From the Sector

The Italian company Officina+39 will be at Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area to present its latest sustainable achievements in the field of research and chemical application for the textile sector as well as The Circle Book 2, a special project with circularity as main focus.  
 
For the first time since Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, Munich Fabric Start returns to host some of the most renowned international players in the textile and fashion industry, showcasing their latest innovations. From August 31 to September 1, Officina+39 will step into the Bluezone’s KEYHOUSE area, the interactive hub featuring futuristic solutions with a high level of innovation for the textile supply chain, to present its Better Seasons collection as well as its most recent developments.
 
The new collection embodies the company’s pillars of Trustainable approach – innovation, sustainable practices, clean information, transparency and social responsibility –, delivering a selection of bold, colorful and conscious solutions for the textile industry. These explore better ways to produce and use less through cuttingedge technologies, specifically developed to reduce the use of energy and hazardous chemicals while increasing waste recycling and water conservation.

Swiss dairy company Emmi is partnering with Borealis and Greiner Packaging to produce iced coffed drinking cups using chemically recycled polypropylene.

The cups are produced by Greiner Packaging and the chemically recycled material comes from Borealis, one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions based in Vienna, Austria.

Emmi, Switzerland’s largest milk processor is committed to climate protection and the circular economy. The dairy company has the stated goal to make all of its packaging 100% recyclable and is committed to various measures to promote circularity such as packaging that contains at least 30% recyclate by 2027.

From September 2021 Emmi will use at least 100 tonnes of plastic based on the recycled material each year. Chemical recycling renews plastic back to plastic creating recycled materials with a level of purity equivalent to fossil-fuel based PP and hence, fit for protective, food-safe and other demanding applications. In this way, Emmi is utilizing difficult to recycle feedstock preventing plastic waste that would be likely landfilled or incinerated. In the future, depending on the availability of suitable material, the amount of recycled plastic in packaging is to be further increased.

The new technology to recover the polypropylene is currently still in its infancy, where Greiner Packaging and Borealis are leading the way. Only limited quantities of chemically recycled polypropylene are currently available, and Emmi is one of only a few food manufacturers to have secured a share of the chemically recycled polypropylene plastic through its early commitment and long-standing collaboration with the development companies.

The chemically recycled material used for the cups consists entirely and solely of ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) material, on a mass balance basis. Mass balance is a methodology that makes it possible to track the amount and sustainability characteristics of circular and/or bio-based content in the value chain and through each step of the process. This provides transparency ultimately also to the consumers, enabling them to know that the product they are buying is based on this renewable material.

• Achievement Ahead of Schedule

All of Sateri’s five viscose mills in China are now fully compliant with the emission limits set out in the European Union Best Available Techniques Reference Document (EU-BAT BREF) on Polymers, following recent verification of Sateri Jiangsu and Sateri China mills.

Verified by independent consultant Sustainable Textile Solutions (STS), a division of BluWin Limited (UK), the parameters assessed included resource utility efficiency, wastewater discharge and air emission.

Allen Zhang, President of Sateri said, “Sateri Jiangsu was established in 2019 following an acquisition while Sateri China was built in the same year. We had aimed to have both mills meet EU-BAT’s recommended emission levels by 2023. To achieve this two years ahead of schedule underscores our continuous efforts in process improvement and control of pollutant emissions, and resource utilization efficiency. We will continue to pursue manufacturing excellence and invest in best-in-class technologies for all our mills – existing, acquired, and newly constructed ones – as part of our Vision 2030 commitment towards closed-loop and cleaner production.”

Chen Xinwei, Chairman of China Chemical Fiber Industry Association, said, "China's regenerated cellulose fibre industry has been progressing steadily in recent years. As a major viscose manufacturer, Sateri has demonstrated leadership in benchmarking itself against advanced domestic and international standards, focusing on low-carbon development, energy-saving and emission-reduction technology, and cleaner production to advance sustainable development, as well as enhance the company’s competitiveness. All other players in the industry should be encouraged to follow suit."

Sateri is a member of the RGE group of companies; Sateri’s other three mills - Sateri Fujian, Sateri Jiujiang and Sateri China (Jiangxi) - had attained EU-BAT compliance in 2020.

As part of Suominen Corporation’s Half-Year Financial Report for January 1 – June 30, 2021 the company shared their insights and actions defined in their sustainability agenda.
A new Code of Conduct was launched in the beginning of 2021 and a mandatory training program about the Code will be start in the third quarter of this year.

Suominen is committed to continuously improving their production efficiency and the efficient utilization of natural resources. What active measures towards reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste to landfill are concerned, the commitment is to diminish them by 20% per ton of product by 2025 compared to the base year of 2019.
Offering a comprehensive portfolio of sustainable nonwovens and continuously developing new and innovative solutions with a reduced environmental impact, the target is a 50% increase in sales of sustainable nonwovens by 2025 compared to 2019, and to have at least 10 sustainable product launches per year. During the first half of the year, nine sustainable product launches were made.

