, durch additive Fertigungsverfahren (z. B. 3D-Druck) können Planungsdaten zeit- und kosteneffizient direkt vor Ort in die Ausführung übertragen werden.

Die größte Hürde für den flächendeckenden Einsatz von faserverstärkten Bauprodukten ist aber das Baurecht. Im Gegensatz zu bekannten, herkömmlichen Baumaterialien fehlen für faserverstärkte Werkstoffe grundlegende Normenwerke und bauaufsichtliche Regelungen. Daraus entsteht für jedes Projekt die Notwendigkeit einer Zustimmung im Einzelfall, einer gutachterlichen Stellungnahme sowie von experimentellen Untersuchungen. Dies ist mit zusätzlichen Kosten und Zeitaufwand verbunden, was einen Einsatz von neuen Werkstoffen natürlich erschwert. Die Schwierigkeiten bei der Zusammenfassung in einer Norm entstehen auch durch die Werkstoffvielfalt und die unterschiedlichen Herstellungsprozesse. So sind verschiedene, kombinierbare Harz- und Fasersysteme am Markt, unterschiedliche Fertigungstechnologien sind ausschlaggebend für Toleranzen im Material. Die ersten normativen Grundlagen entstehen aktuell auf Bemühungen des Deutschen Ausschusses für Stahlbeton (DAfStb).  

„Wir haben an beiden Eventtagen gesehen, wie die Zukunft der Baubranche aussehen kann“, resümierte Roy Thyroff, Geschäftsführer des CU Bau. „Für den Einsatz von nichtmetallischen Bewehrungen sind umfassende Kenntnisse zu Material- und Tragverhalten notwendige Voraussetzung. In anderen Industrien, wie der Luftfahrt oder dem Automobilbau, werden Faserverbund-Bauteile schon in Serie gefertigt, da Forschung und Testing dort schon viel weiter vorangeschritten sind. Das Fachnetzwerk CU Bau ist die richtige Plattform um diese Lücke auch für den Bausektor zu schließen. Wir werden branchenübergreifend und werkstoffneutral Wissenschaft und Praxis miteinander verbinden.“  
 
Weitere Informationen zum Projekt online: https://composites-united.com/projects/fiberbuild/

Altri has awarded AFRY engineering, site selection and integrated environmental authorization services assignment for a greenfield textile fiber factory in Spain. In addition, AFRY will support Altri to conceive, create and implement foundations for Industry 4.0 technologies in this new plant.

The demand for sustainable textile fibres is growing quickly globally. To support this growth, the Portuguese pulp producer Altri has become the industrial partner to public-private consortium Impulsa (Society for the Development of Strategic Projects of Galicia) as the lead investor and technologist to study the wood-based textile fibers biofactory exclusively. This biofactory will use Galician wood as the primary raw material together with recycled remains from the textile industry to produce dissolving pulp and Lyocell fibre. The plant will be designed based on the best available techniques (BAT), best environmental practices, as well as cutting-edge proven technologies and the production will be fossil-fuel-free. The project is expected to benefit from the “Next Generation EU” program.

Altri is responsible for designing and developing the biofactory project to transform wood into a textile fiber, evaluating site locations and exploring alliances with the entire value chain. Altri has assigned AFRY to support the project development and planned project implementation.  

The industrial biorefinery to be built from scratch will be able to provide the textile cluster of the Iberian peninsula with sustainable cellulosic fibers, contributing to the strengthening of the circular economy and decarbonisation of an important economic sector such as the textile sector.

AFRY has been involved in the project development from the very early stages. AFRY supported the project concept idea initially developed by Altri and led the preliminary feasibility study. A multi-disciplinary team of AFRY’s engineering and consulting experts is currently supporting Altri on the site selection activities, engineering and permitting processes.

The demand for environmentally friendly packaging continues to grow. This development is posing real challenges for brand owners. How do they make the switch to flexible packaging that is recyclable? What needs to be considered? How can the issue of recycling be advanced? And why does Europe still need to catch up on topics such as “defining recyclability” and “test methods”? Insight into these questions and more is featured in a new episode of Sappi's Blue Couch Series.

