KINGSPORT, Tenn.  — November 28, 2023 — Turkey is one of the key markets for the global textile industry, and Eastman Naia™ partners with many of the most important mills in this area: Abalıoğlu, AKSA, Almodo Textile, Aslı Tekstil, Barutçu Tekstil, BTD Tekstil, Beztaş Tekstil, Can Tekstil, Ekoten Tekstil, Elyaf Tekstil, Finteks, Gamateks, GRUP Tekstil, Güldoğan, Gülipek Tekstil, Gülle Tekstil, İpeker Textile, Karacasu Tekstil, Karsu Tekstil, Kipaş Textiles, Migiboy, Nilba Tekstil, Pakipek Tekstil, Pameks Giyim, Pisa Tekstil, Sunteks, Sönmez Tekstil, Uğur Konfeksiyon, Uslucan Tekstil, Pastel by Yılmazipek.

That is why the U.S.-based company is proud to be a sponsor and participant in Sustainable Talks Istanbul: Ana Costa, Head of Sales and Global Business Development Eastman Naia™, contributes to the discussion on Next Gen Fibers, presenting Naia Renew fiber and the patented molecular recycling technology behind it.

Produced from 60 percent sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40 percent certified waste materials*, Naia Renew is available at scale as both a filament yarn and staple fiber and can be blended with other sustainable fibers to create nearly endless luxurious fabric possibilities that are comfortable and rich in color. The carbon footprint of Naia Renew fiber is measurably reduced over its life cycle**. As Naia™’s Turkish partners know very well, Naia Renew staple fiber permits to create eco- conscious blends that are supremely soft, quick-drying and consistently reduce pilling which are ideal for T-shirts, casual wear, sweaters, comfy pants and home textiles.

Naia provides its partners with full transparency and responsibility from tree to fiber, being FSC and PEFC certified, supporting the reforestation projects with SOS Mata Atlantica in Brazil and having recently been awarded once again the Canopy Dark Green Shirt as per Canopy Hot Button 2023 with 30 buttons.

To obtain the remaining 40 percent of Naia Renew fiber, Eastman transforms waste materials that are difficult to recycle — which would otherwise not have an end-of-life option and would end up in landfill or incinerators — into biodegradable material through its patented carbon renewal technology. This is one of Eastman’s molecular recycling technologies that breaks materials down into basic molecular building blocks, assuring end materials are indistinguishable from those made from traditional sources in quality, performance, or appearance.

As networking and collaboration are key to making recycling options economically efficient successful, the company is among the founding members of the Alliance of Chemical Textile Recycling (ACTR). The working group has been launched by Accelerating Circularity, the nonprofit focused on textile-to-textile recycling at a commercial scale, to move chemical recycling technology forward, share common definitions, and address policies in a collaborative way to maximize the elimination of textile waste to landfills and incineration. Turkey has a huge potential

to fully embrace the sustainability strategy and be actively part of a circular fashion industry, and Eastman will support its partners in this key region.

*Naia™ Renew recycled content is achieved by allocation of recycled waste material using an ISCC-certified mass balance process.

** As compared to conventional Naia™ products. LCA third-party reviewed by Quantis. The current REC holdings for Naia™ Renew are wind.

Posted: November 28, 2023

Source: Eastman

BERGAMO, Italy — November 28, 2023 —  Biofeel eleven, the 100-percent nylon yarn from natural sources launched a few months ago by RadiciGroup, won the ISPO Textrends award for the Fall/Winter 2025/26 collections. The award — curated by a jury of experts — rewards innovative trends in the textile and apparel sectors.

This is an award awarded as part of the ISPO fair in Munich dedicated in particular to the fabrics and sportswear sector — scheduled from November 28-30, 2023 — and which RadiciGroup receives for the Fibers and Insulation category.

After its market launch last March, Biofeel Eleven is already in the “Top Ten” of new products in the yarn sector thanks to its technical and environmental performance.