OUTLOOK FOR 2021
As announced on August 12, 2021 Suominen expects that its comparable EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) in 2021 will decrease from 2020 due to the slowdown in the demand for nonwovens in the second half of 2021 as well as some continuing volatility in the raw material and transportation markets. In 2020, Suominen’s comparable EBITDA was EUR 60.9 million.

• Renewably Sourced Materials to Help Replace Petrochemicals in Apparel for a Healthier Planet

lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) announced a multi-year collaboration with sustainable materials leader Genomatica to bring renewably-sourced, bio-based materials into lululemon’s products. This represents lululemon’s first-ever equity investment in a sustainable materials company and Genomatica’s largest partnership within the retail industry. Together, the two companies will create a lower-impact, plant-based nylon to replace conventional nylon, which is the largest volume of synthetic material currently used to make lululemon products.

Genomatica uses biotechnology and fermentation to convert plant-based ingredients into widely used chemical building blocks, like those used to make nylon. These building blocks are converted to pellets and yarns, and the companies will be working closely with lululemon’s fabric supply chain to incorporate this material into future products. Through this collaboration, the companies seek to create positive change within the $22B global nylon market by building more sustainable supply chains.  

The Turkish company ARIKAN Mensucat Industry and Trade Inc. was founded in 1993 and is located in Kahramanmaraş, one of the southernmost cities of the country. Today, the family-owned company employs around 1,500 people and finishes around 55 tons of knitwear every day. In addition to many well-known Turkish fashion manufacturers, ARIKAN also supplies international manufacturers in Europe, Russia, the Gulf States and other leading international markets.

The German machinery manufacturer BRÜCKNER supported the Turkish company from the very beginning. From the foundation of the dyeing and finishing plant, BRÜCKNER supplied three stenters for the finishing of the high-quality knitted fabric in 2014. Two more lines followed in 2016. For decades, BRÜCKNER has been the market leader for the finishing of knitted fabric. Especially for very fine and elastic fabric, special line configurations and technological know-how are necessary to be able to produce a high-quality end product. During the drying and heat-setting process, for example, extremely accurate and uniform temperature distribution over the entire length and width of the dryer is essential. In the BRÜCKNER stenter this is achieved, among other things, by the alternating arrangement of the thermal zones every 1.5 meters and by the proven split-flow air system.

The machine operators at ARIKAN appreciate the easy control of BRÜCKNER lines. The visualization is intuitively designed and offers many auxiliary systems for an optimized production process. In addition, significant energy savings can be achieved with just a few changes to the machine parameters.

The management at ARIKAN attaches great importance to energy saving, especially in the fabric finishing department. The drying process is one of the most energy-intensive in the entire process chain, therefore the biggest savings can be made here. These have a direct impact on the manufacturing costs of the textiles and thus on competitiveness in the market. In the meantime, talks are already in progress for another BRÜCKNER line which will include a very special feature: a combined heating system for the dryer. For many customers - and so also for ARIKAN in Turkey - e.g. steam energy is available free or very cheap. With the combined heating system developed by BRÜCKNER it is possible to use this steam energy for heating up the dryer and thus to achieve significant savings. If the available steam is not sufficient for a running process, it is automatically switched over to gas heating. This mode of operation does not only have an effect on the energy costs, but also makes a considerable contribution to environmental protection.

Composites Evolution Ltd has teamed up with leading natural fibre reinforcement specialists Bcomp to launch a new range of flax-epoxy prepreg materials, designed to offer enhanced sustainability without compromising on performance.

Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs combine Composites Evolution’s high-performance Evopreg epoxy resin systems with Bcomp’s award-winning ampliTex™ flax reinforcements, to deliver a family of materials which offer outstanding performance for component applications.

To reach the full performance of natural fibres, Evopreg ampliTex™ prepregs have been tailored to be compatible with Bcomp’s powerRibs™ reinforcement grid, enabling the same stiffness and weight as thin-walled monolithic carbon fibre parts while decreasing the CO₂ footprint by 85% and improving safety thanks to a blunt braking behaviour without dangerous debris or sharp edges.

Composites Evolution’s Sales & Marketing Director, Ben Hargreaves, explains further.
“Sustainability is an increasingly important factor for many of our customers - particularly those involved in motorsports and high-performance automotive applications. As you’d expect in these sectors though, sustainability can’t come at the expense of performance the two must go hand-in-hand. This is something that other prepreggers can struggle with, as natural fibres behave very differently to carbon or glass, for example.”

