From the Sector

The ROICA™ by Asahi Kasei team knows that value creation is the foundation of contemporary business. Its team is ready to take ROICA™ to the next level, responding to market demand innovations, whilst sharing its latest responsible production system with a new generation of consumer.

For this reason, the ROICA™ strategy is based on two key elements:
First, a focus on responsible innovation, able to respond to new market needs and desires without harming the environment or society at large. Thanks to the certified and eco-high tech ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, Asahi Kasei is able to meet responsible business needs and contemporary consumers’ desire for a modern wardrobe that represents a new generation of values.

Second, the dawn of ROICA™ has fueled a consolidation of partnerships along the whole supply chain through conversations and collaborations with companies sharing ROICA™’s values, including: Artistic Milliners, CIFRA, Dresdner Spitzen, Iluna Group, Innova Fabrics, Maglificio Ripa, Penn Italia - Penn Textile Solutions GmbH, Sitip S.p.A. and Tessitura Colombo.

The Sorting for Circularity USA consortium project welcomes new partners and expands its North American geographical scope. Fashion for Good is pleased to announce the addition of lululemon as an external brand partner, joining the existing seven brand partners. They also welcome their new implementation partners Helpsy, United Southern Waste Material, Goodwill Industries International Inc., and its members Goodwill of Colorado, Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, and Goodwill of San Francisco Bay. Additionally, Fashion for Good is pleased to recognise adidas as the project's lead sponsor, facilitating the complete realisation of the project scope.

Fashion for Good, together with Resource Recycling Systems, launched the Sorting for Circularity USA consortium project in January 2023. The project will conduct an extensive consumer survey to map the journey of a garment from closet to end of use, and present a comprehensive snapshot of textile waste composition generated in the United States. The insights gained from this 18-month project will help to scale collection, sorting, and recycling innovations and inform decisions on necessary investments and actions.

Within the first 6 months, the project has expanded to cover 6 key states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Colorado. Additional implementation partners have also signed on to support the fibre composition data analysis: Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) Association, Helpsy, United Southern Waste Material, and Goodwill Industries International Inc., with its members Goodwill of Colorado, Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, and Goodwill of San Francisco Bay. Resource Recycling Systems will drive the dissemination and analysis of the consumer survey together with New York State Center for Sustainable Materials Management and Syracuse University Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, and execute the textile composition analysis using Matoha’s near infrared devices with advisory support from Circle Economy.

Demonstrating the importance of pre-competitive collaboration in tackling the industry’s biggest challenges, lululemon joins Eastman, H&M and Nordstrom as key project partners, together with Fashion for Good corporate partners adidas, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co., and Target. Adidas' lead sponsorship ensures a deeper analysis of USA textile waste infrastructure and the identification of valuable opportunities for advancement.

In the USA, textile waste is the fastest-growing segment of the country's waste stream, with 85% of discarded textiles ending up in landfills*. Understanding the composition of material, volume and location of used textiles is crucial for capturing them and sorting them for the best and highest quality end use. Moreover, the range of national and regional geographies within the Sorting for Circularity project series enables for nuanced cross-country comparisons - revealing differences in the textile waste generated and infrastructure required.

Sorting for Circularity, a framework co-developed by Fashion for Good and Circle Economy, aims to (re)capture textile waste by unlocking the feedstock potential for recycling, expedite the implementation of game changing automated sorting technologies such as near-infrared spectroscopy and advanced textile-to-textile recycling, and drive circularity within the fashion value chain. The project builds on the success of Sorting for Circularity Europe and India, which revealed insights on material composition, volume, and location of used textiles and provided a solid foundation to accelerate textile recycling in those respective geographical locations.

*United States Environmental Protection Agency (2019). National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Wastes and Recycling.

Silence and resource efficiency are the order of the day in the development and optimization of electric vehicles. On the one hand, ever stricter emissions regulations worldwide are increasing demand for components that reduce noise pollution while helping vehicle manufacturers meet their sustainability targets. On the other hand, the absence of noise from the combustion engine in e-cars amplifies the disruptive effects of other noise sources in the passenger compartment. With Ultra-
Silent Tune, Autoneum now presents a new lightweight and environmentally friendly technology for underbody shields that reduces tire rolling noise both outside and inside the vehicle, thus improving not only acoustic performance but also driver comfort in electric cars.

Autoneum's Ultra-Silent Tune technology owes its sound-absorbing performance to acoustic chambers of different shapes and sizes. The chambers are created by applying an embossed polyester foil to the side of the Ultra-Silent underbody shield facing away from the noise source: they capture the sound waves emitted by the car tires, modulate them according to their respective geometry and reflect them back onto the porous carrier material. Compared to conventional single-layer underbody shields, whose acoustic performance is mainly determined by the noise-reducing properties of the product side facing the tires, Ultra-Silent Tune exploits both sides of the component, which significantly improves its acoustic absorption. Autoneum thus makes innovative use of the proven concept of traditional chamber absorbers, reducing exterior tire rolling noise.

