Techtextil And Texprocess Innovation Awards 2024 Submissions In Full Swing

Photo: Messe Frankfurt / Jean-Luc Valentin

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany — September 27, 2023 — Looking forward with great anticipation to discover the sector’s latest and most technologically sophisticated products and processes, preparations for Techtextil and Texprocess from April 23-26, 2024, are in full swing. As integral parts of the two fairs, the Innovation Awards are genuine highlights. Two expert juries will select the latest, most intelligent and outstanding innovations from the sector thus ensuring that all award-winning companies and their best solutions are brought to the attention of all visitors to Techtextil and Texprocess 2024.

“We are proud to once again present the very latest innovations — the result of unrivalled research, products and technologies of the textile manufacturing and processing industry — at the coming Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs. For our visitors, the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards are genuine highlights. Every two years, these innovations give a perfect demonstration of the future-oriented direction being taken by the industries in fields of development, such as efficiency, ultra-new materials, coatings and sustainable production, which incentivizes the market and illustrates the innovative power and spirit of the industries,” said Sabine Scharrer, director Techtextil and Texprocess.

The closing date for all entries for the 2024 Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards is December 15, 2023. The awards are open to all companies, institutes, universities, polytechnics and individuals, regardless of whether they are exhibitors of Techtextil or Texprocess in 2024. The developments entered must have been on the market for max. two years, or be shortly before their market launch. From mid-December 2023, two juries of experienced international experts will thoroughly examine the products submitted and evaluate them in terms of criteria such as novelty, economic relevance, potential and creativity. The winning companies will be presented for the first time during a well-publicized ceremony during the first day of the fair in Frankfurt am Main on April 23, 2024.

Business relevant: Innovation Awards attract great attention

Award-winning companies and research institutes benefit from the high degree of attention for their innovations generated by the Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards. For example, FibreCoat GmbH of Aachen, Germany, which received the Techtextil Innovation Award in the ‘New Technology’ category together with Deutsche Basalt Faser GmbH in 2022, reported: “Winning the Innovation Award represents a milestone for us because it has always been our ambition to be honored in this way. The Techtextil Innovation Award is the most prestigious award in the textile industry.” The two companies were chosen for the joint development of an aluminium-coated basalt fiber. According to FibreCoat, the new product means that electromagnetic shielding as wallpaper in buildings, such as hospitals or server farms, will be up to 20 times cheaper than conventional aluminium foil. Another attractive and particularly fast-growing market is shielding solutions for electric vehicles.

A positive response was also noted among the customers of Juki Central Europe after the company was selected for the 2022 Texprocess Innovation Award in the ‘New Technology’ category. The company won the award for its innovative AW-3S automatic bobbin thread winding and feeding device. The jury was impressed by the change from a manual to an automated process as another example of Industry 4.0 and said the device not only increases productivity but also reduces fatigue for sewing machine operating personnel.

Go-to-market boost for award winners

Italy’s Vérabuccia company was also one of the winners in 2022 and received the Techtextil Innovation Award in the ‘Performance Fashion’ category for its patented, innovative production process that enables fruit waste to be transformed into fashion highlights. In distinction to other vegetable leathers, which tend to imitate genuine animal leather, this process retains the original appearance of a pineapple skin. The jury honored the unconventional thinking of the Italian label whereby original fashions are created using unexpected materials. Currently, a year after receiving the award, Vérabuccia is working on opening up important markets with its patented process.

Starting shot for entries for 2024

Now, companies, institutes, universities, polytechnics and individuals have until December 15, 2023, to enter their inspiring, disruptive and innovative new products for the Techtextil Innovation Award 2024 or the Texprocess Innovation Award 2024 and have the opportunity to present their award-winning ideas on an outstanding platform in Frankfurt am Main during the first day of the fair on April 23, 2024. The juries are looking forward to judging the most innovative ideas emerging from the many exciting segments of the two industries.

Techtextil Innovation Award 2024

Submit entries at: https://www.techtextilaward.com/

Categories:

  • New Concept;
  • New Technology;
  • New Material;
  • New Application;
  • New Product;
  • New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy;
  • New Technologies on Sustainability & Recycling; and
  • New Technology & Digitalization.

