From the Sector

From Resource-efficient and Recycled Fibres for Textiles and Building Panels to Geotextiles for Glacier Protection: Six award nominees present innovative and sustainable solutions for various industries in the cellulose fibre value chain. The full economic potential of the cellulose fibre industry will be introduced to a wide audience that will vote for the winners in Cologne (Germany), and online.

Again nova-Institute grants the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award in the context of the “Cellulose Fibres Conference”, that will take place in Cologne on 13 and 14 March 2024. In advance, the conferences advisory board nominated six remarkable products, including cellulose fibres from textile waste and straw, a novel technology for dying cellulose-based textiles and a construction panel as well as geotextiles. The innovations will be presented by the companies on the first day of the event. All conference participants can vote for one of the six nominees and the top three winners will be honoured with the “Cellulose Fibre Innovation of the Year” award. The Innovation award is sponsored by GIG Karasek (AT).

In addition, the ever-growing sectors of cellulose-based nonwovens, packaging and hygiene products offer conference participants insights beyond the horizon of traditional textile applications. Sustainability and other topics such as fibre-to-fibre recycling and alternative fibre sources are the key topics of the Cellulose Fibres Conference, held in Cologne, Germany, on 13 and 14 March 2024 and online. The conference will showcase the most successful cellulose-based solutions currently on the market or those planned for the near future.

The nominees:

The Straw Flexi-Dress: Design Meets Sustainability – DITF & VRETENA (DE)
The Flexi-Dress design was inspired by the natural golden colour and silky touch of HighPerCell® (HPC) filaments based on unbleached straw pulp. These cellulose filaments are produced using environmentally friendly spinning technology in a closed-loop production process. The design decisions focused on the emotional connection and attachment to the HPC material to create a local and circular fashion product. The Flexi-Dress is designed as a versatile knitted garment – from work to street – that can be worn as a dress, but can also be split into two pieces – used separately as a top and a straight skirt. The top can also be worn with the V-neck front or back. The HPC textile knit structure was considered important for comfort and emotional properties.

HONEXT® Board FR-B (B-s1, d0) – Flame-retardant Board made From Upcycled Fibre Waste From the Paper Industry – Honext Material (ES)
HONEXT® FR-B board (B-s1, d0) is a flame-retardant board made from 100 % upcycled industrial waste fibres from the paper industry. Thanks to innovations in biotechnology, paper sludge is upcycled – the previously “worthless” residue from paper making – to create a fully recyclable material, all without the use of resins. This lightweight and easy-to-handle board boasts high mechanical performance and stability, along with low thermal conductivity, making it perfect for various applications in all interior environments where fire safety is a priority. The material is non-toxic, with no added VOCs, ensuring safety for both people and the planet. A sustainable and healthy material for the built environment, it achieves Cradle-to-Cradle Certified GOLD, and Material Health CertificateTM Gold Level version 4.0 with a carbon-negative footprint. Additionally, it is verified in the Product Environmental Footprint.

LENZING™ Cellulosic Fibres for Glacier Protection – Lenzing (AT)
Glaciers are now facing an unprecedented threat from global warming. Synthetic fibre-based geotextiles, while effective in slowing down glacier melt, create a new environmental challenge: microplastics contaminating glacial environments. The use of such materials contradicts the very purpose of glacier protection, as it exacerbates an already critical environmental problem. Recognizing this problem, the innovative use of cellulosic LENZING™ fibres presents a pioneering solution. The Institute of Ecology, at the University of Innsbruck, together with Lenzing and other partners made first trials in 2022 by covering small test fields with LENZING™ fibre-based geotextiles. The results were promising, confirming the effectiveness of this approach in slowing glacier melt without leaving behind microplastic.

The RENU Jacket – Advanced Recycling for Cellulosic Textiles – Pangaia (UK) & Evrnu (US)
PANGAIA LAB was born out of a dream to reduce barriers between people and the breakthrough innovations in material science. In 2023, PANGAIA LAB launched the RENU Jacket, a limited edition product made from 100% Nucycl® – a technology that recycles cellulosic textiles by breaking them down to their molecular building blocks, and reforming them into new fibres. This process produces a result that is 100% recycled and 100% recyclable when returned to the correct waste stream – maintaining the strength of the fibre so it doesn’t need to be blended with virgin material.
Through collaboration with Evrnu, the PANGAIA team created the world’s first 100% chemically recycled denim jacket, replacing a material traditionally made from 100% virgin cotton. By incorporating Nucycl® into this iconic fabric construction, dyed with natural indigo, the teams have demonstrated that it’s possible to replace ubiquitous materials with this innovation.

