From the Sector

From athleisure to fashion, via underwear, from sarongs to bodysuits, through evening and bridal gowns, up to the world of denim and high fashion, Iluna's lace continues to expand its applications, confirming its versatility, performance and beauty. Trends run and pass quickly, but Iluna lace remains a certainty in all its forms, variations and colors. Since 2017 Iluna has been using only sustainable and certified ROICA™ stretch yarns from the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, while the percentage of sustainable references has risen from 3% in 2018 to 52% in 2021.
There are four main proposals presented by Iluna Group during Première Vision ( 8-10 February 2022) :

• Flock in flounce or allover entirely made with recycled ingredients and equipped with endless printing possibilities, with 3D and multicolor effects that allow the inclusion in fashion, underwear and athleisure looks. All certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard).
• Continued investment in both the Green Label and Bioline, two collections totally dedicated to innovative and responsible aesthetics. Both include lace made with the responsible 6.6 polyamide yarn Amni Soul Eco® and the degradable stretch fiber ROICA™ V550, combined with natural vegetable dyes with OEKO TEX and GOTS certifications.
• The union of a chenille yarn blended with FSC-certified viscose and Renycle® yarn, a product obtained by recycling nylon 6, a high-value material with excellent strength, dyeing, softness and versatility, gives life to surprising new Textronic. The embossed designs with 3D effect create a cloud effect that, combined with Lurex, gives unexpected glows.
• GRS-certified tulles printed with GREENDROP technology, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system, with lower energy consumption and low water waste, thanks to an internal closed-circuit process for water recycling.

• Based on high-tech finishing, responsible materials and certified partnerships
• With multicolored flock, zero water printing, chenille and metallic effects, the company is at the forefront in establishing a responsible lace supply chain

Legend has it that a sailor brought his beloved a seaweed from distant seas as a gift. The woman, wanting to preserve its beauty, replicated the design and holes with needle and thread. And so lace was born. Since that moment, lace has lived within the walls of churches and castles, visited race tracks and catwalks, changing shape and color according to seasons and times.

Among the companies involved in writing a new chapter in the history of lace, Iluna Group definitely stands out. Founded in 1970 from an idea of its founder Luigi Annovazzi, over the years Iluna has responded to the challenges posed by the market in terms of technology and sustainability.

Since 2017 Iluna has been using only sustainable and certified ROICA™ stretch yarns from the ROICA Eco-Smart™ family, while the percentage of sustainable references has risen from 3% in 2018 to 52% in 2021.

There are four main proposals presented by Iluna Group during Milano Unica:

• Flock in flounce or allover entirely made with recycled ingredients and equipped with endless printing possibilities, with 3D and multicolor effects that allow the inclusion in fashion, underwear and athleisure looks. All certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard).
   
• Continued investment in both the Green Label and Bioline, two collections totally dedicated to innovative and responsible aesthetics. Both include lace made with the responsible 6.6 polyamide yarn Amni Soul Eco® and the degradable stretch fiber ROICA™ V550, combined with natural vegetable dyes with OEKO TEX and GOTS certifications.
   
• The union of a chenille yarn blended with FSC-certified viscose and Renycle® yarn, a product obtained by recycling nylon 6, a high-value material with excellent strength, dyeing, softness and versatility, gives life to surprising new Textronic. The embossed designs with 3D effect create a cloud effect that, combined with Lurex, gives unexpected glows.
   
• GRS-certified tulles printed with GREENDROP technology, the new GOTS-certified digital pigment printing system, with lower energy consumption and low water waste, thanks to an internal closed-circuit process for water recycling.

• High-Performance Solutions and Protection Effects

Huntsman Textile Effects, a global leader in innovative and sustainable textile dyes and protection effects, is bringing a complete suite of solutions for performance apparel, technical textiles and casual wear to Colombiatex de las Américas 2022 from January 25 to 27.

Sustainable solutions
Huntsman Textile Effects will showcase the latest addition to the third generation of its AVITERA® SE polyreactive dye range; it delivers brilliant bluish-red shades while reducing the water and energy required for production by up to 50% and increasing mill output by up to 25% or more. It also outperforms the best available dyeing technologies for cellulosic fibers and blends in terms of value by reducing recipe costs, minimizing processing costs and eliminating reprocessing.

