From the Sector

• AMSilk Partners with Mercedes-Benz to Present a Sustainable Bio-Based Product
• The use of a biotechnology-based and certified-vegan silk-like fabric marks a first in the automotive sector

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a leader in supplying innovative high-performance bio-based silk materials, announced a partnership with Mercedes-Benz, for the development of novel, sustainable car door pulls, as part of the car manufacturer’s latest technology programme, the VISION EQXX.

The new concept car, VISION EQXX, features innovative interior materials, revealing a way forward for luxury design that conserves resources and is in balance with nature. Among the organic interior design features are new door pulls made from AMSilk’s Biosteel® fiber. This high-strength, certified-vegan, silk-like fabric is made using AMSilk’s proprietary biotechnology expertise. AMSilk is the world’s first industrial supplier of vegan silk biopolymers which are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, renewable and zero-waste.

Marking a first in the automotive sector, AMSilk’s Biosteel® provides a solution to the car industry whose need to replace petroleum-based content by natural, bio-based materials is increasingly growing.
This new project is the most efficient electric vehicle Mercedes-Benz has ever built and marks a new expression of efficiency and sustainability in interior design. The all-electric VISION EQXX was unveiled in a digital world premiere on the “Mercedes me” media online platform.

Ulrich Scherbel, Chief Executive Officer of AMSilk said: “We are extremely proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz on the technology programme VISION EQXX, providing sustainable interior design solutions from our best-in-class bio-based fibers. Amid a fresh wave of ambitious climate pledges, we are proud to be playing a leading role in providing solutions for a zero-waste future.”

Sateri’s Lyocell facility in Rizhao, Shandong Province, has been awarded the Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) certification for responsible production, making it the first Lyocell producer in China to be certified to the rigorous standards set by independent Swiss-based certification organisation OEKO-TEX®. Sateri’s Lyocell facility has also obtained the highest ranking of level three in the certification assessment scoring for exemplary implementation of best manufacturing practices.

Together with its earlier achievement of the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification that confirms its Lyocell fibre is free from any harmful substances and complies with European standards, Sateri’s lyocell products are qualified to carry the MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® product label. This label not only attests to Sateri’s Lyocell fibre as safe and manufactured in environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and safe facility, but also the Group’s commitment to higher levels of transparency and accountability through the product traceability feature of the label.

The STeP by OEKO-TEX® certification comprises three levels describing the extent to which a company has achieved sustainable production and working conditions of factories in the textile industry. The areas of assessment include chemicals management, environmental performance, environmental management, social responsibility, quality management, as well as occupational health and safety.

Sateri’s Lyocell fiber factory in Rizhao commenced operation in May 2020, with an annual output of 20,000 tonnes of Lyocell fiber. The same site houses a 5,000 tonne Lyocell pilot production line dedicated for the development of Lyocell application technology. In March 2021, the Group announced plans to expand its Lyocell annual production capacity in China up to 500,000 tonnes by 2025.

A natural and biodegradable fibre, Sateri’s Lyocell is made from wood pulp sourced from certified and sustainable plantations. It is manufactured using closed-loop technology, requiring minimal chemical input during the production process, and utilising an organic solvent that can be almost fully (99.7%) recovered and recycled.

Sateri’s Lyocell is used to produce high quality textiles and personal hygiene materials. Using a unique high technology manufacturing process, it has outstanding dry and wet strength, high uniformity and consistency, and superior quality. It blends well with various textile fibres to create different fabric styles and characteristics for wide downstream applications.

• Results of experiments conducted by the University of California’s prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego provide further scientific proof that LENZING™ fibers offer an effective substitute to synthetic fibers that are part of the pressing problem of plastic pollution in our oceans.

