In view of the drastic deterioration of the market environment in the current quarter, the Lenzing Group suspends its guidance for the development of earnings in the 2022 financial year.
The further course of the 2022 financial year can only be estimated to a limited extent due to the extremely low visibility on the demand side and the high volatility of energy and raw material costs.
World Natural Fibre Production in 2022 is estimated at 32.6 million tonnes, down 1.1 million tonnes from the estimate one month ago. Production reached 33.3 million tonnes in 2021 and 31.6 million in 2020.
A drought in Texas where over half of cotton produced in the United States is grown, and flooding in Pakistan, the fifth largest cotton producer, account for the decline (www.ICAC.org).
World production of jute and allied fibres is estimated unchanged at 3.2 million tonnes in 2022 compared with 2021. High market prices in 2021 motivated farmers to expand planted area in both Bangladesh and India, but dry weather during June and July will limit yields per hectare. Normal monsoon rains resumed in South Asia during August, too late for the 2022 jute crop (https://www.wgc.de/en/).
Production of coir fibre rose by an average of 18,000 tonnes per year during the past decade, and production was at a record high of 1.12 million tonnes in 2021. Production is expected to remain high in 2022.
Flax has also been trending upward, rising by an average of 27,000 tonnes per year, and production in 2022 is estimated to remain above one million tonnes.
World wool production is forecast up by 5% in 2022 to 1.09 million tonnes (clean), the highest since 2018. Wetter weather in the Southern Hemisphere, following eight years of drought, is allowing farmers to rebuild herds (https://www.wool.com/market-intelligence/).
Natural fibres are heavily-traded commodities, and supply chain disruptions are causing significant economic losses as freight costs remain high and deliveries are delayed.
About 40% of world cotton production moves as fibre in international trade each season. Over half of world jute production moves as fibre or product, and around 55% of world wool production is exported as raw wool. Abaca, flax, and sisal are also heavily traded.
Most natural fibre exports traverse back-haul ocean freight routes from the Western Hemisphere to East Asia and the Middle East, from South Asia to East Asia and Europe, from Africa to East Asia and the Middle East, and from Australia and South Africa to China. Such routes are relatively underserved in the best of times, and reduced sailings since the start of Covid are restricting trade volumes.
As of the end of August, Freightos (https://fbx.freightos.com/) quoted the cost of moving a 40’ container from the United States West Coast to East Asia at $793, compared with $1,020 in March 2022. Nevertheless, average freight costs on back -haul routes used by natural fibres remain approximately triple their pre-covid levels. In addition to ocean freight costs, inland transportation is also affected by high fuel prices and a lack of containers. As one example, charges for inland handling of export containers in Bangladesh, the largest exporter of raw jute, increased by 48 per cent during August.
Discover Natural Fibres Initiative
The Lenzing Group, a leading provider of wood-based specialty fibers, is expanding its global clean electricity portfolio by gradually transitioning to green energy at its production site in Nanjing. This will enable its Chinese subsidiary Lenzing Nanjing Fibers to use electricity derived solely from renewable sources from 2023 onwards and reduce the site’s carbon emissions by 100,000 tonnes annually. Lenzing only recently announced the transition to green electricity at its Indonesian production facility.
In 2019, Lenzing became the first fiber producer to set a target of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. This carbon reduction target has been recognized by the Science Based Targets Initiative. In Nanjing, Lenzing is currently investing in cutting its carbon emissions and converting a standard viscose production line to 35,000 tonnes of TENCEL™ branded modal fibers. Thanks to this move, the Chinese site will exclusively produce eco-friendly specialty fibers.
The company aims to generate more than 75 percent of its fiber revenue from the wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibers business under the TENCEL™, LENZING™, ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ brands by 2024. With the launch of the lyocell plant in Thailand in March 2022 and the investments in existing production sites in China and Indonesia, the share of specialty fibers in Lenzing’s fiber revenue is set to exceed the 75 percent target by a significant margin as early as 2023.
Lenzing AG
Electronically conductive fibres are already in use in smart textiles, but in a recently published research article, ionically conductive fibres have proven to be of increasing interest. The so-called ionofibres achieve higher flexibility and durability and match the type of conduction our body uses. In the future, they may be used for such items as textile batteries, textile displays, and textile muscles.
The research project is being carried out by doctoral student Claude Huniade at the University of Borås and is a track within a larger project, Weafing, the goal of which is to develop novel, unprecedented garments for haptic stimulation comprising flexible and wearable textile actuators and sensors.
In Claude Huniade’s project, the goal is to produce conductive yarns without conductive metals.
"My research is about producing electrically conductive textile fibres, and ultimately yarns, by coating non-metals sustainably on commercial yarns. The biggest challenge is in the balance between keeping the textile properties and adding the conductive feature," said Claude Huniade.
Currenty, the uniqueness of his research leans towards the strategies employed when coating. These strategies expand to the processes and the materials used.