Textiles Made from Easy-to-dye Biocelsol – VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (FI)
One third of the textile industry’s wastewater is generated in dyeing and one fifth in finishing. But the use of chemically modified Biocelsol fibres reduces waste water. The knitted fabric is made from viscose and Biocelsol fibres and is only dyed after knitting. This gives the Biocelsol fibres a darker shade, using the same amount of dye and no salt in dyeing process. In addition, an interesting visual effect can be achieved. Moreover, less dye is needed for the darker colour tone in the finished textile and the possibility to use the salt-free dyeing is more environmentally friendly.
These special properties of man-made cellulosic fibres will reassert the fibres as a replacement for the existing fossil-based fibres, thus filling the demand for more environmentally friendly dyeing-solutions in the textile industry. The functionalised Biocelsol fibres were made in Finnish Academy FinnCERES project and are produced by wet spinning technique from the cellulose dope containing low amounts of 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropyl substituents. The functionality formed is permanent and has been shown to significantly improve the dyeability of the fibres. In addition, the functionalisation of Biocelsol fibres reduces the cost of textile finishing and dyeing as well as the effluent load.

A New Generation of Bio-based and Resource-efficient Fibre – TreeToTextile (SE)
TreeToTextile has developed a unique, sustainable and resource efficient fibre that doesn't exist on the market today. It has a natural dry feel similar to cotton and a semi-dull sheen and high drape like viscose. It is based on cellulose and has the potential to complement or replace cotton, viscose and polyester as a single fibre or in blends, depending on the application.
TreeToTextile Technology™ has a low demand for chemicals, energy and water. According to a third party verified LCA, the TreeToTextile fibre has a climate impact of 0.6 kg CO2 eq/kilo fibre. The fibre is made from bio-based and traceable resources and is biodegradable.

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced that nominations are open for the 2024 World of Wipes Innovation Award^®. This Award recognizes a product or technology in the wipes sector that creatively uses nonwovens. The Award will be presented at the World of Wipes^® (WOW) International Conference, June 17-20 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN.

Nominations will be accepted online through Monday, April 15^th via www.inda.org/awards/wow-innovation-award.html. Nominees will be selected from a range of products and technologies that have been commercially available two years prior to WOW 2024. Products and technologies may include end product components, fabrication techniques, or end-products that use a nonwoven technology. Award categories include dry or wet wipes, institutional or industrial wipes, raw materials, and equipment. Three finalists will present their innovations to industry leaders attending WOW on Tuesday, June 18^th. The winner will be announced Thursday, June 20^th.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer lamellas are an innovative method of reinforcing buildings. There are still many unanswered questions regarding their recycling, however. A research project by Empa's Mechanical Systems Engineering lab is now set to provide answers. Thanks to the support from a foundation, the project could now be launched.

The construction sector is responsible for around 60 percent of Switzerland's annual waste. The industry's efforts to recycle demolition materials are steadily increasing. Nevertheless, there are still end-of-life materials that, for the time being, cannot be reused as recycling would be too time-consuming and expensive. One of these are carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) lamellas.

Making buildings "live" longer
The reinforcing method developed by Urs Meier, former Empa Director at Dübendorf, has been used in infrastructure construction for 30 years. CFRP lamellas are attached with epoxy adhesive to bridges, parking garages, building walls and ceilings made of concrete or masonry. As a result, the structures can be used for 20 to 30 years longer. The method is increasingly being applied worldwide – mainly because it massively improves the earthquake resistance of masonry buildings.

"By significantly extending the lifespan of buildings and infrastructure, CFRP lamellas make an important contribution to increasing sustainability in the construction sector. However, we need to find a way how we can further use CFRP lamellas after the buildings are being demolished," explains Giovanni Terrasi, Head of the Mechanical Systems Engineering lab at Empa. To achieve this, he wants to develop a method for recycling CFRP lamellas. Convinced by this idea, a foundation supported it with a generous donation. The project officially launched in October.

Gentle separation
First, a mechanical process will be developed to detach the CFRP lamellas from the concrete without damaging them. Initial tests at Empa are encouraging: After the lamellas were separated from the concrete, they still had a strength of 95 percent – even if they had already been used for 30 years.

Then, the demolished CFRP lamellas shall be used to produce reinforcement for prefabricated components. Terrasi's goal: saving thousands of tons of CFRP lamellas from ending up in landfills after the demolition of old concrete structures and reuse them in low-CO₂ concrete elements. After completion of the project, Giovanni Terrasi and his team – consisting of Zafeirios Triantafyllidis, Valentin Ott, Mateusz Wyrzykowski and Daniel Völki – want to produce railroad sleepers from recycled concrete, which will be reinforced and prestressed with demolition CFRP lamellas. This would give the "waste-to-be" material a second life in Swiss infrastructure construction.

