From the Sector

The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued a statement following President Biden’s remarks on the global supply chain crisis and stressed the importance of investing onshoring and nearshoring:

"We appreciate President Biden’s call to ensure we are building more resilient and reliable supply chains and to invest in our manufacturing industries here at home, in his address earlier today.

There is a reason we got into this mess and there is a reason we have a global supply chain crisis. Years of offshoring production in a race to the bottom –exacerbated by predatory trade practices that have undermined so many manufacturing industries--has led to a tipping point. In fact, it was not too long ago that nurses in New York City and beyond were wearing garbage bags as gowns as our overreliance on Chinese production chains exposed severe fragilities in keeping our health care workers safe during the height of the pandemic.

China’s virtually unlimited and unrealistic pricing power coupled with its subsidies and lack of enforceable environmental standards strips benefits and undermines policy objectives, and leaves us in an untenable situation of overreliance on a foreign supply chain for critical products and raw materials. This must change.

We must hold China accountable for predatory trade practices that have offshored our industries and our jobs. We must onshore and nearshore more textile and apparel production chains out of Asia to the U.S. and also to Western Hemisphere trade partners. This has a multitude of benefits to ensure more reliability in production and also has remarkable job benefits to U.S. manufacturers and our allied trading partners who adhere to higher labor and environmental standards. Further, it will help address the migration crisis and grow better paying jobs.

Now is the time to we need to unlock long-term commitments to source product from the USA and from our Hemispheric partners.  If we moved another 10 percent of global production to the U.S. and the Hemisphere, imagine the benefits that could be achieved.  Ensuring further verticalization and investment in all aspects of the industry, from raw materials to finished products, is good for the American economy and workers in the U.S. and in the region.

Our industry stands ready to help and provide the solutions to onshore and nearshore these production chains that benefit manufacturing workers, the U.S. economy, our Western Hemisphere allies, and consumers.   Further, onshoring and nearshoring these critical production chains has remarkable benefits for the environment and addresses the growing, systemic and alarming issues associated with climate change.  

It is critical that supply chains mitigate risks so that we are never in this situation again.  We appreciate President Biden recognizing the value of onshoring these critical production chains and stand ready to work with the administration in these efforts."

Fashion 4 Development and C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub are pleased to announce the launch of their digital platform called “The Reclothe’s Platform”. The digital platform, which is a joint venture between the two companies, is expected to add significant value to all the stakeholders in the fashion and lifestyle industry. The core objective of the Reclothe’s Platform is to be a one-stop source of information and guide for professionals and students in the fashion and lifestyle industry.

The ReClothe platform will feature current innovators highlighting the practices & solutions for textile and manufacturers, pushing the industry towards a greener and more sustainable standard. The platform will lead members into scalable and more responsible manufacturing processes, driving responsible innovation practices across all aspects of the supply chain, measured and proved.
 
The joint venture was created in 2021 by Fashion 4 Development and C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub to support the United Nations Office of Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals. Both Fashion 4 Development and C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub are recognized for their experiences working from broad perspectives to advance the sustainability transformation

Dow and Ralph Lauren Corporation released a detailed manual on how to dye cotton more sustainably and more effectively than ever before using ECOFAST™ Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment. With this manual, Ralph Lauren and Dow are open-sourcing this improved dyeing process to encourage adoption in the textile industry and help standardize a more sustainable and efficient cotton dyeing system for positive environmental impact.  

The co-developed, step-by-step manual details how to use ECOFAST™ Pure, a cationic cotton treatment developed by Dow, with existing dyeing equipment. Ralph Lauren, the first brand to use ECOFAST™ Pure, partnered with Dow to optimize and implement the technology in its cotton dyeing operations as part of its new Color on Demand platform.

