SPONSORED CONTENT - In our fast-paced world, typified by its burgeoning consumerism and its use and discard mentality, fashion is a fickle mistress and responsible textile production is fraught with challenges. With landfill sites choking up with yesterday’s fast fashion fads, and dubious manufacturing, environmental and labour practices rife in the industry, it’s good to know that there are organisations and companies that are not only taking heed, but leading the way in better, more responsible and ethical textile production practices. 

Welcome to the fashion stage Sappi’s Verve – dissolving pulp (DP) made entirely from an abundant natural renewable and biodegradable resource. The wonder of trees and the countless uses for woodfibre and its contribution to the circular economy are well known, and Sappi can vouch for its product thanks to fastidious management of its supply chain from the forest to the fashion rail. 

Starting at source, the wood that is used for Verve all stems from sustainably managed plantations, certified under internationally recognised forestry certification schemes - notably, FSC™, PEFC and SFI. These rigorous certification schemes ensure that plantations adhere to stringent regulations in a way which balances social, environmental, and economic considerations to the benefit of all. 

In South Africa, where most of Sappi’s DP is produced (1,140,000 tons per annum vs 300,000 tpa in USA)  the wood is sourced from its own plantations, and very importantly, also provides entry to the forestry value chain for more than 4,000 small growers participating in the 40 year old Sappi Khulisa Enterprise Development programme. 

Sappi produces more than 50% of the DP used in the production of lyocell staple fibre in the world, and that’s why it is so important to know that besides the more eco-friendly processes used in the manufacture of its DP, with the co-generation of steam and electricity making its mills energy efficient, Sappi’s plantations in South Africa are also doing an excellent job in contributing to the responsible management of the country’s biodiversity.

With almost a third of the 399,000 hectares owned left unplanted and protected for conservation, Sappi’s land also houses 7 amazing nature reserves and 156 Important Conservation Areas (ICAs). Sappi actively participates in business-led initiatives that call for the mandatory assessment and disclosure on nature such as the Business for Nature #MakeitMandatory campaign and Textile Exchange’s Climate+ strategy, with its goal to reduce GHG emissions in the textile value chain by 45% by 2030. 

Water is another crucial consideration for Sappi, and its powerful Water Stewardship project with WWF-SA works towards improving water security and biodiversity in the Umkhomazi catchment area, whilst also helping to provide sustainable income for the communities through the creation of jobs and skills transfer. 

Sappi’s has set a science based target which showcases its commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change. And this commitment extends to transparency of the entire value chain, with Sappi also applying the Higg FEM and FSLM tools and ‘Green Track’ blockchain technology to ensure the traceability of the products derived from Verve. 

So, besides the natural woodfibre characters of Verve which lends it the whisper-soft silk-like qualities of breathability, beautiful flow and drape, its impressive credentials on all fronts, make it the undoubted fibre of choice for the future.

www.sappi.com/the-spirit-of-verve

SPONSORED CONTENT - The garment and textile industry is known for its high water consumption, which annually uses 79 trillion litres of water¹ – enough to meet the needs of 27% of the world’s population under WHO standards. It’s estimated that fashion also contributes significantly to global industrial wastewater, posing risks to both human health and aquatic life if untreated. While leading brands are currently driving water stewardship across the textile value chain today, the future will likely see all brands and their mill partners coming under pressure to do more.

Against this backdrop, it is imperative that mills find ways to reduce water use from production to consumption, thereby saving resources, and eliminating toxins and contaminants from their production processes, making wastewater easier to treat and safely discharge.

As a partner to textile and fashion brands and mills worldwide, Archroma develops water-saving innovations to help move the industry towards a greater focus on sustainability and a better understanding of consumer aspirations.

Archroma’s DENIM HALO is a newly launched concept for denim production that is both eco-friendly and simple. This innovative approach results in a combination of an exclusive chemical with a resource saving pre-treatment and dyeing processes. This unique and disruptive approach which dyes the yarn superficially, enables significant reduction in environmental footprint of denim garment finishing processes while achieving the desired look. The result – one of the industry’s most sustainable laser friendly and easy to wash denim, that avoids the use of harmful and hazardous processes like manual hand scraping or potassium permanganate spraying.

For classic blue denim jeans, water savings of up to 40% compared to conventional dyeing and laundry finishing processes can be achieved with the aniline-free² DENISOL® PURE INDIGO 30 LIQ dyes, while savings up to 70% are possible with the DIRESUL® SMARTDENIM BLUE pre-reduced sulfur dye for a unique blue denim look. For black denim jeans, DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK uses up to 56% less water during dyeing and laundry processes. It can be used to create unique shade and wash-down effects with an overall impact reduction of up to 57% compared to standard Sulfur Black 1 liquid in synthesis³.

Beyond denim, Archroma has resource-saving innovations including the award-winning AVITERA® SE reactive dyes for cellulosic fibers and blends, ERIOPON® E3-SAVE, a next-generation auxiliary for polyester and its blends and EarthColors®, our range of bio waste-based dyes derived from natural waste products of the agriculture and herbal industries for cellulosic fibers.

These innovations not only reduce the impact on our environment but also meet the growing demand for sustainable fashion, helping the fashion and textile industry become more planet conscious.

For more on Archroma’s innovations, visit:
https://www.archroma.com/innovations

1 Source: Nature Reviews | www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9

2 Below limits of detection according to industry standard test methods

3 Life Cycle Analysis by Ecoterrae

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