Uses ionic liquid
One of the tracks he investigates is about a new kind of material as textile coating, ionic liquids in combination with commercial textile fibres. Just like salt water, they conduct electricity but without water. Ionic liquid is a more stable electrolyte than salt water as nothing evaporates.
"The processable aspect is an important requirement since textile manufacturing can be harsh on textile fibres, especially when upscaling their use. The fibres can also be manufactured into woven or knitted without damaging them mechanically while retaining their conductivity. Surprisingly, they were even smoother to process into fabrics than the commercial yarns they are made from," explained Claude Huniade.
Ionofibres could be used as sensors since ionic liquids are sensitive to their environment. For example, humidity change can be sensed by the ionofibers, but also any stretch or pressure they are subjected to.
"Ionofibres could truly shine when they are combined with other materials or devices that require electrolytes. Ionofibres enable certain phenomena currently limited to happen in liquids to be feasible in air in a lightweight fashion. The applications are multiple and unique, for example for textile batteries, textile displays or textile muscles," said Claude Huniade.
Needs further research
Yet more research is needed to combine the ionofibres with other functional fibres and to produce the unique textile devices.
How do they stand out compared to common electronically conductive fibres?
"In comparison to electronically conductive fibres, ionofibers are different in how they conduct electricity. They are less conductive, but they bring other properties that electronically conductive fibers often lack. Ionofibres achieve higher flexibility and durability and match the type of conduction that our body uses. They actually match better than electronically conductive fibres with how electricity is present in nature," he concluded.
University of Borås - The Swedish School of Textiles
Ein Jahrzehnt Nachhaltigkeitsförderung: Der Green Product Award und der Green Concept Award feiern 2023 zehnjähriges Jubiläum und sind bis zum 7. November 2022 offen für Bewerbungen
Bereits zum zehnten Mal lobt der Green Future Club zwei Nachhaltigkeitspreise aus: den Green Concept Award sowie den Green Product Award. Die 2013 ins Leben gerufenen Auszeichnungen prämieren Produkte, Konzepte und Dienstleistungen, die in den Disziplinen Nachhaltigkeit, Innovation und Design überzeugen. Der Green Product Award richtet sich an Start-ups und etablierte Unternehmen. Mit dem Green Concept Award werden Studenten und Absolventen für visionäre Konzepte ausgezeichnet, die noch nicht auf dem Markt sind.
Beide Preise werden in vierzehn Kategorien vergeben: Architektur & Tiny Houses, Arbeitswelt, Beauty & Personal Care, Fashion, Freestyle, Gebäudekomponenten, Interior & Lifestyle, Kinder, Konsumgüter, Küche, Mobilität, Neue Materialien, Sport und Verpackung.
Über die Jahre konnte der Green Future Club zahlreiche zukunftsträchtige Produkte und Konzepte der Öffentlichkeit vorstellen und zum Erfolg verhelfen, darunter:
DESSERTO, der Gewinner der Kategorie „Neue Materialien“ des Green Product Award 2020 wurde durch den Preis erstmalig in Deutschland vorgestellt und hat sich in der Folge erfolgreich in der Modebranche etabliert. Nur ein Jahr später wurde das vegane Material aus Kaktusfasern von Amber Valetta für Karl Lagerfeld in Szene gesetzt; seither folgten Givency, Everlane und viele andere Brands als Partner.
Auch Vank Panele setzen auf kreislauffähige Naturfasern – in diesem Falle Hanf und Flachs, die sich Dank ihrer Leichtigkeit und Fähigkeit, Schall zu absorbieren, hervorragend als Materialien für Akustikplatten eigenen. 2022 hat der Hersteller Vank den Green Product Award in der Kategorie “Interior & Lifestyle” gewonnen. Mit der Vielfalt der Anwendungsmöglichkeiten erfolgte der Markteintritt zwölf Monate später – aktiv begleitet vom Green Future Club.
Die Awards 2023
Bis zum 7. November 2022 können sich Start-Ups, Unternehmen, Studenten und Absolventen für den Green Product Award bzw. den Green Concept Award bewerben. Am 7. Dezember werden die Nominierten bekanntgegeben. Danach erfolgt eine vierwöchige öffentliche Publikumswahl, während die Expertenjury die Gewinner und die "Best of"-Projekte in jeder Kategorie bewertet. Die Ergebnisse werden bei der Preisverleihung im März in Deutschland bekannt gegeben. Im Jubiläumsjahr erhalten Mitglieder des Green Future Club 50 % Rabatt auf Award-Einreichungen, Einladungen zu Club Events, die Vorstellung neuer Tools, Matchmaking Events, uvm.
