Kelheim Fibres Achieves Low Risk In First CanopyStyle Audit

KELHEIM , Germany— March 12, 2020 — Today, environmental not-for-profit organization Canopy, third-party auditor NEPCon, and Kelheim Fibres released the results of Kelheim’s CanopyStyle Audit. The company’s current supply chain is confirmed as low risk of sourcing wood from Ancient and Endangered Forests or other controversial sources.

“Canopy congratulates Kelheim Fibres for its low risk audit results,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy’s executive director. “Producers are increasingly hearing from brands that they will no longer source Ancient and Endangered Forest textiles by the end of 2020. This audit result is a validation of Kelheim’s efforts in that direction and positions it well in a competitive market place.”

“Future-oriented fiber materials cannot come at the cost of Ancient and Endangered forests and other valuable resources. Therefore, we are committed to focus on sustainability at every step from raw material sourcing and state-of-the-art closed-loops production processes,” said Craig Barker, CEO of Kelheim Fibres. “As a small producer, we are proud to have accomplished low-risk audit results. We welcome the recommendations the audit report has given us for further improvements and we will actively work towards implementing them.”

NEPCon is pleased to be the independent auditing body for the CanopyStyle initiative and in particular making it possible to meet the growing demand for CanopyStyle audits throughout Europe,” stated Jon Jickling, director, NEPCon Solutions. “Kelheim Fibres was committed to this third-party assessment of their raw material sourcing.”

Key findings of the audit include:

  • The company is at low risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests;
  • The company has a limited fibre basket and uses a significant proportion of FSC-certified fibres 
in its viscose products; and
  • The company has begun supporting forest conservation solutions in key areas of Ancient and 
Endangered Forests.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, Canopy recommends that the company increase the proportion of FSC-certified fiber, and make efforts to source 100 percent FSC, as well as continue to invest in research and development of low-impact alternative fibers, with the goal of launching a fiber line that contain these products. 
This audit, which reflects a snapshot in time, is to be conducted annually to ensure that the company continues to meet the expectations of the CanopyStyle initiative. The audit findings contribute to Hot Button Issue Report.

Posted March 12, 2020

Source: Kelheim Fibres GmbH

DSM Announces Partnership With SABIC And UPM Biofuels To Create Bio-Based Dyneema®

LIMBURG, Netherlands — March 12, 2020 — Royal DSM, SABIC and UPM Biofuels today announced a partnership that will help to reduce the environmental footprint of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber. The collaboration will see Dyneema transition to bio-based feedstock leveraging SABIC’s ground-breaking TRUCIRCLE™ solutions for certified renewable products. As such, DSM is delivering on its commitment to improve the sustainability footprint of Dyneema, moving towards a circular, bio-based economy.

In December 2019, DSM announced ambitious sustainability targets for its Dyneema high performance fibers. This new partnership represents an important step in realizing the goal of sourcing at least 60 percent of its feedstock from bio-based raw material by 2030. The transition to bio-based feedstock will maintain the unique properties of Dyneema, enabling customers to adopt a more sustainable solution without compromising process efficiency or final product performance. The Dyneema bio-based material will be carrying the globally recognized ISCC Plus certification and will not require re-qualification of downstream products. Bio-based Dyneema will be available from April 2020.

UPM Biofuels produces bio-based feedstock UPM BioVerno from the residue of the pulping process. This is then processed by SABIC to make renewable ethylene under their TRUCIRCLE umbrella of solutions. TRUCIRCLE includes certified renewable products, specifically resins and chemicals from bio-based feedstock that are not in competition with the food chain and help to reduce carbon emissions. By applying a mass balancing approach [1], DSM is then able to create bio-based Dyneema fiber that delivers consistent durability and performance with a reduced environmental impact. The new partnership underlines DSM’s commitment to working closely with partners and suppliers to realize a more sustainable value chain.

Wilfrid Gambade, president DSM Protective Materials, said: “By partnering with SABIC and UPM Biofuels, we are taking the next important step in our sustainability journey, and driving our industry’s transition from conventional to renewable resources. By improving the impact of our materials, together with our partners, we are helping to protect both people and the environment they live in. In this way, we are using our bright science to deliver brighter living.”