Texprocess Innovation Award 2024

Submit entries at: https://www.texprocessaward.com/

Categories:

  • Economic quality (cost minimisation, time / process optimisation, automation);
  • Ecological quality (climate protection, energy efficiency, sustainability, recycling, circularity);
  • Digitalisation and AI; and
  • Innovation for quality improvement.

The Techtextil and Texprocess trade fairs will be held from April 23-26, 2024.

Posted: September 27, 2023

Source: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

The EMPEL Textile Finish Now Proves C6 And Water Based CØ DWR Finishes Obsolete

Green Theme Technologies’s Polymer

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — September 27, 2023 — Green Theme Technologies (GTT), creators of the PFAS-free and waterless EMPEL textile finishing platform, is rendering current PFAS-containing C6 and water-based CØ water repellent finishes obsolete. Cleaner, more durable, and better performing, EMPEL is the best option for the environment and consumer brands.

Recent competitive product testing by The Haartz Corp. showed how textiles treated with the EMPEL water repellent technology absorbed about ⅓ the amount of water compared to the best CØ and C6 water repellent market solutions. Equally impressive, EMPEL kept water from passing through the fabrics WITHOUT the use of a membrane. Using the same woven textiles for testing in a ten-minute rain test, only 2 milliliters of water passed through the EMPEL treated fabrics compared to 325mL from the CØ and C6 competition.

“We have a product that will revolutionize what consumers can expect from their clothing. Brands and Mills can now make fabrics that protect people from the elements without using hot and stiff rain jackets with membranes,” said Martin Flora, vice president of Business Development for GTT. “EMPEL keeps the fabric dry on the surface and keeps the water on the outside of your clothing and shoes. Add in our 50+ wash durability, and you have a product that will allow people to keep their gear much longer without buying new replacements. The most sustainable products use safe chemistry (PFAS -Free) and work for many years in the future.”

Waterproof Fabric Up Close with Water Beads

Haartz is a global leader in highly engineered and uniquely designed textile materials in a variety of markets, including home furnishings, automotive textiles, military materials and footwear fabrics. Their expertise in R&D and commercialization of new products gave them the ability to prove the efficacy of EMPEL with excellent internal testing capabilities.

“EMPEL delivers the best performance without the use of forever chemicals or water. We have installed the machinery and commercialized the process as we continue to explore applications for EMPEL,” Matt Williams the vice president at Haartz confirmed.

Posted: September 27, 2023

Source: Haartz Corporation

Uster Quantum Clearer 4.0 Presents The Unique Combination Of Both Capacitive And Optical Sensors In One For Yarn Clearing

USTER, Switzerland — September 27, 2023 — Uster Quantum 4.0 presents the unique combination of both capacitive and optical sensors in one. It’s the best of both worlds, for spinners. Two years after market introduction, industry feedback underlines the benefits of Uster’s new cross clearing and density detection functions.

Making a choice between the two main technologies for yarn clearing is now a thing of the past. That’s because Uster’s latest Quantum 4.0 clearers offer both capacitive and optical sensors in a concept called Smart Duo. This innovation recognizes that each sensor option has its own special functionality — so using both together brings significant advantages in quality and profitability for spinners.

Cross clearing

The Smart Duo approach uses “cross clearing,” in which both capacitive and optical sensors are applied. The capacitive signal reacts on very compact yarn faults. It offers guaranteed detection of dense thick places in the yarn, containing more fibers, as a significant mass increase. The optical sensor records a minor diameter increase in such cases. Instead it is better at detecting voluminous, visually large occurrences in the yarn, where the capacitive sensor would record only a minor increase in mass.

For maximum benefit in detecting compact and fluffy events, both signals are added in series. The cross-clearing function uses the backup of a second clearing limit after the basic clearing parameters. For example, a thick place which might not be identified as a fault under the capacitive clearing limits, would be rechecked under the extra optical clearing settings. This allows the clearer to detect thick and fluffy events that are not detected by the capacitive sensor alone. Cross clearing events, designated X, are also useful to indicate spinning conditions for housekeeping and maintenance purposes, such as fiber accumulation on roving creels or in the drafting zone.

