From the Sector

Fibre Extrusion Technology Limited (FET) has been awarded £50,000 of grant funding to collaborate with the University of Manchester on complex spin pack and spinneret designs. This funding will provide FET with access to the expertise of four universities and the National Physical Laboratory to develop the next generation of machinery.

The grant is awarded by a consortium led by AMPI (The Advanced Machinery and Productivity Institute) and NPL (The National Physical Laboratory). AMPI’s Innovation for Machinery (I4M) programme supports businesses in West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester as part of an overall initiative to drive innovation for the UK’s advanced machinery manufacturers to meet the challenges of developing new technology and entering emerging markets.

In this project, FET will be working with the University of Manchester to conduct computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies on a number of complex spin pack and spinneret designs. The aim of this work is to identify areas of improvement for FET’s spin packs and spinnerets and to use computer aided designs to develop significantly more efficient versions. The goal is that the research will improve the throughput of FET extrusion systems, thus reducing the amount of polymer lost through inefficient flow paths. This development, in turn, will reduce the environmental impact of synthetic polymer processing.

FET designs, develops, and manufactures extrusion equipment for a range of high value textile material applications worldwide. Established in 1998, FET’s major strength has always been to collaborate with customers in testing, evaluating and developing high value materials with diverse, functional properties. Efficiency and sustainability are key, so enhanced development of spinneret technology will contribute significantly to these objectives.

Operating in Bangladesh since 1996, this is the fourteenth time the Japanese manufacturer is participating in DTG.

As the Bangladeshi textile industry calls for sustainable production through innovation and digitalization, the market is keen to establish effective business models that support such production. In response, for the first time in its DTG exhibition history, SHIMA SEIKI's lineup consists entirely of WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines. Capable of knitting an entire garment in one piece without the need for linking or sewing while using only the material required to knit one garment at a time, WHOLEGARMENT® knitting is famous for promoting sustainability in the knit factory.

The company is showing its MACH2®XS153 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine in 15L gauge, as well as its SWG®091N2 "Mini" WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machine in 15 gauge. MACH2®XS features 4 needle beds and SHIMA SEIKI's original SlideNeedle™, capable of producing high-quality fine gauge WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear in all needles. SWG®091N2 provides opportunities in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting across a wide range of items in a compact, economical package. A different approach to WHOLEGARMENT knitting is also shown in the form of the N.SVR®183 machine. SHIMA SEIKI's global standard in shaped knitting, the N.SVR® series now features a model for producing WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear using every other needle in fine gauge. Shown in 18 gauge at DTG, N.SVR®183 is the ideal machine for flexible, entry-level WHOLEGARMENT® production, with the versatility to respond to fluctuating market demand.

Demonstrations are performed on SHIMA SEIKI's SDS®-ONE APEX4 design system. At the core of the company’s "Total Fashion System" concept, it provides comprehensive 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.

• EBITDA of around EUR 300 million expected for 2023
• Non-cash impairment losses of up to EUR 480 million
• Implementation of the performance program fully on track

The annual valuation of assets in accordance with IFRS for the entire Lenzing Group both nationally in Austria and internationally, has resulted in a projected asset impairment of up to EUR 480 million for the 2023 financial year.¹ The reasons for the impairment requirements are, on the one hand, continued uncertainties in the economic environment and, on the other hand, still increased raw material and energy costs as well as a higher interest rate environment.

The impairment losses are non-cash effective and have no impact on the full-year EBITDA for 2023, but do affect EBIT for the 2023 financial year. The Managing Board is specifying the previous earnings forecast for the 2023 financial year (EBITDA: EUR 270 – 330 million) and expects an EBITDA of around EUR 300 million.

Stephan Sielaff, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group: “In the third quarter of 2023, we responded to the persistently difficult market environment and launched a comprehensive performance program, which we have been consistently implementing since then with a focus on positive free cash flow and stronger sales and margin growth. We can therefore confirm our earnings forecast with an EBITDA of around EUR 300 million. The valuation adjustment in accordance with IFRS does not change the strategic orientation of the Lenzing Group.”