ERIOPON® E3-SAVE is another next-generation water-saving innovation. An all-in-one textile auxiliary for polyester processing, it allows pre-scouring, dyeing and reduction clearing to be combined in a single bath and eliminates the need for anti-foaming products. This shortens processing time and saves water and energy.

rPET processing innovations
As leading brands begin to work towards a circular economy for textiles, mills are being asked to overcome challenges associated with transforming recycled polyester (rPET) into high-quality new textiles. Huntsman Textile Effects is presenting an end-to-end solution for achieving full whites and consistent shades on rPET with right-first-time quality. This eco-friendly rPET processing solution includes pre-treatment chemicals, fluorescent whitening agents, state-of-the-art washfast dyes, and finishing solutions for high-performance protection and comfort.

Washfast disperse dyes for polyester and man-made fibers
TERASIL® BLUE W is the latest addition to Huntsman’s TERASIL® W/WW range of washfast disperse dyes for polyester and man-made fibers and their blends. Crucially, it is not sensitive to reduction, leading to higher reproducibility, higher right first-time results and operational excellence. It also reduces overall water and energy consumption, as well as water effluent. TERASIL® BLUE W offers high build-up for deep blues that stay vibrant.

Next-generation odor control
In partnership with Sciessent, Huntsman Textile Effects presents antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to Colombiatex to enable mills to produce garments that smell fresh for longer and need less frequent washing. Featured is Sciessent’s new anti-odor technology - NOBO™. It is specifically designed to reduce odors in natural and synthetic fabrics; it can be incorporated into virtually any fabric. From base layer and activewear tops to socks and underwear to jeans and chinos. It offers a cost-effective way to upgrade everyday products and add value to your customers.

“Sustainability is becoming a priority for regulators in South America and around the world, and consumers are increasingly keen to make a difference by choosing green brands,” said Ben Powell, Commercial Director Americas, Huntsman Textile Effects. “Huntsman is redefining what’s possible to help textile and apparel companies make the shift to more environmentally sustainable operations while enhancing their competitiveness at the same time. Our innovations make it possible to benefit from efficiency gains and resource savings in the factory as you deliver products that stand out in the market.”

• The Green Revolution: How Microfactories Can Change the Face of Fashion by Mark Sollman, Product Manager EMEA, Mimaki Europe

With the all-important COP26 Climate Change Conference having taken centre stage in November, there is no time like the present for the fashion world to rally together in stepping up sustainability efforts and getting carbon emissions under control. Globally, the fashion industry is now estimated to account for around 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 20 percent of wastewater , making the pursuit of greener production methods more pertinent than ever before. Thankfully, we are seeing a new era of production enter the fashion arena, with the increasing emergence of technologically advanced, highly automated microfactories.

Along with reducing unnecessary waste through on-demand production, microfactories have a smaller ecological footprint than traditional garment production and require no water use during the production process, making it not only a faster solution, but a greener one too.

Last year’s FESPA saw Mimaki team up with fashion designer Carolina Guzman to bring her designs to life in real time at the show, setting up its own working microfactory live on-site to take her designs from screen to garment within just a day. Guzman’s designs were created using Mimaki’s TS100-1600 Sublimation Printer, before being transferred to textile, digitally cut and finally pieced together. Devised with a string of ethical and environmental objectives threaded throughout, the microfactory also exclusively utilised eco-friendly Greentex fabric, and any remaining material was donated to Sheltersuit: a wind- and waterproof coat that can be transformed into a sleeping bag, which is provided free of charge to homeless people and refugees.

Through working with a number of strategic partners – including transfer printing expert, Klieverik; paper solutions specialist, Neenah Coldenhove; and digital cutting equipment provider, Summa – Mimaki was able to produce a collection of unique, high-quality garments live on the stand during the tradeshow, demonstrating to visitors from more than 100 countries some of the key reasons that microfactories seem set to change the future of fashion…

Unparalleled speed and versatility
Where traditionally, apparel manufacturing has centred on a production chain model of sourcing materials and producing garments in bulk, microfactories are now enabling on-demand, on-location production, making it possible to create everything from unique, one-off pieces and samples right through to entire product lines – all at unprecedented speeds. This means greater flexibility and customisation, enabling designers to modify or update designs and respond to market trends as they occur.

Simplified supply chains and minimised risk
The microfactory setup brings production in-house and on-demand, minimising the cost of not only storing stock, but also of shipping it and responsibly disposing of unsold items. Where recent geopolitical events have highlighted the fragility of global supply chains, microfactories offer a unique independence from these systems, empowering garment manufacturers to future-proof their businesses, become less reliant on external systems and suppliers, and reduce the risk of disruptions.

A boosted bottom line and a greener future
Facilitating savings in a whole line of resources, from physical storage and production space to time and energy, microfactories ultimately have the potential to significantly increase profitability for garment manufacturers, with the additional benefit of being easily scalable as production increases. Perhaps even more compelling, however, are the environmental considerations. Demonstrated on a small scale through Mimaki’s recent project, the environmental benefits inherent to microfactory production will have an even greater impact as it becomes more prolific and commonplace throughout the fashion world, with the potential to effect meaningful environmental change as adoption increases in the years to come.