CARBIOS, a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, has received an initial payment of €1.2 million from the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) for the OPTI-ZYME research project, carried out in partnership with INRAE2, INSA3 and CNRS4 via the TWB5 joint service and TBI6 research units, a project co-funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME. With CARBIOS' aim to optimize and continuously improve its unique enzymatic PET depolymerization technology, the 4-year7 OPTI-ZYME project aims to investigate the scientific and technical levers for improving the competitiveness of the process, optimizing the necessary investments and reducing its environmental footprint.

This collaborative R&D program focuses on the technical and economic optimization of process stages, while preserving the quality of the monomers obtained. These optimizations, new developments and the exploration of innovative solutions should enhance the technology's flexibility with regards to incoming waste. Raw materials could come from different sources that are currently rarely or not recycled, notably food trays and textiles, or a mix of incoming materials. It also aims to limit input and water consumption, as well as regenerate or reduce co-products and ultimate residual waste. Finally, it seeks to support enzyme optimization to maximize the process’ economic profitability and competitiveness.

The project therefore aims to achieve an overall improvement in performance, combining efficiency, quality and environmental sustainability, to benefit the Longlaville plant which is currently under construction, and future licensed plants.

In May 2023, CARBIOS, the project leader and coordinator, announced that it had been awarded a total of €11.4M in funding by the French State as part of France 2030, operated by ADEME, including €8.2M directly for CARBIOS (€3.2M in grants and €5M in repayable advances) and €3.2M for its academic partners INRAE, INSA and CNRS (via the TWB mixed service and TBI research units). This funding, which is made up of grants and repayable advances, will be paid out in several instalments over the course of the project, including an initial instalment of 15%, equivalent to €1.2 million, received by CARBIOS on 5 December 2023. The first Monitoring Committee with ADEME for the first key stage of the project will be held in February 2024 to validate the granting of the second instalment of funding.

This project 2282D0513-A is funded by the French State as part of France 2030 operated by ADEME.

In cooperation with testing provider Hohenstein, Under Armour is launching a new fiber-shed test kit. It will help textile companies along the supply chain to develop lower shed materials during product development. The companies carry out the test themselves in-house using the test kit or can commission Hohenstein as a testing service provider.

The kit is a one-off purchase, after which users can buy additional materials from project partner James Heal. By using the new kit, Under Armour can reliably assess the quality and shed rate of the materials from suppliers.

For Hohenstein customers, the test kit is a useful addition to their microplastics tests. It is a quick and relatively inexpensive preliminary test that ensures better early-stage results for the end product.

During the production, wear and laundering of synthetic and natural fabrics, fibre shedding occurs in varying degrees. Hohenstein and Under Armour expect that their test method will help the industry better understand and reduce its contribution to the microfibre problem.

“Until now, integrating fiber-shed testing into industry research and development activities has required a significant time and cost investment,” said Kyle Blakely, Senior Vice President of Innovation for Under Armour. “At Under Armour, we believe intervening early to mitigate shedding is critical, which is why our test method is designed to specifically address these time and cost barriers.”

Eastman Naia™ Renew cellulosic fiber received Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification on December 13. This certifies Naia™ Renew recycled content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions.

Textile Exchange, a global non-profit for sustainable change in the fashion and textile industry, manages the GRS certification process. Certification is achieved through an audit from independent third-party certifying body SCS Global Services and applies to the full supply chain and addresses traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content and labeling.

"We’re honored to add GRS certification to our list of Naia™ certifications that support our sustainability goals,” said Claudia de Witte, sustainability leader for Eastman textiles. “Third-party certifications help us build our brand trustworthiness. It’s our goal to make sustainable textiles available to all, and we do that by building trust with our customers and collaborators. This certification adds even more credibility to our fibers and our sustainability story, which we’re proud to share.”

In June 2023, Textile Exchange made an important announcement regarding its Alternative Volume Reconciliation (VR2) policy, which broadened the range of chemical recycling technologies eligible for mass balance. Notably, this expansion now encompasses gasification, the technical description of Eastman’s molecular recycling technology known as carbon renewal technology. Eastman collaborated with Textile Exchange and other stakeholders to educate the industry about the value and contribution of its molecular recycling technology. This policy update is critical for Eastman because it allows the company’s innovative material-to-material recycling technology to be audited for GRS certification.

