From the Sector

Fashion for Good launches the Sorting for Circularity USA report unveiling significant findings from the project. A first of its kind in the US, the report delves into consumer disposal behaviour, textile waste composition, and the potential for fibre-to-fibre recycling within the country. It provides insights for making informed decisions for further investments, infrastructure development and the next steps towards circularity.

The U.S. Textile Waste Landscape
The United States is a global leader in textile consumption and waste generation, positioning itself as one of the largest sources of secondary raw materials for post-consumer textile feedstock. Despite this, only 15% of the textile waste generated in the US is currently recovered, with 85% ending up in landfills or incinerators.

With the impending policies in the European Union and certain American states, alongside commitments from both public and private sectors to promote fibre-to-fibre recycling, there is a growing demand for infrastructure related to post-consumer textile collection, sorting, and recycling.

Addressing Data GPS
In the pursuit of establishing a functional reverse supply chain and the necessary infrastructure, two critical areas lack data  – consumer disposal behaviour, and material characteristics of post-consumer textiles. The Sorting for Circularity USA project addressed these gaps through a comprehensive national consumer survey and waste composition analysis.

The survey revealed that 60% of respondents divert textiles, while 4% discard them, driven primarily by factors such as condition and fit. On the other hand, the waste composition analysis unveiled that over 56% of post-consumer textiles are suitable for fibre-to-fibre recycling, with cotton and polyester being the most prevalent fibre types, indicating a substantial potential for these textiles to be used as feedstock for mechanical and chemical recycling processes.

The project revealed a $1.5 billion opportunity for fibre-to-fibre recycling by redirecting non-rewearable textiles from landfills and incinerators to recycling streams. The report outlines growth strategies for the US textile recycling industry, emphasising enhanced financial value through efficiency improvements, increased commodity valuation, and policy mechanisms like extended producer responsibility schemes. Collaboration among stakeholders is crucial, including brands, government, retailers, consumers, collectors, sorters, recyclers, and financial institutions, to promote circularity, invest in research and development, and advocate for supportive policies and incentives to drive technological innovation. This redirection of textiles towards recycling underscores the substantial economic potential of embracing circularity in the textile industry.
 
There is an opportunity to build on these insights and assess the feasibility of different sorting business models and (semi) automated sorting technologies to create a demo facility suitable for closed-loop textile recycling. Ultimately, evaluating the commercial and technical feasibility of a semi-automated sorting process and identifying investment opportunities to scale solutions nationwide.

ITM, to be held in Istanbul at the beginning of June, will once again see a strong participation of VDMA member companies. Almost 90 exhibitors from Germany will exhibit at the trade fair, most of whom are members of the VDMA. In addition to the VDMA member companies exhibiting with their own booth, numerous VDMA members will be represented in Istanbul via agents. They cover nearly all different machinery chapters with a focus on spinning, nonwovens, weaving, knitting, warp knitting and finishing.

In Istanbul, the VDMA members will show their latest innovations. In technological terms, significant trends are digitalisation and automation. These themes have been present for some time but will continue to play a central role in meeting the challenges for many years to come. Another trend that has also been around for a while is sustainability. Today it is much more than a buzzword: Efficiency in energy, raw materials or water as well as recycling are not feel-good issues but have a real economic and social background.

For the textile machinery manufacturers organised in the VDMA, Turkey is a major trading partner. In 2023, textile machinery and accessories worth approximately 350 million euros were exported from Germany to Turkey, which made Turkey the second biggest sales market for German companies. After three years in which China was the most important supplier of textile machinery to Turkey, Germany has now regained this top position.

Turkey is at the doorstep of Europe, which gives Turkish textile producers a powerful geographic advantage over Asian sourcing destinations. The textile companies in the region have a deep experience and know-how in making the highest quality textile and apparel for leading markets of Europe and employs a young, dynamic, and well-educated workforce.

But ITM is not just a place for visitors from Turkey, as Dr. Harald Weber, Managing Director of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association explains: “It should not be forgotten that ITM not only attracts visitors from Turkey, but also from the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa. Turkey's proximity to the European Union and its fully integrated textile value chain also make it interesting in terms of the EU's strategy for sustainable and circular textiles and the increasing importance of recycling in the future.”