Customers would be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of natural fibre composites, and to show where and how they can be adopted without the need for significant changes to existing composite component production processes.

One such customer is Retrac Group, whose composites division is one of the UK’s most experienced composites engineering companies across motorsports, automotive and aerospace. It recently used Evopreg ampliTex™ + powerRibs™ to produce a demonstrator bonnet panel for a race-bred supercar. Project Manager Alan Purves explains.

“We’re seeing a growing interest in flax fibre composites, particularly in the motorsports and niche vehicle sectors. It is therefore essential that we have developed an in-depth understanding of the processing requirements and performance capabilities of these materials, and are ready to respond to our customers' requirements. Being able to tap into the combined expertise and experience of both Composites Evolution and Bcomp is proving invaluable.”

• Strong operating result: EBITDA at EUR 217.8 mn, cash flow from operating activities at EUR 199.8 mn
• Major strategic projects continue fully on track – production start of the lyocell plant in Thailand in the fourth quarter of 2021
• Start of strategic cooperation agreement for textile recycling with Södra
• New milestones in the implementation of group-wide carbon neutrality: EUR 200 mn investment in existing locations in Asia
• Guidance 2021: Lenzing expects EBITDA of at least EUR 360 mn

The Lenzing Group reported a significant improvement in revenue and earnings in the first half of the year. Growing optimism in the textile and apparel industry and the ongoing recovery in retail caused a substantial increase in demand and prices on the global fiber market, in particular at the beginning of the current financial year.

Revenue rose by 27.5 percent to EUR 1.03 bn in the first half of 2021. This increase is primarily attributable to higher viscose prices, which stood at more than RMB 15,000 in May thanks to significantly higher demand for fibers, especially in Asia. The focus on wood-based specialty fibers such as TENCEL™, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™ branded fibers also had a positive impact on the revenue development; the share of specialty fibers in fiber revenue rose to 72.8 percent in the reporting period. The negative impact of more unfavorable currency effects was consequently more than offset.

The earnings development essentially reflects the positive market development and was additionally reinforced by measures to improve efficiency. Energy and logistics costs increased significantly throughout the entire reporting period. EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) more than doubled and amounted to EUR 217.8 mn in the first half of 2021 (compared to EUR 95.6 mn in the first half of 2020). The EBITDA margin rose from 11.8 percent to 21.1 percent. Net profit for the period amounted to EUR 96.1 mn (compared to a net loss of EUR minus 14.4 mn in the first half of 2020) and earnings per share to EUR 3.06 (compared to EUR 0.06 in the first half of 2020).

“Lenzing had a very strong first half-year. The demand for our sustainably produced specialty fibers once again developed excellently,” says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from Renaissance Textile to deliver a recycling line for their first recycling platform, located in Laval, France. Start-up of the recycling line from ANDRITZ Laroche is scheduled for the end of Q2 2022.

First of all, postconsumer waste fibers will be opened, then mixed with virgin fibers and spun once again in order to ultimately produce new textiles. The specific design of this line is the outcome of close collaboration between experts from ANDRITZ Laroche and the customer, with customized trials being conducted at the ANDRITZ technical center in Cours, France.

Renaissance Textile’s target is to become the first French recycling platform dedicated to end-of-life
textiles, and the company will soon open the new 12,000 sqm plant.

• Full utilization of production capacity possible at the site
• New EU environmental requirements will be fully and promptly satisfied starting in 2024

The Lenzing Group, a global provider of wood-based specialty fibers for the textile and nonwoven industries, is investing GBP 20 mn (equal to EUR 23.3 mn) to build a new, state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant at its site in Grimsby, United Kingdom. The investment is part of the company’s plans to reduce wastewater emissions by 2022.

Once it has implemented this project, Lenzing will have biological wastewater treatment plants that meet the best available techniques (BAT) quality standard at all its production sites. The plant design, which will employ a new technology developed as part of a research project, is fully aligned with the UK regulator and supported by the local authorities.

The site’s current wastewater situation complies fully with the EU Water Framework Directive as well as all local laws and regulations. The investment has been approved by the Supervisory Board, ensuring that construction can start this year and the plant will be commissioned well before the UK-ratified EU directive1 goes into effect. This will be the largest investment since opening this lyocell site, which manufactures premium products for technical and innovative market segments, among other things.

Responsible water use
After modernizing the wastewater treatment plant at the company’s Purwakarta site in Indonesia, the construction of the new plant in Grimsby marks another big step toward reducing the Group’s wastewater emissions 20 percent by 2022 (against a 2014 baseline). Responsible water use is one of the core elements of Lenzing’s “Naturally positive” sustainability strategy and is largely executed by using water efficiently in manufacturing and employing state-of-the-art water treatment technologies.