• More than 30 leading pioneers of the chemical and material sector welcome the latest political papers from Brussels, Berlin and Düsseldorf

The political situation for renewable carbon from biomass, CO2 and recycling for the defossilisation of the chemical and materials industry has begun to shift fundamentally in Europe. For the first time, important policy papers from Brussels and Germany take into consideration that the term decarbonisation alone is not sufficient, and that there are important industrial sectors with a permanent and even growing carbon demand. Finally, the need for a sustainable coverage of this carbon demand and the realisation of sustainable carbon cycles have been identified on the political stage. They are elemental to the realisation of a sustainable chemical and derived materials industry.

The goal is to create sustainable carbon cycles. This requires comprehensive carbon management of renewable sources, which includes carbon from biomass, carbon from Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) – the industrial use of CO2 as an integral part – as well as mechanical and chemical recycling. And only the use of all alternative carbon streams enables a true decoupling of the chemical and materials sector from additional fossil carbon from the ground. Only in this way can the chemical industry stay the backbone of modern society and transform into a sustainable sector that enables the achievement of global climate goals. The Renewable Carbon Initiative’s (RCI) major aim is to support the smart transition from fossil to renewable carbon: utilising carbon from biomass, CO2 and recycling instead of additional fossil carbon from the ground. This is crucial because 72% of the human-made greenhouse gas emissions are directly linked to additional fossil carbon. The RCI supports all renewable carbon sources available, but the political support is fragmented and differs between carbon from biomass, recycling or carbon capture and utilisation (CCU). Especially CCU has so far not been a strategic objective in the Green Deal and Fit-for-55.

This will change fundamentally with the European Commission's communication paper on “Sustainable Carbon Cycles” published on 15 December. The position in the paper represents an essential step forward that shows embedded carbon has reached the political mainstream – supported by recent opinions from members of the European parliament and also, apparently, by the upcoming IPCC assessment report 6. Now, CCU becomes a recognised and credible solution for sustainable carbon cycles and a potentially sustainable option for the chemical and  material industries. Also, in the political discussions in Brussels, the term “defossilation” is appearing more and more often, complementing or replacing the term decarbonisation in those areas where carbon is indispensable. MEP Maria da Graça Carvahlo is among a number of politicians in Brussels who perceive CCU as an important future industry, putting it on the political map and creating momentum for CCU. This includes the integration of CCU into the new Carbon Removal Regime and the Emission Trading System (ETS).

As the new policy documents are fully in line with the strategy of the RCI, the more than 30 member companies of the initiative are highly supportive of this new development and are ready to support policy-maker with data and detailed suggestions for active support and the realisation of sustainable carbon cycles and a sound carbon management. The recent political papers of relevance are highlighted in the following.

Brussels: Communication paper on “Sustainable Carbon Cycles”
On 15 December, the European Commission has published the communication paper “Sustainable Carbon Cycles” . For the first time, the importance of carbon in different industrial sectors is clearly stated. One of the key statements in the paper is the full recognition of CCU for the first time as a solution for the circular economy, which includes CCU-based fuels as well. The communication paper distinguishes between bio-based CO2, fossil CO2 and CO2 from direct air capture when addressing carbon removal and it also announces detailed monitoring of the different CO2 streams. Not only CCU, but also carbon from the bioeconomy is registered as an important pillar for the future. Here, the term carbon farming has been newly introduced, which refers to improved land management practices that result in an increase of carbon sequestration in living biomass, dead organic matter or soils by enhancing carbon capture or reducing the release of carbon. Even though the list of nature-based carbon storage technologies is non-exhaustive in our view, we strongly support the paper’s idea to deem sustainable land and forest management as a basis for the bioeconomy more important than solely considering land use as a carbon sink. Surprisingly, chemical recycling, which is also an alternative carbon source that substitutes additional fossil carbon from the ground (i.e. carbon from crude oil, natural gas or from coal), is completely absent from the communication paper.