Die internationale Jury des Green Product Award 2023 und des Green Concept Award 2023 besteht aus:
Award-Zeitplan 2022/23
22-30.10. Dutch Design Week Ausstellung
07.11. Einreichungsfrist für den Green Product & Concept Award
9-10.11. Design meets Industry: The Greener Manufacturing Show
7.12. Bekanntgabe der Nominierten
7.12.-01.22 Bewertung der Jury und öffentliche Publikumswahl
März 2023 Preisverleihung
Weitere Informationen:
Green Product Award: https://gp-award.com/de/gpaward
Green Concept Award: https://gp-award.com/de/gcaward
Green Future Club: https://www.greenfutureclub.com
Green Future Club gUG
Prof. Dr. -Ing. Jörg Müssig und Vincent Röhl von der Hochschule Bremen trugen mit einem Kapitel über Wollfaserverbundwerkstoffe im Spritzguss und im 3-D-Druck zum Buch "Wool Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites" bei.
Pflanzliche Naturfasern gewinnen als Verstärkungselemente in Verbundwerkstoffen zunehmend an Bedeutung. Wolle hingegen ist in derartigen Werkstoffen bisher eher selten zu finden, hat allerdings ein überaus spannendes Potenzial.
Das aktuell erschienene Buch zu wollfaserverstärkten Polymerverbundwerkstoffen stellt eine eingehende und praktische Analyse von Verbundwerkstoffen auf der Basis von Wolle dar und deckt alle Bereiche von der Morphologie der Wollfaser bis zu den industriellen Anwendungen von Wollfaserverbundwerkstoffen ab. Untersucht werden unterschiedlichste Formen von Wollfaserverbundwerkstoffen, Beschreibungen umfassen Morphologie, Struktur und Eigenschaften von Wolle, Methoden zur chemischen Modifizierung von Wolle, verschiedene Formen von Woll-Polymer-Verbundwerkstoffen und weitere neue Anwendungen.
Unter dem Titel „Wool fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymers for injection molding and 3D-printing“ bekommen die Leser:innen einen Überblick vom Aufbau natürlicher keratin-basierter Strukturen, deren Eigenschaften bis hin zur Verwendung von Wolle in Verbundwerkstoffen. Neben Anwendungsmöglichkeiten im 3-D-Druck gehen die Autoren auch auf das bionische Potenzial keratin-basierter Strukturen ein. Vor dem Hintergrund der Diskussionen über den unerwünschten Eintrag von Kunststoffen in Gewässer und Böden sehen Vincent Röhl und Jörg Müssig einen besonderen Vorteil von Wollfasern zur Verstärkung von abbaubaren Kunststoffen. Ihre aktuellen Forschungen zeigen, dass wollfaserverstärkte, biobasierte Kunststoffe sich sehr schnell im Boden abbauen und von Bodenorganismen verstoffwechselt werden können.
Hochschule Bremen
The Lenzing Group has signed an electricity supply contract with green power producer Enery and Energie Steiermark to finance a photovoltaic plant in the Deutschlandsberg region (Styria). The electricity generated will supply the fiber and pulp plant at the Lenzing site after commissioning from the fourth quarter of 2023. The electricity supply contract is limited to 20 years.
The plant’s output will amount to 5.5 MWpeak. This corresponds to the average annual electricity demand of more than 1,700 households. Several photovoltaic systems are already being installed at the Lenzing site, including the largest ground-mounted plant in the province of Upper Austria, whose commissioning is imminent.
In 2019, Lenzing became the first fiber manufacturer to set a target to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and to be climate neutral by 2050. This carbon reduction target has been confirmed by the Science Based Targets Initiative. Lenzing is also currently investing in reducing carbon emissions at other sites worldwide. Only recently, the Lenzing Group announced that its Indonesian site will also be relying on green energy in the future.
Lenzing AG
Das EU-Projekt „MC4 – Multi-level Circular Process Chain for Carbon and Glass Fibre Composites“ untersucht zirkuläre Ansätze für die Wiederverwendung von Verbundwerkstoffen aus Carbon- und Glasfasern. Es entwickelt Prozesstechnologien und Qualitätssicherungsmethoden, die ein wirtschaftliches Recycling von Carbon- und Glasfaserbauteilen ermöglichen. Die im Fokus stehenden Materialien sind für zahlreiche technische Anwendungen unverzichtbar, bei denen ein geringes Materialgewicht und hohe Performance besonders geschätzt werden. Die europäischen Wertschöpfungsketten für Carbon- und Glasfasern müssen jedoch in zweierlei Hinsicht optimiert werden: in Bezug auf die ökologische und die wirtschaftliche Effizienz.
Derzeit gehen bis zu 40 % des Materials im Produktionsprozess als Abfall (z.B. Prepreg-Abfälle im Zuschnitt) verloren und nach einer Lebensdauer von 15 bis 30 Jahren werden 98 % des Materials der Entsorgung zugeführt, ohne Aussicht auf Wiederverwertung. Bei einem jährlichen Verbrauch von etwa 138.000 Tonnen Carbonfasern und 4,5 Millionen Tonnen Glasfaserverbundwerkstoffen sind entsprechende Umweltauswirkungen von hoher Relevanz.
