From the Sector

• The European Confederation for Flax and Hemp (CELC) has unveiled its new visual identity and name: Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.
• The European Flax-Linen and Hemp industries have announced they are organizing their development around a strengthened team with a clear mission: to expand the entire industry whilst making European Flax-Linen and Hemp the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide.
• The Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp will launch its new identity in the first semester of 2023 for all target groups including Natural Fiber Composite Applications.

CELC has announced its new name and visual identity. The organization, which is the only European agro-industrial organization that serves as a global reference, will now be known as the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.

The new name - Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp – reflects a newly restructured European industry which brings together the entire value chain around a common goal: to make European Flax-Linen and Hemp the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide for Fashion, Technical Textiles and Natural Fiber Composite Applications.

The new brand identity is accompanied by a new logo that connects the identity, values and strategic direction of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp. In addition to visual changes, the Alliance has announced enhanced values and a clear strategic path to turn European Flax-Linen and Hemp into the preferred sustainable premium fibers worldwide.

The Alliance’s future development pathway will focus on three distinct strategic pillars.

• Enhancing its work in publishing structured, reliable economic data and information on a regular basis, in order to be able to continuously deploy a set of specific decision-making support tools.
• Transforming the Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp into an innovative and sustainable international reference which continuously improves its environmental footprint through two essential elements: traceability and Life Cycle Analysis.
• Guaranteeing quality and better describing the quality of its fibers by using technological innovations to create a reference for describing long fibers. A description of European Flax® fibers through optical imaging will soon complement the organoleptic method.

“Europe is the top global producer of Flax fiber. In an international context of growth and reindustrialization, Flax, which accounts for just 0.4% of global textile fibers, is a globalized fiber with remarkable technical and environmental properties. At the same time, the European textile Hemp industry is organizing itself to boost growth. Today, the European Flax-Linen and Hemp ecosystem thus embodies an innovative and sustainable European textile dynamic that meets the needs of consumers and brands.” Bart Depourcq, President, Alliance for European Flax-Linen & Hemp.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has named MaryJo Lilly as its new Market Intelligence Leader. Lilly brings more than 20 years of nonwovens & engineered materials expertise with a background in the disposable, medical and specialty materials industries.

Before starting a consulting firm two years ago, Lilly was Regional Commercial Director of North America for Tredegar Film Products and before that, spent more than a decade as Vice President of Sales at Berry Global in the Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division growing the personal care and medical markets.

Additionally, Lilly’s leadership experience includes Global Business Director at Clopay Plastic Products and Director of Sales and Marketing for Absorbent Materials at Rayonier Performance Fibers. Lilly holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

With her industry knowledge and extensive network, Lilly will develop, issue and present reports, presentations and data to support INDA, member decision-making and the industry. She will, through collaboration with market participants and subject matter experts, develop and maintain relevant industry statistics, reports and surveys on the North American and worldwide markets by major segments and processing technologies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The launch of the third edition of the Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award started on October 27, 2022. The Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award (ISFA) is the international competition born out of the collaboration between Connecting Cultures, the foundation that guides the Out of Fashion platform, and C.L.A.S.S., an international eco-hub that since 2007 has been advocating for a new generation of fashion in which the union of design, innovation, communication, and responsibility shapes a conscious and competitive business, capable of playing both an economic and social role.

The Imagining Sustainable Fashion Award invites stylists, photographers, designers, illustrators and artists to create visual imagery, a project that highlights awareness, respect for people and the planet that define the values of sustainable fashion in the fashion system.

Award submissions will be examined by an international jury composed of:

• Anna Detheridge, Founder and President, Connecting Cultures
• Giusy Bettoni, CEO and Founder, C.L.A.S.S.
• Rita Airaghi, Steering Advisor, Gianfranco Ferré Research Center
• Paola Arosio, Head of New Brands & Sustainability Projects, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana
• Jeanine Ballone Managing Director, Fashion 4 Development
• Evie Evangelou, Founder and President, Fashion 4 Development
• Sara Kozlowski, Vice President of Program Strategies, Education, and Sustainability Initiatives, Council of Fashion Designers of America
• Dio Kurazawa, Founding Partner, The Bear Scouts
• Renata Molho, journalist, former editor-in-chief of L'Uomo Vogue and former editor-at-large of L'Uomo Vogue, Vogue Italia, Casa Vogue
• Stefania Ricci, Director, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo
• Jovana Vukoje, Senior New Brands Specialist, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana

The winning projects of past editions were Take a Walk on the Green Side by Emma Scalcon (2021 - Italy) and Fashion Affair by Vishal Tolambia (2022 - India), two very different works that highlighted how challenging sustainability issues are in the contemporary communication landscape.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
The winner will be announced in March 2023 and will receive a cash prize of €3,000.00.