Mark Vester, Circular Economy Leader at SABIC, said: “We firmly believe that true collaboration and innovation will drive positive change. With our TRUCIRCLE initiative, we are more committed than ever to closing the loop on used plastics in 2020. We are delighted to be partnering with DSM and UPM Biofuels as a further step towards transforming the value chain and creating a circular, transparent, and sustainable economy.”

Juha Rainio, Sales and Marketing Director at UPM Biofuels: “We are committed to replacing fossil-based feedstocks with renewable ones. This collaboration with SABIC and DSM is an excellent example of a future beyond fossils, which is a key driver for UPM going forward.”

[1] Mass balance accounting is a well-known approach that has been designed to trace the flow of materials through a complex value chain. The mass balance approach provides a set of rules for how to allocate the bio-based and/or recycled content to different products to be able to claim and market the content as ‘bio’-based or ‘recycled’-based. Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (Mass Balance White Paper).

Posted March 12, 2020

Source: Royal DSM

Recycling Polyester: perPETual And Polygenta Manufacture rPET FDY Using Oerlikon Barmag’s WINGS

REMSCHEID, Germany — March 12, 2020 — India-based yarn manufacturer Polygenta, a manufacturer of sustainable recycling yarns, recently commenced production of recycled polyester FDY yarns at its facilities in Nashik. The yarn is produced using a combination of perPETual Global Technologies patented chemical recycling technology and Oerlikon Barmag’s direct spinning system equipped with the 32-end WINGS concept.

The spinning plant was commissioned by Oerlikon Textile India technologists in close collaboration with the process experts at Oerlikon Barmag, with various FDY products currently being developed. The yarn produced caters to the requirements of premium-segment clients demanding high quality, cost effective sustainable solutions.

As one of the world’s first companies, Polygenta has, since 2014, been producing 100% recycled POY and DTY from post-consumer PET using the patented chemical recycling process developed by perPETual Global Technologies. perPETual’s process reduces CO2 impact by more than 66 percent compared to virgin PET. The yarn is spun using Oerlikon Barmag systems and equipment. As a result, Polygenta is able to produce a wide range of DTY and FDY yarns that comply with the Global Recycled Standard (GRS).

Posted March 12, 2020

Source: Oerlikon Textile GmbH & Co. KG

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Supports Administration’s Proposals On Economic Stimulus In Coronavirus Response; Rejects Importer Attempts To Remove China 301 Tariffs On Finished Products

WASHINGTON — March 11, 2020 — The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), representing the full spectrum U.S. textiles from fiber through finished sewn products, issued a statement today welcoming the Trump administration’s proposals on an economic stimulus package to gird the economy against the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, but the organization urged officials to reject any attempts by importers to remove China 301 tariffs on finished products as part of any relief package.

“The president has outlined the need for a broad economic stimulus package that would include various tax incentives to help impacted industries and workers. We support the administration’s efforts to bolster the economy as a response to the coronavirus outbreak, while opposing add-ons to any stimulus package designed to exploit the crisis,” said NCTO President and CEO Kim Glas.

“Any push by importers and retailers to take advantage of the situation and press for removing China 301 tariffs on finished consumer goods — a penalty imposed by the administration in a separate investigation of China’s illegal intellectual property (IP) abuses — should be rejected immediately,” she said. “Tariff breaks on finished products will only pad the pockets of retailers that have long benefited from China’s trade abuses, and ultimately will not be passed on to the consumer,” Glas said.

“Granting importers a tariff break would essentially let China off the hook for systemic IP violations that have displaced U.S. workers and undermined U.S. leverage in negotiating a phase two agreement,” Glas continued.

As part of a Phase One deal with China, the administration reduced duties on finished apparel and textile products implemented on September 1 from 15 percent to 7.5 percent.

“NCTO has strongly supported applying tariffs on finished products as a key negotiating leverage but opposes keeping tariffs in place on certain inputs that are not made in the U.S. such as select dyes, chemicals and textile machinery. NCTO has long-argued tariffs on these inputs hurt domestic competitiveness for U.S. textile manufacturers,” Glas said.

