Materials & Manufacturing
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Wednesday, 08 May 2024Podcast: the environmental cost of the pursuit of profit
WAKEFIELD – The Big Closets, Small Planet podcast returns with a look at how societies relate to profit, and how this relationship affects global sustainability challenges in the fashion industry and beyond. Joining our host Mike Schragger, founder… -
Wednesday, 08 May 2024Textile industry must reform now - report
BRUSSELS - A new report from the Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) network says the European textile industry must reform now or risk deteriorating further into unsustainable and harmful practices. The paper emphasises the urgent need to phase out hazardous… -
Tuesday, 07 May 2024Industry experts invited to share insights
COPENHAGEN – The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are inviting fashion industry stakeholders to help identify how the sector can best reduce its impacts. Brands, retailers, NGOs, manufacturers, land… -
Thursday, 02 May 2024Loop partners with Ester on recycled polyester plant
MONTREAL – Loop Industries, which offers technology that can chemically recycle low-grade polyester infinitely, has signed a joint venture agreement with polymer manufacturer Ester Industries to build a new Infinite Loop manufacturing facility in… -
Thursday, 02 May 2024Carbios inks third supply deal for recycling plant
CLERMONT-FERRAND - Biotech firm Carbios has signed a memorandum of understanding with waste management specialist Hündgen for the latter to supply raw materials to its new PET biorecycling plant. Currently under construction, Carbios is building the… -
Wednesday, 01 May 2024Ceres launches new sustainability performance tool
BOSTON - Environmental non-profit Ceres has launched a new sustainability assessment tool designed to help small to medium-sized companies, including fashion brands and retailers, assess and improve their environmental performance. The Ceres Roadmap… -
Tuesday, 30 April 2024Better Cotton backs WTO-FIFA project in Africa
GENEVA – The Better Cotton initiative is supporting efforts by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and world football’s governing body FIFA to boost sustainable cotton production in West and Central Africa. Better Cotton says it will focus on… -
Tuesday, 30 April 2024Brits put half of textile waste in the bin
LONDON – People in the UK are throwing out almost half (49%) of their unwanted used textiles in the general rubbish bin, according to new research from waste recycling charity WRAP. On average, each person in Britain throws 35 items of unwanted… -
Friday, 26 April 2024Giving new life to old denim stock
AMSTERDAM – UK denim start up LaundRE made its debut at this week’s Kingpins event here in the Netherlands where it explained to visitors how it’s taking old, unwanted denim stock and refinishing the garments to give them a second life. “Our… -
Friday, 26 April 2024AWEX vs Four Paws on new wool standard
SYDNEY - The Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) insists that its new Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) standard will raise the bar on animal welfare despite the concerns of campaigners. AWSS, which will replace SustainaWOOL from July,… -
Thursday, 25 April 2024Spinnova completes cost-cutting review
JYVÄSKYLÄ – Scandinavian textile fibre innovator Spinnova has announced that fewer jobs have been lost than feared in its recently completed cost-cutting review aimed at putting its finances back on track. Spinnova, which makes textile fibre out… -
Thursday, 25 April 2024Recycling research to target textile blends
ESPOO - A European Union (EU) funded project is underway in Finland in a bid to develop new technologies to recycle polyester-cotton blended textile waste into high quality raw materials. Led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024Better Cotton Brazil probe 'flawed' - NGO
LONDON - The Earthsight NGO has branded Better Cotton's investigation into allegations linking its licensed farms with illegal deforestation in Brazil as "so flawed to be almost worthless". Earthsight recently released a report focused on two of… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024Lenzing says fire disruption was 'minimal'
AMSTERDAM – Speaking to Ecotextile News today at the on-going Kingpins denim exhibition in the Netherlands, Lenzing CEO Stephan Sielaff said that last week’s fire at its HQ facility in Austria won’t have a major impact on its output although the… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024Bangladesh considers VAT exception for recycled fibres
DHAKA - The Bangladesh government is said to be considering a tax exemption for domestically-produced recycled fibre in a bid to promote the sector and reduce the textile industry’s dependence on imports of cotton. Under the current rules, textile… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024Fresh funding for ‘textiles from plant waste’
CALIFORNIA - An academic researcher at the University of California, Riverside, has received a $1.45 million federal grant to advance the production of textiles from plant waste. The process, known as co-solvent enhanced lignocellulosic… -
Wednesday, 24 April 2024‘Microfactory’ firm raises €3 million in funding
COPENHAGEN - Danish tech start-up Rodinia Generation, which claims to have developed an automated manufacturing method that drastically reduces carbon emissions and water usage in garment production, has raised €3 million ($3.2m) in funding. Aimed… -
