From the Sector

The Organic Cotton & Textiles Conference, taking place in Indore, India over three days, from February 27-March 1^st is set to bring together a diverse group of key players from every part of the textile supply chain. Farmers, farm groups, industry representatives, non-profits, academics, suppliers, brands, certifiers, government representatives and policymakers will join nearly 200 guests at the multi-day event. The aim is to foster collaboration, explore innovative ideas, listen to those on the ground and focus discussions to develop a shared vision to boost the organic textile supply chain worldwide.

Co-hosted by  OCA, GOTS, and IFOAM - Organics International, the conference will address a range of subjects including social conditions, transparency through innovation, scaling up organic through investment, as well as sessions tackling certification, decent work and environmental impacts. The event also gives voice to farmers, who join as panellists, in a dedicated Q&A session with seven organic cotton farmers from the region. On the third day, organised by OCA, the organic farmers will welcome attendees to their communities during field trips west to Petlawad to witness organic practices at ground level.

“By addressing these important issues and fostering a dialogue between participants, the conference aims to develop innovative solutions that can drive progress and growth in the sector", says Bart Vollaard, Executive Director of OCA. "We are thrilled to be joining forces with GOTS and IFOAM to create positive change in the organic textile sector."

“Together with IFOAM - Organics International and OCA, GOTS wants to increase visibility of organic and at the same time enhance integrity of organic fibres and textiles. This conference shall serve to strengthen the sector by addressing obstacles and work on effective solutions, in consultation with all relevant and committed stakeholders”, notes Claudia Kersten, Managing Director of GOTS.

Sarah Compson of the IFOAM - Organics International World Board adds “Organic agriculture directly addresses some of the most pressing challenges of our time. IFOAM - Organics International is delighted to collaborate with OCA and GOTS to bring together people from across the whole textile sector and address the barriers and opportunities for scaling organic cotton production worldwide.”

With a strong line-up of notable speakers and guests in a supportive and engaging atmosphere, and a unique approach that connects participants from every step of the supply chain, the Organic Cotton & Textiles Conference is set to be a valuable and transformative event for key stakeholders involved in the organic textile industry.

Sustainable solutions provider Perstorp has added new corporate sustainability targets, for water and waste, to its sustainability strategy. Its long-term sustainability ambition is to become Finite Material Neutral, which involves water and waste, along with raw materials, energy and catalysts. In 2021 the company set its first 2030 targets, for greenhouse gas emissions (using approved science-based targets) and (eco) toxic impact. Now Perstorp has added new sustainability targets that will address its long-term ambition.

These new 2030 corporate targets (all measured using 2019 as the base year) are:

• 30% absolute reduction of freshwater consumption
• 30% absolute reduction of hazardous waste directed to disposal
• 30% absolute reduction of non-hazardous waste directed to disposal

"Fresh water consumption and waste are two areas of big importance in reducing our environmental impact and working toward increased circularity," says Anna Berggren, Vice President Sustainability at Perstorp Group. "Fresh water scarcity is already a fact around the world, and we have a responsibility to reduce our consumption and utilize alternative water sources. We must also minimize waste generation and find new circular solutions of reusing and recycling the waste streams into new products, either ourselves or so that a third party can use them as raw material. We have set ambitious and absolute sustainability targets, that are to be achieved regardless of production growth. To be able to reach these targets we have several large projects planned that will contribute significantly."

All Perstorp production plants use water for multiple purposes, including, for example: for cooling, as a solvent for chemical reactions, as a carrier for products, and as a heat-transfer medium. One way to reduce fresh water consumption is to purify and recycle wastewater. Perstorp sees this as an important core technology and is planning to invest in wastewater recycling projects at several of its production sites.

A key to reducing waste directed to disposal is to develop circular solutions that use waste streams as raw materials for new products. One example is Project Air, in which captured carbon dioxide together with residue streams from Perstorp's production plant in Stenungsund, Sweden, will serve as raw material for production of sustainable methanol that will replace all the virgin fossil methanol used by Perstorp in Europe.

Automotive supplier, Yanfeng has been awarded a second consecutive A−rating by Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) for the group's global leadership in transparency and action on climate change in 2022. Nearly 15,000 companies were rated based on data which they submitted to the organization. Yanfeng also received an Environmental Leadership Award by CDP China

CDP is a non-profit organization which operates a global disclosure system to enable investors, companies, cities, states, and regions to manage their environmental impacts. Every year, several thousand companies worldwide are analyzed about their strategic approach to the challenges of climate change and their climate management activities are rated on the basis of a comprehensive list of criteria. CDP’s annual environmental disclosure and rating process is widely recognized as the gold standard for corporate environmental transparency.

Yanfeng improved its scores in value chain engagement and climate-related requirements for suppliers, as well as targets for increasing low-carbon energy consumption or production.
“As our company-wide target for carbon neutrality, we aim to achieve 100% of our total energy consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030,” said Gunnar Büchter, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Yanfeng. All European plants converted to renewable energy by the beginning of 2022, and other regions also increased their utilization of renewable energy sources. Significant progress has been made in China. By end of 2021 a total of 30% of energy came from renewable sources.