Zusätzlich zu diesen Umweltproblemen muss die derzeitige Wettbewerbsposition Europas in diesen Wertschöpfungsketten verbessert werden, um weniger von ausländischen Quellen abhängig zu sein. 80 % der Herstellung von Carbon- und Glasfasern findet außerhalb Europas statt, und wenn die Herstellung in Europa erfolgt, sind die Technologien häufig von anderen Ländern
MC4 wird sich auf verschiedene Wiederverwendungs- und Recyclingprozesse entlang des Lebenszyklus von Verbundwerkstoffen konzentrieren. Dazu gehören:
Das Konsortium umfasst 15 Partner aus sieben europäischen Ländern. Prozessentwickler, Materialhersteller, Hersteller von Verbundbauteilen sowie Endverbraucher decken die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette ab.
Das STFI bringt in verschiedenen Arbeitspaketen des Projektes seine Kompetenzen im Bereich der Verarbeitung und des Recyclings von Carbonfasern und Carbonfaserverbundbauteilen ein. Neben der Herstellung von Vliesstoffen und deren Prüfung stehen die Anfertigung von Demonstratoren, aber auch entsprechende LCA und Wirtschaftlichkeitsbetrachtungen im Vordergrund.
MC4 wird von der Europäischen Union unter dem Aufruf HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-01-01 im Forschungsrahmenprogramm Horizon Europe finanziert. Die Laufzeit des Projektes ist von April 2022 bis März 2025.
Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. (STFI)
Shorter product life cycles and rapid technological progress are changing the product landscape at an ever-faster pace. The ability to anticipate future changes and to proactively shape the change is therefore an increasingly decisive competitive factor for modern companies. Trends are considered to be important indicators of impending
Kelheim Fibres, a leading manufacturer of viscose speciality fibres, stands out in the industry not least for its innovative strength, as evidenced by numerous awards such as the Techtextil Innovation Award 2022 in the “New Concept” category. At this year’s Global Fiber Congress Dornbirn, Innovation Manager Ilka Kaczmarek will give an insight into the innovation management of the Bavarian fibre experts in her presentation “Trend Management meets Open Innovation: Best Practice Examples from Kelheim”. Ilka Kaczmarek will show how successful product solutions were developed in a short time by focusing on customer needs and working closely with partners along the value chain.
Natalie Wunder, Project Manager at Kelheim Fibres, will explain one of these examples in detail in her presentation “Development of Menstruation Pants using Speciality Viscose Fibres”. Based on the current trend and the desire of end customers for reusable products, Kelheim Fibres was able to develop a washable and thus reusable, yet bio-based solution for feminine hygiene products.
Kelheim Fibres
(c) adidas AG
adidas has unveiled the latest in its Made with Nature Capsule Collection with a new Ultraboost 22 Made with Nature and Made with Nature apparel joining the range as the brand continues its mission to call time on conventional materials and design out finite resources.
Designed in balance with the planet, the women’s Ultraboost 22 Made with Nature takes the forward-thinking elements of the Ultraboost 22 and amplifies them with natural materials. The shoe is made in part with natural materials – 40% of the knitted upper is made with lyocell, a material created with cellulosic fibers made from sustainably grown wood.
Launching alongside the Ultraboost 22 Made with Nature is a new Made with Nature apparel range, including a performance running wear look for men and women. The apparel range is made with at least 50% organic cotton.
Christopher Wheat, Global Category Director Running Footwear said: “At adidas, we understand that change is not only possible, it’s an urgent necessity. With Made with Nature, we are on a journey to a world beyond plastic. We’re calling time on conventional materials and methods of make. Once depleted, there’s no coming back for fossil resources. But when we design in synergy with natural processes, when we make with nature, we can use materials that regrow or regenerate – and change the way products are made."
adidas AG
Due to the continued good business development, especially in the Carbon Fibers Business Unit, SGL Carbon SE is increasing its Group sales and earnings guidance for the current fiscal year and now expects Group sales of approximately €1.2 billion (previously: approximately €1.1 billion). The company expects to achieve adjusted EBITDA (EBITDA pre = earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization before one-off effects and non-recurring items) of €170 - €190 million (previously: €130 - €150 million) in 2022.
Based on lower prices for acrylonitrile as main raw material of the Business Unit Carbon Fibers as well as higher than expected customer demand for acrylic and carbon fibers combined with consistently good production capacity utilization and capability, the management of SGL Carbon SE assumes an improved earnings development of this Business Unit.
SGL Carbon assumes that the factors mentioned will continue at least until the end of the year and that the earnings situation of the Business Unit Carbon Fibers will exceed previous expectations. Combined with the continued good business development of the other three Business Units (Graphite Solutions, Process Technology and Composite Solutions), an improvement in the sales and earnings situation at Group level is expected.