No compromises for better fabric quality

In a practical example, the benefit of cross clearing was proven by a spinner in India producing 100-percent combed cotton yarn (Ne 30) for knitted fabrics. The goal was to improve fabric quality by reducing the remaining thick places, while maintaining the same level of clearer cuts. To ensure an independent assessment of the fabric samples, an Indian textile institute was engaged for the inspection and comparison.

For the tests, the cross clearing setting was kept at ‘medium’ and the NSL setting was opened slightly to compensate for the additional X-cuts. Finally, both articles were cleared with 92.6 cuts/100 km for the NSL T including the X-cuts and 92.5 cuts/100 km for the NSL T without cross clearing activated. The cross clearing function demonstrated improved fabric quality without the need for additional cuts. The Uster Smart Duo was able to ensure better quality without increased production costs.

Density detection

Density measurement is unique in the market, as a highlight feature introduced by the Smart Duo function of the Quantum 4.0 clearer. Density involves two separate measurements: the density channel (D) is active after the splice over a defined reference length; in addition to this temporary density measurement, a continuous density (CD) measurement takes place.

Different densities can be caused by different twist levels in the yarn. Other factors could be a mixture of compact and non-compact yarn or irregularities in compacting levels, while different yarn types and materials also have different densities. The density measurement function also prevents yarn issues caused by malfunctioning of the compacting device.

Saving a ton of yarn

In another practical example, a customer in China discovered that one of its ring spinning machines was producing high twist yarn. Some high twist yarns were mixed with regular yarns on the winding machine, with the result that 1.21 tons of yarn was contaminated and rendered unusable.

It is impossible to differentiate between yarns of different twist levels by eyesight at the ring frame stage. And until the launch of Uster Quantum 4.0 there was no way to separate yarn with different twists at the winding stage. Thanks to the density detection function, the spinner saved 1.08 tons of yarn that would otherwise have been waste. By installing the new generation of Uster yarn clearers the mill was able to rewind the yarn to separate the high twist element.

Innovated for the major challenges

Quantum 4.0 is the efficient yarn quality assurance system with Smart Clearing Technology for both standard and special applications. The accepted standards of Yarn Body, Dense area and Smart limits are further enhanced by the new Smart Duo technology. Numerous easy-to-use functions cover basic clearing, Smart Duo clearing — including cross clearing and density detection — as well as contamination clearing and special applications. Uster’s latest yarn clearing innovations provide maximum flexibility, security and prevention for today’s market challenges in spinning mills.

Posted: September 27, 2023

Source: Uster Technologies

Lenzing To Increase Production Of Responsible Viscose In Asia-Pacific For LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and VEOCEL™

NEW YORK CITY — September 21, 2023 — Lenzing Group has announced plans to increase production of its high-quality responsible viscose fibers for its textile LENZING™ ECOVERO™ and nonwoven VEOCEL™ brands in Asia-Pacific. The viscose fibers, which are EU Ecolabel certified and produced in Lenzing’s Purwakarta site (PT. South Pacific Viscose) in Indonesia, will help Lenzing meet the growing demand among environmentally conscious consumers for textile and nonwoven products with a lower environmental footprint. Furthermore, Lenzing has successfully transformed its Indonesian site with reduced sulfur emissions as well as annual CO2 footprint and is expected to contribute to wastewater reduction.

“We are working tirelessly to make the industries in which we operate even more sustainable and to drive the transformation of the textile business model from a linear to circular. I am therefore very pleased that we have now received the EU Ecolabel, which once again confirms our sustainability performance. Demand for specialty fibers with low environmental impacts continues to grow structurally. We see enormous growth potential in Asia in particular. Our investments in Indonesia, as well as in other Lenzing sites around the world, put us in an even better position to meet the growing demand for specialty fibers with low environmental impact,” said Stephan Sielaff, CEO of the Lenzing Group.

Geared up to address growing demand for products with lower environmental footprint in Asia-Pacific

Catering to brands and retailers who serve environmentally-conscious Asian consumers, the converted Purwakarta site’s close proximity to value chain partners in Asia-Pacific enables the transportation of a larger quantity of responsible viscose fibers within a much shorter distance and lead time, thereby reducing the overall carbon footprint of the textile supply chain.