This special yarn of natural origin comes from a small inedible bean grown in India in semi-arid soils that are not competitive with food production. These beans yield a special oil ideal for obtaining biopolymers that are then into yarn at RadiciGroup in Italy.

The yarn has special characteristics, such as low water absorption, increased lightness and improved strength properties. This means being able to produce fabrics that are both durable and comfortable to the touch and skin, fundamental requirements also in sportswear.

Posted: November 28, 2023

Source: RadiciGroup

GEELONG, Australia — November 28, 2023 —  A new collaboration between Deakin University researchers and Australia’s largest commercial linen supplier Simba Global is tackling a critical global issue, the spread of harmful microplastics through our laundry.

Clothing and textiles are estimated to generate up to 35 per cent of the microplastics found in the world’s oceans, making them one of the biggest contributors. But there is still a lot to be learnt about the characteristics of these microplastics and exactly how and why they are generated.

Researchers at the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres in Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM) have teamed up with Simba Global, a global textile manufacturing and supply company, to better understand the extent and type of microplastics shed when their products are laundered. Simba Global wants to lead the charge to reduce the environmental impact of textiles.

Lead scientist IFM Associate Professor Maryam Naebe said working with an industry partner on the scale of Simba Global meant the research could have a huge real-world impact.

Simba Global is the major linen supplier to Australia’s hospitals, hotels and mining camps, resulting in 950,000 tonnes of textile products — including bedsheets, bath towels, scrubs and much more — going through the commercial laundering process each year. It also supplies international markets in New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.

“As part of our research, we will investigate potential solutions including the pretreatment of textiles to reduce the shedding of microplastics, or even increasing the size of the plastics that break down so they can be better captured and removed by filtration during the laundering process,” said Associate Professor Naebe.

“Microplastics are now ubiquitous in the environment, they’re in the air we breathe, the food we eat and the earth we walk on. The magnitude of the problem is bigger than previously thought.

“Of serious concern is the mounting evidence that microplastics are having a negative impact on human and animal health. There are not just physical, but chemical and biological impacts.”

Associate Professor Naebe’s team have already taken the first steps in the project, analysing wastewater samples from commercial laundries with high-powered electron microscopes in their Geelong laboratory, part of the largest fibres and textiles research facility in Australia.

The team recently presented a new scientific paper at the Association of Universities for Textiles (AUTEX) Conference 2023, which started the important process of formally categorising these types of microplastics, as well as developing standard terminology and testing methods.

“Because our understanding of microplastics is still in its infancy, we needed to start right at the beginning,” Associate Professor Naebe added.

“We need to have a standard definition of what is a microplastic. Up to this point that has been lacking, which makes it difficult to compare and incorporate other studies in this area.

“We are now developing a systematic method for sampling and identifying microplastics in laundry wastewater. It has been tricky to measure the different sizes, but this is important information to have. For example, there are studies that suggest some sizes of microplastics are causing more issues in certain animals.

“The next step will be establishing an essential method to prevent the release of microplastics from textile laundering. This may involve a coating on the surface of the textile or better ways to collect the waste during the washing process.”

Simba Global Executive Chair Hiten Somaia said the company had a strong focus on sustainability, driven by the business’ purpose statement.

“We work to contribute to a better world — for every person, every relationship, and every community. In all that we do, in every country that we touch, we will be better tomorrow than we are today,” Somaia said.

“But as the major supplier to the Australian commercial industry, the converse is also true — that we are part of the problem. So, to stay true to our purpose, it wasn’t a difficult decision at all for Simba to take a leadership role and commit significant resources to this research.

“We are proud to partner with Deakin University in what is the first significant research into textile microplastic pollution in Australia. What we are most excited about is sharing the results of this research with all other textile markets in Australia — including clothing — and putting an end to microplastic pollution from textiles.”

Posted: November 28, 2023

Source: Deakin University