DÜSSELDORF — November 2, 2022 — Asahi Kasei announced that it has joined the Hydrogen Council as a steering member. The Hydrogen Council is a global initiative to advance the role of hydrogen in the clean energy transition for sustainability. Founded in January 2017, the Hydrogen Council now includes close to 150 companies and organizations across the entire hydrogen value chain.
Hydrogen-related business is one of Asahi Kasei’s “10 Growth Gears” (GG10), businesses to lead the next phase of growth in fields of focus as part of its medium-term management plan 2024 focused on the theme “Be a Trailblazer.” Asahi Kasei is currently advancing its hydrogen-related business centered on the alkaline water electrolysis system for hydrogen production developed utilizing its experience and expertise gained with the membrane process for chlor-alkali electrolysis. Asahi Kasei installed a large 10 MW-scale alkaline water electrolysis system at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field (FH2R) as part of a project led by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and performed several trial operations since 2020. Based on the technological achievements obtained at FH2R, Asahi Kasei plans to commercialize a larger-scale alkaline water electrolysis system comprising multiple 10 MW modules by 2025.
Koshiro Kudo, CEO of Asahi Kasei, commented: “The promotion of hydrogen utilization on a large scale is essential to realize a decarbonized society. Through participation in the Hydrogen Council initiative, we believe we can contribute to building a hydrogen value chain together with partners and achieve the decarbonization goal.” As a steering member of the Hydrogen Council, Asahi Kasei will contribute to the promotion of hydrogen utilization by working with various companies and organizations in the supply chain, while building a new business for the future.
SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA, England — October 22, 2022 — Texon is exhibiting at Leathertech in Bangladesh this December. Three years on from the last show, Texon will highlight the major strides it has made in its sustainability journey since 2019 and the vast array of innovative new products it has brought to market over the past 36 months.
At Leathertech, footwear manufacturers and leather garment and goods manufacturers will get their chance to see some of the well-known structural components that Texon has recently re-engineered to now include even more bio-based and recycled content. They will also be able to learn more about the new woven and cellulose products Texon has developed, which can improve the design, performance and environmental credentials of footwear and fashion accessories.
Products on display for the first time at Leathertech will include:
ProWeave — a revolutionary jacquard weaving technology that’s transforming the way performance materials are made and how they look, feel and function. Creating different elasticity, tenacity, and abrasion zones within the same weave, ProWeave can help brands bring new ideas to life, as recently illustrated by Umbro. In September, the sports brand announced the use of ProWeave in its Velocita Alchemist boots — a first in the sports sector.
Texon Verde — a new bio-based, biodegradable material that’s green by name and by nature. Tailor-made for use in sustainable, luxury fashion and homeware accessories, Texon Verde contains up to 90% bio-based content. Made from sustainably sourced (FSC®) cellulose wood pulp, plant-based binders and natural pigments, Texon Verde is the perfect choice for designers and brands looking to reduce the impact of their products on the planet.
Reform 2.0 — a new and improved version of Texon’s original trailblazing heel counter. Now containing up to 66 percent sustainably sourced content, whilst offering the same physical traits as its predecessor, Texon Reform 2.0 proves that footwear manufacturers don’t have to choose between high performance and sustainability when specifying structural components to incorporate into athletic, casual, dress, outdoor or safety shoes.
Ecostrobe — Texon’s first insole made with 100% recycled content. Produced using 100-percent recycled PET and a special fusion-bonding technology that completely removes the need for chemicals or water, Ecostrobe offers game-changing possibilities for footwear designers that want to integrate sustainability into strobel applications, without compromising strength and performance.
Explaining more, Bryan Whitfield, Sales Director, New Markets, said: “Faced with the global events of the last three years, some companies might have slowed down — but that has definitely not been the case at Texon. Instead, we have accelerated output from our product innovation pipeline. Our efforts have been prolific — with a new or re-engineered product announced every few months. After what feels like a long absence, we’re excited to get back to Leathertech. Being face-to-face with our customers in Bangladesh will be a great way to finish 2022, a year in which we have been celebrating 75 years of sustainable innovation.”
At Texon, sustainability is woven into every aspect of the company’s work. Texon’s journey began 75 years ago and today, the business is still innovating — sustainably leading the way for its customers and creating new materials in a way that will help sustain tomorrow. Read more about the breadth and depth of Texon’s sustainability work in its latest sustainability report. Visit Texon at Stand A9, Leathertech from 8-10 December 2022.
