From the Sector

Perlon® - The Filament Company - headquartered in Munderkingen, Germany, which specializes in the manufacture of synthetic filaments for the Paper- Technical Textile - Brush- Personal- and Dental industry, buys Shaun Filaments in Goa, India.

Shaun Filaments is a leading Indian producer of different types of filaments mainly for the Asian market. Perlon® herewith expands its Asian presence and market leadership in the following business segments: Paper Machine Clothing, Advanced Technical Textiles, Technical Brush Filaments and Personal Care.

“With the acquisition of Shaun Filaments, we are expanding our presence in the Asian market and creating a company that is geared towards the global filament industry of the future and we are expanding our market leadership in all segments. Shaun Filaments is a perfect fit for the Perlon® Group with its long-term experience, strong reputation and knowledge in the production of filaments for the Asian market.” states Florian Kisling, CEO of Perlon®.

The Perlon® Group will take over Shaun Filaments with all employees and production lines located in the Shaun Filaments factory in Goa, India.

Bangladesh will stage the world’s first climate conference for the fashion industry this autumn, on 12 October. The Bangladesh Climate Action Forum will convene policy makers, garment manufacturers, fashion retailers and other industry stakeholders to look at solutions for decarbonising global textile supply chains.

The event will focus on technological and financial challenges around reducing emissions. Most of the world’s leading fashion brands have now set ambitious targets for reducing supply chain emissions. These targets relate to 2030 by which time many brands aim to reduce emissions by 50 per cent, and 2050 where most fashion brands aim to be carbon neutral.

The Bangladesh Climate Forum Action will examine causes of climate crisis, its urgency, impacts we have already seen, and what we can expect under both businesses as usual and rapid decarbonisation scenarios.

Also presenting at the event will be the Government of Bangladesh, which will address Bangladesh’s actions to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis. Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to climate change and is ranked the seventh extreme disaster risk-prone country in the world according to a report from the Global Climate Risk Index 2021. Tropical cyclones, tornadoes, floods, coastal and riverbank erosion, droughts and landslides are the major climate-induced hazards in Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Climate Forum Action will also look at approaches towards decarbonization, including NetZero goals and timelines. Speakers will discuss globally recognised pathways for electricity/transportation/industry decarbonisation.

Renewable energy will also be under discussion. If fashion brands are to hit climate targets, it is imperative that supply chains switch to renewable energy and away from gas and fossil fuels. The event will look at challenges around the de-carbonisation of the electricity grid in Bangladesh, as well as the rate of transition toward renewable resources by garment factories, including solar power.

A key element of the event will be evaluation of practical solutions for Bangladesh’s RMG industry. It will profile specific solutions such as energy efficiency, machine upgrades, the electrification of thermal loads, direct power purchase agreements and biomass fed thermal systems. It will also discuss the challenges faced in the industry including business climate (and cycles), pricing, financing challenges, target setting and execution, policy opportunities, knowledge gaps and availability/scaling of solutions.

Financial challenges around decarbonisation of supply chains are significant, and it is far from clear who will pay for the technological upgrades required. While some investment support systems exist – such as lower interest financing – these are not always available, accessible or affordable for the majority of the RMG companies.

The event will explore financial options, changes to business/pricing models, opportunities for de-risking/underwriting investments, direct investment and other tools that need to emerge to address financial challenges and plug the funding gap. The event will also explore opportunities to decouple climate action from business cycles so that the 2030 targets can be met.

ECHA’s Enforcement Forum agreed to launch an EU-wide project to check that products sold online comply with REACH restrictions and the requirements of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. Its subgroup on Biocidal Products Regulation, BPRS, agreed to launch a project on labelling of biocidal products.

The Enforcement Forum including its BPR subgroup (BPRS) is a network of enforcement authorities from the EU and EEA. They are responsible for coordinating the enforcement of the REACH, CLP, PIC, POPs and the Biocidal Product Regulations with the aim of protecting our health and the environment while ensuring a level playing field for companies across the EU market.

Inspections in this REACH-EN-FORCE (REF)-13 project will take place in 2025. The objective is to check that products, such as toys, common household goods or chemicals, sold online comply with REACH restrictions. Inspectors will also check that mixtures are classified, labelled and packaged in line with CLP and that online offers include the required information about the hazards of the mixture. Inspectors may also check compliance with restrictions under the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive.

