Materials & Production News
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Friday, 16 August 2019Infinited Fiber backed by Asian viscose giant
SINGAPORE – Infinited Fiber, a spin out from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland which turns cellulosic waste into new textile fibres using a chemical process, has received new funding from RGE Pte Ltd – a company which also owns Asian… -
Friday, 16 August 2019SAC debuts podcast on Higg insights
SAN FRANCISCO – The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has introduced ‘The Thread’, a new podcast series that in its first episode – Designing Sustainability – features Sympatex CEO Rüdiger Fox; Karine Kicak from Canadian retailer Aldo; Krishna… -
Thursday, 15 August 2019Planet Textiles' denim debate
One of three breakout sessions held simultaneously at Planet Textiles 2019, ‘A New Blueprint for Denim’ was an eye-opening discussion about the real-world challenges the industry faces. By Chris Remington. Led by denim expert and CEO of Olah Inc.,… -
Thursday, 15 August 2019Cotton Horizons: Down to earth
Simon Ferrigno argues that regulation is necessary if we are to see effective global action on climate and soil, and the reduction of the overall consumption of raw materials such as cotton. The recent release of both the Better Cotton Initiative… -
Monday, 12 August 2019Focus on specialty fibres pays off for Lenzing
LENZING – The Lenzing Group’s focus on specialty fibres and its sCore TEN strategy have seen it remain in a strong financial position despite a challenging market environment with historically low prices for standard viscose. The company, which… -
Monday, 12 August 2019Sky Ocean Ventures invests in HDWool
BRADFORD – Yorkshire-based textile firm HDWool has received funding from Sky Ocean Ventures, as part of the latter’s goal to reduce micro-plastics in the ocean. Additionally, Sky partner and Government programme Innovate UK is providing… -
Thursday, 08 August 2019Novel recycling process for digital printing
VARESE – A new washing system for digitally printed fabrics that can recycle wastewater and then re-use it to remove colorants, reactants and finishing agents drew interest from retailers and textile mills at the recent ITMA thanks to considerable… -
Thursday, 08 August 2019BCI appoints new Council chair
GENEVA – The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) has appointed Marc Lewkowitz as the new chairperson of its Council. Lewkowitz, the CEO of Supima, the promotional organisation for American Pima cotton growers, takes over from Barry Clarke as chair. The… -
Wednesday, 07 August 2019Indian consumers indicate appetite for sustainable fashion
NEW DELHI – A new YouGov survey of Indian consumers indicates that while a large majority of shoppers consider the sustainable manufacture of garments as a high priority, the material quality, fit, design and price have controlling influence over… -
Wednesday, 07 August 2019Concordia Textiles scales up recycling efforts
WAREGEM – US recycling innovator PurFi has embarked on a joint venture with Belgian manufacturer Concordia Textiles, through which the latter can introduce a circular business model by leveraging PurFi’s waste upcycling solution, said to yield ‘high… -
Friday, 02 August 2019Waste sorting scheme galvanises Shanghai
SHANGHAI – An ambitious new waste-sorting and recycling scheme introduced in Shanghai, China, now requires all residents to go to garbage collection stations to deposit unwanted product, including textiles, food waste and paper, or face a fine of up… -
Friday, 02 August 2019Turkey's Zero Waste Campaign turns to textiles
ANKARA – The Zero Waste Campaign, initiated in Turkey by first lady Emine Erdoğan in 2017, has been expanded upon so that it will now cover both textile and food waste. Turkey is said to lag behind other nations, particularly within Europe, with… -
Wednesday, 31 July 2019Adidas hoodie confuses PR with progress
HERZOGENAURACH – A new ‘100 per cent recyclable hoodie’ from the Adidas by Stella McCartney collection was widely touted online as being a significant step towards circularity in the textile sector; partly because it could be a “stride in the… -
Monday, 29 July 2019Lenzing expands on-site pulp production
LENZING – Austrian fibre producer Lenzing has completed the €60 million expansion of its on-site pulp plant, increasing production capacities for dissolving pulp extracted from beech wood from 300,000 to 320,000 tonnes per year. The company says… -
Monday, 29 July 2019811% increase in textile waste since 1960
WASHINGTON D.C. – Research conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that textile waste increased from 1.76 million tonnes in 1960 to 16 million tonnes in 2015, a rise of 811 per cent. The amount of textiles which ended up in… -
Monday, 29 July 2019BlockTexx on-board with Australian recycling initiative
CARRUM DOWNS – Signage supplier AFI Branding has partnered with recycling innovator BlockTexx to launch its new ‘Be sustainable’ takeback scheme in Australia, through which it hopes to divert 100 tonnes of textile waste from landfill in its first… -
Friday, 26 July 2019
‘Sustainable’ wool scheme transferred to AWEX