Lenzing/San Diego – The Lenzing Group, a world-leading provider of wood-based specialty fibers, has received further scientific proof of the biodegradability of its fibers. In a study published in October 2021 , scientists from the prestigious academic research institute Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego confirmed that wood-based cellulosic fibers biodegrade in the ocean within a short period of time at the end of their life cycle, making them a better alternative to fossil-based fibers. The research was the result of an independent project trying to understand the “end-of-life” scenarios for textiles and nonwovens discarded in the environment.

SIO has a global reputation for being one of the oldest, largest and most important marine research centers worldwide. In this study, SIO compared the degradation processes of nonwovens made from fossil-based synthetic materials such as polyester with those of cellulosic materials such as Lenzing’s wood-based lyocell, modal and viscose fibers in specific scenarios – under various real oceanic conditions and controlled aquaria conditions. The results of these experiments are striking: while wood-based cellulosic fibers fully biodegraded within 30 days, the fossil-based fibers tested were practically unchanged after more than 200 days.

The biodegradability of LENZING™ fibers was also tested in the laboratory of Organic Waste Systems (OWS) in Belgium – one of the world's leading companies in biodegradability and compostability testing – which showed data confirmed by those found with the real-life measurements at Scripps. The OWS assessment was conducted in accordance with applicable international standards and reflects relevant natural and artificial conditions in which biodegradation can occur. Certificates from the certification organization TÜV Austria show that LENZING™ fibers rapidly biodegrade in all test environments (soil, industrial composting, home composting, fresh water and marine water) within the time frames set by the applicable standards.

Lenzing also welcomes the EU’s targeted measures to combat plastic waste in general, such as those relating to the single-use plastic directive (EU) 2019/9043. In its recently adopted guidelines for implementing the directive, the EU Commission stipulates the specific products that fall under this category, which is a well-needed effort to provide clarity to the EU member states for their joint campaign against environmental pollution from plastic waste. Lenzing’s wood-based, biodegradable cellulosic fibers can be part of a sustainable and innovative solution to this man-made problem that will continue to grow. As of July 2021, the single-use plastic directive sets out standardized labelling requirements for certain products, either on packaging or on the products themselves, which include plastic-based feminine hygiene products and wet wipes for body care or household use. This is a start to tackle the problem: educate the consumer and offer alternative materials with better circularity.

The Hygiene Fibers Group of Indorama Ventures (IVL) came together at the Index Show to present an all-inclusive range of recycled and biodegradable solutions for Hygiene Fiber and Nonwoven applications.

The combination of polymers, technologies, processes and global reach supported by the Hygiene Fibers Group – one of three business segments that make up Indorama Ventures – positions it within the Hygiene industry to meet increasingly challenging market demand for innovative sustainable solutions within the hygiene sector. Across the six brands and companies that make up Hygiene Fibers Group – Auriga, Avgol, FiberVisions, Indorama Asia, Trevira and Wellman International – sustainability and supporting customers to achieve circular objectives is integral to all efforts and fundamental to the ethos of the Hygiene business segment.

At the Index Show, the Hygiene Fibers Group launched CiCLO®, a textile technology which allows polyester and other synthetic materials to biodegrade like natural materials do in wastewater treatment plant sludge, sea water and landfill conditions, reducing synthetic microfiber pollution generated during washing, and minimizing plastic accumulation in landfills caused by discarded textiles.

In line with the company’s commitment to support customers with high performance products, while also reducing the impact on the environment, several of the  Hygiene Fibers brands, including Wellman International, Trevira GMBH and Auriga, have been working closely over the last 12 months with the IAM team and the CiCLO® technology. Developments have focused on PET and rPET staple fiber and filament sustainable solutions for applications where recycling is particularly challenging, such as Hygiene, Home Textiles and Automotive applications.

Strengthening the profile of biodegradable offerings within the Hygiene Fibers Group’s sustainability portfolio, Trevira introduced a new range of bicomponent fibres based on PLA and PBS (polybutylene succinate) at the Index show. Both biopolymers offer an exceptional technological opportunity in terms of environmental care and sustainability, while delivering optimum performance. Equally to PLA, PBS is recyclable and up to 100% biodegradable under industrial conditions.