The Trevira CS brand is celebrating its debut at Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW), which takes place in London from May 21-23 2024. The brand is particularly targeting interior architects, interior designers, and contract furnishers to present its innovations on sustainability. Trevira CS stands for flame retardant fabrics that have been tested for fire safety. They also offer numerous sustainable properties.

The London borough of Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else in the world, making it one of the most important design hubs in the world. To celebrate this rich and diverse community, Clerkenwell Design Week has created a unique opportunity to showcase the world's leading interior design brands. With more than 600 events in over 160 showrooms, more than 11 curated exhibitions, stunning installations, talks and a supporting program, CDW has established itself as the UK's leading design festival. The Trevira CS stand is part of the "German Collection - home to German Contemporary Design", which brings together a leading selection of renowned German brands.
 
The product range of flame-retardant Trevira® filament yarns now also includes 30 spun-dyed, UV-stable yarns, which are particularly suitable for outdoor use in fabrics in the hospitality sector and on cruise ships due to their high light fastness and UV resistance. They also score points for their sustainable properties, as the fabrics made from them can be produced in a more environmentally friendly way than textiles made from conventional yarns.

Trevira CS fabrics are also available in recycled versions. They consist of fiber and filament yarns that are obtained in various recycling processes. Fabrics made from these yarns can obtain the Trevira CS eco trademark. The prerequisite for this is a recycled content of at least 50%.

Flat knitting technologist SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Argentinian representative TEMCO ARGENTINA S.A., will participate in the SIMATEX exhibition in Buenos Aires, Argentina (21st - 23rd May 2024).

SHIMA SEIKI will exhibit a wide range of products, including proposals in seam-free WHOLEGARMENT® knitting technology as an alternative to labor-intensive manufacturing in the South American market. Three MACH2®VS machines, capable of knitting WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle, will be shown in 12, 16 and 18 gauge. N.SVR®122, shown in 5 gauge, is the industry benchmark for shaped knitting, featuring such innovations as the R2CARRIAGE®, WideGauge® knitting, spring-type moveable sinkers, DSCS® Digital Stitch Control System, stitch presser, yarn gripper and cutter, and takedown comb.

Demonstrations will be performed on SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 design system. SDS®-ONE APEX4 provides support throughout the supply chain, integrating production into one smooth and efficient workflow from yarn development, product planning and design, to machine programming, production and even sales promotion. Especially effective is the way SDS®-ONE APEX4 improves on the product planning and design evaluation process by replacing physical samples with digital prototypes based on photo-realistic simulations. These virtual samples realize significant savings in time, cost and material, contributing to sustainable manufacturing.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles will mark its 30-year milestone at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) this autumn, from 14 – 16 August 2024. With industry players from around the world gearing up to join this year’s anniversary edition, the showcase will feature returning pavilions, a new product zone, and exhibitors with a wide range of fabrics and more.

30th anniversary celebration
With the ‘Intertextile’ brand present in the Chinese textile market since 1995, increasing market demand, both domestically and internationally, has contributed to the consistent upward trajectory of Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition.

By utilising advanced technologies and abundant resources, China has earned its global reputation as one of the major manufacturing hubs for home textile products. Chinese home textile exports reached over USD 4.8 billion in the first two months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%[1], demonstrating a welcome recovery. On the other hand, the country’s huge population, coupled with its increasing per capita textile consumption and home renovation projects, is providing a plethora of business opportunities for international suppliers to discover.

Featured zones and country pavilions
At this special edition, a new product zone will be unrolled for the first time–the Carpets & Rugs Zone. Set to feature various related products, the rising demand for these floor coverings has prompted the birth of this new featured zone. Meanwhile, the sought-after Designer Studio will return to help buyers achieve product-specific sourcing goals. Furthermore, with carpets, curtains, sun protection, leather, and many more home textiles all zoned accordingly under one roof, buyers will be able to source from a full range of products.

The Belgium and Türkiye Pavilions will once again showcase various product series from premium brands, alongside a comprehensive list of domestic exhibitors and multiple standalone international suppliers set to present their latest innovations and designs.