• European textile industry needs to prepare for a paradigm shift, and become global leader in sustainable textiles

Organised by EURATEX in partnership with the Portuguese Textile Association (ATP), the Porto Convention – Sustainability meets Competitiveness: How to Square the Circle? – took place on 13-14 October in Porto, Portugal, with nearly 250 entrepreneurs attending from all over Europe. They discussed the current challenges of the European textile industry and set the grounds for a bright future, based on some strong foundations: innovation, creativity, quality and sustainability.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Pedro Siza Vieira, Former Minister for the Economy and Digital Transition of Portugal, assessed the geopolitical and macroeconomics changes, and how this will impact on the future of the textile industry: nearshoring and friend-shoring, independence from foreign gas through the use of European sustainable energy, as well as circular and automated production lines. While the current turbulence causes uncertainty, he sees a better future for our industry.

The first CEO Panel, addressing the theme of How to Measure and Communicate about Sustainability, focused on the challenges to translate “sustainability” towards the consumers. The panel addressed the issue of greenwashing and the role of brands in communicating about sustainability. It looked at how the new European Commission regulations on eco-label, digital product passport (DPP) and product environmental footprint (PEF) will create a new framework.

The second CEO Panel, discussing Financing Sustainability, looked at the cost of sustainable investments, and how this cost should be managed within the entire supply chain, including the brands and retailers.

Four workshops with industry experts followed in the afternoon, addressing the themes of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Textiles, Digital Product Passport (DPP), Recycling Textile Waste and Labelling Textiles (Product Environmental Footprint). As these initiatives will roll out in the coming years – as part of the EU Textile Strategy – participants got a better understanding of the future framework for our industry.

Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of EURATEX, commented on this: “to prepare for a brighter future requires a new regulatory framework, where quality and durability become the norm, where transparency and sustainability is rewarded, where free riders – who do not comply with rules and standards – are kept outside the market. The EU Textile Strategy aims at creating such a framework, which must be fair and balanced, and requires a close and constant dialogue between the regulator and the industry.”

During the 2nd day of the convention, participants had the opportunity to visit state of the art textile companies (Têxteis J.F. Almeida, RIOPELE, and TMG Automotive) and the Portuguese textile  research centre CITEVE. They showcased how the Portuguese textile industry is making this transition, while remaining globally competitive.

Alberto Paccanelli, President of EURATEX, concluded: “We need to attract creative people in our companies, we need to produce top class quality products, and we need to become more sustainable. That is the recipe for our success in a globalised and highly competitive industry.” Paccanelli is positive about the future: “While we face very tough times, I am optimistic about the future of our European textile industry. The rest of the world is watching us, as we move forward with our strategy. We should become their benchmark and Europe should become a global leader in sustainable textiles.”

• Absorbent Hygiene Products Featuring Advanced Technology Announced:
  pH monitoring pantyliner (Kimberly-Clark), roll dispensing period product (Egal Pad) and novel potty training pad (Sposie Kids)

Three new absorbent disposable hygiene products that provide users with greater protection, convenience and discretion are the finalists for the Hygienix Innovation Award™ that will be selected at Hygienix™, the premier event for absorbent hygiene and personal care markets, Nov. 14-17, at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel.

The annual award recognizes and rewards innovation that uses nonwoven material or technology in a way that provides consumer benefit and expands its usage.  
Each of the companies will present their products during the event on Nov. 15 and INDA’s Director of Education & Technical Affairs Matt O’Sickey will announce the winner on Nov. 17, at 11:30 a.m. to conclude Hygienix™.  

Egal Pads: Pads on a Roll™ –A wrapped super-thin absorbent period pad that dispenses like toilet paper in public bathroom stalls, preventing the personal embarrassment of not having a menstrual product when needed. This product promotes period product accessibility and destigmatizes menstrual health. It is targeted to schools and universities and the away-from-home market.

Kimberly-Clark: Kotex® Pantyliner with pH Indicator – The new Kotex Pantyliner with pH indicator, shifts color at the moment it needs to be replaced. This technology works by changing the color from yellow to blue when activated by fluids such as urine, sweat, or others. By indicating the moment to change the product, helps to maintain the intimate area clean, fresh, and consequently healthy.

