From the Sector

• OFF TO NEW HORIZONS

BOGNER was founded on innovations and adventures. When looking back, it is to 90 years of pioneering heritage. The company celebrates the past while welcoming the future with a selection of iconic BOGNER silhouettes revived and reinterpreted.

BEST OF BOGNER Fall/Winter 2022 combines innovative craftsmanship with luxury and progress. A collection of refined looks that create a sense of loose elegance and lightness.

Luxurious materials such as Bavarian wool, high-performance stretch nylon and performance travel wool are combined with embroidery, color blocking, cable knit patterns and fringes. The result: a fashion revival with iconic, timeless silhouettes and modern, luxurious highlights.

IFFAC (Impact Fund for African Creatives) has revealed plans which will revolutionise West African textile and garment production at one stroke. The fund is converting a partially disused textile mill in the region into a hi-tech centre for processing local cotton and recycling waste fabric, to produce both fabric for further processing and new clothes. The mill will be equipped with modern equipment, all sustainably powered by hydroelectricity from the nearby Volta Dam.

West Africa grows about 6% of the world’s cotton but only a tiny fraction of that crop is processed on the continent, the vast majority being shipped thousands of miles to Asia before being shipped back again as finished or part-finished fabrics. The mill project will end the continent’s reliance on such an unsustainable practice with all the obvious financial and environmental benefits.

As well as producing fabric from sustainably grown virgin cotton, a joint venture with Shandong-based WOL Textiles Ltd., a privately owned plant that has long supplied the African market, the mill will be home to a state-of-the-art shredding and recycling facility, a joint venture between IFFAC and the Dutch Circularity B.V. CEO Han Hamers of Circularity B.V. in The Netherlands, has been involved in the production of 100% circular knit and woven articles.

The mill project is expected to create over a thousand jobs. The surrounding area already boasts a significant number of experienced textile workers ready to be retrained on the new equipment. While the majority of the products created will be sold within the region, all processes will confirm to new EU Supply Chain Law to allow for the possibility of export.  

Output is forecast at six million pieces of finished clothing and twenty-five million metres of spun and woven cloth per year. In total, thirty million US$ of investment will be made in the site with operations ready to begin next year (2023).

Prof. Manfred Renner and Prof. Christian Doetsch will take joint leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT from August 2022. As renowned scientists, they have most recently shaped the direction of the institute as heads of the Products division and Energy division respectively, and will now follow in the footsteps of Prof. Eckhard Weidner, who has entered retirement.

This is the first time in its history that Fraunhofer UMSICHT is led by two directors. Both institute directors began their professional careers at the institute and from August they will have a joint hand in its future.

Prof. Manfred Renner holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering, specializing in process engineering and business development. Since 2006, he has held various roles at Fraunhofer UMSICHT, most recently heading up the Products division and overseeing its 126 employees and its budget of 14.8 million euros. He has set international standards through his award-winning research into a free of water tanning leather tanning process that uses compressed carbon dioxide. With the development of innovative aerogel-based insulation materials for building facades, he has made a significant contribution to environmentally friendly, circular applications in the construction industry and initiated a number of industrial projects. One of the notable technological breakthroughs made by his team was the development of a new type of fire-resistant glass, which can withstand even the most extreme heat. This won his development team the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize in October 2020.

Alongside becoming institute director, Prof. Renner will also take over the leadership of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in August 2022. In this role, he will represent the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on a national and international level with regard to the transformation of industry and society to a circular economy. In addition, he will start his professorship in Responsible Process Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Over the course of his professorship, he will shape the systemic development of the circular economy at a corporate, regional and European level.

Prof. Christian Doetsch has worked in energy research for more than 25 years, spending most of this time at Fraunhofer UMSICHT. As head of the Energy division, he managed a team of around 145 employees and was responsible for a budget of approximately 10.4 million euros. His technological focal points are energy storage, Power-to-X technologies including hydrogen electrolysis and chemical conversion, catalysts, and energy system modeling and optimization. His overarching aim is the integration of renewable energies into a cross-sectoral, resilient energy system.

In 2015, Doetsch co-founded the award-winning start-up Volterion GmbH & Co. KG, which develops redox flow batteries. He attained high visibility on a global scale by redesigning stacks, one of the main components of redox flow batteries, an achievement for which he, his team and Volterion representatives were awarded the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize in May 2021. The energy expert also acts as deputy spokesperson for the Fraunhofer Energy Alliance and task manager for the energy storage group at the International Energy Agency (IEA). He also co-founded the “Open District Hub e. V.,” an association that promotes the energy transition in the sector by means of energy systems integration.

Since January 2020, he has been Professor of Cross Energy Systems at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. In this role, he conducts research into ecological evaluation and resilience of cross-sectoral energy systems.