In line with the forecast increase for adjusted EBITDA (EBITDA pre) to between €170 and €190 million (previously: €130 - €150 million), the company is forecasting adjusted EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes and before one-off effects and non-recurring items) of between €110 and €130 million (previously: €70 - €90 million). The forecast for return on capital employed (ROCE) of originally 7% - 9% has been raised to 10% to 12% corresponding to the development of earnings. The expectations for free cash flow (significantly below previous year's level of €111.5 million) remain unaffected by the expected improvement in sales and earnings.
The updated forecast for fiscal 2022 has been prepared on the basis of the currently prevailing market environment and assumes no deterioration in the general conditions, in particular due to the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the global economy.
The definition of key figures used in this release is aligned to the Annual Report 2021. There were no changes in the scope of consolidation or accounting methods compared with the previous guidance.
SGL CARBON SE
(c) AZL. Comparison of battery casing in modular design and “cell-to-pack” design
The future of e-mobility will be determined in particular by safe battery enclosures. As batteries for electric vehicles become more performant, higher volumetric energy density plays a crucial role. If more energy is to be stored in less installation space, new material and design solutions are required. The development of suitable enclosures made of safe and highly robust lightweight materials is also required. This is a case for the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL). A project on cell-to-pack battery enclosures for battery-electric vehicles, which has been eagerly awaited in the industry, will start in October this year there.
The design of battery housings is crucial for safety, capacity, performance, and economics. The Cell-to-Pack project, which is starting now, will focus on developing concepts for structural components and for producing them based on a variety of materials and design approaches. The concepts will be compared in terms of performance, weight and production costs, creating new know-how for OEMs, producers and their suppliers throughout the battery vehicle value chain. Companies are now invited to participate in this new cross-industry project to develop battery enclosure concepts for the promising and trend-setting cell-to-pack technology.
The basis for the project is the lightweight engineering expertise of the AZL experts, which they have already demonstrated in previous projects for multi-material solutions for module-based battery housings. Together with 46 industry partners, including Audi, Asahi Kasei, Covestro, DSM, EconCore, Faurecia, Hutchinson, Johns Manville, Magna, Marelli and Teijin, 20 different multi-material concepts were optimized in terms of weight and cost and compared with a reference component made from aluminum. All production steps were modelled in detail to obtain reliable cost estimates for each variant. Result: depending on the concept, 20% weight or 36% cost savings potential could be identified by using multi-material composites compared to the established aluminum reference.
It is expected that the design concept of battery enclosures will develop in the direction of a more efficient layout. In this case, the cells are no longer combined in modules in additional production steps, but are integrated directly into the battery housing. The elimination of battery modules and the improved, weight-saving use of space will allow for higher packing density, reduced overall height and cost saving. In addition, various levels of structural integration of the battery housing into the body structure are expected. These new designs bring specific challenges, including ensuring protection of the battery cells from external damage and fire protection. In addition, different recyclability and repair requirements may significantly impact future designs. How the different material and structural options for future generations of battery enclosures for the cell-to-pack technology might look like and how they compare in terms of cost and environmental impact will be investigated in the new AZL project. In addition to the material and production concepts from the concept study for module-based battery enclosures, results from a currently ongoing benchmarking of different materials for the impact protection plate and a new method for determining mechanical properties during a fire test will also be incorporated.
The project will start on October 27, 2022 with a kick-off meeting of the consortium, interested companies can still apply for participation until then.
AZL
Royal Golden Eagle (“RGE”), a global group of resource-based manufacturing companies, which includes a world-leading viscose fibre producers Sateri and Asia Pacific Rayon (APR), is developing urban-fit, closed-loop textile-to-textile recycling solutions, through the newly-formed RGE-NTU Sustainable Textile Research Centre (RGE-NTU SusTex). This is a five-year research collaboration between RGE and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (“NTU”), to accelerate innovation in textile recycling that can be deployed in urban settings. The research centre will develop new technologies to recycle textile waste into fibre and create new, next-generation eco-friendly and sustainable textiles.
This move comes on the back of the tightening of waste import bans in countries such as China, India and Indonesia, which are among the world’s largest waste processors. The stricter import bans have left cities in need of viable local textile recycling solutions to tackle the immense textile waste generated.
RGE Executive Director, Mr Perry Lim, said, “Current textile recycling technologies, which rely primarily on a bleaching and separation process using heavy chemicals, cannot be implemented due to environmental laws. At the same time, there is an urgent need to keep textiles out of the brimming landfills.” He added, “As the world’s largest viscose producer, we aim to catalyse closed-loop, textile-to-textile recycling by developing optimal urban-fit solutions that can bring the world closer to a circular textile economy.”
Globally, an estimated 90 million tonnes of textile waste is generated and disposed of every year, with less than 1% being upcycled into new clothing or other textile materials. By 2030, the amount of global textile waste, which currently accounts for almost 10% of municipal solid waste, is expected to reach more than 134 million tonnes. The textile industry is also responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions – more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
At present, most of the available textile recycling technologies are open-loop, where textile waste is typically downcycled to lower-quality products (insulating materials, cleaning cloths, etc.) or be used in waste-to-heat recycling.
