Avgol® Wins Supplier Excellence Award From Procter & Gamble

BANGKOK — December 9, 2022 — Avgol®, an Indorama Ventures Limited company, has been honoured with the prestigious Supplier Excellence Award by leading global brand Procter & Gamble.

The award was in recognition of Avgol, a global leader in the manufacture of high-performance nonwoven fabric solutions, ‘being a notable and valuable supplier over the last fiscal year’ to the P&G Baby Care Business Unit.

Avgol CEO Tommi Bjornman said receiving the honour from P&G for the first time is a source of great pride for the company. “The assessment process for the award focuses on us as the supplier showing outstanding contributions across a range of key categories,” he said. “I am delighted and proud that the Avgol team was unanimously identified as being strongest in terms of our collaboration with the customer, as well as in our continuous improvement efforts across all regions of P&G’s global Baby Care program.

“It was heartening that, in making the award, P&G further noted that Avgol’s efforts have significantly assisted in their own commercial growth during a challenging period for the Hygiene market,” he said.

In 2018, Indorama Ventures Ltd. (IVL) acquired majority ownership of Avgol, resulting in a focused and faster growth of Avgol Nonwovens.

“With the combined financial, technical, commercial strength and expertise of Avgol and IVL, Avgol has been working hard to develop innovative products, putting sustainability front and centre in our plans for the future and ensuring we deliver the very best product and service to our customers around the world,” Tommi said.

“This award is recognition of the incredible efforts of the whole team, and I am proud and humble to have received this award on behalf of the company.”

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: Avgol®

Results Of The 17th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

ZURICH — December 9, 2022 — The 17th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey (GTIS, formerly known as ITMF Corona-Survey) shows that on average the business situation in the global textile industry has deteriorated further in November 2022. At the same time, global business expectations in six months’ time remained in negative territory but did not get gloomier. The indicators for order intake, order backlog, and capacity utilization rate dropped, globally.

According to the survey, the business situation in the three Asian regions and Europe remained especially poor. In North & Central America the business situation has improved again markedly. Except for the textile machinery segment that still benefits on average from a long order backlog, all other segments found themselves in negative business situations, especially fibre producers and spinners. Global business expectations have remained negative but “stabilized” around -10 percentage points (pp) since July 2022. Expectations have improved significantly in South Asia to +10pp, and Europe to -30pp. Business expectations in all segments remain negative territory with four out of seven recording improvements.

Order intake nose-dived in November, in line with weaker business situation and weaker demand, currently the biggest concern for the global textile value chain. Only companies in North & Central America registered on average a good order intake, while all other regions were faced with an unsatisfactory order situation. Except for South-East Asia and North & Central America order backlog fell. The only segments where order backlog increased were the down-stream segments garments and home textiles. Capacity utilization rate dropped in all regions in November 2022. It only increased in the textile machinery segment but fell otherwise.

“Weakening demand” is by far the biggest concern in the global textile industry, followed by the root causes of demand reduction, namely high energy and raw material prices which lead to high inflation rates. Good news is that logistical costs are not much of a concern anymore. Concerns about geopolitics on the other hand have increased again in the past two months.

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: ITMF

Kappahl Selects TrusTrace As Its Traceability Solution To Support Sustainable Efforts  

STOCKHOLM, December 7, 2022 — TrusTrace, a global SaaS company with a market-leading platform for product traceability and supply chain transparency in fashion and retail, today announced that Kappahl, a leading Swedish apparel brand, has selected the TrusTrace platform to support its traceability efforts.

“Kappahl identified traceability as a key strategic enabler for sustainable change, and a way to facilitate compliance with evolving supply chain laws and regulations,” TrusTrace CEO and Co-Founder Shameek Ghosh said. “We’re thrilled that they selected TrusTrace as the framework to promote data-driven, sustainable action. Kappahl will be able to leverage robust supply chain data insights to enable responsible sourcing and adhere to laws such as the Norwegian Transparency Act and the upcoming EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.”

In addition to adhering to regulations, Kappahl aims to leverage the TrusTrace platform to enable more data-based decision-making to drive sustainability in day-to-day operations, as well as to equip consumers to move towards more sustainable consumption. This will be achieved through communicating the impact of their products, allowing customers to shop according to their values and make more informed purchasing decisions.