The online sale of chemicals is an area of high non-compliance. In a previous Forum project (REF-8), inspectors often found that mixtures and articles sold online contained restricted hazardous substances, including those causing cancer. The project found that 78 % of controlled mixtures or articles did not fulfil the conditions of REACH restrictions.

In the upcoming project, inspectors can rely on stricter rules governing online sales, such as the Digital Services Act and General Product Safety Regulation. These new laws are expected to make enforcement stronger.

The Forum’s subgroup on Biocidal Products Regulation (BPRS), agreed that the next major enforcement project on biocides (BEF-3) will focus on controlling the correctness of product labels for biocidal products. Inspectors will check that the information on the labelling of biocides corresponds to that what has been authorised and included in the Summary of Product Characteristics. Inspectors may also check the presence and quality of information in the Safety Data Sheets, where it is required for biocidal products.

Both REF-13 and BEF-3 projects will be prepared in 2024, inspections are planned for 2025 and reports are expected to be published in 2026.

During the meeting, the Forum members elected a new chair and vice chair. Henrik Hedlund (SE) will start as the Forum chair and Katja vom Hofe (DE) and Maria Orphanou (CY) will be the vice chairs as of 21 June 2023. Its biocides subgroup elected Helmut de Vos (BE) as chair and Jenny Karlsson (SE) and Eugen Anwander (AT) as vice chairs.

PrimaLoft Inc., a leader in advanced material technology, announced the reorganization of its European sales management team. Effective June 1st, Leonardo Loro has promoted to the position of Sales Leader, Europe. Additionally, the company welcomes Mario Vlietinck as the new Territory Manager for France, Benelux & Denmark.

To further streamline operations and maximize opportunities, PrimaLoft is also implementing a territory reorganization to better align existing sales talent with market opportunities. These moves will strengthen the company’s sales strategy in the region.

Leonardo Loro will lead the European sales team and report directly to Chris Humphris, SVP, Global Sales. "With over a decade of experience as the sales and marketing manager for the southern European market, including France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, Leonardo has demonstrated exceptional skills in building customer relationships and identifying new business opportunities. His invaluable contributions to our sales efforts make him the ideal candidate to lead and elevate our business in Europe", said Humphris. In his new leadership role, Loro will continue to manage brands in Italy and Spain, as well as military sales efforts in Europe.

Mario Vlietinck joins the PrimaLoft team and will be responsible for managing and developing business relationships with PrimaLoft brand partners in France, Benelux & Denmark. Vlietinck brings a wealth of knowledge in sales and the outdoor industry, previously serving as the head of Apparel & Footwear for Katoen Natie, as well as working for brands such as Reebok, Merrell, and Vannese. "Mario’s background in product development, business development, and international sales positions him as a great asset to our company goals,” said Humphris. Vlietinck will report to Leonardo Loro.

Sales Territory Reorganization
Wim Neels, VP of business development for fashion and lifestyle, will be responsible for all Fashion & Lifestyle brands across Europe, with the exception of Italy & Spain, which remain the responsibility of Leonardo Loro.

Bartosz Lassak will expand his territory responsibility to include outdoor performance brands in the United Kingdom, in addition to Eastern Europe and Turkey. He will also handle any opportunities from North Africa, as well as any brands located outside of other European coverage.

Valerie Raths Goesel will oversee the management of all outdoor performance brands in the Germany, Austria, and Switzerland region.

Mats Jengard will remain the territory manager for Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland & Iceland), focusing outdoor performance brands.

With combined regional, global, and industry specific expertise, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) will make its debut from 28 February – 1 March 2024. Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in late March, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) announced the new international fair for the entire textile value chain. The three-day platform will be staged at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

Commenting on the new event, Ms Wendy Wen, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “With Intertextile Apparel in Shanghai a prime example, our Texpertise Network provides the ideal global framework from which to launch this diverse, comprehensive platform for the integrated textile supply chain. VIATT itself will capture the essence of Texpertise in one platform – a diverse, one-stop sourcing event for buyers across all categories, from garments, fabrics, yarns and fibres, to textile machinery, technical textiles and nonwovens, and everything in between.”