Moreover, Ultra-Silent Tune combines optimized acoustic performance with the sustainability benefits of Autoneum's Pure technology Ultra-Silent. In addition to the high proportion of recycled PET fibers, underbody shields made from Ultra-Silent Tune can be manufactured from 100% polyester and thus be fully recycled at the end of vehicle life. Furthermore, the thickness of the multilayer construction can be flexibly adapted to the packaging spaces of different vehicle models. Underbody shields made from Autoneum's new Ultra-Silent Tune technology are already in pre-development at various vehicle manufacturers in Europe.

Nylon 6, nylon 6,6, polypropylene, PET and calcium carbonate are available through the company’s proprietary carpet recycling process

Circular Polymers by Ascend, a market-leading recycler of post-consumer carpet, today the launch of Cerene™, a line of recycled polymers and materials made from the company’s proprietary carpet reclaiming technology. Cerene is available as polyamide 6 and 66, PET, polypropylene and calcium carbonate as a consistent,
sustainable feedstock for many applications, including molding and compounding.
Recycling experts from Circular Polymers will be showcasing Cerene at Compounding World Expo on June 14-15 at the Messe Essen in Germany.

Ascend Performance Materials, a fully integrated producer of durable high-performance materials and the majority owner of Circular Polymers by Ascend, is known for its innovations in nylon 6,6. Cerene will continue that legacy with offerings in nylon 6,6 while also bringing to market recycled polymers such as nylon 6, PET and PP.

“Customers around the globe are seeking consistent and reliable post-consumer recycled materials,” said Maria Field, business director of Circular Polymers by Ascend. “Cerene is mechanically recycled using a process that minimizes our carbon footprint and environmental impact.”

Circular Polymers by Ascend converts post-consumer carpet into fiber and pellets. The company uses a proprietary process in its California-based facilities to achieve high efficiency in recycling, successfully providing a new life for virtually every component of the carpet and backing. The company has redirected 85 million pounds of carpet from landfills into new goods since 2018.

• Project from the Global Organic Textile Standard, European Space Agency and Marple will use AI and satellite imagery to detect organic versus non-organic cotton fields
• Innovative demonstrator project explores the potential of remote monitoring to strengthen integrity and development of organic cotton cultivation
• Project will run across India with first results expected by the end of 2023

In a world first, the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), European Space Agency (ESA) and AI company Marple have today launched a new demonstrator project that aims to show the potential for remote satellite monitoring of organic cotton cultivation systems.

The project, to be carried out under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, will train artificial intelligence (AI) to use ESA satellite data to detect cotton fields across India and automatically classify them according to their cultivation standard. By integrating standardised yield metrics, this innovative approach will also enable GOTS to generate realistic estimates of organic cotton yields in specific areas.

Integrated with existing GOTS measures, this project will enable GOTS to further enhance the integrity of organic cotton by developing advanced risk assessment technology for organic certification and preventing fraud from the beginning of the supply chain. “It is an honour and very exciting to be a partner in this ESA Demonstration Project, and it is living up to our claim to be pioneers serving the sustainable textile sector to enable continuous improvement. Technologies like this will be a game changer regarding the integrity and promotion opportunities of organic cotton.” says Claudia Kersten, Managing Director of GOTS.

The project's anticipated impact extends beyond identifying certified organic cotton fields. It is expected to also empower GOTS to recognise cotton fields that have not yet obtained organic certification but possess the potential for a seamless transition to organic cultivation, thanks to their utilisation of traditional and ecologically friendly farming practices. This would enable GOTS to bring a greater number of farmers – particularly those of a smaller size – into the certified organic sector and supply chains, creating new economic opportunities for small-scale farmers and their communities while also helping the textile sector to meet growing consumer demand for organic cotton. Guillaume Prigent, Business Development and Partnerships Officer at the European Space Agency, adds: “This project highlights how space solutions can have a positive impact on the world and is the kind of innovation that ESA supports through its Business Applications and Space Solutions programme.”

The project will run across the distinct cotton growing regions in India, with first results expected by the end of 2023.

India project builds on successful Uzbekistan feasibility pilot
The project is co-financed by GOTS and ESA, in collaboration with Marple GmbH, a German software development firm that developed the CoCuRA (Cotton Cultivation Remote Assessment) software with ESA BASS and successfully piloted it in a feasibility project in 2021 in Uzbekistan.