Produced with up to 50-percent lower fossil energy use and water than generic viscose and certified with the internationally recognized EU Ecolabel, LENZING ECOVERO branded viscose fibers have been used in fashion woven and knitwear products such as fashionable tops, dresses, t-shirts, and loungewear. Brands using LENZING ECOVERO branded viscose fibers include top global fashion labels, including M&S, H&M, Levi’s.

“Asia-Pacific presents lots of potential and growth opportunities for us. As brands and retailers continue to reconfigure their manufacturing network, the region has become a convergent of all components of the supply chain from spinners, weavers, knitters to garment makers and sourcing offices,” said Florian Heubrandner, executive vice president Global Textiles Business of Lenzing AG. “As demand for responsible viscose continues to rise in the region, the increased production of responsible viscose in the Purwakarta site will not only allow us to work more closely with our existing customers but also allow us to introduce LENZING ECOVERO to new prospects in the region who are keen to switch from generic viscose to responsible viscose.”

To provide more options for industry partners looking for versatile, responsible products, before the end of 2023, Lenzing’s Purwakarta site will be capable of producing the innovative LENZING ECOVERO Black specialty fibers, which will significantly reduce water and energy usage in fabric dyeing thanks to a spun-dyeing process with a lower carbon footprint.

In line with Lenzing’s goals of reducing group-wide CO2 emissions per ton of product by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving CO2-neutral production by 2050, the converted production site has successfully reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 130,000 tons annually. An integral factor in enabling Lenzing to accomplish this pioneering transformation is the conversion from fossil fuel-based energy to geothermal-based energy at the site.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Lenzing

Datamars Launches New, Customizable RFID Monitoring System

LAMONE, Switzerland — September 25, 2023 —  Datamars, a global supplier of high performance unique-identification solutions specializing in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, recently announced the launch of STORM, a cutting-edge web platform that allows companies to remotely manage and monitor their RFID devices, installed in multiple locations, from a unique central location.

RFID is a widely recognized aid in textile assets management, enabling automated tracing, better oversight of inventory, improved efficiency and reduced textile losses, and resulting in significant cost savings and increased profitability. However, for those companies that have numerous RFID devices installed across multiple locations, their effective management can be critical. Issues such as data losses, downtimes, one-by-one manual software and firmware updates and frequent on-site visits present challenges.
The new STORM platform is Datamars’ latest addition to its portfolio of 360° turnkey solutions that provide all the elements necessary for an easy management of RFID systems.

STORM alleviates existing RFID challenges through an easy-to-implement, fully customizable dashboard that effectively monitors all RFID readers in the system 24/7 and provides easy access to metrics, configuration management, preventive maintenance and remote support. In addition, the system allows the user to set up alerts specific to their business. For example, if a company’s configured thresholds are exceeded, STORM triggers an alarm which is instantly displayed on the web user interface (UI) and sends a notification to the appropriate recipientsꓸ

“STORM is the tool our customers have been waiting for to closely monitor their RFID infrastructure and get the most out of it,” said Julien Buros, product and services director for the Textile ID Division at Datamars. “Following the success of Cloudburst which has proven to be key in optimizing RFID performance and ease of integration, Datamars is taking a further step in completing its software offer to make RFID even more reliable and easy to use.”

How it works 
Consistent monitoring of RFID equipment is important, as it allows users to quickly spot issues and prevent extensive downtime and data loss.

With the STORM platform, a simple device provisioning process allows users to securely add RFID devices to a customer’s account and assign them to a location. STORM allows users to easily filter their inventory based on name, location or other properties. Unique searches can be saved to the user’s favorites, creating dynamic groups that can be recalled at any time, while alarms and connection status are displayed to immediately recognize those RFID readers that require attention.

Every parameter of the RFID readers can be remotely configured through STORM and settings can be applied to multiple RFID readers at the same time. The user can also easily compare multiple RFID readers’ set-up and the parameters view can be customized and saved as user’s favorite, while configuration pre-sets can be created for quick set-up of multiple RFID readers.