Beyond exhibitors’ booths, the fair’s anticipated fringe programme will showcase innovations and discuss market trends, such as broadly discussed AI and sustainability topics, to help fairgoers stay ahead of the curve. Simultaneously, the Danish trend agency SPOTT, founded by Ms Anja Bisgaard Gaede, also the leading trend agency for Heimtextil 2024, will be collaborating with the fair for the first time this year. The organisation will present an innovative trend area, set to illustrate design inspiration and industry direction for the upcoming season, through a series of creative displays. In addition, Mr Shen Lei, Founder and Design Director of Interior Architects Design, and the Chinese representative of the Intertextile International Lifestyle Trend Committee, will be returning this year to delve into design topics via his seminar.

^[1] Tnc.com.cn：Analysis of China’s home textile exports from January to February 2024. https://www.tnc.com.cn/info/c-001001-d-3742104.html

The demand for water in Germany is increasing and used water is not being utilized sufficiently. Graywater in particular, i.e. wastewater from showers, bathtubs and washbasins, offers great potential for further use. It can be brought to service water quality on site and reused for flushing toilets or watering gardens, for example. Thanks to flexible 3D textiles, it can even be used in almost any building to save space.

Around 50 to 80 percent of all domestic wastewater is graywater. Until now, large containers and tanks have been needed to reprocess it and return it to the cycle, taking up a lot of space in the building. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and their project partner ARIS have developed a biological, textile-based system.

It is based on a 3D spacer fabric made of highly durable polypropylene. Its advantage is that it can be installed flat and is therefore extremely space-saving. Thanks to its special system geometry, it can be installed in places that would otherwise remain unused - for example in a new building under the floor of an underground garage, on a flat roof or in the garden. It can be modularly adapted to the water requirements and structural conditions in the respective buildings. "Even vertical solutions on facades are conceivable," explains DITF scientist Jamal Sarsour. This means that the graywater treatment system could be used in densely built-up cities in particular.

The system developed by the project partners requires little maintenance and is therefore particularly cost-effective. Compared to previous solutions, it is characterized by a long lifespan. It therefore contributes to sustainable water use and makes a valuable contribution to the circular economy.

ARIS plans to launch the new textile-based graywater treatment system on the market in 2024.

The project will be presented on June 13, 2024 at the SME Innovation Day of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in Berlin.

The research project with the number 16KN080829 of AiF Projekt GmbH, Berlin, was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection as part of the Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.

North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles has been making inroads challenging the conventional pad finishing process and significantly reducing its environmental footprint in collaboration with Baldwin Technology Inc. Front and center in its finishing lab is Baldwin’s TexCoat G4™ digital finishing system.
 
For nearly 125 years, the Wilson College of Textiles has been a hub of innovation and learning, transforming students into experts in the world of textiles. As the textile industry grapples with sustainability challenges, the college has embraced new technologies and innovations to address the issue head-on.
 
At the forefront of this transformation is the Zeis Textiles Extension for Economic Development, an arm of Wilson College which serves the textile industry’s prototyping and pilot production needs in its five laboratories – spun yarn, knitting, weaving, dyeing and finishing, and physical testing. Collaborations with various textile companies have allowed the university to foster industry partnerships that bring forth groundbreaking ideas.
 
The partnership with Baldwin Technology marks a major milestone for the Raleigh, North Carolina-based college’s efforts to contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow.
 
To tackle the longstanding challenges of unsustainable fashion, NC State has taken the lead in demonstrating to students and industry the transition from the traditional pad finishing process to Baldwin’s TexCoat™ G4 system. It offers an innovative “non-contact” precision spray that significantly reduces water consumption, energy usage and chemical waste.
 
“Instead of needing to take the fabric, dip it into a bath to saturate it, squeeze the excess, dry and cure it, you can now precisely add the exact amount of finish you need on the fabric,” explained Rick Stanford, Baldwin's VP Global Business Development of Textiles. “The TexCoat™ G4 system will reduce the amount of pick-up that’s required to carry the chemical onto the fabric. This will also take a lot less energy to dry the fabric, increasing production speeds.”
 