Sposie Kids: Sposie® Dribbles® Potty Training Pads – An absorbent potty training pad that adheres to boy’s and girl’s underwear to protect against leaks and accidents during the transition from diapers to underwear, while still providing physical cues to the wearer to promote potty training.  The pads absorb over half of an average 2-year-old’s bladder capacity and are 100 percent free from any fragrance, latex, and chlorine.

Hygienix™ Conference Highlights
In addition to the award presentation, the Hygienix™ conference will focus on sustainability with presentations by more than 20 industry experts on sustainable inputs, natural fibers, product transparency, reusable menstrual products, recyclable diapers and the latest market forecasts and insights into consumer buying trends.
Hygienix™ will also offer two specialized workshops, a myriad of business connection opportunities, a welcome reception, first-time attendee mentorship program, and two evenings of tabletop receptions.

• DiaperRecycle Wins RISE® Innovation Award for Technology that Transforms Used Diapers into Cat Litter

Product development and innovators in nonwovens & engineered materials gained expert insights on material science innovation and sustainability at the 12^th edition of RISE® — Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics conference, organized by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and The Nonwovens Institute, North Carolina State University, Sept. 27-28 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

More than 20 industry, academic, and government experts from across the globe presented technical developments in sessions focused on circularity and sustainable inputs from such sources as Polylactic Acid Polymers (PLA), natural fibers, biofibers, and waste products.

Highlights included presentations on Achieving Supply Chain Circularity, by Kat Knauer, Ph.D., Program Manager – V Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL; The Global Plastic Crisis: Winners/Losers in the Marketplace, by Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., Senior Technical Director, Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark Corporation; Sustainable Fibers – Development and the Future by Jason Locklin, Ph.D. Director, University of Georgia – New Materials Institute; PLA & PLA Blends: Practical Aspects of Extrusion by Behnam Pourdeyhimi, Ph.D., William A. Klopman Distinguished Professor, and Executive Director, The Nonwovens Institute, North Carolina State University; and Mitigation of Quat Incompatibility with Cotton and other Cellulosic-based Substrates, by Doug Hinchliffe, Ph.D., Research Molecular Biologist, USDA-ARS.

RISE® Innovation Award Winner
DiaperRecycle was awarded the RISE® Innovation Award for its innovative technology to recycle used diapers into absorbent and flushable cat litter. The annual award recognizes innovation in areas within and on the periphery of the nonwovens industry that use advanced science and engineering principles to develop unique or intricate solutions to problems and advance  nonwovens usage.

By diverting used diapers from households and institutions, and separating the plastic and fiber, DiaperRecycle strives to decrease the climate-changing emissions of diapers from landfills.  “I am thrilled and grateful to win this award — as it proves we are on the right track,” said Cynthia Wallis Barnicoat, CEO of DiaperRecycle.

Other award finalists included Binder BioHook® by Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co. KG and Sero® hemp fibers from Bast Fibre Technologies, Inc. (BFT).

The 13^th edition of RISE® — Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics conference will be held Sept. 12-13, 2023 at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.

Im Automobilbau, dem Schiffsbau und der Luftfahrtindustrie sowie bei Windenergieanlagen steigen die Materialanforderungen zusehends. Die verwendeten Werkstoffe sollen leicht, ressourcenschonend und gleichzeitig hochbelastbar sein. Faserverstärkte Kunststoffe (Composites) rücken immer mehr in den Vordergrund, da deren Eigenschaften in Kombination mit Glas- oder Carbonfasern metallischen Materialien oftmals überlegen sind. Mit Fokus auf die klimaneutrale Herstellung und Nutzung von Produkten wächst auch der Bedarf an Recyclinglösungen. Im SmartERZ-Projekt TRICYCLE arbeiten Unternehmen gemeinsam an geeigneten skalierbaren und wirtschaftlich tragfähigen Prozessen zum Recycling von Smart Composites. Momentan gibt es dafür keine Anbieter oder Konzepte am Markt.

Smart Composites bestehen aus Werkstoffen, deren Funktionalisierung durch die Integration oder Applikation elektrisch leitfähiger Komponenten, z. B. Sensoren oder Mikroprozessoren, erreicht wird. Dazu zählen zum Beispiel smarte Textilien, die elektronisch wärmen, Lichtsignale geben oder zur Datenübertragung genutzt werden können. Das breite Anwendungsspektrum und die vielseitigen Einsatzgebiete dieser intelligenten Verbundwerkstoffe und Multimaterialverbunde werden perspektivisch zu einem wachsenden Bedarf und einer stärkeren Nachfrage führen.