Molecular recycling technologies at Eastman break waste down into its molecular building blocks allowing the materials to be used in new materials that are indistinguishable from non-recycled materials. By expanding the GRS to include gasification, the global standard now allows for a broader approach to making sustainable textiles accessible to everyone.

In recent years, the textiles industry has shifted toward circular materials to help tackle one of the largest challenges facing the planet: waste pollution, especially textile waste. Eastman molecular recycling is complementary to mechanical recycling and is a solution for hard-to-recycle waste material, including textiles, which are impacted by factors like fiber blends, chemicals and additives.

Naia™ Renew is produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% GRS-certified* waste materials that would otherwise be destined for landfills through Eastman's patented molecular recycling technology. The certification verifies the processes of chemical recycling, concentrating, extrusion, and spinning of the undyed yarns and fibers.

Autoneum’s sustainable, textile and lightweight Propylat technology reduces both interior and exterior noise of vehicles. Propylat was originally developed by Borgers Automotive, which was acquired by Autoneum in April 2023. The versatile technology is characterized by a flexible material composition of natural and synthetic fibers with a high recycled content and contributes to significant waste reduction thanks to its complete vertical integration. In addition, the fully recyclable technology variant Propylat PET is now part of the sustainability label Autoneum Pure.

The ongoing electrification of mobility as well as increasingly strict regulatory requirements for vehicle performance in terms of sustainability and acoustics are presenting new challenges to car manufacturers worldwide. With Propylat, Autoneum now offers another lightweight, fiber-based and versatile technology whose sound-insulating and -absorbing properties as well as high content of recycled materials help customers address these challenges. Propylat-based products not only contribute to reducing pass-by noise and improving driver comfort, but they are also up to 50 percent lighter than equivalent plastic alternatives; this results in a lower vehicle weight and, consequently, less fuel and energy consumption as well as lower CO2 emissions.

Autoneum's innovative Propylat technology consists of a mixture of recycled synthetic and natural fibers – the latter include cotton, jute, flax or hemp, for example – that are consolidated using thermoplastic binding fibers without adding any further chemical binders. Thanks to the flexible fiber composition and the variable density and thickness of the porous material, the properties of the respective Propylat variant, for example with regards to acoustic performance, can be tailored to individual customer requirements. This allows for a versatile application of the technology in a variety of interior and exterior components such as wheelhouse outer liners, trunk trim, underbody systems and carpets. For instance, Propylat-based wheelhouse outer liners significantly reduce rolling noise both inside and outside the vehicle while at the same time offering optimum protection against stone chipping and spray water.

In terms of sustainability, Propylat always contains a high proportion of recycled fibers – up to 100% in some variants – and can be manufactured with zero waste. Thanks to the full vertical integration of Propylat and Autoneum’s extensive expertise in recycling processes, the technology also contributes to a further significant reduction in production waste. Moreover, the Propylat PET technology variant, which consists of 100% PET, of which up to 70% are recycled fibers, is fully recyclable at the end of product life. For this reason, Propylat PET has been selected for Autoneum Pure – the Company’s sustainability label for technologies with excellent environmental performance throughout the product life cycle – where it will replace the current Mono-Liner technology going forward.

Propylat-based components are currently available in Europe, North America and China.

The programme committee is now accepting paper proposals for the Dornbirn GFC Global Fiber Congress 2024. They will be accepted through 15 February 2024

TOPICS
Fiber innovations
Is the core focus, including all applications like apparel, home, automotive, technical textiles etc. Nonwoven applications itself show very high innovative potential and will be part of this group. Natural fibers like cotton, wool and others will enrich the wholistic approach in the fibres space. Raw materials for the manmade fibre production like Pulp and upstream materials for synthetic fibers will extend this core pillar.
 
Circular Solutions & Recycling & Sustainability
Due to rising awareness of the climate change and the implementation of the “Green Deal”, “Sustainable Development Goals”, “ESG” and other, this pillar became enormously relevant over the years including:
sustainability in general for textiles and nonwovens, new and upcoming sorting- and separation technologies, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling and other ways forward.

Energy Solutions
As energy is becoming significantly important for the whole value chain in terms of costs and sustainability, there will be a strong focus on energy innovations at the next congress.  
 
Emerging Tech
Topics around Digitalization, AI, Transparency and Traceability will get high influence in the value chain and thus open up new approaches in innovation.

Twice a year ISPO recognizes innovative fibers, fabrics and components that are used to manufacture sports apparel. Two innovations from Hologenix have scored wins in the ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2025/2026 Awards: CELLIANT® with REPREVE® Nylon, introduced with textile solutions provider UNIFI®, makers of REPREVE®, and CELLIANT® Print. They were both Selections in the Fibers & Insulations Category.