Discussing the event’s potential, Mr Le Hoang Tai, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE), said: “Vietnam is one of the world’s leading textile producers and exporters, and going from strength to strength as one of Southeast Asia’s manufacturing hubs. Our establishment has many years of experience organising trade fairs throughout Vietnam, and together with Messe Frankfurt we are excited to help international fairgoers unlock the potential of the country’s fast-growing textile market. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City’s accessibility, and Vietnam’s proximity to other leading textile-producing nations such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China and India, make it the logical venue to host an event of this nature.”

Many international textile manufacturers have been expanding operations into Vietnam, augmenting an already strong domestic industry. According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), the country’s textile and garment industry achieved staggering annual growth of 20 – 26% from 2018 – 2022. Participation in international trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)[2], bodes well for future growth.

As one of the world’s biggest importers of textile machinery, and a consistent importer of fabrics, yarns and fibres, garment production is the cornerstone of Vietnam’s industry. The country utilises cotton and functional materials to produce casualwear, childrenswear, swimwear, workwear, and much more, with sportswear an especially fast-growing category, and high-utility garments expected to achieve high exports.

By linking textile players from across Asia, Europe and beyond with this market, VIATT 2024 is willing to play an important part in shaping the future of Vietnam’s industry. Next year’s fair will host an extensive mix of international and domestic exhibitors covering multiple textile sub-sectors, including garments, apparel fabrics and accessories, yarns and fibres, digital printing, home textiles, technical textiles and nonwovens, textile processing, textile machinery, and more.

Exhibitors and buyers can utilise the fair’s global business matchmaking service, where connections are made based on the specific needs of each party. In addition to the fair’s main function as an international trading platform, its fringe programme will facilitate participants’ networking with industry leaders and offer diverse market insights via various seminars, forums, and panel discussions.

The Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is organised by Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE). Covering the entire textile industry value chain, the inaugural edition will be held from 28 February – 1 March 2024 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City.

Kornit Digital LTD., a leader in sustainable, on-demand digital fashionx and textile production technologies, announced the Company is taking the power of digital fashion to new heights with enhancements to the Kornit Presto MAX system for digital fabric decoration on demand.

Designed with the fashion and home décor industry in mind, the enhanced solution presents innovative capabilities for transforming virtual concepts into custom fabrics, supplementing digital efficiency and quality with white printing on colored fabrics. The new NeoPigmentTM Vivido ink achieves darker, deeper blacks and colors and establish new fashion standards with a pigment-based process. Kornit’s patented solution offers a streamlined and completely dry process for the a sustainable fabric decoration.

At ITMA 2023, Kornit will also be displaying an end-to-end partner ecosystem – underscoring how integrated solutions ensure a smooth transition towards a digital infrastructure and enable long-term business growth. Highlighting the power of partnership alongside Kornit is Greentex.co, a supplier of textiles and apparel leveraging digitally enabled, eco-friendly waterless printing. The company will be showing Presto MAX with fabrics highlighting the depth of black inks. Working alongside Kornit, Zünd will demonstrate how its modular cutting systems is the foundation for an end-to-end “eco factory,” completing fashion decorated by Presto MAX with their digital cutting solutions. Pentek Textile Machinery joins to display the possibilities for inline, sustainable softening of fabrics for unique and demanding applications.

How does a future-proof, circular and sustainable plastics economy look like? The answer is a balance ranging from plastics reduction to a sustainable use of recyclable plastics. After all, the increasing demand for plastics in high-value applications such as food packaging, car parts or synthetic textiles requires a holistic change. With four strategic approaches, researchers from the German institute Fraunhofer UMSICHT and the Dutch institute TNO now provide insights into how this future scenario could look like in their recently published white paper "From #plasticfree to future-proof plastics". Both organizations also start a hands-on platform for plastics in a circular economy: European Circular Plastics Platform – CPP aimed at removing existing barriers and sharing of promising solutions.

Versatile and inexpensive materials with low weight and very good barrier properties: That's what plastics are. In addition to their practical benefits, however, the materials are also associated with a significant share of mankind's greenhouse gas emissions. The production and use of plastics cause environmental pollution and microplastics, deplete fossil resources and lead to import dependencies. At the same time, alternatives - such as glass packaging - could cause even more environmental burden or have poorer product properties.