Efforts towards supporting customers to achieve circular objectives are a priority within the Hygiene Fibers Group. This is reflected in the recycled fibers expertise deployed across the segment. Four Hygiene Fibers Group brands, IVL Asia, Auriga, Trevira and Wellman International offer an extensive range of 100% recycled, accredited PET fibers, across a multitude of fiber and nonwovens applications.

The development and evolution of sustainable technologies is central to activity across IVL’s Hygiene Fibers Group, with particular focus on sustainable polyolefin solutions. FiberVisions and ES-FIBERVISIONS, leading Polyolefin mono and bico fiber brands and sister company Avgol, have partnered with UK-based Polymateria to commercially harness the innovative ‘biotransformation’ technology pioneered by Polymateria. The patented technology alters the properties of polyolefins to make them biodegradable in a natural process.  Other polyolefin sustainable innovations within the Hygiene Fibers Group were featured at Index include biosurfactant and biocolourant developments being undertaken by the Avgol team with FiberVisons progressing sustainable design solutions, including lightweight, high performance, reduced carbon solutions.

• At this year’s INDEX from October 19th to October 22nd, Truetzschler Nonwovens, Truetzschler Card Clothing and Voith introduce new solutions for manufacturing a broad range of sustainable nonwovens for wipes, hygiene or medical textiles at booth 2327.

Plastic-free initiatives worldwide affect everyone: consumers, product developers, nonwoven producers and finally nonwoven machinery suppliers.

Truetzschler Nonwovens and Voith address the quest for more sustainable and affordable nonwovens in the wipes segment by two proven technologies for manufacturing pulp-based nonwovens. Firstly, WLS (Wet-Laid/Spunlaced) lines. More than a handful are in service worldwide and mainly target the flushable wipes market. At INDEX we’ll introduce our latest nextLevel/WLS baby and body wipes, a joint development by Voith and Truetzschler.

The second focus is on carded/pulp (CP) products. A CP line – including a TWF-NCT card placed between the HydroFormer and the AquaJet is already running to full capacity at customer site. Various CP materials, including innovative nextLevel/CP wipes, will be on display at the booth and invite visitors to discuss characteristics, benefits, line concepts and equipment.

When talking sustainable nonwovens, solutions for efficiently manufacturing biodegradable nonwovens from virgin cotton fibers, comber noils and viscose/lyocell fibers must not be missing. Visitors can look forward to directly comparing cotton nonwovens to a broad range of cellulose-based material.

Truetzschler Card Clothing, our in-house competence center with respect to card clothings and comprehensive service, presents its latest development, the Z wire for high-speed roller cards. A new geometry minimizes fiber fly and allows for better carding and more stable web forming.

Not only since 2021 has sustainability been a topic high on society’s agenda. And yet the importance of sustainability for consumers and companies has once again increased sharply as a result of the Corona pandemic, as numerous studies confirm. Then why is it often so difficult to implement this conviction in everyday life? One of the biggest obstacles to sustainable consumer behaviour is the lack of availability of alternatives.

In addition to changing consumer demands, the EU Commission's recent decision on the single-use plastics directive is also prompting many nonwovens manufacturers to look at alternative solutions. Kelheim Fibres is exhibiting at this year's INDEX in Geneva and online with bio-based fibers that offer an alternative to synthetic materials in a wide range of applications. The Bavarians have decades of experience in the nonwovens and hygiene sectors and work on individual customer-specific innovations.

"We want to make it easy for consumers to choose an environmentally friendly option. That’s the case when bio-based solutions offer the same performance as synthetic products," said Matthew North, Commercial Director at Kelheim Fibres." Our fibre technology allows us to create just that: unlike natural fibres, which are available already in fibre form and can only be treated on the surface, we can engineer the properties of our fibres they need for specific applications by specifically intervening in the production process. That way we combine nature - our fibres are made of wood pulp - with performance."