Nico Reiner, Chief Financial Officer, adds: “The implementation of the performance program is going according to plan. In the future, cost measures alone are expected to contribute more than EUR 100 million to earnings annually, of which more than EUR 50 million will already be effective for the 2024 financial year. We are on target, particularly in terms of strengthening free cash flow, and we also achieved positive free cash flow in the fourth quarter. The revaluation of assets is now consistent and the right step for the future direction.”

The 2023 annual results will be presented on March 15, 2024.
 

¹ Subject to potential changes resulting from the ongoing financial audit

Solvay is partnering with transportation providers KIITOSIMEON and ADAMS LOGISTICS to reduce the carbon footprint of its facility in Voikkaa, Finland. Known for its hydrogen peroxide technology, the site has a yearly capacity of 85 kilotons, making it the largest hydrogen peroxide unit in the country and one of the largest in Europe. However, the transportation of its products results in more than 850 tons of CO2 emissions annually, attributed to the several thousands deliveries conducted each year.

While the Voikkaa site has been operating on 100% wind-generated electricity since 2023, the journey towards decarbonization takes another step forward as it transitions transportation fuel from diesel to biofuel in the first quarter of 2024. This shift will result in a significant annual reduction of over 700 tons of CO2 emissions, representing more than 8O% reduction in the site's transportation carbon footprint.

As part of its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, Solvay has outlined a sustainability roadmap with around 40 energy transition projects. These projects focus on eliminating coal usage, emphasizing renewable energy sources, prioritizing energy efficiency, and driving process innovation. Solvay has further committed to reduce its emissions* along the value chain by 20% by 2030.

*scope 3 emissions, focus 5 categories, 2021 baseline

A lot of waste is generated in the trade fair and event industry. It makes sense to have furniture that can quickly be dismantled and stored to save space - or simply disposed of and recycled. Paper is the ideal raw material here: locally available and renewable. It also has an established recycling process. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF) and their project partners have jointly developed a recycling-friendly modular system for trade fair furniture. The "PapierEvents" project was funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).

Once the paper has been brought into yarn form, it can be processed into a wide variety of basic elements using the structure winding process, creating a completely new design language.

The unusual look is created in the structure winding process. In this technology developed at the DITF, the yarn is deposited precisely on a rotating mandrel. This enables high process speeds and a high degree of automation. After the winding process, the individual yarns are fixed, creating a self-supporting component. A starch-based adhesive, which is also made from renewable and degradable raw materials, was used in the project for the fixation.

The recyclability of all the basic elements developed in the project was investigated and confirmed. For this purpose the research colleagues at the project partner from the Department of Paper Production and Mechanical Process Engineering at TU Darmstadt (PMV) used the CEPI method, a new standard test procedure from the Confederation of European Paper Industries.

Sensor and lighting functions were also implemented in a recycling-friendly manner. The paper sensor yarns are integrated into the components and detect contact.

Also, a modular system for trade fair and event furniture was developed. The furniture is lightweight and modular. For example, the total weight of the counter shown is well under ten kilograms and individual parts can easily be shipped in standard packages. All parts can be used several times, making them suitable for campaigns lasting several weeks.

A counter, a customer stopper in DIN A1 format and a pyramid-shaped stand were used as demonstrators. The research work of the DITF (textile technology) and PMV (paper processing) was supplemented by other partners: GarnTec GmbH developed the paper yarns used, the industrial designers from quintessence design provided important suggestions for the visual and functional design of the elements and connectors and the event agency Rödig GmbH evaluated the ideas and concepts in terms of usability in practical use.

The Fashion for Good museum in Amsterdam marks its 6 year journey with a special fashion exhibition focused on circularity, called What Goes Around Comes Around. Honing in on how circularity plays out in different circles of influence, the exhibition showcases inspirational displays that make tangible what a circular fashion industry will look like.

What Goes Around Comes Around pays homage to the extraordinary work of pioneering artists, innovators and designers working to shift the fashion industry with new solutions. The exhibition opens January 27, 2024 and will be open to the public for 5 months. It is the grand finale, as the Museum is closing its doors. As such it will be the Museum’s final call to collective action, which the fashion industry still so highly needs.