CELLIANT with REPREVE Nylon
CELLIANT with REPREVE Nylon consists of CELLIANT infrared (IR) technology embedded into REPREVE. REPREVE creates high-quality fibers made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and preconsumer waste. CELLIANT with REPREVE Nylon is strong and durable with great stretch and a silky hand. It is ideal for underwear, stockings, tights/leggings, socks, seamless knits, baselayers and many other categories. With CELLIANT’s ability to convert body heat into infrared energy, improving local circulation and cellular oxygenation, it also provides performance for outdoor/sportswear, outerwear, swimwear among other categories. This is the second carrier type for CELLIANT with REPREVE, as it was introduced in polyester last fall and won three awards.

CELLIANT Print
CELLIANT Print makes the natural blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals more widely available from Hologenix as a printed coating, expanding the uses of the technology. Traditionally, CELLIANT has been embedded directly into fibers, yarns and fabrics. However, for its print applications, CELLIANT fine mineral powder can be adhered to many different fabric types as a topical coating, making CELLIANT Print a versatile and cost-effective solution. Key CELLIANT partners, such as Under Armour with their UA RUSH™ line, and KT Tape with its PRO Oxygen™ kinesiology tape utilize CELLIANT Print. Safe and CELLIANT® Print CELLIANT® with REPREVE® Nylon durable, CELLIANT Print has undergone mechanical testing for wash tests and can be confirmed to last the useful life of the product, for 50+ washes.

The adoption of composite parts based on flax fibres by the Marine Industry continues to grow, with major OEMs as well as smaller shipyards now aiming to take advantage of the reduced carbon impact and impressive mechanical properties they can provide.

“Over the last ten or fifteen years, several innovative flax fibre boats have been built and the fibre has started to gain significant traction,” says Julie Pariset, Innovation & CSR Director at the Alliance for European Flax-Linen and Hemp. “In addition to the environmental benefits, manufacturers are realising significant technical and processing gains with flax fibre composites.”

“Flax is a very low-density fibre, with a high specific stiffness,” she explains. “It can be used to manufacture composite laminates with mechanical properties not dissimilar to typical E-glass composites and the coefficient of thermal expansion of a flax fibre epoxy part is also quite close to that of a carbon fibre part.” This allows the materials to work well in combined assemblies with carbon fibre composites and the flax parts are also highly impact resistant.

Flax fibres also provide acoustic and vibration damping in composite applications, as well as providing a warm and aesthetically pleasing appearance below decks.

ecoRacer30
As a member of the Alliance for European Flax-Linen and Hemp, Bcomp, headquartered in Fribourg, Switzerland, has this year been working with Northern Light Composites (nlcomp), based in Monfalcone, northern Italy, on the creation of what is billed as the first fully recyclable nine-metre-long sailing boat – the ecoRacer30.

The boat is based on nlcomp’s proprietary rComposite technology – a combination of thermoplastic resins and BComp’s ampliTex high-performance natural fibre reinforcement fabrics and patented powerRibs technology.

It was built in a collaborative effort with the help of Barcelona-based Magnani Yachts, which took care of the composite manufacturing, and Sangiorgio Marine, which provided technical assistance as the boat was being assembled at its shipyard in Genova, Italy.

Magnani Yachts has subsequently become the first shipyard to hold an rComposite license and others are now being encouraged to adopt the technology.

The second ecoracer30 is currently under construction and has already been sold and nlcomp is planning to build a fleet of eight of these boats in time to enter a series of regattas in the summer of 2025.

Flax 27 Daysailer
Greenboats, based in Bremen, Germany, is another specialist in building boats from natural fibre composites and has this year launched the Flax 27 daysailer.

The lower hull of this vessel is also made from Bcomp’s ampliTex technical fabrics in combination with a sandwich core of recycled PET bottles. Using a vacuum infusion process, the fibres were integrated with a plant-based epoxy resin in order to further reduce the CO₂ footprint of the vessel.

The light structure and modern shapes of the lower hull of the boat result in very fast, sharp and agile handling on the water.

Greenboats has also recently announced significant new backing from alliance member Groupe Depestele, which manages 13,000 hectares of flax land in Normandy, France.

Blue Nomad
A project in Switzerland has meanwhile proposed the use of flax fibre composites in solar-powered habitats designed for comfortable living on the oceans – as the world grapples with the frightening implications of climate change and rising sea levels.

As envisaged by students from Institut auf dem Rosenberg in St Gallen, Switzerland working with Denmark-based SAGA Space Architects, Blue Nomad structures would form modular blocks to establish large communities and oceanic farms.