• “Functional paper packaging – the path towards greater recyclability”
• Julian Thielen, Head of the “Made for Recycling” service at Interseroh Plus, Kerstin Dietze, Key Account Manager for Paper and Packaging Solutions at Sappi, and Gustavo Duarte, Manager Competence Center Packaging Solutions at Sappi

The “Functional Paper Packaging – the path towards greater recyclability” episode will begin airing on 22 February, here.

Mit ihren Forschungsergebnissen zur Herstellung von Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz bewarben sich die DITF erfolgreich um den ersten Preis der „Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year“. Nominiert wurden die DITF im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“, die vom 2. bis 3. Januar in Köln stattgefunden hat.

Zum zweiten Mal kürte das nova-Institut für Ökologie und Innovation im Rahmen der „International Conference on Cellulose Fibres 2022“ herausragende wissenschaftliche Forschung, die nachhaltige Lösungen für die Wertschöpfungskette von Zellulosefasern liefert. Die DITF Denkendorf präsentierten sich mit dem Thema „Kohlenstofffasern aus Holz“ inmitten eines aktuellen Forschungsfeldes, das ressourcenschonende Alternativen zu Fasern auf fossiler Basis liefert.

Das Kompetenzzentrum Biopolymerwerkstoffe der DITF Denkendorf erhielt bei der Nominierung den ersten Platz mit der Präsentation von Kohlenstofffasern (Carbonfasern), die in einem neuartigen und nachhaltigen Verfahren aus dem Rohstoff Holz gewonnen werden. Die HighPerCellCarbon®-Technologie beschreibt ein patentiertes Verfahren, das unter der Federführung von Dr. Frank Hermanutz weiterentwickelt worden ist: In Folge dessen können in einem nachhaltigen und besonders umweltschonenden Prozess Carbonfasern auf der Basis von Biopolymeren erzeugt werden.

Das HighPerCellCarbon®-Verfahren umfasst das Nassspinnen von Zellulosefasern unter Verwendung ionischer Flüssigkeiten (IL) als Direktlösungsmittel. Das Filamentspinnverfahren stellt den zentralen technischen Teil. Es erfolgt in einem umweltfreundlichen und geschlossenen System. Das Lösungsmittel (IL) wird dabei vollständig rezykliert. Die auf diesem Wege erzeugten Zellulosefasern werden in einem weiteren Entwicklungsschritt durch einen Niederdruck-Stabilisierungsprozess direkt in Carbonfasern umgewandelt, gefolgt von einem geeigneten Carbonisierungsprozess. Während des gesamten Verfahrensablaufs entstehen keine Abgase oder giftigen Nebenprodukte.

Neben der Rezyklierfähigkeit des verwendeten Lösungsmittels steht besonders die Verwendung des Rohstoffs Holz für Ressourcenschutz. Erdölbasierte Ausgangsstoffe, die üblicherweise in der industriellen Herstellung von Carbonfasern Verwendung finden, werden durch nachwachsende Biopolymere substituiert.

For the second time in a row, the speciality viscose fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres was awarded a place on the podium at the Cellulose Fibre of the Year Awards. The concept for sustainable menstrual underwear made from Kelheim’s functionalised speciality fibres achieved third place. Kelheim Fibres thus emerges from the competition as the most innovative fibre manufacturer.

Project manager New Business Development Natalie Wunder presented the promising concept from Kelheim at the International Conference on Cellulose Fibres: "We have been able to use our experience as a long-established supplier for the tampon industry to develop further sustainable solutions in the feminine hygiene sector, in this case reusable menstrual underwear. As an innovation pioneer, we are thus helping to break the taboos that surround the topic of menstruation. We offer women the choice between different environmentally friendly products which also offer high levels of performance - depending on what fits their lifestyle."

For the next step, the commercialisation of the concept, Dr Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Director New Business Development at Kelheim Fibres, puts her trust in the proven open innovation approach: "We want to bring partners from the entire value chain together. By bringing in our joint expertise, we can significantly accelerate the path from idea to finished product in the market. At the same time, through open dialogue, we ensure that the concept works seamlessly from fibre through processing to the final product.