Art meets sustainable fashion in the third edition of the project "CirculART", the initiative that sees companies, artists and fashion designers working together with Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto, showing how new balanced forms of production, design and sharing can be explored through a careful choice of materials and of sustainable supply chains. Three key concepts underpin the circularity of sustainable fashion and therefore this project: Reduce - reducing the consumption of raw materials, Reuse - reuse of raw materials, Recycling - regeneration.

The project CirculART is conceived and developed in collaboration between Fashion B.E.S.T. and UNIDEE Residency Programs, and led by the Foundation's team of curators.

Fashion B.E.S.T. - Better Ethical Sustainable Think-Tank, Cittadellarte - Fondazione Pistoletto’ sustainable fashion office, was created by artist Michelangelo Pistoletto and Franca Sozzani. Since 2009, B.E.S.T. has been working on the development of sustainability in the textile sector, to lead to a contamination between art, which assumes social responsibility, and the world of fashion, which is looking to define a new ethical and sustainable model.

CirculART proposes a new link between fashion and art, engaging both in a conscious and innovative combination of sustainability, sensitivity, beauty and union. The project links territory and production factories, bringing together actors from the different sectors making up the textile supply chain that work on the basis of a circular economy with companies that have chosen to embrace the ideal of sustainability and develop an innovative business model.

The protagonists of this year’s edition are two international artists and two international fashion designers, selected through an open call launched by Cittadellarte: Augustina Bottoni, Lucia Chain, Huge Sillytoe and Rebecca Sforzani, young talents called upon to create a work with fabrics produced by partner companies, focusing on dialogue and on the enhancement of the textile industry production chain.

In early 2023, the programme will give the four selected artists the opportunity to visit and work actively with the partner companies that have joined the initiative.
These are: Achille Pinto S.p.a, manufacturer of textiles and textile accessories for the main international fashion brands; Albini Group, Europe's largest manufacturer of cotton fabrics for shirts; Erica Industria Tessile, a leading company in the creation of textile prints, original and customised designs; Filatura Astro, eco-sustainable regenerated yarns; G2B S.r.l., a chemical and environmental analysis laboratory working with vertical cultivation from which indigo is obtained; Lampo by Ditta Giovanni Lanfranchi S.p.A., leader in the creation and production of zips for fashion; Lanificio Fratelli Cerruti, a Biella-based weaver for haute couture; Lenzing, world leader in the production of fabrics made from fibres derived from renewable wood raw material; Milior, a producer of high quality fabrics; Officina +39 – Chemistry plus creativity, a chemical company with thirty years' experience dedicated to research and chemical application in textiles; Tessuti di Sondrio, a factory inspired by the century-old local textile tradition of processing cotton, linen, hemp and wool; Tintoria Emiliana, garment-dyed production and sustainable practices; Zegna Baruffa Lane Borgosesia, a manufacturer of 100% Made in Italy fine combed and carded yarns.

Within its TEXTILE SOLUTIONS, the CHT Group has developed solution approaches for manufacturing companies in the textile value chain that have to use a lot of energy for their production. This is intended to compensate high energy costs and make a positive contribution to climate protection.Application specialists work with customers to develop individual savings potentials that are specifically tailored to the production facilities and requirements. Thus, depending on the process, fabric and machine, energy savings of up to 30% can be achieved with the use of innovative CHT textile auxiliaries, dyes/pigments and the corresponding process optimisations. In addition, the numerous concepts and optimally matched products can minimise water consumption or shorten the process time.

Energy-efficient cold bleaching instead of pad-steam bleaching processes in continuous pretreatment and the 4SUCCESS process for energy-efficient and resource-saving pretreatment and dyeing of cotton help to save energy. Likewise, the use of polymer binders, which do not require energy-intensive fixation, saves energy.

Efficient pretreatment with the new polymer technology CPT (Comb Polymer Technology) achieves good cleaning effects even with low liquor ratios and thus less water to heat up. To save costs for energy-consuming heating, there is also the gentle low-temperature fixation in the easy care finishing. The OrganIQ EMS Jeans system enables jeans finishing with a reduced application temperature compared to standard processes.

With TIME BOOST, a process for fast polyester dyeing processes, not only significant energy but also time savings are achieved by omitting pre-washing and by shortening heating and migration times. SHORT CUT also leads to shorter process times when dyeing polyamide.

To avoid cost-intensive intermediate drying, the CHT Group offers the SCREEN-2-SCREEN with PRINTPERFEKT S2S which facilitates printing in a wet-on-wet technology.

In addition to numerous other products, the CHT Group also offers its customers digital tools to optimally support process optimizations. The "BEZAKTIV Soaping Advisor" calculation program within the CHT Textile Dyes app can be used to evaluate and improve dyeing and soaping processes in a simple and target-oriented way.