• INDA Announces Full Program and Opens Registration for Premier Event in New Orleans

With reusable and recyclable products and new inputs offering growth opportunities in absorbent hygiene and personal care products, Hygienix™ will provide an insightful view into the market’s future this November in New Orleans.

Industry participants from around the world and throughout the supply chain will convene and connect for the eighth edition of the premier event for the fast-growing segment on November 14-17, at The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel.

The in-person conference will highlight the segment’s continued growth and new opportunities with presentations by more than 20 industry experts on sustainable inputs, natural fibers, product transparency, reusable menstrual products, recyclable diapers and more as well as the latest market forecasts and insights into consumer buying trends.

Hygienix also will offer two specialized workshops, and a myriad of business connection opportunities including a welcome reception on Nov. 14 and a first-time attendee mentorship program.
Participants will discover innovative products in absorbent hygiene and personal care at tabletop exhibits with evening receptions on Nov. 15-16, providing opportunities for 60 companies to showcase their unique offerings.

Three finalists will each present their innovative and technically sophisticated disposable absorbent hygiene products as they vie for the prestigious Hygienix Innovation Award™. Nominations are open until August 29. Demonstrating the interest in sustainability, last year’s award recipient was Kudos Diaper Subscription featuring its 100% cotton disposable diaper.

Hygienix Highlights
Absorbent hygiene – the single largest nonwoven end‐use category (by square meters) – is expected to continue its strong growth over the next four years, creating market opportunities in this thriving area driven by growing consumer interest for environmentally-friendly options in material inputs and end-of-life options.

Participants will hear the latest data and forecasts from analysts during presentations by Robert Fry, Jr., Ph.D., Principal of Robert Fry Economics LLC on the Global Economy – What we Can Expect in 2023; Pricie Hanna, Managing Partner, and Colin Hanna, Director of Market Research, Price Hanna Consultants on Disposables versus Reusables; and Simon Preisler, Vice President of Logistics, Central National Gottesman delivering a Logistic Market Update.

A panel of entrepreneurs will discuss the challenges, biases and taboos to bringing innovations into the marketplace. Experts sharing their insights will be Mia Abbruzzese and Alexandra Fennell, co-founders of Grace; Amrita Saigal, founder and CEO, Kudos; and Cindy Santa Cruz, President of ParaPatch.

A session on Next-Generation Menstrual Products and their Users will feature Liying Qian, Research Analyst, Euromonitor International providing market data on disposable and reusable period products; Frantisek Riha-Scott, Founder, Confitex discussing reusable products; and Greta Meyer, Co-Founder and CEO, Sequel on Reengineering the Tampon.
Also focusing on period products will be a presentation by Danielle Keiser, Managing Director, Impact, Madami on Changing the Conversation with Consumersmoderated by Heidi Beatty, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Abbey, LLC.

Other intriguing not-to-be-missed presentations centered on sustainability trends include:

• Assessing Sustainable Fiber Options in the Context of Disposable Hygienic Products – Richard Knowlson, Principal, RPK Consulting LLC
• Five Generations of Hygiene + Sustainability – Matt Schiering, Professor of Marketing, Dominican University
• Recycling Approaches for Disposable Diaper Waste – Jeannine Cardin, Quality and R&D, RecycPHP Inc.

Hygienix will provide additional focused learning opportunities with two essential short courses (with separation registration fees) on Nov. 14 focused on Absorption Systems for Absorbent Hygiene Products, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and Global Diaper Trends from 3:45 to 6 p.m.

adidas unveils the first of two drops with South African luxury designer, Thebe Magugu. The debut collection for women features the celebratory and joyful artwork of a woman dancing, designed in collaboration with artist Phathu Nembilwi, and influenced by Thebe’s mother, aunt and grandmother, and the theme of femininity, interwoven with leading adidas material technology . Each garment features an abstract selection of bright and punchy colors including, impact orange and yellow, accents of shock pink, backgrounded by pulse lilac. The collection spans across sports including running , swimming , training , tennis , football , and cycling alongside a set of casual lifestyle garments.  

United by a shared passion for inclusivity and kinship, the collection includes a three-piece modesty swimwear set made in part with recycled materials and chlorine resistant fabric that is lightweight and chlorine-resistant; swimwear in inclusive sizing (XS-4XL); and gender-neutral pieces with UNITEFIT – a fit system that is created with a spectrum of sizes, genders, and forms in mind.

The high-performance tennis pieces will be premiered during one of the most prominent hardcourt tournaments by adidas’ inspirational athletes Dana Mathewson, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Felix Auger Aliassime and Daria Kasatkina who are passionate about showing support for what matters and encouraging diversity and inclusivity on and off the court. The tennis collection features the Purple NY UNITEFIT Tennis Dress, delivering style and functionality, made in part with recycled materials.