SYDNEY – Ownership of the SustainaWool Integrity Scheme – which highlights ‘sustainable’ practices in the wool industry – has been transferred from New England Wool, Successori Reda and Vitale Barberis Canonico to to the Australian Wool Exchange… -
Thursday, 25 July 2019Novetex launches textile upcycling system
HONG KONG – Novetex Textiles has opened The Billie System, its new Tai Po textile mill, the first in Hong Kong in over half a century. A key component of this mill is a waterless system which upcycles textile waste. The system is almost entirely… -
Tuesday, 23 July 2019Tonello introduces 'all-in-one' denim laundry solution
SARCEDO - Finishing denim jeans in just three steps is the goal of Flavio Tonello, whose technology firm recently debuted a sophisticated new system that allows users to create vintage effects on jeans with lasers, that are then transported via a… -
Monday, 22 July 2019WRAP oversees UK recycling initiative
LONDON – A new UK recycling initiative funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and co-ordinated by the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has set out to improve recycling… -
Thursday, 18 July 2019The recycling revolutionaries
There has been an explosion of interest in textile recycling of late. At the epicentre of this are Graham Ross and Adrian Jones, the duo behind Australian firm BlockTexx. Ecotextile News spoke to them in the midst of a very busy 2019. -
Wednesday, 17 July 2019Indigo from electricity sparks new interest
Textile technology that uses electricity instead of chemicals to produce pre-reduced indigo dyestuffs for denim is gaining ground as the capacity to make new machines starts to increase. As part of a major feature on new denim chemistry, biology and… -
Tuesday, 16 July 2019Australian states fight for mulesing pain relief
NEW SOUTH WALES – The Legislative Council of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has reaffirmed its ambition to introduce a bill through which it will become a requirement for all sheep subjected to mulesing be administered adequate pain relief in… -
Monday, 15 July 2019Could a ‘water tax’ benefit Bangladesh?
DHAKA – Bangladeshi textile expert Mostafiz Uddin has suggested a ‘water tax’ be implemented throughout its native apparel sector to rein in levels of overconsumption and fund the scaling and adoption of water-saving technologies across industry.… -
Friday, 12 July 2019Automated sorting system scaled up
MALMÖ – An automated textile sorting system established and pilot-tested in Malmö, Sweden, is set to become operational at industrial scale next summer, after government agency Vinnova has piled in investment equating to 22 million Swedish krona.… -
Friday, 12 July 2019Denim with a light footprint
BERGAMO – Italian textile machine supplier SEI says it’s wrapped up sustainability and ‘industry 4.0’ in one single technology with the release of its automated ‘Matrix’ which designs, marks, engraves and cuts fabric rolls with lasers. Shown at the… -
Thursday, 11 July 2019Traceability tool mitigates counterfeit concerns
BORÅS – A research team at the University of Borås has developed a method of yielding product-specific ‘cryptotags’ for garments that, in principle, will provide greater traceability throughout the textiles supply chain. The unique tags, which are… -
Wednesday, 10 July 2019Closing a virtual loop
STOCKHOLM – In a bid to cut down on sampling, H&M has adopted a new virtual 3D apparel design system from Japanese company Shima Seiki. Most fashion retailers still undertake a tremendous amount of physical sampling and trialling, before settling on… -
Tuesday, 09 July 2019Blockchain used to improve organic cotton traceability
Simon Ferrigno speaks to the founders of a blockchain technology that is being trialled by Indian organic cotton supplier Pratibha Syntex to find out how it can improve traceability in the company's supply chains. Infinichains is a one-year old… -
Thursday, 04 July 2019LCA highlights benefits of rebranded Radianza fibre
MUMBAI – Thai Acrylic Fiber Co. (TAF), of the Aditya Birla Group, has released details of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) relating to its newly-rebranded gel-dyed Radianza fibre as it looks to highlight the water, energy and chemical savings offered… -
Wednesday, 03 July 2019Elastane-free stretch cotton could help recycling
BREMEN – Cotton Incorporated says it has developed a 100 per cent cotton elasticated fabric in an innovation that could alleviate much of the burden placed on textile recyclers when asked to upcycle cotton/elastane fabric blends at their… -
Tuesday, 02 July 2019Covestro develops CO2-based elastic fibres
LEVERKUSEN – Polymer materials manufacturer Covestro has developed a method of yielding elastic textile fibres through the partial use of carbon dioxide as a replacement to crude oils. Produced in partnership with the Institute of Textile Technology… -
Tuesday, 02 July 2019Australian project scales up plasma coating solution
VICTORIA – Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM), textile technology firm Xefco and engineering equipment provider Proficiency Contracting have collaborated on a project through which they’ll look to accelerate the commercial… -
Monday, 01 July 2019Chinese viscose made with recycled cotton