Researchers from TNO and Fraunhofer UMSICHT have elaborated a white paper that provides a basis for the transformation of plastics production and use. They consider the integration of the perspectives of all stakeholders and their values and the potential of current and future technologies. In addition, the functional properties of the target product, the comparison with alternative products without plastics, and their impact in a variety of environmental, social and economic categories over the entire life cycle are crucial. In this way, a systematic assessment and ultimately a systematic decision as to where we can use, reject or replace plastics can be realized.

Strategies for the Circular Economy
As a result, the researchers describe four strategic approaches for transforming today's largely linear plastics economy into a fully circular future: Narrowing the Loop, Operating the Loop, Slowing the Loop, and Closing the Loop. By Narrowing the Loop, the researchers recommend, as a first step, to reduce the amount of materials mobilized in a circular economy. Operating the Loop refers to using renewable energy, minimizing material losses, and sourcing raw materials sustainably. For Slowing the Loop, measures are needed to extend the useful lifetime of materials and products. Finally, for Closing the Loop, plastics must be collected, sorted and recycled to high standards.

Individual strategies fall under each of the four approaches. While the ones under Operating the Loop (O strategies) should be applied in parallel and as completely as possible. According to the researchers, the decision for the strategies in the other fields (R strategies) requires a complex process: “Usually, more than one R-strategy can be considered for a given product or service. These must be carefully compared in terms of their feasibility and impact in the context of the status quo and expected changes”, explains Jürgen Bertling from Fraunhofer UMSICHT. The project partners have therefore developed a guiding principle for prioritization based on the idea of the waste hierarchy.

A holistic change, as we envision it, can only succeed if science, industry, politics and citizens work together across sectors. “This implies several, partly quite drastic changes at 4 levels: legislation and policy, circular chain collaboration, design and development, and education and information. For instance, innovations in design and development include redesign of polymers to more oxygen rich ones based on biomass and CO2 utilisation. Current recycling technologies have to be improved for high quantity and quality recycling,” explains Jan Harm Urbanus from TNO.

Hands-on platform for cross-sector collaboration
“Therefore, in a next step, TNO and Fraunhofer UMSICHT are building a hands-on platform for plastics in a circular economy: European Circular Plastics Platform – CPP," explains Esther van den Beuken, Principal Consultant from TNO. It will give companies, associations and non-governmental organizations the opportunity to work together on existing barriers and promising solutions for a Circular Plastics Economy. The platform will also offer its members regular hands-on workshops on plastics topics, roundtable discussions on current issues, and participation in multi-client studies on pressing technical challenges. Regular meetings will be held in the cross-border region of Germany and the Netherlands as well as online. The goal is to bring change to the public and industry.

Lenzing Group, a global producer of wood-based specialty fibers, is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its biorefinery and co-product brand LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased. The brand was first introduced on May 4, 1983, and has since become one of the leading and most trusted biobased acetic acid providers.

Over the past 40 years, LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased, which has a reduced carbon footprint that is 85% lower than that of fossil-based acetic acid, has continued to gain trust and support from customers. Specialty chemical company Evonik, and food production company Speyer & Grund Group, have been incorporating LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased in the production of their products since 1983. LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased has also been in high demand from the hygiene industry during the COVID-19 pandemic as an all-purpose cleaning agent in conventional and green products.

Pioneering a carbon neutral future in the biorefinery segment with a new offering
To mark the important occasion, Lenzing will introduce its first carbon neutral LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased to meet the growing sustainability needs of industries which predominately rely on fossil-based materials. Similar to the standard LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased, the carbon neutral LENZING™ Acetic Acid Biobased is produced using sustainably sourced beech wood as a universal replacement for non-renewable raw materials such as crude oil. By calculating, reducing and offsetting emissions during production processes, this expansion will create a more sustainable supply chain with highly functional products across various industries. From now on, Lenzing customers across the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical and textile industries will be able to choose between carbon neutral and reduced carbon footprint acetic acid products.

Advancing circularity and carbon neutrality through efficient use of valuable resources
Lenzing’s biorefinery concept ensures that 100% of wood components are used to produce pulp for Lenzing’s botanic fibers, biorefinery products, as well as bioenergy, which is used to power Lenzing’s facilities. This makes Lenzing’s biorefinery sites almost fully energy self-sufficient to remain as carbon neutral as possible. To ensure a low carbon footprint, rail transportation is the preferred means for transporting LENZING™ biorefinery products, with trucks being leveraged in regions where rail transportation is not available.