Finished apparel, home furnishings and other made-up textile goods equate to 93.5 percent of U.S. imports from China in the sector; while fiber, yarn, and fabric imports from China only represent 6.5 percent, according to government data.

NCTO is a Washington, DC-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) Responds to China Commission’s Report on Forced Labor in China to Produce Global Products

WASHINGTON — March 11, 2020 — National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) President and CEO Kim Glas issued the following statement today in response to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s staff report on the forced labor of Uyghurs and other minorities in China to produce consumer products for global companies.

We share the concerns of the bipartisan China commission regarding forced labor in China that is used to produce goods for global companies. We agree with the findings and the commission’s recommendations to the administration and Congress to take action against the systemic abuse of forced labor.

The plight of the Uyghurs and minority groups in China deserves greater attention. It is another example of how the Chinese have utilized illegal and oftentimes abhorrent practices to gain an advantage in the marketplace.

As the commission’s report details, Chinese apparel exporters have clearly profited from the virtual enslavement of this minority population, and we call for continued scrutiny and the end to this exploitation of a repressed people. The commission has served a fair warning to U.S. businesses and consumers to not be complicit in these forced labor practices.

NCTO is a Washington-based trade association that represents domestic textile manufacturers, including artificial and synthetic filament and fiber producers.

  • U.S. employment in the textile supply chain was 594,147 in 2018.
  • The value of shipments for U.S. textiles and apparel was $76.8 billion in 2018.
  • U.S. exports of fiber, textiles and apparel were $30.1 billion in 2018.
  • Capital expenditures for textile and apparel production totaled $2.0 billion in 2017, the last year for which data is available.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO)

Ampacet Introduces Modern Mattes Masterbatches For PET For A High-Impact, Luxurious Finish

TARRY TOWN, N.Y. — March 11, 2020 — Ampacet’s new Modern Mattes™ masterbatches for PET deliver the cost-effective impact brand owners demand, producing a luxurious matte finish in one step without spraying, dipping or bead blasting.

Modern Mattes masterbatches produce a consistent, high-quality matte finish on PET and rPET blow and injection molded applications and sheet products without the need for retooling. Designed for use in mono, multilayer extrusion and in standard as well as heavy-wall applications, Modern Mattes from Ampacet also eliminates scrap and waste resulting from traditional secondary processes such as spraying, dipping and bead blasting.

Ampacet Modern Mattes feature a range of three finish and texture options: Clara™ masterbatch provides a subtle delustering effect with a smooth finish and Textura™ combines the luxurious matte finish of Clara with a textured surface. Both Clara and Textura allow the use of vibrant colors with a wide range of delustering options.

Prima™, similar to Textura, also provides increased tactility and enhanced scuff resistance at high LDRs. In tests, bottles with Prima masterbatch offered superior mar and abrasion resistance when compared to virgin PET. Bottles produced with Prima demonstrated superior abrasion resistance. These results were quantified in bottle-to-bottle and bottle-to-corrugate interactions.

Ideal for applications such as personal care, cosmetics, beverages, spirits, automotive, industrial and home care products, Modern Mattes color customization and matching are available for established brands.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: Ampacet Corp.

EU Circular Economy Action Plan: EURATEX Stands Ready With Concrete And Realistic Proposals To Move It Forward

BRUSSELS — March 11, 2020 — The European textiles and clothing sector cares about circularity of its products; for several years already, the industry is re-inventing itself to offer solutions that are workable and make a sustainable impact. That’s why EURATEX welcomes the new Circular Economy Action Plan, released by the European Commission today, as it reflects many proposals developed by our industry. At the same time, this Action Plan is just the starting point for developing a more focused strategy, which must take into account the specific challenges of our sector. EURATEX has already developed its own comprehensive strategy, including specific recommendations and workable solutions.

EURATEX welcomes the plan as it sets the foundations to change the way products are made, the way waste is managed, and the way people consume. The Action Plan wants to be as comprehensive as possible, involving all the actors in the value chain, citizens, Members States and local realities. The EU needs now to set the conditions to remove structural barriers, address or prevent market failures and bring harmonized solutions across the European single market. Essentially, the EU needs to create a European market for reuse of textile material and such an objective can be achieved with the upcoming Strategy for Textiles.