That venture showed how the trained AI was able to accurately differentiate cotton fields from other crops using only satellite images and sensor data, as well as whether the cotton fields were cultivated organically.

This spurred considerable interest from GOTS, which has committed to the development of cutting-edge technologies that can improve the integrity of the organic textile sector, especially cotton. Dr David Scherf, co-founder of Marple, said: “All our projects strive to leverage advanced technology for a positive impact on the environment and society. We are therefore delighted that our CoCuRA technology, which emerged from a moonshot research project, is being applied in a practical and impactful way. We are excited about the opportunity to work with the exceptional team at GOTS and further strengthen our successful partnership with ESA.”

KARL MAYER GROUP will be presenting a WEFTTRONIC® II G at the ITMA with new features and upgrades for greater efficiency. This warp knitting machine with weft insertion produces lattice structures from high-strength polyester, which are firmly established in the construction industry in particular. With a working width of 213", it offers productivity and further advantages through design innovations. New features include weft thread tension monitoring, management and the new VARIO WEFT laying system. The component for the weft insertion aims at maximum flexibility. It allows the patterning of the weft yarn to be changed quickly and easily electronically, without mechanical intervention during yarn insertion and without limits on repeat lengths. In addition, there is less waste.

The KARL MAYER GROUP also supports its customers with well thought-out Care Solutions. The new support offers include retrofit packages for retrofitting control and drive technology for weft insertion and composite machines, and service packages that bundle various services. These include machine inspections and the replacement of all drive belts. The customer benefits from fixed prices that cover the costs of technician assignments, various discount options and transparent services.

A new solution for the vertical greening of cities is presented from the field of application for technical textiles. The core of the innovation is a grid textile produced on warp knitting machines with weft insertion by KARL MAYER Technische Textilien GmbH. The knitted lattice fabric is made of flax. It is used as a climbing aid for fast-growing plants, and after the greening phase, in autumn, it can be recycled together with these plants as biomass in pyrolysis plants to produce electricity and activated carbon. In summer, the planted sails lower the ambient temperature through evaporation effects. In addition, photosynthesis creates fresh air and binds CO2. Other important advantages are low soil requirements and flexible placement in public spaces. The greening system was developed by the company Micro Climate Cultivation, OMC°C, with the support of KARL MAYER Technische Textilien.

The KARL MAYER GROUP will also be exhibiting a sustainable composite solution made from natural fibres. The reinforcing textile of the innovative lightweight material is a multiaxial non-crimp fabric, which was also produced from the bio-based raw material flax on a COP MAX 4 from KARL MAYER Technische Textilien. The boatbuilding specialist GREENBOATS uses natural fibre composites to achieve sustainable products. The fact that it succeeds in this is shown, for example, by the Global Warming Potential (GWP): 0.48 kg of CO2 per kilogram of flax reinforcement compares with 2.9 kg of CO2 per kilogram of glass textile.

June 1, the European Parliament has adopted its Report on an EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. The Report wants to step up the EU’s ambition towards sustainability and circularity even further, but it has failed to recognise the strategic role of the European textile industry to scale up sustainability, nor to appreciate the global competitive threat which our companies are facing.

Director General Dirk Vantyghem commented on the MEP Report: “We welcome the strong interest of the European Parliament in the textile and fashion industry, but encourage MEPs to develop a balanced vision which reconciles sustainability and competitiveness. Developing a new business model for our industry requires carefully crafted legislation at global level, and an open dialogue between the industry, the brands and the consumer.”

EURATEX supports the EU Textile Strategy, as it was presented over a year ago by the European Commission. The 160.000 European textile companies are committed to invest in sustainability, develop new circular business models and produce high quality textile products – not just in fashion, but also in home and medical textiles, construction, agriculture or cars. To do so, indeed a new regulatory framework is needed, with clear definitions, coherent rules and effective controls. But also, the companies should be able to comply with these rules and remain globally competitive.

The EP Report has failed to respect that balance between sustainability and competitiveness. Instead, it suggests even more rules and restrictions, totally disregarding the current economic challenges caused by high energy prices, loss in consumer confidence and assertive trade partners. Putting the bar even higher will simply mean that the European textile industry will be pushed out of the market, resulting in a bigger environmental footprint and increased dependency on foreign supplies. Quite the opposite of what the EU wants to achieve with its open strategic autonomy plans.

The Report also fails to differentiate between textile products. There is a mix up between fashion and technical textiles, between products made in Europe and outside, between high quality and durable products and low-quality items. It is regretful that the European Parliament did not make that distinction and simply refers to “textiles” as a general cause of concern, without acknowledging e.g. the high quality products, made by European textile and fashion companies.