Tuesday, 23 April 2024International roll-out for Sourcery partnership programme
AMSTERDAM – Sourcing technology specialist Sourcery has announced the international expansion of its ‘Provisional Partnership’ programme with the addition of 10 new members from across the denim supply chain. Following a successful roll-out of the… -
Tuesday, 23 April 2024Better Cotton reveals Brazil audit findings
LONDON - The Better Cotton inititative claims an independent audit has revealed that licensed farms in Brazil - owned by companies accused of deforestation in Brazil - were not in breach of its standard. However, the auditors called for better… -
Tuesday, 23 April 2024TradeBeyond adds AI capability to traceability platform
HONG KONG - Supply chain management platform TradeBeyond has introduced artificial intelligence into its textile and garment traceability system in a bid to help brands and retailers improve visibility and reduce risks in their supply chains. The… -
Monday, 22 April 2024BASF recycled polyamides certified to RCS
LUDWIGSHAFEN – Global chemicals company BASF's 'Ccycled' recycled synthetic textiles have been certified to the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS). RCS certification of the company's PA6 and PA6.6 Ultramid Ccycled products for textile applications means… -
Monday, 22 April 2024SBTi adds to ongoing carbon credits debate
LONDON - The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has posted another clarification on its controversial plans to extend the use of carbon credits to offset scope 3 carbon emissions. The SBTi was heavily criticised after it revealed earlier this… -
Monday, 22 April 2024UK government urged to act on textile waste
LONDON - The UK government is being urged to ban the destruction of unused clothing and introduce an effective extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles in a new report from the Green Alliance think tank. Entitled 'Changing fashion:… -
Monday, 22 April 2024'Support in-conversion cotton farmers' - OCA
AMSTERDAM - The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) initiative is highlighting the "critical importance" of supporting in-conversion cotton farmers in its new impact report for the 2022-2023 season. Entitled 'Organic Cotton’s Time Has Come', the report… -
Friday, 19 April 2024Fire breaks out at Lenzing's Austrian HQ
LENZING - An investigation has been launched after a fire broke out today at the Austrian headquarters and production facilities of cellulosic fibre manufacturer Lenzing. "Today, April 19, 2024, at 8:36am, a fire broke out in the area of the… -
Friday, 19 April 2024European textile recycling 'near collapse'
BRUSSELS – The EuRIC (European Recycling Industries' Confederation) trade body is warning that textile reuse and recycling is on the brink of collapse across Europe. EuRIC says the industry is in crisis in the Netherlands, Germany and the UK and… -
Friday, 19 April 2024Spinnova ups commitment to technology partnerships
JYVÄSKYLÄ -Troubled textile innovator Spinnova has reiterated its stance that technology sales are the main driver for growth in the immediate future, effectively ruling out any near-term investments in increasing its own fibre production. Writing… -
Thursday, 18 April 2024Jack & Jones launches Spinnova fibre t-shirt
JYVÄSKYLÄ - Fashion brand Jack & Jones, part of the Bestseller Group, and Spinnova have launched a t-shirt made from the latter’s fibre from textile and agricultural waste without the use of potentially harmful chemicals. The launch will come as a… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2024Eastman links with Debrand on textile recycling
KINGSPORT — Speciality materials manufacturer Eastman has launched a collaboration with circular solutions provider Debrand to recycle textile waste to create new fibres. Eastman is using its molecular technology to recycle 5,000 pounds of pre- and… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2024New UK polyester recycling plant opens
LONDON – A commercial-scale, post-consumer polyester recycling plant, billed as the first of its kind, has begun operations in the UK in a joint venture between textile recycler Project Plan B and the Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL). Known… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2024Asics and Terracycle partner on shoe recycling
TRENTON – Recycling specialist TerraCycle has partnered with Asics on the sports footwear and apparel brand’s first closed-loop running shoe. As part of the initiative, consumers who wish to recycle their used and worn-out Nimbus Mirai branded… -
Wednesday, 17 April 2024CHT partners on biodegradable polyester
TÜBINGEN – Textile chemical specialist CHT has teamed up with Swiss textile manufacturer OceanSafe on the production of a new biodegradable polyester fibre. Branded as naNea, OceanSafe is utilising CHT’s latest dyeing and finishing technologies… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2024Australian wool standard is split on mulesing
ADELAIDE - A new integrity and sustainability programme has been launched for Australian wool which includes two categories - one for mulesed and one for non-mulesed sheep. The Australian Wool Sustainability Scheme (AWSS) is described as an… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2024Aii 'quadrupled CO2e savings in 2023'