Together with ClimatePartner, a recognized global leader in the design, development, and delivery of corporate climate action programs, Lenzing strives to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero through a mix of higher production efficiencies, use of renewable energy sources, low-carbon materials, and the dedicated support of an external nature-based carbon removal project. For instance, to offset remaining carbon emissions that cannot be reduced, Lenzing works with ClimatePartner to support and finance the switch to biomass as an energy source at a ceramic factory in Kitambar in northeastern Brazil. Using natural waste materials, like coconut shells, as renewable biomass for its energy production, the factory is able to produce roof tiles in a more climate-friendly way while saving on carbon emissions. Besides contributing to the fuel switch, the project also helps to reduce the deforestation rate in Brazil and avoid methane emissions that could result from the uncontrolled rotting of biomass.

The shareholders of SGL Carbon SE approved all agenda items at the Annual General Meeting on May 9, 2023. The Annual General Meeting, which was held virtually, was attended by up to 114 electronically connected shareholders who, together with the postal votes submitted, represented 64.64% of the share capital.

CEO Dr. Torsten Derr began his speech with a review of SGL Carbon's two-year transformation phase. "In two years, we have been able to increase our sales by 23.5% and adjusted EBITDA by as much as 86.2%. In parallel, we reduced our debt by 40.4%," Dr. Derr elaborated. He also reported on the past financial year and the expectations for the future economic development of the company. In doing so, he also addressed SGL Carbon's growth markets in detail. "Over the past two years, we have made SGL fit for the future. With our products, we serve industries that significantly reflect the trends for the future: climate-friendly mobility, renewable energies and digitalization," he explained.

After 14 years on the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon, this was Dr. h.c. Susanne Klatten's last Annual General Meeting as Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board. She had already informed the Company on February 14, 2023, that she would be leaving the Board at the end of this Annual General Meeting. As the largest shareholder, Dr. h.c. Klatten will remain associated with SGL Carbon through SKion GmbH.

As proposed, the Annual General Meeting elected Prof. Dr. Frank Richter as a shareholder representative on the Supervisory Board to succeed Dr. h.c. Susanne Klatten. Following the Annual General Meeting, the constituent meeting of the Supervisory Board elected Prof. Dr. Richter as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Prof. Dr. Richter is Managing Director of SKion GmbH, Bad Homburg, which holds a stake of approximately 28.55% in SGL Carbon SE. Furthermore, Ingeborg Neumann, Managing Partner of Peppermint Holding GmbH, Berlin, was elected to the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon SE for a further term of office.

“Grow Your Couture” by Piero D'angelo, the winning project of the IMAGINING SUSTAINABLE FASHION (ISFA) competition was announced during a webinar broadcast on 18 May attended by Giusy Bettoni CEO of C.L.A.S.S. Eco Hub, Anna Detheridge President of Connecting Cultures and ISFA ambassadors Valentina Suarez, co-founder and CEO of Universo Mola and Vishal Tolambia winner of the 2022 edition.
 
Piero D'angelo's project was the best among the 110 proposals received after the international call for proposals launched on 27 October 2022.
 
Piero D'Angelo, 36, a graduate in Fashion Womenswear from the Royal College of Art in London and in Textile Design from Central Saint Martins, is a Fashion and Textile Designer with a research focus on biotechnology in the fashion industry. In 2022 he founded his Fashion & Textile Design studio experimenting with a multidisciplinary approach on the importance of natural materials and Biodesign. From 2018 to 2022 Piero D'Angelo was a resident and then Product Researcher & Developer at Open Cell (Biotech Research Park), a biotech start-up community in London. He was awarded the Dorothy Waxman Textile Design Prize in 2015 and semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2020.
 
In his communication project, 'Grow Your Own Couture' D'Angelo imagines a future scenario where it will be possible to grow one's own clothes through living organisms such as lichens that are able to absorb pollution. But the project also wants to communicate a return to nature and above all care and protection towards it. In fact, the user is not simply a user of fashion, but through a kit is part of the process of growth, care and creation of the garment, thus abandoning the traditional paradigms of fashion. The project wants to completely re-imagine the way fashion could be designed, produced and used, proposing not only a product, but also a system that wants to collaborate with nature instead of polluting or exploiting it.