“For Kappahl, it is important to be a transparent company, and we want to make it easy for our customers to make informed and sustainable choices. Our customer must receive as detailed information as possible in order to quickly know what it is they have bought, and knowing where and how the garment is made also raises its value. There is a lot of work behind each finished garment, the manufacturing process is long and involves many people — something perhaps not everyone is aware of. With TrusTrace, we get the tools to efficiently manage sustainability data for the approximately 40 million garments that are sold every year. Sustainability data can be presented for an overall picture of the garment’s values, which can then be communicated to customers in a simple and accessible way,” said Sandra Roos, vice president, Sustainability at Kappahl.

TrusTrace is a leader in fashion supply chain traceability, providing more than 40 global fashion and retail brands with verified data in real-time, as materials and finished goods move through the supply chain. Through its open architecture, the TrusTrace platform integrates seamlessly with retailer, manufacturer and supplier systems, as well as other third-parties, such as certification agencies, lifecycle datasets and other sustainability solution providers.

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: Kappahl/TrusTrace

North Carolina A&T, Alamance Community College Partner With IACMI To Provide No-cost Precision ACE Machining Training

GREENSBORO, N.C. — December 13, 2022 — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) and Alamance Community College (ACC) have kicked off the first Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining training of its kind in North Carolina. America’s Cutting Edge (ACE), a U.S. Department of Defense program designed to reestablish American leadership in the machine tool industry, provides online and in-person training — all at no cost.

“Industry demand for machine tool operators, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs far outpaces our manufacturing workforce supply in the U.S.,” said Dr. Aixi Zhou, chair and professor in the Department of Applied Engineering Technology at N.C. A&T. “At North Carolina A&T, we are leveraging this opportunity with America’s Cutting Edge to better serve the Piedmont Triad region.”

The ACE program is comprised of two parts. The first is an online requirement that covers an introduction to CNC and 3D modeling using Fusion 360 and virtual machining applications. Upon completion, students become qualified to advance to a week-long, hands-on lab training “bootcamp.” Bootcamps provide opportunities for eligible students to learn in a high-intensity environment through hands-on, in-person training.

Working with education partner N.C. A&T as an ACE regional machine tools innovation and workforce development hub, ACC has plans to make its new CNC program a model for the state.

“The ACE program asked us to be part of their extended team and we were the first community college in North Carolina to accept the invitation and be approved,” said James Adkins, Department head of ACC’s Computer Integrated Machining (CIM) program. “CIM is a precision machining operation where students learn life skills that allow them to work anywhere in the world. This is especially true for female students who are in high demand in the industry.”

ACE also hopes to attract another traditionally underserved community in manufacturing, while connecting with industry. “As the country’s largest historically black university (HBCU) and leading producer of African American engineers, North Carolina A&T is uniquely positioned to increase diversity in manufacturing, particularly machining,” Dr. Zhou said. “The Piedmont Triad region plays an important role in some niche manufacturing industries, such as aerospace, automotive, bio-manufacturing, and furniture.”

When asked about her career plans, bootcamp participant Anaya Maxwell answered definitively, “THIS, exactly this. Today was my first experience working on a CNC machine, but last summer I took a summer camp in 3D printing and loved that too.” From Houston, Texas, Anaya is a sophomore at N.C. A&T pursuing a degree in Applied Engineering Technology. “I’d like to own my own business that combines additive and subtractive and work with other black women, but I don’t know where I’m going with that yet.”

ACE is supported by the defense department’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program. ACE brings together the scientific expertise of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), advanced training tools and techniques developed by University of Tennessee, Knoxville Professor Tony Schmitz and the workforce development leadership of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation® (IACMI). More than 3,100 people from all 50 states are engaged in the online training that began in December 2020, and in-person training is expanding from Tennessee to hubs in North Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Florida. Machining and machine tools are at the foundation of America’s manufacturing capability and its global competitiveness.

Posted: December 13, 2022

Source: IACMI – The Composites Institute

Ahlstrom Appoints Helen Mets As President And CEO

HELSINKI — December 13, 2022 — Helen Mets was appointed president and CEO of Ahlstrom, effective January 1, 2023. With the company entering the next phase of growth and transformation, Mets will succeed current president and CEO Hans Sohlström, who has contributed greatly to Ahlstrom’s success since 2016. Hans will leave Ahlstrom at the end of December to pursue new opportunities outside the company.