The adoption of the TexCoat™ G4 system signals a new era for the college, allowing students to actively participate in shaping a sustainable future for the textiles industry. In the global effort to protect the planet and its resources, NC State's Wilson College of Textiles is at the forefront, preparing the next generation of professionals to be the leaders of the sustainable textile movement.

UK-based textile testing solutions provider James Heal has launched two new instruments in its tensile and compression testing range, marking 25 years of innovation since their first Titan universal testing machine was developed in 1999.

Having seen sustained growth in the market for personal protective equipment (PPE), particularly safety workwear, equipment and footwear, James Heal designed the Titan 25 to meet demand for quality testing products that require higher capacity tests. In addition, the company has experienced increasing demand in testing solutions for wider sporting, industrial and transportation applications, which also influenced the decision to develop higher capacity test instrumentation.

The new Titan 25 is the highest capacity universal testing machine to join the range capable of tests up to 25kN, while the 10kN Titan 10 has been newly refined. The new instruments offer efficiencies through automation, quick change connections for tooling with compatibility across the range, upgraded software, plus enhanced safety features.

These dual column instruments enable testing on larger specimens across a wide range of tensile and compression tests. Load cells from 100N to 25kN allow testing to as low as 2N giving laboratories maximum flexibility and return for their investment.

Simple to use, the new Titan testers have over 750 pre-loaded standard procedures in the TestWise software, with the option for users to customise and save their own standards. The software automatically sets parameters for each selected test, reducing set up time and eliminating user error.

Archroma and Cotton Incorporated, a research and promotion company for cotton, have renewed their eight-year collaboration to help accelerate the shift to more sustainable circular economy.

The two organizations began working together in 2016 when Cotton Incorporated approached Archroma with the goal of developing a dyestuff from the byproducts of cotton production.

The U.S., the world’s third-largest cotton producer and largest exporter, produces sustainable cotton fiber for the textile and apparel industry as well as cottonseed for food and animal feed. Cotton farming and processing also generate byproducts, such as burs, stems and leaves, that are used to create insulation, packaging, erosion control products, and more. Cotton Incorporated recognized the potential to use these natural byproducts to produce dyes.

Drawing on a century-long heritage of sulfur dye innovation, the Archroma research team was able to apply its patented EarthColors® technology to create DIRESUL® Earth-Cotton using cotton by products from the U.S. supply chain. An alternative to the usual oil-based dyes, Earth-Cotton allows brands to offer textile products in warm natural shades, using cotton to create both fabric and dye.

Stratasys Ltd. announced the launch of its Direct-to-Garment (D2G) solution for the J850 TechStyle™ printer, the newest offering in the Stratasys 3DFashion™ direct-to-textile printing technology. The first example of its application is an Urban Tattoo denim collection which will be revealed at the Texprocess exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany on April 23.

The D2G solution is ideal for customization and personalization by enabling the application of full color multi-material 3D print directly on fully assembled garments of various fabric types including denim, cotton, polyester, and linen. It allows fashion brands to facilitate personalized and bespoke designs for customers, including the ability to tailor 3D prints according to individual preferences, sizes, and styles.  

Available in two sizes, the D2G tray kits facilitate the personalization of garments ranging from jeans to jackets, enabling designers and manufacturers to adopt more sustainable practices by reducing material waste. The seamless workflow delivers ease of calibration and compatibility with various garment sizes, streamlining the production process and fostering the creation of unique, personalized apparel.

Demonstrating this innovation, the Urban Tattoo collection showcases the potential and the ease of direct-to-garment 3D printing. Working with noted designers Karim Rashid, Travis Fitch, Zlatko Yanakiev at Meshroom along with Foraeva Studio, this collection shows the transformation of ordinary garments into pieces of wearable art, imbuing them with personal identity and meaning.

Like body tattoos, Urban Tattoos promote a deeper emotional connection, encouraging the upcycling of existing garments and contributing to a more sustainable fashion ecosystem. This aligns with Stratasys’ strategy for Mindful Manufacturing™. Stratasys has been able to create a new collection that will appeal to multiple brands that reach across diverse socio-economic backgrounds.