STORM allows for direct control of all connected RFID readers and devices. As a result, all firmware and software updates, as well as device troubleshooting, can be scheduled at times that are most convenient for the company and completed remotely, eliminating the need for onsite maintenance and remote desktop sessions.

If additional help is needed, STORM allows the user to send a request to the Datamars service and support team, enabling temporary access to the specific RFID readers only for the time needed to fix the issue.

“Implementing highly-functioning RFID system requires more than a quick purchase of tags and management software,” Buros added. “We are confident that the STORM platform will provide our customers with a dependable, holistic solution that takes every step of the implementation process into consideration — from installing tags to tracking stock and providing around-the-clock technical support — to meet their textile management needs.”

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Datamars

Bally Ribbon Mills Features Highly Specialized Engineered Woven Fabrics at SAFE Association 61st Annual Symposium

BALLY, Pa. — September 25, 2023 — Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) — a designer, developer, and manufacture of highly specialized engineered woven fabrics, announces it will highlight its creative solutions for product design and development at the SAFE Association 61st Annual Symposium, which will be held October 10-12 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Va., Booth #132. On display will be a selection of the company’s high-performance webbings, including safety webbings and tapes, ideal for military, aerospace, fire, law enforcement, industrial, and commercial fall protection personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as specialty items to showcase BRM’s capabilities.

Using its decades of weaving expertise, BRM designs, engineers, and manufactures materials that maximize the end products’ performance characteristics and properties — including strength, durability, resistance to abrasion, chemicals, heat and weather. BRM enjoys the challenge of assisting customers in problem resolution and innovation creation regarding material selection in their design and development phases. BRM’s services include development of customized innovations, complete engineering and solutions, sample preparation, and full-scale and specialty manufacturing.

Recently, BRM participated in an exciting project with Sierra Space in which embedded fiberoptic sensors were woven into Vectran ® webbing and then later integrated into an inflatable test article that was tested at NASA Johnson Space Center for potential use in future inflatable habitat structures for NASA Lunar Gateway and Mars missions.

Experts will be on hand at booth #132 to show how BRM can design, develop and manufacture specialized, engineered, woven safety webbings and tapes. Made from Nylon, Polyester, Nomex®, Kevlar®, Vectran®, PBI®, Nextel®, and other specialty fibers, BRM’s safety webbing and tapes are ideal for applications requiring high tenacity, abrasion resistance and flame and heat resistance. They are also a good choice for controlled elongation applications as well as those requiring chemical resistance in specific environments, and can be used for shoulder straps, harness webbing, and chin straps, as well as helmet suspension, binding tapes, loop tapes, lap belts, shock absorbing webbing, flotation device webbings, parachute assemblies, and other aerospace safety applications.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Bally Ribbon Mills

Karl Mayer Delights The Trade With Warp Knit Seamless, Innovative Fashionable 3D Seamless Garments

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — September 25, 2023 — Producing a complete garment in a single piece, without any seams at all, yet with an integrated body mapping design — this is made possible by KARL MAYER’s double-needle-bar raschel machines with EL pattern drive and jacquard.

Warp Knit Seamless

The KARL MAYER GROUP showed a chic example under WARP KNIT SEAMLESS with a sports dress that attracted attention at ITMA 2023. The trendy outfit can be made on a DJ 6/2 EL or RDPJ 6/2 EL in gauge E28 and offers all the performance features of functional sportswear: breathability through open areas in exposed places, freedom of movement and quick drying. It also feels right. The fabric is soft and supple, thanks to the use of polyamide. To provide precise elasticity, the jacquard bars were drawn in with a two-component yarn, comprising a polyamide core and elastane sheath.

There was a lot of chatter in Milan, particularly about the ready-to-wear top and leggings set. Both elements simply need to be cut out of the manufactured panels. This decreases sewing effort and waste. Depending on the size and cut, the proportion of fabric to be disposed of is around 15% for leggings and around 5% for tops. When producing tops, only the shoulders and neck need to be cut out – the arms and torso are made ready to use directly on the machine. In addition to these advantages, this “WARP KNIT SEAMLESS” technology offers the possibility to efficiently produce mass products with customisations, such as logos, and items at customers’ request.