SAN FRANCISCO – The Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) claims to have almost quadrupled the amount of actual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saved as a result of its programmes last year. The Aii's new impact report for 2023 reveals annual GHG emission… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2024Pilot explores challenges of digital product passports
HELSINKI - A cross-industry research programme in Finland has been exploring the potential opportunities and challenges of the European Union’s planned adoption of digital product passports (DPP). The research involved four pilot projects, including… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2024PETA - alpaca shearers face cruelty charges
AZANGARO - Police have charged five shearers at the world's largest privately owned alpaca farm with animal cruelty following an undercover investigation by the PETA animal welfare organisation. PETA submitted a formal complaint to the Peruvian… -
Tuesday, 16 April 2024Podcast: decarbonisation – and all About You
WAKEFIELD – Our host Philip Berman talks to Magnus Dorsch, head of corporate sustainability at German online fashion retailer About You, and Joyce Tsoi, senior director of the decarbonisation programme at Cascale, for our latest podcast on… -
Monday, 15 April 2024SBTi makes U-turn on carbon credits
LONDON – After it was criticised last week for plans to extend the use of carbon credits to offset scope 3 carbon emissions, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has performed a hasty volte face, saying there is “no change” to its current… -
Monday, 15 April 2024Spiber raises $65m to expand Brewed Protein
YAMAGATA - Japanese biotechnology company Spiber has raised JPY 10 billion ($64.8 million) in a funding round to accelerate the mass production and global sales of its 'Brewed Protein' materials. Spiber's Brewed Protein materials are made from… -
Monday, 15 April 2024Call for end to virgin synthetics by 2030
LAMESA - The Textile Exchange industry body has issued a new report setting the fashion and textiles industry the ambitious challenge of ending the use of virgin fossil-based synthetic textiles by 2030. The report also calls for the end of the use… -
Friday, 12 April 2024WRAP opens American branch to target waste
WASHINGTON DC – UK waste recycling charity WRAP is expanding its efforts across the Atlantic after opening a new office where it will co-ordinate campaigns on issues, including textile waste, across South, Central and North America. WRAP, the NGO… -
Thursday, 11 April 2024
Inditex accuses Better Cotton of breach of trust
LONDON - The Better Cotton initiative has today issued a statement after fashion giant Inditex described allegations linking cotton certified by the organisation with deforestation in Brazil as a "serious breach in the trust placed in Better… -
Wednesday, 10 April 2024Tomra and Circle-8 partner on UK recycling initiative
OSLO/LONDON - Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems has entered into a partnership with multifaceted recycling tech company Tomra to develop the first automated textiles sorting and pre-processing facility (ATSP) for non-reusable textiles in the UK. The… -
Wednesday, 10 April 2024SBTi to extend use of Scope 3 carbon credits
LONDON – The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has been criticised by the Carbon Market Watch non-profit after it confirmed plans to extend the use of carbon credits to offset Scope 3 carbon emissions. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Scope 3… -
Tuesday, 09 April 2024UK textile mill hits ‘zero to landfill’ status
LEEDS – Historic Yorkshire textile mill AW Hainsworth says it has achieved zero to landfill status following its work with waste management consultant Reconomy. The 240-year-old heritage firm, which manufactures woollen fabrics for customers… -
Tuesday, 09 April 2024Podcast: Cascale – taking carbon out of clothing
WAKEFIELD – Our host Philip Berman sits down with Sean Cady, vice president of global sustainability, responsibility and trade for VF Corporation and also elected board director for Cascale, and Andrew Martin, executive vice president of Cascale for… -
Friday, 05 April 2024Textile manufacturing's microfibre impact
LEEDS - Manufacturing decisions play a crucial role in determining the extent of microfibre release from textiles, according to new research at the University of Leeds. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers of Environmental Science,… -
Thursday, 04 April 2024Challenge the Fabric event speakers revealed
STOCKHOLM – The first round of speakers for this year's Challenge the Fabric (CTF) event, which explores innovations in man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF), has been announced. Next gen materials in the MMCF sector are under pressure following the… -
Wednesday, 03 April 2024Workwear specialist unveils recycled sweatshirt
BORAS - Swedish workwear brand Fristads is looking to reduce both its waste and its need for virgin materials with the launch of a partially recycled sweatshirt collection. Described as the brand’s first “circular product’, the sweatshirt is made… -
Wednesday, 03 April 2024Study produces self-dyeing alternative leather
LONDON - Researchers say they have genetically engineered bacterial cellulose to produce its own pigmentation - removing the need for chemical dyes - in a breakthrough study they claim could revolutionise the textile industry. Published in the…
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