MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — April 22, 2016 — American & Efird (A&E) — a manufacturer and distributor of industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread, and technical textiles — announced today it is releasing its 2015-2016 Sustainability Report in conjunction with the global celebration of Earth Day. This year’s report details A&E’s accomplishments in the areas of safety, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility, and specifically global water-reduction and Zero-Waste-to-Landfill achievements.

“Our Eco*Driven® program and our 10 Threads of Sustainability continue to guide and challenge us,” said Jimmy Summers, Vice President Environmental, Health & Safety/Sustainability at A&E. “We are very proud of the progress that our global manufacturing teams have made through their continued dedication to safety, sustainability, and social responsibility.”

A&E continues to abide by its pledge to create a better world through responsible corporate actions, environmentally protective efforts, and numerous contributions to the communities in which it operates.

A&E has installed state-of-the-art wastewater recycling systems across the world, and these investments have paid off through significant reductions in water use. A&E continues to focus on energy conservation and has increased use of biofuels and clean fuels, resulting in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

To create its 2015-2016 Sustainability Report, A&E evaluated all of the global yarn spinning, dyeing and finishing facilities in which the company has ownership. Categories measured in the report include global carbon footprint, water conservation, energy conservation, and recycling and waste reduction.

Highlights include:

• Global Carbon Footprint*
  A&E achieved a 9.1% reduction of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) per kg of thread produced in 2015.
• Water Conservation
  38% reduction in global water consumption since 2006.
  273 million liters of wastewater was treated and reused in 2015 through reverse osmosis treatment systems.
• Sustainable Packaging, Recycling and Waste Reduction
  Zero-Waste-to-Landfill was achieved in the United States manufacturing operations in 2015. A&E’s global goal is to achieve this in every manufacturing operation worldwide.

A&E continues to use the American Apparel and Footwear Association Restricted Substances List (RSL) to screen all dyes and chemicals which are used in its operations worldwide. The RSL categorizes chemicals and substances which are restricted or banned in the production of home, textile, apparel and footwear products. This list is updated biannually and reflects current international chemical and substance restrictions.

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: American & Efird (A&E)

LENZING, Austria — April 2016 — Lenzing, a producer of wood-based cellulose fibers, launched the “4S Denim Capsule Collection” at Kingpins show in Amsterdam.

Produced in partnership with Jeanologia, and featuring fabrics from several mill partners, the collection showcases original denim silhouettes for both womenswear and menswear. The name of the collection “4S” stands for Softness, Stretch, Science and Sustainability. Three stories are highlighted within the 4S collection: Dude Ranchers, Tech Artisan, and Deconstructing Denim. Each story, and the collection overall, highlights all the elements that are the essence of a modern day premium denim line.

Fabric constructions are evolving as consumer demand for both comfort and function grows. Companies are pioneering techniques and practices based on sound scientific research, reducing the use of energy, water, chemicals in the denim supply chain as they strive to reduce their overall environmental impact. None of these advances would be possible without collaborations within the supply chain. The supply chain partners for 4S are Lenzing, Jeanologia (Spain), Advance Denim (China), Atlantic Mill (Thailand), Blue Diamond (China), Orta (Turkey), Toray International (Japan).

“We’ve created this collection and named it 4S because not only did we want to emphasize both the softness and stretch elements but also highlight the scientific research and investment that is taking place within the denim supply chain,” said Michael Kininmonth, Project Manager from Lenzing, who worked with Jeanologia on the capsule collection. “We were delighted with the reaction to the “TENCEL® 24 Day into Night collection”, so much so, that it was a natural choice to continue our partnership with Jeanologia, and like Lenzing they are endeavoring to be leaders in their field for technology and sustainability.”

While stretch has become a staple in the denim arena, with 4S it is hoped that the technology behind the materials and the new styles being presented will create a stir in the industry. “We are trying to employ modern fabrics and modern laundry techniques to innovate and create new ideas,” said Kininmonth.