Mets is an international business leader with more than 30 years experience. She has a proven track record of building successful businesses and maximizing value for all stakeholders. She has held a range of senior executive leadership roles at Avery Dennison, the family company Pon, and at Royal DSM, where, as executive vice president of Materials, she led the successful growth transformation, carve-out and divestment of the Specialty Materials businesses. Since December 2021, she has also served on the Ahlstrom board of directors.

Ivano Sessa, chairman of the board of directors, said: “We are now starting the next phase of Ahlstrom’s transformation and the Board is excited with the nomination of Helen. Her track record of value creation in the specialty materials industry, her strong customer-focused mindset and her capabilities to drive large-scale growth and transformations through sustainable innovation make her a great fit for Ahlstrom.”

“I wish to thank the Board of Directors for its confidence in me,” Mets said. “Ahlstrom is a company whose values and heritage I admire. I’m very much looking forward to work alongside Ahlstrom’s teams to lead our growth transformation, deliver on our purpose and strengthen the company’s position as a global leader in sustainable fiber-based specialty materials.”

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Hans for his energetic and inspiring leadership,” said Sessa. “During his seven years at the helm of the company, first as Chairman of the Board, and then for last five years as President and CEO, Ahlstrom has more than tripled its net sales and increased five-fold its EBITDA. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Hans Sohlström: “Ahlstrom has great culture, competences, and further growth potential. As I now hand over to Helen, I wish her and the entire Ahlstrom team the best of success.”

Posted: December 13, 2022

Source: Ahlstrom

Indorama Ventures Listed In The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) For The Sixth Consecutive Year

BANGKOK, Thailand — December 13, 2022 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, has been included as a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the fourth consecutive year, with a 96 percentile, and the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index (DJSI Emerging Markets) for the sixth successive year, with a 99 percentile. The achievement aligns with IVL’s purpose of “reimagining chemistry together to create a better world.”

Yash Lohia, chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures, said: “We are honored to have been included as a member of the DJSI World and the DJSI Emerging Markets for many consecutive years. This is a significant testament to our impactful sustainability journey, which necessitates contributions from every sector along the value chain. Sustainability cannot happen without collaboration, and we would like to thank our employees, customers, and partners for continuously supporting our sustainability journey.”

In 2022, S&P Global invited over 11,000 companies to participate in the Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Companies with outstanding results were then considered eligible for any DJSI. This year, there were 86 chemical companies that led the field in terms of sustainability and were eligible for the DJSI World, which tracks the performance of the top 10% of the 2,500 largest companies, and 34 chemical companies eligible for the DJSI Emerging Markets, which tracks the performance of the top 10% of the 800 largest Emerging Markets companies. Out of which, IVL is among only 10 chemical companies in the DJSI World and only 3 chemical companies in the DJSI Emerging Markets. That reflects the outstanding proposition of IVL as the world’s leading sustainable chemical company.

IVL’s consistently high ranking in DJSI is driven by the company’s ambition to build its industry leadership in sustainability. Under Vision 2030, IVL is committed to reducing GHG intensity by 30 percent and increasing renewable electricity consumption to 25 percent. This year, IVL also committed to setting science-based targets through the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). The company also participates in the SBTi Expert Advisory Group for the chemicals industry and provides funding for developing chemical sector decarbonization solutions.

As the world’s largest producer of recycled PET resins commonly used for beverage packaging, IVL is expanding its post-consumer PET bottles recycling capacity to help resolve environmental concerns and build a circular economy. The company has already passed the half-way point in its target of increasing its post-consumer PET bale input to 750,000 tons, or 50 billion bottles, per year by 2025 and has set its more ambitious goal of reaching 1.5 million tons, or 100 billion bottles, per year by 2030.

IVL continues to increase its investment in the Vision 2030 agenda, which includes advanced recycling and bio-based feedstock. This year, IVL partnered with Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, and the joint venture launched a new recycling plant called PETValue in the Philippines to recycle used beverage bottles to produce new food-grade bottles.

In alignment with the company’s finance strategy linked to its sustainability targets, IVL secured sustainable finance of totaling USD 1.3 billion in 2021 linked to improvements in the company’s sustainability performance as a global leader in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration, including green loans, a blue loan, and sustainability-linked bonds. In addition, this year, the company recently signed a 275 million euro ESG-linked revolving credit facility with six banks, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to the company’s longevity towards sustainability-driven financing.