“Closed-loop textile-to-textile recycling processes, particularly chemical recycling, are still under development. Scaling up the technologies to industrial scale remains a challenge. A key bottleneck is that refabricating textile waste into fibre needs purity standards for feedstock. However, most of the clothes that we wear are made of a mixture of different synthetic and natural fibres, which makes separating the complex blends of materials challenging for effective recycling.
“Our aim is to address this industry pain point by developing viable solutions that use less energy, fewer chemicals and produces harmless and less effluents, and then potentially scale up across our global operations,” Mr Lim said.
To tackle the key challenges in closed-loop textile recycling, RGE-NTU SusTex is looking into four key research areas, namely cleaner and more energy efficient methods of recycling into new raw materials, automated sorting of textile waste, eco-friendly dye removal, and development of a new class of sustainable textiles that is durable for wear and, at the same time, lends itself to easier recycling.
Technologies developed by RGE-NTU SusTex will be test bedded at RGE’s pilot urban-fit textile recycling plant in Singapore, which is projected for completion as early as 2024. If successful, RGE has plans to replicate the plant in other urban cities within its footprint.
Royal Golden Eagle
As every year, in 2022 the Discover Natural Fibers Initiative (DNFI) called on individuals, universities, textile researchers and companies to submit their products, projects, processes and ideas in the field of Natural Fibres from the following categories:
The DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Award aims to promote the development of new products/components and applications using natural fibres as well as new processes for manufacturing of environmental friendly products. Universities, institutes, industry and individuals working in the area of scientific research are invited to participate. “Sustainability” should be just one important aspect of each submission considered by the judges.
The DNFI Innovation in Natural Fibres Award aims to recognise the innovations as well as the people and institutions responsible for them with the goal of raising public awareness of the achievements of the natural fibre sector as a whole.
Get the details online.
European Industry and Research Exchange on Technical Textiles
(c) Allmann Sattler Wappner Architekten, München; Menges Scheffler Architekten, Frankfurt; Jan Knippers Ingenieure, Stuttgart
Ein Garn zu spinnen, ein Gewebe oder Gestrick zu produzieren, anschließend zu veredeln und zu einem fertigen Textil mit breiten Anwendungsfeldern zu konfektionieren, benötigt viel Know-how. Passend dazu bieten Textil- und Bekleidungsunternehmen Ausbildungsberufe an, deren Anwendungsfelder ganz nach dem Motto „Textil kann viel“ nicht vielfältiger sein könnten. Produktionsmechaniker*innen Textil können ihr Geschick im Umgang mit Maschinen unter Beweis stellen; Produktveredler*innen Textil sind direkt in das Veredeln und Färben eingebunden; Textil- und Modeschneider*innen verwandeln Stoffe in Kleidungsstücke und andere Produkte. Auch Ausbildungen im kaufmännischen Bereich, in Logistik oder IT hat die Industrie zu bieten.
„Wir möchten noch mehr junge Menschen für eine Ausbildung in unserer spannenden und innovativen Branche begeistern. Deshalb investiert Südwesttextil mit dem Bau des Texoversums auf dem Campus der Hochschule Reutlingen in die Zukunft der Ausbildung. Das Texoversum ist einer der Orte, an dem die textile Aus- und Weiterbildung ihre Innovation und Attraktivität aufzeigt und vorantreibt“, so Edina Brenner, Hauptgeschäftsführerin des Wirtschafts- und Arbeitgeberver-bands Südwesttextil.
In den Nachwuchs zu investieren hat beim Verband der Südwestdeutschen Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie e.V. Südwesttextil Tradition: Seit 1980 sind in der Gatex, der überbetrieblichen Aus- und Weiterbildungsstätte der Branche, mehr als 1.000 Menschen erfolgreich qualifiziert worden. Auszubildenden ermöglicht die Gatex das Lernen entlang der textilen Kette, sodass sie im Anschluss im Betrieb auch vor- oder nachgelagerte Stufen der Produktion mitdenken können.
Mit dem Umzug der Gatex von Bad Säckingen nach Reutlingen setzt Südwesttextil auf einen zentralen Ort und die Verknüpfung mit dem Studienangebot der Hochschule. Schon jetzt schnuppern die Auszubildenden Campusluft, denn das überbetriebliche Ausbildungsjahr beginnt direkt in Reutlingen. Das Texoversum wird im Frühsommer des nächsten Jahres eröffnet und bietet dem textilen Nachwuchs Raum fürs Lernen, Ausprobieren und Vernetzen. Denn in den 3.000 Quadratmetern des innovativ gebauten Gebäudes befinden sich neben Schulungsräumen auch Werkstätten, Labore und Think-Tank-Flächen.
Südwesttextil
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, announced its commitment to science-based targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to help drive its ambitious sustainability programs. The company will also participate in the SBTi Expert Advisory Group for the chemicals industry.