“In the market today you will see indigo styles and non-indigo styles in stretch constructions, but a lot of the finishing is quite conservative. We have tried to challenge that via the themes that run through this collection.”

“We are using different washes to show how the fabric performs both in terms of aesthetic and performance,” said Carme Santacruz, Jeanologia designer. “Three or four years ago, nobody could have imagined creating men’s fabrics with 30, 40 or 50 percent stretch. We’ve created our men’s styles to look like a traditional vintage jean, but in terms of touch and how they wear, this line is totally different.”

The 4S: Softness, Stretch, Science and Sustainability collection debuted at Kingpins Amsterdam, April 13th and 14th.

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: Lenzing

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — April 19, 2016 — The manufacturing company that originated the mattress industry’s first filler cloth 40 years ago has announced and implemented a major breakthrough in fire retardant technology.

Tietex International has broken new ground by developing a new generation of patent pending FR filler cloth that is free of organohalogen  and organophosphorous components, according to Wade Wallace, company president & COO. He said, “Eliminating these chemicals is doubtless a big deal in our business, but we’re excited to say these new products also deliver unprecedented FR performance. We’re gratified that independent burn tests now prove a dramatic increase in char strength and a substantial increase in time-to-failure.”

Tietex officially debuted its proprietary FR products at ISPA’s 2016 EXPO. Wallace said that prior to ISPA, “we already had alerted a few key customers; but EXPO gave us the venue to reach a much broader audience that increasingly has expressed concern over the use of chemicals in sleep products.”

In recent months, he explained, various studies have attempted to link certain flame-retardant chemicals to potentially serious health risks. “Currently, environmental chemists cannot prove the extent of any risk, but we felt eliminating the FR chemicals altogether would negate the issue once and for all, as it pertains to filler cloth,” Wallace said.

Rhett Lancaster, vice president of sales and marketing, touts the new filler as “an ideal FR solution” because it offers four performance grades that can satisfy virtually any mattress style and any price point. “We have designed these products to be lightweight, yet durable,” he said, adding that “overall performance characteristics are preferred by major brands that serve both domestic and hospitality markets.”

In addition, Lancaster said, the new FR filler continues to meet or exceed both U.S. and British fire testing regulations (FR Compliant/16CFR, Part 1633 and FR Compliant/BS 5852 Crib-5).

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: Tietex International

NEW YORK CITY — April 19, 2016 — Optitex, a provider of integrated 2-D CAD and 3-D digital product solutions for the textile industry, is pleased to announce its participation at Texprocess Americas 2016  — the largest North American trade show for displaying equipment and technology for the development, sourcing and production of sewn products. This year, the trade show will take place in Atlanta. The Optitex booth will be open to all visitors in Hall B1, booth 623 from May 3-5.

At the Optitex booth, attendees can learn about the latest digital innovations and advances in the textile and apparel industry. Optitex will be showcasing live demos of its latest O/15.5 version including its new 2-D and 3-D capabilities, automatic nesting, new cut plan features, enhanced seams & pleats, and more.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how to maximize the power of 3-D to create true-to-life 3-D digital samples with the most realistic detailing possible and leverage them for design and development, and across the board in sales, marketing and even e-commerce using the Optitex Digital Collection App.

A panel on the “Present and Future Trends in Product Development” will be moderated by Yoram Burg, President of Optitex US & Canada. The session will take place on May 3 at 08.30, and will discuss how automation and robotics are evolving the manufacturing process and how it will affect the industry in the coming years.

“The US apparel market is one of the most innovative and we are seeing more of our customer base adopting 3-D technology to save time, reduce costs and create better products.  We are excited to be leading the digital apparel revolution to adopt 3-D, and share our latest features and innovations with those at Texprocess Americas,” says Yoram Burg, President of Optitex US & Canada.

With 3-D being one of the most impactful technologies the fashion industry has seen to date, the conference will include a special user panel dedicated to the 3-D technology evolution.Under Armour will share their experiences of using Optitex’s 3-D technology, and how it supported them in the creation of  better products and better fit for their athletes.

Posted April 22, 2016

Source: Optitex