GOLDEN, Colo. — October 22, 2022 — More than 90 companies joined Cleantech Open’s 2022 accelerator program, 77 participated in regional competitions across the United States, and 18 finalists progressed to compete at the national level at the Global Forum, hosted at VERGE22 in San Jose, Calif., on October 25-27, 2022. Renegade Plastics was named the U.S. National Winner of Cleantech Open’s 2022 CTO Global Forum for commercializing a novel non-toxic and recyclable polypropylene fabric that can replace unsustainable PVC fabrics and agricultural plastics films.
Tony Ehrbar, CEO of Renegade Plastics, commented: “Cleantech Open has been an amazing accelerator program supporting us with strategy development, customer discovery, and introductions to investors. In addition, our mentors helped us sharpen our approach, and the consulting and advice received from Cleantech Open’s ecosystem was second to none. It will set us up for success in building a circular economy for the plastic fabrics industry.”
“Cleantech Open finds, funds, and fosters the most promising cleantech startups on the planet,” said Renegade Plastics Co-Founder Curran Hughes. “We are grateful to meet and learn from them to achieve our shared goal for a green global economy.”
Renegade Plastics has introduced fabrics that are better for our people and planet. Its mission is to dramatically curtail plastic waste and greenhouse gas emissions from non-consumer plastics production with an evolutionary alternative. It has exclusive rights to polypropylene-based fabrics that allow them to eliminate toxic PVC fabrics today, and replace them with a fabric that is non-toxic, recyclable, low-carbon and 30- to 40-percent lighter weight with little to no loss of strength. Due to its high UV, thermal, and chemical resistance, Renegade Plastics’ materials also have a usable life, two to 10 times longer than PE fabrics. This longevity results in less virgin plastic used over time and fewer plastic particles negatively affecting the environment. By displacing unsustainable products now, Renegade Plastics is paving the way to a more sustainable future, one yard of fabric at a time.
“For the past 17 years, we have supported over 1,900 entrepreneurs through business training, mentoring, and networking. We want to congratulate Renegade Plastics on their achievement and look forward to seeing the team succeed in replacing unsustainable textiles and films with non-toxic and recyclable alternatives,” said Ken Hayes, executive director, Cleantech Open.
WASHINGTON — November 2, 2022 — Congressman Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) met with executives at William Barnet & Son LLC (Barnet) and toured a facility in Kinston, N.C., today, where the company’s innovation, advances in sustainable practices and its important contribution to the North Carolina economy were on full display.
Congressman Murphy’s visit is critical and comes at a pivotal time for the U.S. textile supply chain, which produced $65.2 billion in output in 2021 and employed nearly 535,000 workers. Barnet is part of the broader industry that is a major factor in high-tech and sustainable innovation in the production of everything from heart valves and stents to aircraft bodies and advanced body armor.
Barnet is a global manufacturing, recycling, and trading company, specializing in a wide range of fibers, polymers and yarns. Founded in Albany, N.Y., in 1898 by William Barnet, the company has been dedicated to a vision of being the world’s most respected, creative, versatile and sustainable solution provider to its customers and suppliers. The company currently employs over 400 employees worldwide.
During the discussion with Congressman Murphy, Barnet executives discussed several policy priorities that have far-reaching implications for North Carolina and the entire U.S. textile industry.
They also outlined the importance of policies aimed at bolstering onshoring and nearshoring production, closing a legal loophole in U.S. trade law that continues to undermine American manufacturing and gives China an advantage, and U.S. trade policy on China.
“We are honored to have hosted Dr. Murphy at our Kinston facility today,” said Chuck Hall, president of Barnet. “The opportunity to discuss important policies that impact not only our everyday business operations but the entire industry’s operations is invaluable. It is critical that U.S. trade policy centers around keeping the industry competitive. In particular, we discussed the need to maintain China 301 penalty tariffs, to fix a loophole in U.S. trade law known as the de minimis mechanism, which allows a package of goods valued at $800 or less per person to come into the country duty free every day and gives China backdoor access to the U.S. market, and to find a better process for renewing the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) which allows U.S. manufacturers duty-free access to raw materials that are no longer produced within our borders. We look forward to continuing to the work with the congressman on policies that help drive onshoring and nearshoring to the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere and those that support strong government procurement and American-made products.”
“It was wonderful to meet with Barnet’s officials and tour their impressive textile facility today. North Carolina’s textile industry is a huge driver for our economy, directly employing nearly 40,000 workers and generating over $2.7 billion in textile-related exports,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. “I am grateful to the industry leaders who took the time to discuss how we can expand this great industry, grow our state’s economy, and protect domestic manufacturing.”