Conventional fabric dyeing processes require trillions of liters of water each year, generating roughly 20% of the world’s wastewater.^{1, 2} Pretreating fabric with ECOFAST™ Pure helps significantly reduce the amount of water, chemicals and energy needed to color cotton, by enabling up to 90% less process chemicals, 50% less water, 50% less dyes and 40% less energy without sacrificing color or quality.³

Ralph Lauren began integrating Color on Demand into its supply chain earlier this year and first launched product utilizing ECOFAST™ Pure as part of the Company’s Team USA collection for the Olympic & Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Designed to help address water scarcity and pollution caused by cotton dyeing, Color on Demand is a multi-phased system with a clear ambition to deliver over time the world’s first scalable zero wastewater cotton dyeing system. By 2025, the brand aims to use the Color on Demand platform to dye more than 80% of its solid cotton products.

¹ Drew, Deborah and Genevieve Yehounme. “The Apparel Industry’s Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics.” World Resources Institute, July 5, 2017. https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/07/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics
² Rep. A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future. Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Circular Fibres Initiative, 2017. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
³ A full third-party reviewed and validated life cycle assessment is available by request at www.dow.com/ecofast.

Two long-established companies are joining forces: as of October 2021, textile finishing specialist AG Cilander from Herisau, Switzerland, will acquire 100 percent of ALUMO AG, an Appenzell-based manufacturer known for producing ultra-fine cotton fabrics to exacting Swiss quality standards.

The textile finishing industry is an environment in which quality, new technologies and a keen interest in innovative textile solutions play a crucial role. In this business, strong, reliable alliances with customers and partners are vital pillars to allow growth while still satisfying the high expectations set for the materials used. By acquiring ALUMO AG, the world leader in ultra-fine cotton fabrics, AG Cilander expands into a new market segment, setting the course for successfully broadening its product portfolio and tapping into new sales markets.

Both companies can look back on a long tradition of expertise in the textile industry, and their partnership has been a very successful one for years.

ALUMO AG will continue to operate as an independent company based in Appenzell, keeping the same strategic direction in the fabrics offered and the same standards for excellence in service and quality.

Suominen has successfully developed HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo, a moist toilet tissue with even better dispersibility. HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo offers near parity dispersion with dry toilet tissue but with premium thickness for a better consumer experience in use.

Suominen’s new flushable nonwovens substrate, HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo passed the stringent standards for dispersibility set by both the International Water Services Flushability Group (IWSFG) and INDA/EDANA (GD4) in independent testing.

“We are extremely proud to launch HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo. Its 100% cellulosic fiber composition is evidence of sustainable origins and its capability to fully and rapidly break down in wastewater provides biodegradability in disposal, giving consumers an end-to-end eco-friendly solution for personal care. Dry toilet tissue is recognized as the material most capable of breaking down in sewer systems and HYDRASPUN® Aquaflo was developed with this result in mind, “says Andrew Charleston, Manager, Category Management, Americas.

• Instant access to ecotoxicological and regulatory information and certificates for Archroma specialty chemical products
• Faster decision-making and time-to-market for manufacturers, brands and retailers in the textile, paper, packaging, paint, and construction industries

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, announced the launch of The Safe Edge, an online platform for instant access to product related regulatory & compliance certificates and information.

With continuously growing public awareness around the social, health and ecological impacts of human and business activities, the need for transparency and traceability in supply chains has become essential.

Time to market is equally critical, and manufacturers, brands and retailers need access to reliable information in real time.

The Safe Edge platform has been designed with that in mind: It allows brands, retailers and manufacturers of textile, fashion, packaging, paper, paints, to verify with just a few clicks the regulatory & compliance status of Archroma products, including regulations, ecotoxicological information & certifications, and brand requirements.

The Safe Edge covers standards, regulations and information such as air emission factors, animal origin, halal, kosher, plant origin, food contact, Blue Angel, bluesign®, Cradle-to-Cradle, chemical inventories, Composability EN 13432, conflict minerals, EU Flower/Ecolabel, GOTS, CONEG, ISEGA, Nordic Swan, Oekotex® Standard 100, California Prop 65, REACH, RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substance), Screened Chemistry, SDS, SVHC (Substance of Very High Concern), VOC (US), ZDHC (Zero Discharge Hazardous Chemicals), and brand standards (like Coats A&F MRSL, Decathlon RSL 2020, Jack Wolfskin RSL and The List IV by Inditex.