• 76 KL/Day water saving by optimizing pH analysis process in dye vessels
• A step closer to achieving the ‘Huntsman Horizon 2025’ goal
• Potential savings of over Rs 10 crore or USD146,000 annually from the project

Huntsman Textile Effects, the global leader in innovative and environmentally sustainable dyes, chemicals, and digital inks, has successfully implemented a water conservation process to improve water efficiency and reduce net water usage at its Baroda facility, which is located in the western region of India. The initiative undertaken at the plant aims to save around 76 kilo liters of Reverse Osmosis water per day by modifying the phase sequence in the pH measurement program.

Water is used extensively throughout textile processing operations. The amount of water used varies widely in the industry, depending on specific processes operated at the plant, equipment used, and policies concerning water use. This conservation project at the Baroda Plant will have a potential savings of Rs 10 crore or USD146,000 a year for the organization.

Speaking on the development, Mark Devaney, Vice President Manufacturing and Operations Excellence, Huntsman Textile Effects said, “At Huntsman, we recognize the important role we play in creating a more sustainable future and are committed to the well-being of the communities where we operate, and the protection of the environment. We are continually looking for ways to improve the environmental footprint of our manufacturing sites and have been implementing numerous projects in recent years to reduce our water usage.”

“The team has done a detailed assessment of the pH analysis process in dye vessels, mapping the existing water usage and potential conservation method. After a brief study and several brainstorming sessions, we were able to adjust the phase sequence, resulting in conservation of Reverse Osmosis water by almost 76 kilo liters of water per day.” said Kavishwar Kalambe, Site Director, Huntsman Textile Effects. “This project directly contributes to Huntsman’s Horizon 2025 goals to reduce net water usage at facilities in water-stressed regions,” he added.

In a new study, Empa researcher Dominik Brunner, together with colleagues from Utrecht University and the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geophysics, is investigating how much plastic is trickling down on us from the atmosphere. According to the study, some nanoplastics travel over 2000 kilometers through the air. According to the figures from the measurements about 43 trillion miniature plastic particles land in Switzerland every year. Researchers still disagree on the exact number. But according to estimates from the study, it could be as much as 3,000 tonnes of nanoplastics that cover Switzerland every year, from the remote Alps to the urban lowlands. These estimates are very high compared to other studies, and more research is needed to verify these numbers

The study is uncharted scientific territory because the spread of nanoplastics through the air is still largely unexplored.

The scientists studied a small area at an altitude of 3106 meters at the top of the mountain "Hoher Sonnenblick" in the "Hohe Tauern" National Park in Austria.
Every day, and in all weather conditions, scientists removed a part of the top layer of snow around a marker at 8 AM and carefully stored it. Contamination of the samples by nanoplastics in the air or on the scientists' clothes was a particular challenge. In the laboratory, the researchers sometimes had to remain motionless when a colleague handled an open sample.

The origin of the tiny particles was traced with the help of European wind and weather data. The researchers could show that the greatest emission of nanoplastics into the atmosphere occurs in densely populated, urban areas. About 30% of the nanoplastic particles measured on the mountain top originate from a radius of 200 kilometers, mainly from cities. However, plastics from the world's oceans apparently also get into the air via the spray of the waves. Around 10% of the particles measured in the study were blown onto the mountain by wind and weather over 2000 kilometers – some of them from the Atlantic.

It is estimated that more than 8300 million tonnes of plastic have been produced worldwide to date, about 60% of which is now waste. This waste erodes through weathering effects and mechanical abrasion from macro- to micro- and nanoparticles. But discarded plastic is far from the only source. Everyday use of plastic products such as packaging and clothing releases nanoplastics. Particles in this size range are so light that their movement in the air can best be compared to gases.

Besides plastics, there are all kinds of other tiny particles. From Sahara sand to brake pads, the world is buzzing through the air as abrasion. It is as yet unclear whether this kind of air pollution poses a potential health threat to humans. Nanoparticles, unlike microparticles, do not just end up in the stomach. They are sucked deep into the lungs through respiration, where their size may allow them to cross the cell-blood barrier and enter the human bloodstream. Whether this is harmful or even dangerous, however, remains to be researched.