SBTi is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund for Nature to help businesses set emissions reduction targets based on the most recent climate science. IVL has committed to science-based targets under its purpose of “Reimagining chemistry together to create a better world” which aims to reduce global warming in line with the 1.5°C Paris Climate Agreement.
Under its Vision 2030 ambition, Indorama Ventures aims to build on its global industry leadership in sustainability, including by reducing GHG intensity by 30% and increasing renewable electricity consumption to 25%. Green projects are helping the company to achieve its operational efficiency targets, increase its use of renewable energy (especially renewable electricity – both onsite generation and offsite procurement through power purchase agreements), implement new decarbonization technologies including carbon capture, introduce bio-feedstock to its petrochemical value chain, and expand its PET recycling capability.
To meet its targets, IVL recognizes the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to decarbonize its operations through a variety of strategies. The established targets help its customers and suppliers to achieve their own sustainability goals, particularly their science-based targets.
Yash Lohia, Chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures, said, "We are pleased to make our sustainability commitment more practical and measurable through science-based targets. We are dedicated to finding new technologies that can transform our operations and products towards net-zero. The efforts are not only for our sustainable business but also to support our customers and suppliers to achieve their own sustainability goals."
IVL
Beaulieu International Group
Beaulieu International Group invites EuroGeo7 attendees to discover geotextile solutions promoting greater sustainability for future civil engineering projects. Specialists from Beaulieu Fibres International (BFI) and Beaulieu Technical Textiles (BTT) will present high-performance geosynthetics through high tenacity fibres for lightweight, nonwoven geotextiles, and a range of high durability woven geotextile solutions with an environmentally beneficial impact.
“We are delighted to sponsor EuroGeo7 and to be finally on-site, following a two-year postponement of the event. EuroGeo7 is bringing the geotextile community together to further promote and develop geosynthetics in a fast changing global economy striving for growth while reducing its carbon footprint along the supply chain, " comment from Jefrem Jennard, Sales Director Fibres, and Roy Kerckhove, Sales Director Technical Textiles. “Geotextiles provide highly versatile, durable and natural resource-saving alternatives in large infrastructure works, and offer durable protection in erosion control and waste/water management projects. We are continuously developing our fibres and finished engineering textiles with proven sustainability-enhancing benefits to progress product development and customer sustainability goals on fossil carbon reduction, while taking concrete steps to reduce our own environmental footprint.”
Sustainability improvement is key to the long-term strategy of Beaulieu International Group, and it is committed to supporting the geotextile industry by targeting and accelerating change and communicating the sustainable performance of its products. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are integrated into its business and are the foundations of the new Route 2030 Sustainability Roadmap.
For manufacturers of nonwoven geotextiles, BFI’s high-tenacity HT8 staple fibres enable customers to achieve nonwovens with high mechanical performance at reduced fibre weight. The HT8 high tenacity fibres are designed in a way that customers can meet the industry durability standards for a longer service lifetime, supporting more sustainable design and resource reduction over time. BTT’s woven geotextiles are amongst the most sustainable in the industry and provide a wide range of functions, including separation, filtration, reinforcement and erosion control.
BFI and BTT have conducted lifecycle assessments to calculate their activities' carbon footprint and solutions and have received external recognition for their ongoing sustainability efforts. For example, in 2022, BFI was awarded a Silver EcoVadis sustainability rating, and BFI and BTT are proud recipients of the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship 2022.
Beaulieu International Group
The Lenzing Group, provider of wood-based specialty fibers, is expanding its global clean electricity portfolio and transitioning its production site in Purwakarta to green electricity. The Indonesian subsidiary PT. South Pacific Viscose (SPV) has been using electricity generated solely from renewable sources since July this year, which will reduce its specific carbon emissions by 75,000 tonnes annually.
In 2019, Lenzing became the first fiber producer to set a target of halving its carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. This carbon reduction target has been recognized by the Science Based Targets Initiative. In Purwakarta, Lenzing is currently investing in the reduction of carbon emissions, as well as air and water emissions. Thanks to its EUR 100 million investment in this area, Lenzing is gradually transitioning its existing capacities for standard viscose to LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ branded specialty viscose.
“Demand for our wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibers is constantly rising. We see enormous growth potential, especially in Asia. The switch to green, renewable electricity marks a huge step forward in converting our Indonesian site into a specialty fiber supplier. This makes us better positioned to meet the growing demand for sustainably produced fibers,” comments Robert van de Kerkhof, Chief Commercial Officer for Fiber at Lenzing.
The company aims to generate more than 75 percent of its fiber revenue from the wood-based, biodegradable specialty fibers business under the TENCEL™, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ brands by 2024. With the launch of the lyocell plant in Thailand in March 2022 and the investments in existing production sites in Indonesia and China, the share of specialty fibers in Lenzing’s fiber revenue is set to exceed the 75 percent target by a significant margin as early as 2023.