Posted: December 13, 2022

Source: Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL)

Plastics Industry Association Names Anthony DiGrado Manager, Digital Affairs

WASHINGTON — December 13, 2022 — The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is pleased to announce that Anthony DiGrado has been named manager of Digital Affairs, effective immediately.

In this role, DiGrado will be responsible for maintaining, managing, and developing PLASTICS’ digital strategy and online presence. DiGrado joins PLASTICS after working for IMGE, a full-service digital agency, where he developed and executed wholistic digital strategies for Fortune 500 companies, political campaigns, issue advocacy groups, and non-profits. Prior to his work at IMGE, Anthony worked in the offices of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and for the ClearPath Foundation.

“We are so pleased to have Anthony join our communications team,” shared Stephanie Polis, vice president of Communications at PLASTICS. “Anthony’s expertise will truly add to PLASTICS’ work in amplifying the voice of our industry and the good work that our members are doing. Anthony rounds out a terrific group of communications professionals here at PLASTICS and we are excited to have him on board.”

DiGrado is a lifelong native of Virginia and an holds a B.A. in Economics from the Catholic University of America.

Posted: December 13, 2022

Source: Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)

Fashion for Good Launches The Home-Compostable Polybag Project

AMSTERDAM — December 13, 2022 — Today, Fashion for Good launches the Home-Compostable Polybag Project, a pilot to test alternatives to conventional single-use polybags. Orchestrated by Fashion for Good in partnership with C&A and Levi Strauss & Co., this six-month project uses novel bags from Fashion for Good innovators TIPA Corp. and Greenhope. These bags are made with bio-based material to lessen fossil fuel consumption and are designed to compost in either home or municipal composting environments. The project aims to find alternative end-of-use for landfill-bound materials, and to provide an at-home option for consumers who do not have access to municipal composting programs.

Introducing Compostable Alternatives To Landfill-Bound Polybags

An estimated 180 billion polybags are produced every year to store, transport and protect apparel and footwear. Their production, use and end-of-use have a significant impact: conventional virgin polybags have a high carbon footprint and low recycling rates across the globe. Conventional bags are commonly incinerated, landfilled, or subject to environmental leakage, harming natural systems. To change this paradigm, innovation must both find appropriate disposal pathways that are less harmful to the environment and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

In the Home-Compostable Polybag Project, Fashion for Good partners C&A and Levi Strauss & Co. will test key home-compostable polybags that include, bio-based material from innovators TIPA Corp. and Greenhope, in their supply chain as a viable substitute to conventional plastic polybags.

“We are proud to participate in the Home Compostable Polybag Project by Fashion for Good,” said Aleix Busquets Gonzalez, head of Global Sustainability at C&A. “As part of our Sustainability Strategy, C&A has set high ambitions in the reduction of consumer-facing plastic by 2028. This pilot project plays a crucial part in reaching C&A’s plastic reduction goal and contributes significantly to an industry wide transition.”

Scaling Innovtive Plastics
There are several critical challenges to scaling home-compostable bags: functionality, impact, cost and infrastructure, all of which will be assessed over the course of the project. The innovative bags include bio-based content, which must be tested against key performance and quality properties, such as transparency, durability and longevity. This project seeks to benchmark these bags against conventional plastics in supply chains, as well as measuring the overall impact and associated costs of the materials.

“The Home-Compostable,Polybag Project with Fashion for Good is an exciting opportunity to pilot a solution for an ecommerce element our customers are all too familiar with – the polybag,” said Jeffrey Hogue, chief sustainability officer, at Levi Strauss & Co. “This pilot not only moves us toward achieving our goal of eliminating single-use plastic in consumer-facing packaging by 2030, it also puts into practice the industry collaboration required to solve these ubiquitous challenges in hopes of reducing harmful elements within the apparel supply chain.”

Building A Foundation For Circularity

The Home-Compostable Polybag Project is the third Fashion for Good polybag project following the Circular Polybag Pilot (completed in 2020) and Reusable Packaging(completed 2021) projects. These projects aim to validate innovations that reduce the dependence on virgin fossil fuels, reduce impact of production, and are capable of compostability, avoiding landfill.