With the launch of The Safe Edge, Archroma continues to assert its leading role in driving sustainability in its industries, in line with its commitment to the principles of “The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: safe, efficient, enhanced, it’s our nature”. The “Safe” principle in particular is at the core of the Archroma approach to sustainability, with the deeply rooted goal to protect people and the planet with products that are safe to use, and safe to wear.

The Safe Edge is already accessible for manufacturers, brands and retailers in Europe and Asia, and will be launched in North America in September 2021, and in Latin America by the end of the year.

A sector alliance that was formed to tackle issues relating to microplastics has completed the next phase of its project to develop a harmonised industry standard for the supply chain. The Cross Industry Agreement (CIA) has revealed the results of a fibre fragmentation trial that has been carried out in advance of establishing a CEN Standard (from the European Committee for Standardization). Once confirmed, the standard will also become an ISO standard under the Vienna Agreement, providing apparel manufacturers and policy makers with a vital tool as part of wider work to reduce microfibre shedding into the environment.

In 2018, five industry organisations agreed to join forces to proactively tackle the issue of microplastics, and signed the Cross Industry Agreement. The initial signatories were European industry associations that represent the European and global value chains of garments and their associated maintenance – the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.), European Man-Made Fibres Association (CIRFS), European Outdoor Group (EOG), EURATEX the European apparel and textile industry confederation, and the Federation of the European Sporting goods Industry (FESI). Together, the five organisations understood that the very first step to enable global action around the topic, was to agree a harmonised test method which would allow the collection and comparison of globally generated data, to aid the identification of solutions.

The microfibre shedding test method was developed thanks to the joint efforts and cooperation of experts from 28 European, American and Asian organisations; the result was handed over to CEN in 2020. Since then, representatives from the CIA have been working with CEN to fine tune details in order to meet the requirements for a CEN Standard. To verify the reproducibility of the method, the partners have carried out a round robin trial (RRT) to determine if the method could be replicated in different laboratories and produce similar results. 10 organisations participated in the RRT, which was co-ordinated by the CIA, sending fabric samples to all of the laboratories involved and then collecting and analysing the data.

The results from the RRT show statistically significant consistency, both within and between participating laboratories, which demonstrates that the method is both repeatable in the same setting and reproducible in other laboratories.

The CIA has submitted the results of the RRT to CEN, with the intention that the CEN Standard is confirmed in the near future. Once that has happened, it will be promoted throughout the apparel industry and will become a key tool for researchers, businesses and governments as they accelerate efforts to reduce microfibre shedding associated with garment production.

• Textile Exchange report shows growth of preferred fiber and materials market needs to be accelerated
• With post-pandemic fiber production increasing, the transition to preferred fibers and materials must be a non-negotiable decision, notes Textile Exchange.

According to a new Textile Exchange report, the market share for preferred fiber and materials grew significantly in 2020. The Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report 2021 outlines the market for plant fibers such as cotton, hemp, and linen; animal fibers and materials such as wool, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, down, silk, and leather; manmade cellulosics (MMCFs) such as viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate, and cupro; as well as synthetics such as polyester, polyamide, and more.

The report is a unique annual publication about global fiber and materials production, availability, and trends, including those associated with improved social and environmental impacts, referred to as ”preferred.” The comprehensive report includes quantitative data, industry updates, trend analysis and inspiring insights into the work of leading companies and organizations as they create material change.

The results show that between 2019 and 2020 the market share of preferred cotton increased from 24 to 30 percent and recycled polyester from 13.7 to 14.7 percent. Preferred cashmere increased from 0.8 to 7 percent of all cashmere produced while Responsible Mohair Standard certified fiber expanded from 0 to 27 percent of all mohair produced worldwide in its first year of existence in 2020. The market share of FSC and/or PEFC certified MMCFs increased to approximately 55-60 percent. While the market share of recycled MMCFs is only 0.4 percent, it is expected to increase significantly in the following years.