Innovative Fashionable 3D Seamless

An exciting look and comfortable feel are offered by a completely new seamless warp knitted fabric that cleverly combines three-dimensional and open structures in a single textile. The plastic pattern parts create extravagant irregular surface effects, paired with very fine yarns for a soft handle, yet the fabric only comes into partial contact with the skin. They are produced using the jacquard bars of a specified machine, a DJ 6/2 EL or RDPJ 6/2 EL, each with a gauge of E28. The jacquard bars process a polyamide yarn with an elastane cover in alternating lapping with long float stitches, which creates plasticity by shrinking during finishing. The jacquard bars allow the design elements to be placed as desired. The fact that the garments can produced almost entirely directly on the machine is another distinct advantage. Only a few processing steps are required until the item is finished.

4D Knit – The Next Generation Of Spacer Fabrics

When the spacer layer of 3D warp knitted fabrics is filled with bulked yarn, previously unattainable performance features and surface designs can be created. Smooth patterns, two-tone coloring, breathable mesh zones and — in a new development — clearly pronounced relief parts with individual placements and dimensions are all possible.

Depending on the amount of filling and the design of the plastic motifs, a wide variety of textile solutions are possible; the product repertoire ranges from breathable fabrics, e.g. for functional shoes, to cosily padded and warm jacket fabrics.

When it comes to garments with an insulating effect, 4D-KNIT articles stand out for their decisive sustainability advantage over napped fleece fabrics: fewer fibre fragments are released into the water during washing, as the insulation fibres are enclosed between the cover surfaces of the 3D textile. The results of a study conducted by the Hohenstein Laboratories in Bönnigheim confirmed these findings.

The new spacer warp knitted fabrics are produced on a RDPJ6 6/2 EL FB, in gauge E28.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Karl Mayer

U.S. Cotton Belt Tour Showing Customers From 15 Countries Why To Keep Choosing U.S. Cotton  

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — September 25, 2023 — Textile manufacturing executives representing 15 countries will visit the U.S. Cotton Belt September 30-October 7 on the 42nd COTTON USA Orientation Tour.

Sponsored by Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotions arm of the Memphis-based National Cotton Council (NCC), the Orientation Tour’s major objectives are to increase U.S. cotton customers’ awareness of the types/qualities of U.S. cotton, help them gain a better understanding of U.S. marketing practices and enhance their relationships with U.S. exporters. More than 900 textile executives from more than 60 countries have participated in this biennial tour initiated in 1968.

CCI President Steve Dyer, a Cordova, Tenn., merchant said: “The COTTON USA Orientation Tour is vital to U.S. cotton export performance. For over half a century, this event has enabled our industry to showcase our high-quality U.S. cotton fiber to important international spinners as well as build and strengthen relationships with these customers.”

This year’s Orientation Tour includes executives representing 27 companies in Bangladesh, China, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. These manufacturers expect to consume 5.7 million bales of cotton in 2023, while an estimated 2.9 million bales of U.S. cotton will be exported to those countries. This represents about 23 percent of U.S. cotton export sales, making these companies some of U.S. cotton’s largest customers.

The Orientation Tour participants will visit a Mid-South cotton farm and gin; tour a farm and cotton warehouse in Texas; tour a Pima cotton farm in California; observe cotton research in North Carolina and Mississippi, and tour the USDA cotton classing office in Bartlett, Tenn. They will meet with U.S. cotton exporters and get briefings from CCI, the NCC, Cotton Incorporated, ACSA, the Texas Cotton Association, the Lubbock Cotton Exchange, Amcot, the American Cotton Producers, the Delta Council, Plains Cotton Growers Inc., the Western Cotton Shippers Association and Supima. These meetings will offer ample opportunities for U.S. cotton industry representatives to strengthen relationships with some of U.S. cotton’s top customers and impact export sales.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: Cotton Council International/Cotton USA

AFFOA Introduces Product Accelerator For Functional Fabrics (PAFF), Exclusive To Fabric Innovation Network Members

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — September 25, 2023 — Advanced Functional Fabrics of America Inc. (AFFOA) is excited to introduce the Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF) program, exclusively for AFFOA’s Fabric Innovation Network Members. The PAFF program is designed to help U.S. companies close the gap(s) in their advanced functional fabric product and technology development. To improve the time to market of these products, industry will be able to access AFFOA’s established specialized capabilities and expertise with no direct cost to your organization. The PAFF program is specifically meant for companies who have a product near commercialization or a process with a targeted improvement need that can be completed over a period of performance of up to 12 months.