Kelheim's special fibres are made of wood pulp from sustainably managed sources, are produced in Kelheim in an environmentally friendly way and are fully biodegradable at the end of their product life. Kelheim Fibres is the first viscose fibre manufacturer in the world with an EMAS validated Environmental Management System and was awarded a dark green/light green shirt in the most recent Canopy HotButton-Ranking.

The Swiss group presents three creative inspirations to explore new shapes, colors, materials and define a new offer featuring a variety of solutions and ideas.
A tribute to health and to balance with nature, to the advanced goldsmith craftsmanship and to the effortless sophistication of industrial luxury: the FW 2022-23 collection by Riri Group is a true kaleidoscope of shapes, colors and materials, where three different creative inspirations meet – Biophilic, Stones&Gold and Industrial Luxe – for a high-end line of accessories.

All three paths are the result of state-of-the-art techniques, of an R&D effort and of the renowned expertise of the Swiss group. Part of the offer is also a selection of pieces by Cobrax Metal Hub, among which stand out buckles and locks with peculiar shapes and finishing.

Looking to the new season with a positive and enthusiastic attitude, the Group continues to work towards an increasing sustainability when it comes to products and processes. The collection, in fact, is a further step toward Riri’s path of green responsibility that the company has taken to bring actual improvement in its sustainable performance. This year, Riri Group published its first Sustainability Report, calculated in compliance with Global Reporting Initiative Standard (GRI), and adopted recycled polyester as production standard for zips’ tapes.

Biophilic
A way to honor love for life, this line emphasizes the importance of physical and mental wellbeing, answering the questions raised during the challenges faced in the last year. Balance with nature becomes a concrete product circularity operation resorting to manufacturing processes with a low environmental impact and to organic and biodegradable materials. Among them stands out recycled polyester for zips which is Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified, Global Organic Textile Standard certified organic cotton and other alternative fibers, such as nettle, a natural resource that is a great alternative to synthetic fibers. Rivets, zips, buttons and metal components are made of stainless steel, which guarantees durability and resistance, 100% recycled copper and aluminum – light, ductile and resistant to oxidation. Among the most interesting solutions are rice peel powder – used on buttons’ overseals – and eco-sustainable thermoplastic polyurethane, obtained from renewable raw sources.

Stones & Gold
Sophistication and advanced craftsmanship mark the pieces of this creative path which, inspired by goldsmith and glyptic craft tradition, reveals a delicate sense of positivity and richness. Gems, lapis lazuli, marble, and mother-of-pearl are protagonists of a refined selection of accessories designed to amaze and catch the eye, resembling actual jewels. Essential the use of gold, especially in its liquid form: dominating zips and buttons’ finishes, this precious and versatile metal becomes a decorative feature on printed tape.

Industrial luxe
The third proposal embodies the unique style and timeless elegance that have always defined Riri’s products, embellishing them with new engineering details which makes them very relevant. The accessories come with golden and black finishes, both glossy and matt, and explore shapes developed to bring life to a range of luxury accessories with a sophisticated industrial aesthetics. A dominating role goes to stainless steel, along with a selection of impactful and elegant tapes which includes jacquard options, for a retro-futuristic look that is revealed also through the use of mechanical elements, such as screws and etched metal sheets, and in the clean and boxy shapes of pullers and buttons.

100% sustainability lives in the smallest detail, starting with the label, the element that can tell the story of responsibility. This is why Nastrificio di Cassano has created NDC Green, Made in Italy and fully traceable range that guarantees high quality standards while respecting the planet.
 