Brands’ increased interest in the use of preferred fibers and materials was also demonstrated by 75 percent increase in the total number of facilities (to 30,000) around the world becoming certified to the organization’s portfolio of standards in 2020. However, the report also notes that despite the increase, preferred fibers only represent less than one-fifth of the global fiber market. Less than 0.5 percent of the global fiber market was from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.

Indeed, global fiber production has almost doubled in the last 20 years from 58 million tonnes in 2000 to 109 million tonnes in 2020. While it is not yet clear how the pandemic and other factors will impact future development, global fiber production is expected to increase by another 34 percent to 146 million tonnes in 2030 if the industry builds back business as usual. If this growth continues, it will be increasingly difficult for the industry to meet science-based targets for climate and nature.

Textile Exchange aims to be the driving force for urgent climate action, and its Climate+ strategy calling for the textile industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared to a 2019 baseline in the pre-spinning phase of textile fiber and materials production, while also addressing other impact areas interconnected with climate such as water, biodiversity, and soil health.

Baldwin Technology Company Inc. will showcase a new generation of innovative technologies for optimized corrugated high-graphics package printing at SuperCorrExpo, taking place in Orlando, Florida, from Aug. 8 to 12.

The FlexoCleanerBrush™ enhances the print quality and improves worker safety in corrugated printing. The system automatically removes dust and contamination from the plate in seconds during production, without stopping the press. It also performs full end-of-job plate cleaning and drying in fewer than four minutes, enabling increased uptime and sustainability. A carbon fiber core keeps even the ultra-wide FlexoCleanerBrush to a minimal weight, and ensures cleaning is stable, uniform and consistent throughout the plate’s width. Because the system is fully automatic and spans the entire width of the plate cylinder, the FlexoCleanerBrush improves safety by eliminating routine operator contact with the machine, while also reducing the risk of cylinder nip injuries and contact with wash agents.

Also on view in Baldwin’s SuperCorrExpo booth, the FlexoDry™ is a fully integrated IR drying system, specifically developed for corrugated flexo printing presses. It reduces energy consumption by up to 30 percent over standard IR dryers through patented Diamond IR™ lamps. The system delivers improved drying results because of a unique optical design that produces higher intensity for enhanced color definition, and reduces or eliminates marking altogether, allowing for high-speed and full-confidence printing.

Additionally, Baldwin will showcase LED-UV technology, designed by its AMS Spectral UV division for wide-format flexo corrugated box printing.

Archroma announced that the soon-to-be 5’760 color references of its Color Atlas library are made available within its ‘Datacolor TOOLS’ platform, an easy-to-use color quality control application for industries where color accuracy is a critical component of overall product quality.

Datacolor® provides color management solutions that empower customers to make objective, cost-effective and smart color decisions, in applications such as textile & apparel, paint & coatings, plastics, photography, design and many others. The perfect integration of its instruments and software help formulate, measure, control and communicate color, and its state-of-the-art algorithms reproduce color on materials and displays.

The Color Atlas was launched in 2016 to provide fashion designers and stylists with off-the-shelf color inspiration that can be implemented in production with just a few clicks.

Today, the Color Atlas contains 4’320 colors applicable on cotton poplin, almost the double compared to similar tools available to textile and fashion specialists. Technical support is available to designer, manufacturers, as well as brands and retailers, through Archroma’s global offices - for every single color from its selection to its implementation in production. Engineered color standards empowered by NFC technology are also available for all colors and reproducible in production.
Archroma also just launched a similar tool with 1,440 colors on polyester. Both libraries will be available in the ‘Datacolor TOOLS’ platform for color searching.

Each color from the Color Atlas by Archroma® is available for purchase from Archroma as an ‘Engineered Color Standard’, precise digital data and access to global dyeing technical support.

With that, the brands, designers and mills using the ‘Datacolor TOOLS’ platform will have at their disposal the ability to search the 5’760 colors of the Color Atlas by Archroma®, to quickly find colors for their seasonal color palettes.