Die funktionale und vielschichtige Verbindung verschiedener Materialien wie Kunststoff, Metall und Textil wirft beim Thema Recycling Nachhaltigkeitsfragen auf. Im Erzgebirge werden dafür bereits heute Lösungen entwickelt. Im Rahmen des WIR!-Projektes SmartERZ ist das Verbundprojekt TRICYCLE entstanden. Mit dem Fokus auf den Strukturwandel im Erzgebirge haben sich acht ortsansässige Partner aus Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft zusammengetan, um ein Recyclingkonzept aufzustellen und die Grobplanung für ein erzgebirgisches Recycling Center zu entwickeln. Das Ende des Produktlebenszyklus und die Nachnutzung bzw. Wiederaufbereitung stehen dabei im Mittelpunkt des Entwicklungsprozesses. Im Ergebnis sollen effektive und maßgeschneiderte Maßnahmen für eine möglichst hochwertige Wiederverwendung entstehen. Diese sollen dem steigenden Aufkommen an Abfällen aus diesem wachsenden Bereich der deutschen Industrie begegnen und anwendungsbereit sein.

Klassische Herausforderungen für die Projektbeteiligten sind die irreversiblen Verbindungstechniken (z. B. Kleben, Faser-Matrix-Haftung), die Integration vieler verschiedener Materialien in geringen Mengen sowie Form und Größe der Bauteile. Eigene Untersuchungen sowie Feedback von Partnerunternehmen bestätigen die Notwendigkeit sowie den Nutzen eines passgenauen Recyclingprozesses für Smart Composites und intelligente Multimaterialverbünde. Das Projekt soll dazu beitragen, den Wirtschaftsstandort Erzgebirge attraktiver und zukunftsfähiger zu gestalten.

Am 1. September 2021 gestartet, kann TRICYCLE erste Ergebnisse vorweisen. Zunächst wurden die Bedarfe bei mittelständischen Unternehmen in der Region Erzgebirge abgefragt, um die aktuellen Gegebenheiten und den Status quo in Bezug auf technologische Recyclingkonzepte bestmöglich abzubilden. Für ein fundiertes Recyclingkonzept hat das TRICYCLE-Team drei Referenzbauteile für den vorgesehenen Prozess ermittelt, die in der erzgebirgischen Wirtschaft Verwendung finden, und folgenden Bereichen zugeordnet: Automotive, Technische Textilien mit applizierter Zusatzfunktion und Technische Textilien mit integrierter Zusatzfunktion.

Basierend auf dieser Auswahl, analysiert das Projektteam momentan die Herstellungs- und bisherigen Recyclingprozesse der Referenzbauteile. Das beinhaltet auch die Planung praktischer Versuche zum Recycling. Dabei fokussieren sich die Projektpartner auf ihr Know-how in verschiedenen chemischen, thermischen und mechanischen Prozessen zur Separierung, Rückführung und Wiederverwendung der eingesetzten Materialien. Um die Produkte den Recyclingtechnologien zugänglich zu machen, wurde die Herangehensweise innerhalb des Projekts angepasst, da insbesondere Textil aufgrund von Form und Struktur (z. B. endlose Struktur) herausfordernd sein kann.

Obwohl die Materialien selbst recycelbar sind, müssen diese dennoch für den Prozess optimal vorbereitet bzw. fachgerecht aufbereitet werden. Die Expertise und die Technologiekompetenz, die hierfür benötigt werden, ist bei den beteiligten Projektpartnern durch jahrzehntelange Erfahrung und zahlreiche Innovationen vorhanden. Das Zusammenspiel aller Beteiligten im Projekt TRICYCLE stellt bereits jetzt die Weichen für das geplante Recycling Center, um dieses später zum Drehkreuz zwischen regionalen Produktionsunternehmen und dem Recycling weiterzuentwickeln. Dieses soll als „Open Factory“ aufgebaut werden, um den Unternehmen des SmartERZ-Bündnisses bzw. perspektivisch der Region Erzgebirge eine gemeinsame Nutzung zu ermöglichen.