The Report puts a strong responsibility on the supply side – the industry and the brands – and does not sufficiently address the role of the consumer. Initiatives therefore are essential to create a stronger demand for sustainable textiles, which includes better communication and transparency (avoid greenwashing), fiscal measures, green public procurement and better control of online marketplaces.

On a positive note, the EP Report does recognise the importance to invest in research and innovation, to support reskilling and upskilling, the need of scaling up circular economy and pay attention to the needs of SMEs. EURATEX has always insisted that such massive transition can only be successful if accompanied by significant and dedicated support programmes. The EU Textiles Transition Pathway should offer a clear perspective in this regard.

ERCA, Patagonia® and YKK announce the implementation of ERCA’s REVECOL®, a sustainable, innovative chemical agent, in YKK’s dyeing processes at their Vietnam production sites transforms common waste material, such as exhausted vegetable cooking oil, into an upcycled, certified high performance, safe textile chemical. ERCA has invested in circular practices to take waste material and use them as feedstocks to create new responsible chemical products.

Always searching for new sustainable innovations, REVECOL® caught the attention of Patagonia®. Driven by the goal to utilize non-extractive chemistry in their supply chain wherever possible, the brand teamed up with ERCA and trim supplier YKK to deploy REVECOL®.

REVECOL® LV-TS has a carbon footprint that is 72% lower* than the more conventional chemical auxiliaries produced by ERCA. Today ERCA produces a wide range of high-performance chemical auxiliaries made from used vegetable oil that are ZDHC, bluesign® approved and GRS certified.

ERCA is one of the first companies to have GRS certified chemical products, opening the door to circular chemical auxiliaries.

As part of their Sustainability Vision 2050, YKK is constantly working to deploy more sustainable chemical processes in their production. The ability to replace a commonly used dye chemical with a lower impact version was a no-brainer for YKK’s Vietnam management. REVECOL® is not only more sustainable, it is also more efficient, reducing the use of the dyeing auxiliary by 20% to 30%, thus  helping to lower YKK’s overall chemical usage.

* bluesign® Product Carbon Footprint Report

CELLIANT® with REPREVE®, introduced by Hologenix with global textile solutions provider UNIFI®, makers of REPREVE®, has been awarded a Top 5 Selection in the Accelerated Eco category of the Spring/Summer ISPO Textrends 2025 Awards.

Last fall CELLIANT with REPREVE was also awarded a Selection in the Fibers & Insulation Category of the ISPO Textrends Fall/Winter 2024/2025. In addition, in the spring the fiber was shortlisted in the Drapers Sustainable Fashion 2023 Awards in the Sustainable Textile Innovation category.

Twice a year, ISPO recognizes innovative fibers, fabrics and components that are used to manufacture sports apparel. Both companies are excited that this innovation, whereby CELLIANT infrared (IR) technology is embedded into REPREVE, a brand of recycled fiber, has achieved these honors. CELLIANT with REPREVE is a performance fiber made from recycled materials that have been enhanced with IR technology to provide wellness benefits to the consumer.  

CELLIANT is a natural blend of IR-generating bioceramic minerals, which, when embedded into textiles, allows them to convert body heat into infrared energy, returning it to the body and temporarily increasing local circulation and cellular oxygenation. This aids in muscle recovery, increases endurance, and improves overall performance in healthy individuals, among other benefits.
 
REPREVE recycled performance fiber consists of high-quality fibers made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles and pre-consumer waste. It is also certified and traceable with UNIFI’s U TRUST® verification and FiberPrint™ technology, which provide assurance that the product comes from recycled materials. Compared to virgin fiber, REPREVE helps to offset the use of petroleum, conserving water and energy and emitting fewer greenhouse gasses.

This award marks the third year in a row that Hologenix has had its CELLIANT technology recognized in the ISPO Textrends Awards. CELLIANT in pure white was a Top Ten Winner in 2022. The prior year, CELLIANT Viscose was a Selection Winner as well. 

The thermal insulation in the product series comfortemp® soft HO 80x from Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg) has achieved Gold status in the Material Health category of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard Version 3.1.

The soft thermal insulation of the HO 80x soft series (HO 803, HO 804, HO 805, HO 806) is made from polyamide 6 wadding and is multiple recyclable in terms of a sustainable circular economy. The wadding is also characterized by high wearing comfort, making it suitable for sustainable applications in the luxury, sportswear and outdoor sectors. Thanks to its construction as roll goods, the wadding does not clump and can endure multiple wash cycles at 40°C.

Certifications by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute are based on testing for hazardous materials in products and processes. Plus, the impact of chemical substances is assessed on the three product life cycle phases: final manufacture, use and end of use. Freudenberg will continue optimizing its products to ensure material safety and quality for future use and cycling.