Lenzing AG
Suominen announces general surcharges on all its products in North America effective immediately. These surcharges are a response to significant unexpected increases in raw materials, energy and freight costs.
“We have done all we can to mitigate these increases on behalf of our customers. Suominen can no longer absorb the full extent of these increases. We are living in an unusual time in the nonwovens industry with unprecedented and unexpected cost increases accompanied by volatility in demand patterns and supply chain disruptions. We understand circumstances are extremely challenging and we remain committed to serving our customers during this difficult period,” says Lynda A. Kelly, SVP, Americas.
Suominen
Photo: Mark Stebnicki, pexels
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a comprehensive study about Chinese cotton in August 2022. The authors, Fred Gale and Eric Davis, concentrate on textiles, imports and Xinjiang.
China is the world’s largest textile manufacturer and the largest cotton consumer, but changes in China’s economy are reshaping the geography of its cotton-textile sector. Nearly all of China’s cotton is produced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), also known more simply as Xinjiang.
Their study reviewed the regional patterns of China’s cotton textile industry development and identified growing geographic separation between cotton production and textile manufacturing since the 1990s using data from Chinese sources. The study investigated spatial patterns of demand for imported cotton by analyzing lists of Chinese companies applying for a share of the import quota from 2016 to 2022. Multiple regression analysis was used to control for potentially confounding influences when investigating whether companies in coastal provinces were more likely to use imported cotton than similarly sized companies in other regions.
Textile manufacturers — the main consumers of cotton — are concentrated in coastal and central regions where the share of China’s cotton production fell from over 50 percent to 10 percent during 2011–21. These geographic changes are a factor influencing global trade in cotton and textiles. Additionally, the use of forced labor in Xinjiang attracted more attention to the industry, prompting the United States and other countries to ban products produced in the region.
This study reviews the economic, geographic, and policy factors reshaping the industry and influencing the global trade of cotton and textile products. The study also examines data on Chinese companies applying for a share of China’s cotton import quota to gain insight about the demand for imported cotton.
China became the world’s largest producer, consumer, and importer of cotton soon after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. Despite adopting a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system for cotton imports and issuing supplemental quotas in most years, the large number of cotton goods manufacturers that request shares of the quota suggests demand for imported cotton exceeds the quota.
While the TRQ was intended to protect China’s cotton farmers, many farmers abandoned the labor-intensive crop as wages rose rapidly in many other industries and other crops produced higher returns. In response, officials encouraged cotton production in the relatively remote region of Xinjiang to prevent China from becoming reliant on imported cotton. Xinjiang growers receive a subsidy payment for cotton, and subsidies for machinery and seeds. A transportation subsidy induces textile manufacturers in eastern and central regions to purchase cotton from Xinjiang, which is about 2,200 to 2,900 miles from most of the country’s textile manufacturers. Financial support and other incentives encourage manufacturers to shift operations to Xinjiang.
Textile manufacturers in China are highly interested in importing cotton due to its lower price and quality. China imports about 20 percent of its cotton, and the United States is a chief exporter of cotton to China. While imported cotton is used in all provinces, manufacturers near the eastern seaboard show a greater propensity for imports. Nevertheless, in all regions, domestic cotton has the largest share of mill use.
Between 2016 and 2022, 1,581 companies applied for a share of the TRQ, and 265 companies applied in all 7 years. Most of these companies also applied for supplemental quotas issued with slightly higher tariffs. This large number of applicants suggests that imports could be even greater if quotas did not limit them. The operation of the quota application process is not public information, but data submitted by applicants suggests access to imported cotton is uneven. About 14 percent of applicants said imported cotton comprised over half of the cotton they used. Another 20 percent of companies requesting import quota did not use any imported cotton, suggesting that many applicants are unable to import. Textile manufacturers coped with limits on cotton imports by increasing their use of synthetic, chemical-based fibers or by importing cotton yarn. From 2000 to 2020, China’s yarn imports doubled from under 1 million metric tons to around 2 million metric tons with Vietnam supplying about 45 percent of that total in 2020.
The number of textile manufacturers in Xinjiang applying for a share of the cotton import quota rose from 37 to 68 between 2016 and 2022. However, imports constituted less than 2 percent of the cotton Xinjiang applicants reported using—and 66 percent of them reported using no imported cotton—suggesting that applications from Xinjiang textile companies were often denied.
Analysis found that applicants in coastal provinces used more imported cotton than similarly sized applicants in other regions. Each location of a multi-plant company must apply separately for tariff-rate quotas. Textile manufacturers in Xinjiang that requested a share of the import quota included branches of some of China’s largest textile companies, but the analysis found that Xinjiang applicants used less imported cotton than similar manufacturing plants located in other regions. China’s role as a cotton importer appears to have peaked, while other countries are increasing their share of imports.
USDA baseline projections suggest that by 2030 Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Turkey will together account for 47 percent of the world’s cotton imports while China will only account for 24 percent. The study cam be downloaded from the USDA website.