For the textile and apparel industry, the Circular Economy Action Plan is not a “wake-up call” because companies have been doing a lot for the past years. They invested money in research and innovation and came up with a wide range of solutions. They, though, faced a lot of challenges that prevent such solutions to enter a broader market.

Therefore, EURATEX is asking the European Commission to focus on the following points:

  • 99 percent of the textile and apparel industry is composed by SMEs. The EU needs to take into consideration their specificities. In particular, SMEs lack fund to upscale their products and solutions, plus they need a legislative framework which is not burdensome. We ask the EU to remove barriers, not create new ones.
  • Companies need a territory that can deal with the whole circularity process. A company, which produces textiles by recycling used clothes or other fibers, should have a textile recycling facility in the vicinity, not 250 kilometers away. We, therefore, welcome the proposal of the European Commission to provide guidance to achieve high levels of separate collection of textile waste by 2025. It must be done in a well-organized manner, so to avoid tons of waste textile waiting to be processed.
  • Green Public Procurement will increase demand allowing business to invest in circularity. In 2015, public procurement accounted for 13.1 percent of the GDP in the European Union, this means that almost 1.923 billion euros were spent by public bodies purchasing goods or services. That is a formidable leverage which Member States can use to boost closed-loop productions, promote scale economies which lower costs and proactively drive changes. Authorities can then choose high quality and durable products, reward low-impact manufacturing processes, and favor products designed with recycled or biobased/biodegradable materials.

EURATEX looks forward to the upcoming initiatives announced by the EC in the Circular Economy Action Plan, as it wants to be part of the development of polices, making circularity an efficient reality. According to EURATEX Director General Dirk Vantyghem “this plan can be the starting point for a new structural dialogue with the EU and partners of the value chain. All the actors need to agree on what has to be changed and how to unleash circular textile products”.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: EURATEX

Rieter: Consultation Process At The Winterthur Location Completed

WINTERTHUR, Switzerland — March 11, 2020 — On January 29, 2020, Rieter announced its intention to discontinue the assembly of machines at the Winterthur location due to structural changes in the market situation. The consultation process with employee representatives was completed today, March 11, 2020. After intensive discussion and detailed examination of the submitted proposals, the discontinuation of assembly and the associated reduction of 87 jobs was confirmed.

The final position was communicated to the employee representatives and the Office for Economy and Labor of the Canton of Zurich. Rieter’s employees were informed of the result. The decision will be implemented gradually during 2020.

Rieter has a comprehensive social plan. The focus is on the reintegration of affected employees with the support of the Regional Employment Centre (RAV) as well as a job center and the avoidance of hardship cases. The company intends to reduce the headcount by means of workforce turnover and early retirement, however some layoffs will be unavoidable.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: Rieter Holding Ltd

Messe Frankfurt India Announces Launch Of Screen Print India 2020 – New Delhi Edition

NEW DELHI, India — March 11, 2020 — Trade fair organizer Messe Frankfurt India has announced the Screen Print India 2020 – New Delhi debut edition. The trade fair will be held from August 21-23, 2020, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, concurrently with yet another premier trade fair Gartex Texprocess India.

Messe Frankfurt India Trade Fair Pvt. Ltd., the Indian subsidiary of one of trade show organizers, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, acquired the rights of Screen Print India in 2018. In 2019, Messe Frankfurt India and MEX Exhibitions enter into a strategic alliance to create Gartex Texprocess India, an integrated business platform for textile sector. Consolidating its expertise in the textile portfolio, Messe Frankfurt India, the leading trade fair organizers have announced that Screen Print India 2020 will make its debut in New Delhi alongside Gartex Texprocess India, thus bringing latest advancements and machinery in sectors like screen printing, textile printing, digital and sublimation under one roof.