STOCKHOLM – Swedish textile recycling innovator Re:newcell has teamed up with Chinese viscose manufacturer Tangshan Sanyou to develop a viscose staple fibre made from 50 per cent post-consumer recycled cotton, an innovation backed by environmental… -
Monday, 01 July 2019VTT textile recycling project extended
ESPOO – A two-year R&D project in Finland to identify and compare textile recycling methods and technologies will be extended by a further two years as researchers look to shift the focus away from recycling towards commercialising new business… -
Monday, 01 July 2019Benchmark programme launches for 2019
LAMESA – Textile Exchange’s Corporate Fiber & Materials Benchmark has opened for 2019 submissions following a six month review which has led to a number of significant changes to the programme, including greater focus on circularity and the… -
Friday, 28 June 2019Toxic gas risk from fluorine-based textiles
MUNICH – People in low income countries could be exposed to highly toxic gases from the uncontrolled incineration of outdoor clothing made with fluorine-based membranes, says a brand-new study published today. Results from the Frankfurt-based… -
Friday, 28 June 2019Lenzing seeks ‘carbon neutral’ and world’s largest lyocell plant
LENZING — Austrian fibre producer Lenzing has outlined its plans to become the first company in its field to achieve ‘carbon neutral’ status, by embarking on a new climate agenda which includes reaching “net-zero” carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.… -
Thursday, 27 June 2019Saitex becomes B Corporation in denim first
DONG NAI – International denim supplier Saitex has set an industry first by becoming the first large-scale denim mill to achieve B Corp certification – as it also reveals new plans to open up further clean denim production facilities in the USA.… -
Monday, 24 June 2019Planet Textiles: A New Blueprint for Denim
BARCELONA – One of three breakout sessions held simultaneously at this year’s successful Planet Textiles conference, ‘A New Blueprint for Denim’ proved to be an eye-opening and frank discussion about the future of denim production, sales and… -
Monday, 24 June 2019Funding boost for cellulosic fibre research
ESPOO - The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has received another funding boost to improve wood-to-textile value chains, enabling increased production of man-made cellulose fibres. The VTT-coordinated project, known as the Green Chemicals… -
Monday, 24 June 2019Unifi unveils Oerlikon investment at ITMA
BARCELONA - Global yarn producer Unifi Manufacturing has placed what it calls a “significant” order for Oerlikon’s new eAFK Evo texturing machine, which was unveiled to selected clients at ITMA 2019. Unifi collaborated with Oerlikon to develop a… -
Friday, 21 June 2019LeafWorks launches hemp supply chain certification
SEBASTOPOL - California-based plant genetics company LeafWorks has launched Supply Chain Certification, a system which catalogs and tracks plants utilised in cannabis and hemp products as they move throughout the supply chain, authenticating that… -
Thursday, 20 June 2019Sensient uses ITMA to highlight sustainability efforts
BARCELONA - “Whenever we’re developing a product now, we focus on its eco-credentials,” Sensient Color’s marketing manager Simon Daplyn told Ecotextile News, as we visited the Swiss-based company’s booth on the opening day of ITMA 2019. The company… -
Thursday, 20 June 2019CmiA claims further gains for African cotton textiles
HAMBURG — Following a period of sustained expansion across the continent Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) certified 580,000 tonnes of cotton last year, representing a 17 per cent rise on the figures for the previous twelve months. This means around 37… -
Monday, 17 June 2019Chromuch offers ‘sustainable’ synthetic fibre
TAIPEI – ‘Sustainable’ synthetic fibre innovator Chromuch is taking a fresh approach to yarn production, and now offers sheath and core solution dyed yarns – made from rPET bottles – which it claims is: “the most eco-certified fibre brand in the… -
Thursday, 13 June 2019Hemp textiles boosted by new laws and Levi’s adoption
WASHINGTON — On December 20th of last year, President Donald Trump signed the 2018 United States Farm Bill into law. Included in this was text which reformed hemp from a controlled substance to an agricultural commodity, legalising the growing of… -
Thursday, 13 June 2019Eastman transitions fibre line to 100% recycled PET
KINGSPORT – Eastman Chemical Company has announced that Avra, its family of high performance fibres, will be produced with 100 per cent post-consumer recycled PET plastic as of spring 2020, as it continues to ramp up its sustainability efforts,… -
Thursday, 13 June 2019Target set for renewable energy by 2030
MINNEAPOLIS — US multichannel retailer Target has claimed a “major step forward” by committing to source electricity for all its domestic operations from renewable sources by 2030. This new pledge supersedes its previous aim, set in 2017, and the… -
Thursday, 13 June 2019Unifi launches Repreve ocean plastics fibre
GREENSBORO — Unifi has launched a new Repreve branded fibre derived from “bottles at high risk of ending up in the ocean,” with the goal of tackling the “root cause” of ocean plastic pollution. The Repreve Our Ocean fibre is made from bottles…
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