Alongside the performance pieces, the statement Originals looks include the Originals Crop T-shirt, in white and semi pulse lilac, delivering classic streetwear style, and the Originals 7/8 Leggings, a go-to choice for every occasion. The collaboration also includes remixes of iconic adidas footwear silhouettes including the Stan Smith, Nizza Platform, Astir and Forum footwear, which feature design accents from Thebe Magugu's signature prints. Reflecting adidas's commitment to consciously crafting performance materials, hero styles and pieces have also been made in part with recycled materials, just one of the innovations that represent adidas' commitment to help end plastic waste. 

• Exceptional achievement of research work on the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for understanding PET depolymerization enzymes

Carbios (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB), a pioneer in the development of enzymatic solutions dedicated to the end-of-life of plastic and textile polymers, announces the publication of an article entitled “An NMR look at an engineered PET depolymerase” in the scientific journal Biophysical Journal.

The article describes the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study the thermal stability of PET depolymerization enzymes and the mechanism of adsorption of the enzyme on the polymer. This innovative approach, which required months of development, is a world first and opens up new ways of improving these enzymes. This publication confirms Carbios' international lead in the development of the most efficient enzymes for the depolymerization and recycling of plastics.

Prof. Alain Marty, Chief Scientific Officer of Carbios and co-author of the article, explains: “ Nearly 25 researchers are currently working on our unique enzymatic technology. It is based on academic collaborations with the world's leading experts in their fields..”

Dr. Guy Lippens, CNRS Research Director and co-author of the artcle, adds: “Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is an extraordinary biophysical technique for visualizing an enzyme directly in solution. Our study is the first to use NMR as a complementary technique to crystallography and molecular modeling to observe a PETase. This gives new perspectives to better understand the functioning of these enzymes and it makes it possible to imagine new ways of improving these enzymes. ”

Carbios has signed an agreement with On, Patagonia, PUMA, and Salomon, to develop solutions that will enhance the recyclability and circularity of their products.
 
An important element of the two-year deal will be to speed up the introduction of Carbios’ biorecycling technology, which constitutes a breakthrough for the textile industry. Carbios and the four companies will also research how products can be recycled, develop solutions to take-back worn polyester items, including sorting and dismantling technologies, and gather data on fiber-to-fiber recycling as well as circularity models.
 
The challenge the four brands share, is that their ambitious sustainable development goals can only partially be met by conventional recycling technologies which mostly target bottle-to-fiber recycling. Future regulations will require more circularity in packaging and textile. Yet the market consensus is that there will soon be a shortage of PET bottles, as they will be used for circular production methods in the Food & Beverage Industry.   
 
Carbios’ innovative process constitutes a technological breakthrough for the recycling of polyester (PET) fibers, which are widely used in apparel, footwear and sportswear, on their own or together with other fibers. PET polyester is the most important fiber for the textile industry with 52 MT produced, even surpassing cotton at 23MT. The biorecycling process uses an enzyme capable of selectively extracting the polyester, recovering it to recreate a virgin fiber. This revolutionary technology makes it possible to recover the PET polyester present in all textile waste that cannot be recycled using traditional technologies.
 
PET plastics and fibers are used to make everyday consumer goods such as bottles, packaging and textiles. Today, most PET is produced from fossil resources, then used and discarded according to a wasteful linear model. By creating a circular economy from used plastics and fibers, Carbios’ biorecycling technology offers a sustainable and more responsible solution.

• The Borvida™ portfolio introduces sustainable base chemicals to Borealis’ range of product offering
• The range will initially be based on non-food waste biomass, and chemically-recycled waste; in the future it will also draw from atmospheric carbon capture
• The traceability of the content will be based on Mass Balance, which is ISCC PLUS certified
• This is the next step in an ambitious sustainability journey, which will see Borealis move away from traditional fossil-based feed

Borealis is strengthening its EverMinds™ circular product offering with Borvida™, a range of sustainable base chemicals.

The Borvida portfolio will offer base chemicals or cracker products (such as ethylene, propylene, butene and phenol) with ISCC Plus-certified sustainable content from Borealis sites in Finland, Sweden and Belgium. The move is part of Borealis’ broader commitment to a Future-Positive Revolution, in which the unrivalled benefits of base chemicals and polymers can be enjoyed at minimal impact to the planet.   

The portfolio will initially comprise Borvida B, from non-food waste biomass, and Borvida C, from chemically-recycled waste. In the future, the range will evolve to include Borvida A, sourced from atmospheric carbon capture. Borvida is complementary and is the building block to Bornewables™, a portfolio of polyolefins based on renewably-sourced second generation feedstocks, and Borcycle™, which offers circular polyolefins produced from mechanically- and chemically-recycled plastic waste.