Berlin: Coalition paper of the new German Government: “Dare more progress – alliance for freedom, justice and sustainability”
The whole of Europe is waiting to see how the new German government of Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals will shape the German climate policy. The new reform agenda focuses in particular on solar and wind energy as well as especially hydrogen. Solar energy is to be expanded to 200 GW by 2030 and two percent of the country's land is to be designated for onshore wind energy. A hydrogen grid infrastructure is to be created for green hydrogen, which will form the backbone of the energy system of the future – and is also needed for e-fuels and sustainable chemical industry, a clear commitment to CCU. There is a further focus on the topic of circular economy and recycling. A higher recycling quota and a product-specific minimum quota for the use of recyclates and secondary raw materials should be established at European level. In the coalition paper, there is also a clear commitment to chemical recycling to be found. A significant change for the industry is planned to occur in regards to the so-called “plastic tax” of 80 cents per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging. This tax has been implemented by the EU, but most countries are not passing on this tax to the manufacturers and distributors, or only to a limited extent. The new German government now plans to fully transfer this tax over to the industry.

Düsseldorf: Carbon can protect the climate – Carbon Management Strategy North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
Lastly, the RCI highly welcomes North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW, Germany) as the first region worldwide to adopt a comprehensive carbon management strategy, a foundation for the transformation from using additional fossil carbon from the ground to the utilisation of renewable carbon from biomass, CO2 and recycling. For all three alternative carbon streams, separate detailed strategies are being developed to achieve the defossilisation of the industry. This is all the more remarkable as North Rhine-Westphalia is the federal state with the strongest industry in Germany, in particular the chemical industry. And it is here, of all places, that a first master plan for the conversion of industry from fossil carbon to biomass, CO2 and recycling is implemented. If successful, NRW could become a global leader in sustainable carbon
management and the region could become a blueprint for many industrial regions.

As part of its mission to a fully circular fashion industry, ISKO has joined forces with the CFS by lablaco to show its commitment to this important cause. At Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris on 9-12 December, ISKO engaged with industry leaders from across the world to demonstrate its approach to circularity.
 
At its virtual gallery, ISKO guided its guests through its Metaverse and discussed its goal to eliminate virgin fibres in its fabrics and how it plans to achieve it.
 
Guests were able to dress their avatars in their very own ISKO VR denim jacket and ISKO worked with the Institute of Digital Fashion (IoDF) to design this VR art installation, which represents how it is pushing the boundaries of what is possible, making fabrics from textile waste.

Iluna Group and Maglificio Ripa announce a strategic collaboration, each maintaining its own identity and independence, based on the complementarity of the proposal and the convergence of intentions for a new and more functional way of partnership.

Iluna Group, a leader in the production of smart lace, and Maglificio Ripa, internationally recognized for the production of premium and responsible jersey, both established in common sectors - from underwear to beachwear and sportswear - formally launched this collaboration during the MarediModa show in Cannes with a joint double stand where visitors could discover the latest collections of the two companies and also imagine new designs and solutions for sustainable fashion.

"We are living in a moment of strong change, from the wave of sustainability that is finally sweeping the fashion world to new market scenarios. And we are convinced that collaboration is the key to face these new challenges. In Maglificio Ripa we saw a complementary and unique partner with whom we can reach partners, customers and suppliers in a more complete way." comments Furio Annovazzi, CEO of Iluna Group. "Ours is not a union between companies but a new model of partnership, a sort of strategic symbiosis aimed at developing together new paths that can lead the both of us both to growth. Our collections, presented in the same context, can nurture the creativity of customers at a time when the stylistic contaminations are increasingly pronounced," adds Luca Bianco, CEO of Maglificio Ripa.
 
Furthermore, Iluna Group and Maglificio Ripa jointly created their new campaign with a photo shoot and video clip as well as jointly developed a trend scenario that allowed both companies to better embrace the evolving market by sharing information, perspectives and ideas.

Finland-based circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company has selected AFRY as the main engineering partner for its new flagship factory for producing regenerated textile fibers for leading fashion and apparel brands.

More than 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced globally every year, with much of it ending up in landfills or incinerators. At the same time, textile fiber demand is increasing rapidly. Infinited Fiber Company’s technology turns cellulose-based raw materials, like cotton-rich textile waste, into a premium regenerated textile fiber that goes by the name Infinna™. The technology, which can be licensed for both new factories and to retrofit existing pulp or viscose production units, offers a solution for eliminating waste and reducing the textile industry’s burden on limited virgin resources.

Infinited Fiber Company currently operates pilot plants in Finland and has announced plans to build a flagship factory there to meet the strong demand from international clothing brands. The flagship factory will be the first of its kind in the world and will use post-consumer textile waste as feedstock. Production is scheduled to begin in 2024. In Finland, the national-level collection of textile waste will begin in 2023, and in the EU, the collection of textile waste will become mandatory in 2025, which will facilitate raw material supply.

The annual production capacity of the plant is planned at 30,000 tonnes of Infinna fiber, which corresponds to the amount of fiber needed for about 100 million t-shirts. Infinited Fiber Company has already sold a significant portion of future production through multi-year sales deals with global fashion brands, who see its regenerated Infinna fiber as an important part of their own circular economy strategies.