AFFOA will conduct a virtual webinar on October 12 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST where interested companies can learn more about this program and staff can answer any questions. A recording of the webinar will be sent out to all registrants and program information will be shared via the Member Portal after the webinar.

Register Here 

Important Due Dates:

Pre-proposals should be submitted via email to proposals@affoa.org by 5:00 p.m. PST on November 8, 2023.

Full proposals should be submitted via email to proposals@affoa.org by 5:00 p.m. PST on December 12, 2023.

Please note that participation in the PAFF program is contingent on being an AFFOA member.  If you are interested in becoming a member of AFFOA’s network or learning more, please contact membership@affoa.org.  

September 26, 2023

Source: AFFOA

 

C&A Shares Sustainability Report And Confirms Journey To Reach Ambitious 2028 Sustainability Strategy Goals

DUSSELDORF, Germany — September 26, 2023 — C&A published today its new sustainability report, which highlights the retailer’s key achievements in 2022. In an era marked by complex environmental and social challenges, C&A remains committed to its ambitious 2028 Sustainability Strategy.

Through this report, C&A transparently shares the measures taken and steps made, highlighting achievements such as:

  • CO2 emissions decreased by nearly 32 percent compared to the 2018 baseline;
  • 78 percent of core raw materials sourced more sustainably;
  • 87 percent of factories conducted a verified SLCP assessment, versus 46 percent in 2021; and
  • Expansion of resale pilot project in Germany and launch of denim made from 100-percent recycled cotton.

“At C&A, our purpose is clear and guides us: we inspire you every day to look, feel and do good. Our ambitious 2028 Sustainability Strategy plays a big role in ensuring we are on course for a more sustainable future. The 2022 Sustainability Report shares both our successes and our challenges: it’s about transparency, collaboration, and the willingness to inspire the industry and enable our customers to do good.”, says CEO Giny Boer.

Navigating Environmental Challenges

The fashion industry is not on track to meet its climate targets and more progress is needed to reduce emissions in apparel supply chains. In 2022, C&A has reduced its GHG emissions by nearly 32 percent compared to baseline. As the fashion retailer evaluated its own science-based climate target, C&A decided to raise its ambition, convinced that further reducing environmental impact within its supply chain and own operations is critical.

Significant Sustainability Initiatives

C&A explores more sustainable materials, circular fashion, and combating plastic pollution. One of the ways to achieve this is to collaborate with startups and partners to increase the availability of next-generation materials and promote recycling. In 2022, 78 percent of C&A’s core materials (cotton, polyester, and man-made cellulosic fibers) have been sourced more sustainably, aiming towards 100 percent by 2028.

C&A is committed to the circular economy and its principles, meaning integrating recycled materials, adapting product-design and testing and scaling viable circular business models such as second-hand stores. In 2022, 11% of all C&A products complied with these principles, paving the way for a targeted 70% in 2028. One cooperation on circularity is the pilot with the start-up traceless which uses bio-degradable materials for clothing hooks with the plans to scale this across C&A’s operations.

Engaging with Workers and Customers

C&A is committed to workers’ wellbeing and safety in its supply chain and promoting informed customer choices. An encouraging 87% of suppliers’ factories underwent a verified Social & Labor Convergence Program assessment in 2022, nearly doubling the rate from the previous year (46 percent). Additionally, C&A adopted a new Human Rights and Equity Policy in 2022 as an overarching guideline for these closely intertwined areas.

To follow C&A’s ambitious journey on sustainability and find comprehensive details and data on the measures taken, please visit C&A’s sustainability report 2022 here: https://www.c-and-a.com/eu/en/corporate/company/sustainability/reporting.

Posted September 26, 2023

Source: C&A

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