„Die Wiederverwendung der eingesetzten Ressourcen ist sowohl aus ökonomischer als auch aus ökologischer Sicht zwingend geboten. Momentan gibt es weder Anlagenbauer noch Dienstleistungsanbieter mit den entsprechenden Kompetenzen zum Recycling von Smart Composites oder Multimaterialverbünden am Markt,“ stellt Johannes Leis, der Verbundkoordinator vom Sächsischen Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI) in Chemnitz fest.Unter Leitung des STFI als Verbundkoordinator mit seiner über 30-jährigen Erfahrung in der Textilbranche und speziellem Know-how im Recycling von Carbonabfällen haben sich weitere Unternehmen und Forschungseinrichtungen zusammengefunden. Dazu zählen das Textilunternehmen Curt Bauer GmbH, die Professur Fabrikplanung und Fabrikbetrieb der TU Chemnitz, das Ingenieurbüro Matthias Weißflog, der Hersteller für Faserverbundbauteile Cotesa GmbH, der Spezialvlieshersteller Norafin Industries (Germany) GmbH, das Recyclingunternehmen Becker Umweltdienste GmbH und die Hörmann Rawema Engineering & Consulting GmbH. Am Ende der Projektlaufzeit sollen ein einsatzfähiges, technologisches Recyclingkonzept für die zukünftigen entstehenden smarten Produkte sowie die in der Produktion entstehenden Abfälle (bspw. durch fehlerhafte Bauteile und Randbeschnitte) und ein Konzept für den Aufbau eines Recycling Centers vorliegen, das im Erzgebirge entstehen soll.

• Experienced nonwovens professional with extensive hygiene, food, medical, and packaging background will strengthen INDA’s key member service areas

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the appointment of Matt O’Sickey, Ph.D., as its new Director of Education & Technical Affairs. An accomplished market development, technology and product management executive, O’Sickey has more than 20 years of experience with Tredegar Film Products in the absorbent hygiene, food, and medical sectors.

Most recently, he held Director positions at RKW-North America in the areas of research and development, product design, application engineering, site operations, quality, and technology with a focus on breathable, and lamination films for controlled atmosphere packaging.

At INDA, O’Sickey will direct and expand workforce development programs for all industry members, manage the international harmonized standards activities, and play a leadership role in INDA’s product stewardship working groups and conference content development committees.  

O’Sickey has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Engineering Administration, both from Virginia Tech as well as a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. He holds three U.S. patents. He will operate out of INDA’s offices in Cary, NC.

O’Sickey succeeds Chris Plotz who left INDA to pursue other interests. 

• Free trade deal boosts export potential

The time is right for Swiss textile machinery companies to grow their export business with Indonesia – one of the world’s top 10 textile producers. A free trade agreement between the two countries came into force in 2021, and market analyses show that there is scope for a significant increase in business in textile and textile machinery sectors.

This was the background to a successful symposium in the Indonesian capital Jakarta last month when Swiss Textile Machinery Association members presented their products and innovations to an invited audience of 200 delegates from Indonesian textile companies.

The symposium audience was welcomed by Philippe Strub, of the Swiss Embassy in Indonesia; Ignatius Warsito, from the Indonesia Ministry of Industry’s Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Textile Industry branch; Anne Patricia Sutanto, of the Indonesian Textile Association (API); and Ernesto Maurer, President of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association.

Swiss companies taking part were: Stäubli, Zeta Datatec, Loepfe, Saurer, Benninger, Rieter, Bräcker, Jakob Müller, Maag, Uster and SERV.

The presentations were followed by panel discussions with speakers, and there were also networking opportunities at the companies’ exhibition tables.

Also taking part in a panel at the event was Testex, the independent Swiss organisation which provides testing, certification, OEKO-TEX® and other labels for the textile industry. Discussion focused on the relevance of innovation in textile technology to sustainability and ‘saving the planet.’  

Recent years have seen an acceleration in trade relations between Switzerland and Indonesia, which in 2008 was classed as one of eight priority countries for economic development cooperation by SECO, the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs, with a joint economic and trade commission established the following year.
Collaboration was heightened further in 2018 with a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) for Indonesia with Switzerland and the other EFTA countries. This more extensive form of free trade agreement was accepted after a popular referendum, and ultimately came into force in November 2021.

Trading between the two countries is supported by SERV, the Swiss export risk insurance organisation. This insures export goods against political and commercial risks and facilitates credit.

Cornelia Buchwalder, Secretary General of the Swiss Textile Machinery Association, said the Indonesia Symposium was ideally-timed, right after the CEPA came into effect: “With the free trade agreement in place, there is even greater potential for the development of trade between our countries,” she said.

“Business in textile and textile machinery is actually below the relative market shares for the sectors, so this stronger cooperation is probably overdue. It was a successful symposium, with enthusiastic participation from Indonesian textile companies, so we are optimistic about future export prospects for Swiss textile machinery.”