NDC Green comprises 4 categories:

• LABìO ECO-SOFT®: made using TENCEL™ lyocell  yarn which is compostable and biodegradable (as attested by TUV Austria), this product boasts performances and is resistant up to 10 domestic washings at 30°. The reference is produced with fifteen times less water consumption than cotton production and the resins used are GOTS certified.
• LABìO HANGreen is the smart solution for the creation of hard tags, hangtags, shopping bags and garment covers and, as LABIO ECO-SOFT® range, it’s made with  compostable and biodegradable TENCEL™ lyocell yarn and the resin is compostable, too. These peculiarities make this product unique.
• ACETATE NAIA™, the 'smart satin' that respects forests and oceans, is the NAIA™ single-ingredient solution produced by Eastman: the 100% traceable, compostable and biodegradable cellulose yarn in both soil and sea respects the natural growth rate of forests.
• RECYCLED POLYESTER: is made from post-consumer yarn recycled from GRS-certified PET bottles. Available in both satin and resinated taffeta versions, it guarantees excellent printability for an elegant and sophisticated look

SUPREME GREEN COTTON®, the water-saving smart-tech yarn by Varvaressos has been chosen by Diesel, Champ Blanc and Muntagnard, and won the Gold Award at the Greek Exports Forum & Awards 2020.

Thanks to a pioneering satellite-powered drip irrigation system, SUPREME GREEN COTTON® saves up to 40% of water. The range of yarns is entirely Made in Europe and comes with influential sustainable verifications. The MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX® label guarantees that the yarns have been tested for harmful substances and manufactured using sustainable processes under socially responsible working conditions in accordance with STeP by OEKO-TEX®. Complete transparency and traceability are guaranteed throughout the whole production and supply chain by the unique diafania SI platform, powered via blockchain technology.

Global clothing and lifestyle Italian premium jeans brand Diesel stands out for its unique mindset and sustainable imprint. That’s why it chose SUPREME GREEN COTTON® for its collection ‘Green Label’ and ‘NightCrush’ as well as its ‘Malign’ jersey T-shirts, available in two different colours and prints.

Thee Swiss brand Muntagnard believes in «sustainability» as a powerful lever for innovative solutions for people who go their own way and think outside the box to advance sustainable development. Muntagnard rethinks textiles - from the sewing thread to the label – selecting only sustainable materials and minimizing the use of plastic to the bone while seeking sensible, biodegradable textile alternatives. The MANGOLA collection of T-sets is 100% made of SUPREME GREEN COTTON®.

CHAMP BLANC is a responsible French brand renown for its ready-to-wear men clothing and for its strong commitment to traceability. The brand has been working for nearly 8 months on the design of the "Traceable T-shirt" made of 100% SUPREME GREEN COTTON®. The result is a high quality and finishing t-shirt to make it last. By relying on existing technologies, the entire production chain is traceable and can be discover thanks a QR-code on the label.

SUPREME GREEN COTTON® has also been bestowed with the influential Gold Award in the “Top Branded Export Product” category of the Greek Exports Forum & Awards 2020

ISKO and textile research and development company HKRITA are proud to announce a licensing agreement for HKRITA’s award-winning, revolutionary Green Machine – a one-of-a-kind technology that fully separates and recycles cotton and polyester blends at scale.

The technology is still in the pilot stage, but is an additional step in ISKO’s drive to improve and commercialize recycling technologies which will eventually enable the company to offer a 100% post-consumer recycling solution to all of its customers. In addition, ISKO and HKRITA will work together to develop related technology, further strengthening the company’s position in sustainability.

The Green Machine uses an innovative and ultra-efficient hydrothermal treatment method that decomposes cotton into cellulose powders and enables the separation of polyester fibres from blended fabrics. The process is a closed loop and uses only water, heat and less than 5% biodegradable green chemicals. Crucially, this method does not damage the polyester fibres and therefore maintains their quality; the cellulose powders, which are clean and toxic-free, can be used in a variety of ways.

The investment in this new technology is the latest in ISKO’s ongoing drive for advancements in sustainability. As part of the company’s R-TWO™ programme, it is also working to develop fabrics with a guaranteed minimum 50%+ GRS (Global Recycle Standard) recycled content blend. This will significantly reduce the carbon and water footprint of a fabric, as well as make it easy for consumers to trace a garment’s sustainable journey step-by-step from the beginning of the supply chain through to the end product they purchase.