AFRY’s assignment includes the basic engineering of the new factory to support the final investment decision. In this basic engineering phase, AFRY will design the combination of several technology and equipment deliveries into one viable plant. AFRY will also provide its AFRY Smart Site services for the digitalization of the factory, utilizing Industry 4.0 technologies to optimize and digitally connect all the factory's processes and operations.

• RadiciGroup and DKB introduce the first “circular” ski suit
• A garment made of yarn obtained from recycled materials and designed with end-of-life recyclability in mind, without compromising style, design and technical performance.
• RadiciGroup Ski Club athletes will be the first ambassadors of this sustainability project

The first truly sustainable ski suit, featuring Italian style and design and a zero-kilometre supply chain, is finally here. Two Bergamo companies of excellence played the leading roles in the conception and realization of this highly innovative fashion-sport garment: RadiciGroup, a world leading producer of chemical intermediates, polyamide polymers, high-performance engineering polymers and advanced textile solutions, and DKB, a company specializing in technical sportswear with the same brand name.

The ski suit, consisting of jacket and trousers, is fashioned with a fabric made of RENYCLE, a RadiciGroup yarn obtained from mechanically recycled polyamide (nylon), which affords notable savings in energy and water consumption, as well as lower CO2 emissions. In addition, the suit’s padding and numerous accessories, such as zippers, Velcro, buttons and thread, are also made of polyamide.

This achievement was made possible by the great teamwork of RadiciGroup and DKB on the research and development of chemically compatible materials that can be used in special applications requiring high technical performance. The end result is an almost mono-material garment that significantly facilitates end-of-life recycling. It can be more easily converted into polymers for use in the manufacture of ski boot components and bindings, in addition to applications in the automotive and furnishing industries, or in any other sector requiring the characteristics of high performance polyamides.

The ski suit by RadiciGroup is thus an all-round application of ecodesign and circular economy principles to fashion and garment making, which justifies the claim “Una sostenibilità all’altezza delle nostre montagne” [Sustainability worthy of our mountains] written in a logo patch on the inside of the jacket.

“I am particularly proud of this achievement, a synthesis of my passion and effort,” said Angelo Radici, president of RadiciGroup. “I’ve always loved mountaineering and skiing, and, together with my collaborators, I work hard at our company day in and day out to find innovative solutions that improve the sustainability of our industry. This ski suit is concrete proof of the fact that textiles and apparel can be made sustainable without compromising on comfort, design, looks or performance. I will never get tired of repeating that collaboration among the firms along the production chain is crucial to manufacturing goods with an ecodesign approach, considering their end-of-life recyclability and, thus, potentially giving them unlimited durability. Upstream producers, like us, gladly share our know-how in materials chemistry and experience in recycling with our downstream partners, so that, together, we can find sustainable and viable solutions in the various sectors where we operate.”

The European Alliance for SMC BMC and the AVK expert task force SMC/BMC are announcing they will organize together SMCCreate 2022, a conference about design in SMC and BMC composite materials. This conference will provide valuable insights in the entire product design process from idea to part manufacturing, targeted both at experienced designers and at designers that are new in applying these versatile materials.

SMC and BMC are composite materials ideal for making light and intricate parts that combine structural performance with a smooth surface finish. For that reason, SMC and BMC are increasingly used in a broad range of end-use applications and markets.

Companies that have been using SMC and BMC solutions have a lot of expertise available, which can help designers to be more successful in bringing products to market. Therefore, the European Alliance for SMC BMC and the AVK expert task force SMC/BMC would like to organize together this design conference, allowing designers to learn from the experts, apply gained insights into their own designs, and broaden their horizon for new part developments.

Using SMC BMC in your part design
Within the time of only 1.5 day, the SMCCreate 2022 conference will cover a wide range of subjects, all relevant for designers in their selection of materials solutions that provide performance, cost efficiency, manufacturing ability and sustainability. In particular:

• How can SMC BMC help you to design great parts, bringing a combination of unique shapes and functional performance?
• How can SMC BMC help you to improve sustainability?
• What are the key steps in the design process, starting from initial idea to full production series manufacturing?
• What are the typical design challenges and solutions?
• How to best design for optimal manufacturing?
• Which are the tools available for designing in SMC BMC: design software, material data, tooling considerations?
• Practical examples of designs and components made in SMC BMC
• What’s new in the world of SMC BMC?

Date and Location
The SMCCreate 2022 Conference will be organized on April 6-7, 2022 in Antwerp (Belgium).