“It is a tactical step to co-locate the Delhi edition of Screen Print India exhibition with the forthcoming Gartex Texprocess India as it will enable exhibitors and visitors to benefit from the synergies between the two leading, interconnected textile sector shows. This way, we are also able to offer a comprehensive product showcase to visitors across diverse categories within the garment and textile finishing sector in general and screen and digital printing sector in particular for this segment of buyers,” emphasized Raj Manek, executive director and board member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd while announcing the dates for Screen Print India exhibition

Organized jointly by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd. and MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd., Gartex Texprocess India is now in its 6th edition. The show has grown tremendously over the years with the past edition clocking a visitor base of 10,390 with 180 exhibitors and 300 brands. Having made its debut in 1994, Screen Print India exhibition has been held bi-annually in Mumbai since its inception and has grown wider in scope. Bringing the two shows together will create big opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their product gamut, and visitors to explore widest range of or products and services.

Moreover, like its Mumbai edition, Screen Print India New Delhi will also feature a special “SPI Sample Gallery” showcasing award winning pieces of screen printing excellence. Informative sessions and workshops will be conducted by various leading international experts on a wide range of topics related to the graphics industry.

Considering the potential of screen printing sector in India, the organizers are in talks with leading industry associations such as Screen Printing & Graphics Association of India (SGAI) to extend support and participation at the show. While the Mumbai edition continues to grow with surging figures in international participation from India, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the USA, the Delhi edition of Screen print India is also expected to attract exhibitors from international borders. Owing to rapid technological changes, leading brands will conduct live demos of their latest technological offerings in screen printing, digital sublimation, heat transfer and textile printing, garment decoration to potential business visitors and traders.

Focused knowledge seminars throwing light on various processes and technical advancements is another highlight that will keep the exhibitors and visitors up-to-date with the current and future trends of the industry. Moreover, the show floor will display an array of product launches and live demonstrations to help decision makers and buyers invest in the right technology.

At the same time, Gartex Texprocess India, dedicated to the entire value chain of garmenting & textile manufacturing, is expected to give a much needed boost to the domestic industry. Various zones and focused segments ensure cross-sector, creative and collaborative interactions among the stakeholders; while the dynamic synergy will highlights the latest tech-advancements and trends that the country’s textiles and apparel industry is moving towards.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: Messe Frankfurt India Trade Fair

Touchpoint Introduces A Spinnova Demo Product: Tapio Ecological Workwear Apron

JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland — March 11, 2020 — Finnish sustainability pioneer in sustainable workwear, Touchpoint, and innovation company Spinnova have today introduced their first demo product, the Tapio apron in the Gastro Helsinki event. The apron, made of Spinnova’s highly sustainable fiber, is very likely the world’s most ecological piece of workwear to date.

The objective of this collaboration is ultimately to make the world’s most sustainable workwear collection. The Tapio prototype apron, named after the ancient Finnish god of the forest, is 100-percent wood-based, made without harmful chemicals and quickly biodegradable. Its most interesting circular feature is the fact that the apron can be recycled into new fibre in the Spinnova process, without dismantling. The apron contains no materials that shed microplastics, and has no plastic or metal parts to weaken its recyclability. The Tapio apron is also undyed and uncoated.

“Every detail is carefully considered so that there is nothing unnecessary in the apron. We think it’s beautiful in its simplicity and sustainability,” says Touchpoint’s CEO Outi Luukko.

Touchpoint was one of the first brand owners to start collaborating with Spinnova in 2018. Spinnova has found a common value foundation, and Touchpoint’s brave and open-minded willingness to make trials important factors in the collaboration.

“Touchpoint wanted to join our journey long before we knew much about the technical or commercial development of our fibre, and wanted to publicly introduce a demo product before knowing when a collection is possible. This calls for a passionate approach on sustainability from a textile brand,” commented Spinnova’s CEO Janne Poranen.

“We are born curious and have grown to turn challenges into possibilities. We need solutions that don’t burden our environment and that can in the future replace, for example, cotton production. We started with an apron that helps us raise discussion and spread awareness of the possibilities this will offer to a more ecological workwear scene and the entire textile industry,” described Luukko.

Another demo product will follow the Tapio apron, although a complete commercial workwear collection is possible a bit further down the road. Spinnova is now in the pre-commercial stage and planning its first commercial production facility.

Posted March 11, 2020

Source: Spinnova

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