By using a high share of recycled content in its Evolon® materials, Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) offers technical packaging textiles with a carbon footprint decreased by 35%. An independent LCA study showed additional benefits such as energy resource savings and lower water use. Furthermore, Evolon® fabrics provide sustainability benefits over the packaging entire life cycle thanks to high end performance and durability.

By replacing virgin PET with recycled PET, the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of Evolon® packaging textile materials decreased by 35%. This is the result of a study by an independent LCA and eco-design consultancy firm, which made a Cradle-to-Gate assessment of several Evolon® products using virgin PET or recycled PET. The study was finalized in 2022 and conducted according to the principles of ISO 14040/ ISO 14044 standards, following the recommendations of the Product Environmental Footprint and the Circular Footprint Formula.

Evolon® microfilament textiles have a small carbon footprint because their manufacturing process uses low CO2 energy sources. The fabrics are lightweight and can be reused throughout entire production programs, e.g. of a car model when it is about the automotive industry. Furthermore, the new Evolon® RE fabrics contain up to 85% of recycled PET which is produced in-house out of post-consumer PET bottles.

Evolon® textiles are suitable for reusable technical packaging, which eliminate the use of thousands of disposable packaging materials. Evolon® fabrics offer scratch-free, lint-free, high-end surface protection for molded plastic parts, painted parts and other sensitive industrial and automotive parts during transport. This contributes to lower the scrap rate of parts and provide both financial and ecological benefits. By using Evolon® reusable packaging to transport highly-sensitive parts, customers can increase their efficiency and save resources.

January, 3rd, ZDHC announced the release of the updated ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) Guidelines Version 2.0, and its supporting document. By publishing these documents the industry shall be pushed forward increasingly innovative and sustainable fibre production.

The ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0 now include the Responsible Fibre Production Guidelines, Wastewater Guidelines and Air Emissions Guidelines as three separate chapters in a single document.

Fibres are key components of production processes in the textile and fashion value chain and it is crucial to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacture. ZDHC guidelines give suppliers producing MMCF unified criteria for measuring output indicators like wastewater, sludge, air emissions and other process-related parameters.

Among other changes, this update reflects the expansion of the scope to accommodate Viscose Filament Yarn, Lyocell, Cuprammonium Rayon (Cupro) and Cellulose Acetate (Acetate). The ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) Guidelines V2.0 provide an aligned approach for included fibres, including defined chemical recovery, wastewater and sludge discharge, and air emission discharge.

ZDHC continues to advocate for the improvement of processes which minimise emissions while also working towards the recovery of input substances and by-products. These dual goals, reduction and recovery, directly address the negative impact of outputs arising from MMCF production.

ZDHC MMCF Guidelines Industry Standard Implementation Approach Version 2.0: Additional Industry Support for Implementation
Along with the ZDHC Man-Made Cellulosic Fibres (MMCF) Guidelines V2.0, ZDHC has also updated its ZDHC MMCF Guidelines Industry Standard Implementation Approach. This document aims to support the implementation process of the ZDHC MMCF Guidelines V2.0, and features new implementation timelines that assist suppliers in setting their goals to achieve Foundational, Progressive or Aspirational Level on the ZDHC Supplier Platform.

December 29, Renewcell dispatched the first shipment of Circulose® dissolving pulp produced at its Renewcell 1 plant in Sundsvall to a customer. This sale is the latest step in the ramp-up of Renewcell 1 to its initial capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year.

Founded by innovators from Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology in 2012, Re:NewCell AB (publ) (‘Renewcell’) is a multi-award-winning sustaintech company based in Sweden. The company’s vision is to make fashion circular. Through its patented process, Renewcell is able to recycle cellulosic textile waste, such as worn-out cotton clothes and production scraps, transforming it into a pristine new material called Circulose®.

Valérius 360 wanted to make a sustainable, circular approach possible in the fashion industry. Working together with Trützschler, a collaborative project has now achieved high-quality recycled yarn – opening up massive potential to drive measurable progress toward a circular and sustainable textile industry.

Testing at the Trützschler Technical Center
The team from Valérius 360 wanted to find ways of improving the processes for yarns made from 50 % recycled and 50 % virgin cotton (Ne30). In particular, it was seeking ways to reduce thick and thin spots, which disturb the appearance of the textile surface.

At the Trützschler Technical Center in Mönchengladbach, they conducted special trials that showed that using a direct spinning process for this application delivers much better results than a process with a draw frame passage for rotor yarns.

In direct spinning, the sliver from the card is directly drawn in the draw frame which is integrated in the can stock. This involves one less process step than using an autoleveller draw frame, while also saving space and giving staff more time for other operations.

On-site support from Trützschler Customer Service
The team from Valérius 360 also received in-house training from the Trützschler Customer Service department. Together, they analyzed and significantly improved the process at the Valérius 360 production site. This helped to bring yarns made from recycled raw materials up to the required level of the 50% Usterstatistics. This is the reference level for yarns made from virgin raw materials. Accordingly, 50 % of all yarn producers with raw cotton for rotor yarns and comparable yarn counts produce a poorer quality.