“Fashion is one of the main segments where consumers are looking for alternatives to conventional plastic packaging,” said Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO and co-founder, TIPA Corp. “This is why we’re extremely proud to be selected by Fashion for Good to take part in this innovative pilot to test plastics that biodegrade into the soil at the end of use. By offering an alternative to conventional plastic packaging, TIPA helps sustainably-responsible fashion brands fight plastic pollution. A programme like this is crucial for demonstrating the viability of compostable packaging like TIPA’s and gaining scale by forming more alliances within the industry.”

“We are so excited to be selected by Fashion for Good to take part in this collaborative project with such credible global parties,” said Tommy Tjiptadjaja, CEO and co-founder, Greenhope. “Plastic waste pollution is a massive systemic issue and this collaborative platform approach is one of the most effective ways to quickly arrive at credible, scaled solutions. Through our technology, Greenhope is ready, willing, and able to support this all the way to its positive conclusion: linking sustainable consumption and production of global brands with positive social impact among developing countries’ farmer coops who provide the bio-based raw materials.”

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: Fashion for Good

Coloreel Reports Thread Dyeing Technology Reduces Water Consumption By 97 Percent

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — December 13, 2022 — Coloreel provides significant environmental benefits for the textile industry. The company’s sustainability operations are now quantified and third-party verified.

Coloreel uses one single white thread to create millions of colors and intricate patterns. It unlocks new design possibilities, while providing environmental benefits. By dyeing a 100-percent recycled polyester thread in real time, water consumption is reduced by at least 97 percent compared to traditional dyeing methods. In addition, the technology significantly reduces thread waste.

“When Coloreel launched its ground-breaking technology for digital thread dyeing, the aim was to streamline an embroidery industry characterized by slow processes, difficulty in creating complicated designs and an excessive use of resources,” said Mattias Nordin, Sustainability manager at Coloreel.

The company has now published both a complete life cycle analysis (LCA) and an environmental product declaration (EPD) in the international database Environdec. Both documents are verified by a third party, the Swedish consulting company Miljögiraff.

50 times less wastewater
Through the documentation, a comparison can be made between Coloreel’s technology and one of the world’s leading thread manufacturers. Their public sustainability report shows that traditional thread dyeing produces 50 times more wastewater than Coloreel’s direct dyeing does.

“We have known for a long time that our technology gives a significant environmental advantage. Having it verified by an independent third party is of course important for our continued work. But for us, that’s not enough. We are currently focusing on further reducing the amount of energy and ink used in production,” Nordin said.

Coloreel’s environmental product declaration is available at environdec.com/library/epd4933

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: Coloreel

Durst P5 TEX iSUB Now Certified With ECO PASSPORT By OEKO TEX

BRIXEN, Italy — December 13, 2022 — Durst has received a new ink certification that completes the overall sustainable package of the P5 TEX iSUB printer: the P5 Sublifix sublimation inks now have the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®.

P5 TEX iSUB technology

Winner of an EDP (European Digital Press Association) award in 2022, the P5 TEX iSUB technology with its inline fixation technology sets a milestone for sublimation printing and allows the elimination of one step in the production process. The integrated inline fusing for direct printing on polyester fabrics means that no investment is required for external devices as a heat press or calender. Time and production cost reduction as well as energy savings of up to 50 percent compared to a traditional process with an external heat press, enable a significant increase in efficiency and reduction in total cost of ownership for the user.

The iSUB contactless technology ensures excellent color consistency along the whole printing width as well as extreme sharpness of detail in images and text, also blurring or bleeding of color is virtually eliminated. Furthermore, the multiroll feature offers a big advantage in media handling, enabling a fast media change through one man operation.

ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX® 

The P5 Sublifix sublimation inks have now the ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX®.

OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT is an independent certification system for chemicals, colorants and auxiliaries used in the textile and leather industry. During a multistep process, each individual ingredient in the chemical product has been analyzed to meet the statutory requirements. Certified products are safe to human and environmental health, can be used for ecologically responsible textile production and are listed on the OEKO-TEX Buying Guide.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 compliance of the sublimation inks has always been very important to DURST, this now available independent confirmation by ECO PASSPORT of the P5 Sublifix Inks further confirms their efforts and responsibility to anchor impact reduction as a central argument in their customers’ production chains.

Additionally, this certification enables the customers an accelerated and cost-optimized certification process of both, their production chain according to OEKO-TEX STEP, as well as their final products according to OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100.

Thus, obtaining the ECO PASSPORT certificate for the P5 Sublifix Inks also results in an immediate economic advantage for all customers using these inks.

Posted December 13, 2022

Source: Durst

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