“We are highlighting three areas in What Goes Around Comes Around", explains curator Sophie Jager-van Duren at the Fashion for Good Museum. “First: new work by local artists Atelier Reservé and The Patchwork Family, design collectives working towards circularity, demonstrating what is happening right now. We are also showing looks from established designers BOTTER, Ronald van der Kemp and Marga Weimans, Yuima Nakazato and Nicole McLaughlin. Second, the community, with an installation for visitors to participate in, planting the seed that we need each other to change the fashion system. Lastly, the industry - honing in on examples of innovations and technologies. We invited designers to create new work with circular materials including Living Ink, MIRUM, Altmat and Biophilica.”

Today’s fashion industry is caught in a vicious cycle of ‘take-make-waste’ and this system has a growing negative impact on people and the planet. For instance, in Europe, the average consumer is responsible for 15 kilos of textile waste per year and these numbers are increasing. To address this, we need action from individuals, the industry and society alike to go from a linear take-make-waste model into one that is circular by design.

The Fashion for Good Museum is inviting anybody to come visit its final exhibition and learn from concrete examples, to understand the current state of the fashion industry, gain the tools for taking individual or collective action and be inspired by circular fashion available today.

Designing for circularity means designing without creating waste or pollution, as all materials are continually reused instead of discarded. A circular system is restorative and regenerative and reduces pressure on natural resources. The ultimate goal of the exhibition is to put circularity into practice, help people envision a circular economy based on community practices and empower visitors to take collective action, starting in the museum but extending to their homes and daily lives.

Through the exhibition and its public programme, which consists of interactive workshops and educational events, the museum functions as a community space where visitors are invited to learn, gain new perspectives and are exposed to inspiring examples, building the skills and knowledge to create positive change. The upcoming few months there are multiple events, educational toolkits and other opportunities to join us, all open for the public, keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for the latest updates.

The exhibition is open for the public from Saturday 27th of January until June 5th 2024, marking World Environment Day on June 5th as the final closing day of the museum.

A new research project links some of Denmark's leading researchers in PFAS remediation with artificial intelligence. The goal is to develop and optimise a new form of wastewater and drinking water treatment technology using artificial intelligence for zero-pollution goals.

In a new research and development project, researchers from Aarhus University aim to develop a new technology that can collect and break down perpetual chemicals (PFAS) in one step in a purification process that can be connected directly to drinking water wells and treatment plants.

The project has received funding from the Villum Foundation of DKK 3 million, and it will combine newly developed treatment technology from some of Denmark's leading PFAS remediation researchers with artificial intelligence that can ensure optimal remediation.

"In the project, we will design, construct and test a new, automated degradation technology for continuous PFAS degradation. We’re also going to set up an open database to identify significant and limiting factors for degradation reactions with PFAS molecules in the reactor," says Associate Professor Xuping Zhang from the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering at Aarhus University, who is co-heading the project in collaboration with Associate Professor Zongsu Wei from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.

Ever since the 1940s, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been used in a myriad of products, ranging from raincoats and building materials to furniture, fire extinguishers, solar panels, saucepans, packaging and paints.

However, PFAS have proven to have a number of harmful effects on humans and the environment, and unfortunately the substances are very difficult to break down in nature. As a result, the substances continuously accumulate in humans, animals, and elsewhere in nature.

In Denmark, PFAS have been found in drinking water wells, in surface foam on the sea, in the soil at sites for fire-fighting drills, and in many places elsewhere, for example in organic eggs. It is not possible to remove PFAS from everything, but work is underway to remove PFAS from the groundwater in drinking water wells that have been contaminated with the substances.

Currently, the most common method to filter drinking water for PFAS is via an active carbon filter, an ion-exchange filter, or by using a specially designed membrane. All of these possibilities filter PFAS from the water, but they do not destroy the PFAS. The filters are therefore all temporary, as they have to be sent for incineration to destroy the accumulated PFAS, or they end in landfills.