Borealis produces a wide range of base chemicals for use in numerous industries based on various feedstock, such as naphtha, butane, propane and ethane. Through its olefin units (steam cracker and propane dehydrogenation), it converts these into the building blocks of the chemical industry: ethylene, propylene and C4 hydrocarbons (butylenes, ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE) and butadiene), and C5-6 hydrocarbons (pygas, phenol) among others.

The basis of the Borvida portfolio is Mass Balance, a Chain of Custody model that enables sustainable content to be tracked, traced, and verified through the entire value chain, offering sustainability-assured products from feedstock to end product. Using this model, circular alternatives can be offered in a cost-effective and environmentally-conscious way, which can be scaled up quickly without compromising on quality or efficiency.

Borvida can be used for a wide range of different polymer and chemical applications, also beyond polyolefins (PO). Non-PO polymers, such as polycarbonates, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), super absorbant polymer (SAP) and other chemicals, are utilised for various end applications including coatings, plasticizers, adhesives, automotive, electronics, lubricants, detergents, appliances and sports equipment.

Together with key strategic partners, including Neste and Covestro, Borealis strives to provide a long-term solution in order to allow value-chain partners to meet their sustainability goals. Borvida will enable our customers to increase the sustainability of their products, keeping them ahead of forthcoming legislative changes, and meeting their customers’ demands for climate-conscious products.

Introduced on a smaller scale in early 2020, early renewable base chemicals customers include Covestro. “The use of alternative sustainable raw materials is one important pillar of our strategic ambition to become fully circular”, comments Frank Dörner, Managing Director Covestro Procurement Services GmbH & Co. KG. “The new product line is a good example for joint solutions, another strategic pillar, in order to establish new and reliable supply chains creating benefits for our customers.”

Albstadt-based Mayer & Cie. has been named a Top 100 award-winner for the third time as one of Germany’s most innovative small and mid-range businesses. The jury made special mention of the circular knitting and braiding machine manufacturer’s innovative processes. At the centre of the family firm’s further digital development is on the aim to boost its customers’ productivity. Last Friday, 25 June, members of the Mayer & Cie. management received the award from the science journalist Ranga Yogeshwar at the SMB summit in Frankfurt am Main.

For some time now, the focus of development work at Mayer & Cie. has been on lean management in assembly processes, on optimisation of aftersales service, including setting up an online shop for spare parts, and on product lifecycle management, or PLM, which stands for a concept of seamless integration of all the information that arises during a product’s lifecycle. A clean data structure is the basis for these measures, it’s called the “digital backbone”. It means that all product data is processed in the same database and all information is available only once and can be downloaded immediately.

In all, 436 companies, including about ten per cent from machinery and plant engineering, competed for the Top 100 seal of innovation this year. Nearly 300 were successful and were congratulated in person by Ranga Yogeshwar at the SMB summit. He noted that the award winners set a role model example. “Innovators are thought leaders; they are always pioneers too,” said Yogeshwar, who mentors the competition. “They put their products to the test and ask themselves what an ecological society and a climate-oriented world will require of them. And they check the opportunities and challenges that increasing digitisation will bring for forms of cooperation, social relationships and, with them, for employee retention.”

The sustainable collaboration and innovation between Indorama Ventures (IVL), Auping and TWE Group presented a certified cradle to cradle process for mattress components across nonwoven applications, at Techtextil, Frankfurt, 21st to 24th June 2022.

Using circular research and design, the industry partnership between IVL Mullagh (Ireland), Auping and TWE Group has resulted in a perpetual, sustainable economic business model, for manufacturers globally. The inclusion of safe raw materials within mattress manufacturing allows the materials to be easily disassembled at the product’s end of use in order to be further reused as same components or recycled into new raw material at the same quality level, to enable versatile textile applications.

Designed for disassembly to optimize the use of existing resources, reduce carbon footprint and support customer objectives all along their customers’ supply chain. This circular industry collaboration begins with design, where the mattress is constructed using only two different base materials, 100% PET polyester textiles and steel wire pocket springs connected with Niaga®️, a non toxic reversible adhesive, making the mattress easy to disassemble and recover.

IVL, Auping and TWE’s shared vision for a better world is demonstrated through their connected and innovative circularity that helps to close the loop. Auping collects, sorts and separates the collected fabrics, which then go to IVL Mullagh for processing, melting and extrusion to form polyester staple fiber. These staple fibers are then converted by TWE Group into nonwovens for use in Auping’s Evolve mattress, a fully circular mattress. Following the end of mattress use, the material recovery process simply starts again.

Auping estimates that annually more than 40 million mattresses are disposed of in Europe alone, the majority of which are incinerated. Their take back system in the Netherlands ensures that when their new mattress is delivered, the old mattress is retrieved and recycled, irrespective of the brand, ensuring existing materials are continually optimized, diverted from landfill and kept in use to achieve a circular economy.