The project is called 'Machine Learning to Enhance PFAS Degradation in Flow Reactor', and it aims to design and develop an optimal and permanent solution for drinking water wells and treatment plants in Denmark that constantly captures and breaks down PFAS, while also monitoring itself.

"We need to be creative and think outside the box. I see many advantages in linking artificial intelligence with several different water treatment technologies, but integrating intelligence-based optimisation is no easy task. It requires strong synergy between machine learning and chemical engineering, but the perspectives are huge," says Associate Professor Zongsu Wei from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University.

Unter dem Titel CLARITY bringt die MUNICH FABRIC START vom 23. bis 25. Januar 2024 Designer, Produktverantwortliche und Modemacher aus ganz Europa zusammen. Flankiert von THE SOURCE, BLUEZONE und dem KEYHOUSE werden rund 1.000 internationale Kollektionen der Saison Frühjahr/Sommer 2025 für die globale Mode- und Bekleidungsindustrie präsentiert.

Abgerundet wird das Angebot durch ein vielfältiges Rahmenprogramm, bestehend aus Keynotes, Podiumsdiskussionen, Trendpräsentationen, Q&A Sessions und mehr mit internationalen Expertinnen und Experten aus den verschiedensten Bereichen der Branche. In den TREND LECTURES (Keyhouse – Halle 5) und der SEMINAR ZONE (BLUEZONE – Halle 7) teilen über 50 Speakerinnen und Speaker in mehr als 30 Vorträgen ihre Expertise, bieten Einblicke in die verschiedensten Bereiche der Branche und klären über neuste Trends und Innovationen auf.

Das vollständige Rahmenprogramm finden Sie hier.

Fashion for Good's Sorting for Circularity framework expands to address the challenge of ensuring rewearable textiles remain in use as opposed to finding their way into global waste streams or landfills. This 18-month project tests automated sorting technologies using artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise the sorting of rewearable garments and enable greater circularity.

This project will test automated sorting technologies using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to collect product information — such as colour, style, garment type, and quality. This will enable sorters and brands to make better decisions and sort efficiently based on product data and criteria from local, European, and export resale market requirements, thus optimising the flow of textiles to achieve their highest value potential.

To ensure accuracy and representation in capturing data on the flow of textiles within the EU and export markets, this project will focus on specific geographical regions: Lithuania (Nordic/Baltic), the Netherlands (Western), Poland (Central-Eastern), and Spain (Southern Europe).

The findings will be shared in a report with a supporting business case and implementation roadmap to inform investment decisions in infrastructure, Circular Business Models (CBM) and repair centres.

The Rewear Project builds on Fashion for Good’s Sorting for Circularity framework initiated in 2021 and subsequently launched in Europe, India and the United States harmonising the collection, sorting and recycling industries in order to advance textile-to-textile recycling technologies and the resale industry.

It is funded by brand partners adidas, BESTSELLER, Bonprix, C&A, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co., Otto Group, PVH Corp., and Zalando. Circle Economy Foundation leads the creation and implementation of the methodology, with support from Consumption Research Norway, Oslo Metropolitan University and Revaluate.

TrusTrace, a SaaS company with for product traceability and compliance, has announced the completion of a (U.S.) $24 million growth investment led by Circularity Capital, a specialist investor in businesses that enable the circular economy, with participation from existing investors Industrifonden and Fairpoint Capital.

According to Shameek Ghosh, CEO and Co-Founder of TrusTrace, the new investment will enable the company to further accelerate its global expansion ambitions by strengthening its presence in key markets, deepening product innovation and expanding collaborations – helping to create a global network where all value chains are traceable, circular, and fair.

Traceability has accelerated in importance and momentum as a key enabler of sustainable transformation, as evidenced by TrusTrace’s five-fold growth in subscription revenue in the 27 months since the previous growth round by Fairpoint Capital and Industrifonden in 2021, preceded by seed funding from Backing Minds in 2019.

With more than a billion products now tracked through the platform, TrusTrace has established itself as a business-critical solution for supply chain traceability. TrusTrace customers include adidas, Brooks Running, Tapestry, Asics and many more. TrusTrace also plans to offer its services to regional and mid-size brands in 2024.