HOUSTON — November 1, 2022 — Orion Engineered Carbons, a specialty chemicals company, reported today it has reached a major sustainability milestone, becoming the first to achieve International Sustainability and Carbon Certifications (ISCC Plus) for multiple carbon black grades made from different feedstocks at plants in two regions of the world.
The ISCC PLUS certification involved rigorous audits of Orion’s plants and processes that confirmed the company’s compliance with high sustainability requirements. It also verified the transparency and traceability of sustainable raw materials in the company’s value chain at three plants producing the concerned grades of carbon black.
“The globally recognized certification further strengthens Orion’s position as the leader in our industry for developing sustainable solutions for our tire, mechanical rubber goods and specialty customers,” said Corning Painter, Orion’s CEO. “Earning the certification is a major achievement for the commercialization of our portfolio of sustainable products. ISCC PLUS documents to our customers that Orion continues to make progress with innovation focused on sustainability.”
The ISCC PLUS certified products include the ECORAX® Circular grades produced in Borger, Texas, and Belpre, Ohio, using pyrolysis oils from end-of-life tires. Also covered is ECORAX Nature 200, produced in Jaslo, Poland, and based on bio-circular feedstocks.
Significantly, the certified products are similar to conventional grades and are “drop-ins” that require minimal reformulation in the complex rubber compounds used by our major tire manufacturing customers.
“No other company is making multiple grades of sustainable carbon black with different feedstocks at multiple plants across the world,” Painter added. “Introducing a broad range of products that can be used in highly demanding tire applications using such materials is a critical step to enable the transition to a circular economy for tires.”
A decade ago, Orion was the first major producer to develop and commercialize carbon black made from renewable feedstocks, such as industrial-grade vegetable oils or other oils derived from waste and residues of biological origin from agriculture or forestry.
Orion is also the only carbon black producer in the BlackCycle initiative, an EU-funded project focused on developing the production of circular carbon black.
“Our customers have shown a tremendous amount of interest in our sustainable products,” said Pedro Riveros, senior vice president for global rubber carbon black and general manager for the Americas. “Several companies have made very public statements about achieving fully sustainable raw materials by 2050, or earlier. Since rubber and carbon black are the largest raw materials in rubber compounds, replacing conventional carbon blacks with our sustainable products will largely contribute to the achievement of these commitments.”
Carbon black makes up about 30% of a typical tire by weight. The material reinforces tires, making treads more resistant to tearing, cutting, abrasion and other wear. Carbon black also plays an important role in creating tires with lower rolling resistance, which leads to increased fuel efficiency. It also enables engineers to fine tune performance and protects tires from the damaging effects of UV light.
The ISCC PLUS certification is granted by the ISCC Association, which is based in Cologne, Germany, and promotes the sustainable production of biomass, circular and bio-based materials and renewables.
HELSINKI — October 26, 2022 — The Danish multi-brand retailer BESTSELLER launched the first product made with SPINNOVA® for consumers. Representing a range of more than 20 individual fashion brands like VERO MODA, VILA and SELECTED, BESTSELLER’s first SPINNOVA product is a pair of men’s trousers for JACK & JONES made of SPINNOVA fiber and cotton. The trousers are available online with a global reach.
Spinnova and the Danish fashion house BESTSELLER announced their joint product development partnership in 2020 after being introduced by the Fashion for Good initiative that works as a matchmaker for brands and innovators. The partnership is part of BESTSELLER’s ambitious sustainability strategy, Fashion FWD, that includes the goal of bringing new branded and certified fibres to the market by 2025. Currently BESTSELLER operates in 70 markets with over 20 individual brands.
“At JACK & JONES we believe in a better way of making clothes. We push ourselves to innovate and explore processes and materials with a lower impact on the environment. In Spinnova we found a strong partner to step up. After visiting Spinnova’s mill in Finland, seeing how pristine the fiber production is, and close work with our buying team to create a statement piece, I am excited to see the first JACK & JONES product made with SPINNOVA fiber on market,” says Elena Osenbrüg, Sustainability Responsible at JACK & JONES.
The first collaboration product is for BESTSELLER’s largest brand, JACK & JONES, that sells its collections in over 800 of their own stores, on jackjones.com and through thousands of wholesale partners across the world. The newly launched product is a pair of men’s trousers for JACK & JONES, made of 20-percemt SPINNOVA® fiber/20-percent BCI cotton/60-percent organic cotton. The trousers are available online with a global reach.
“BESTSELLER is one of our long-term brand partners and we are glad to be an integral part of their ambitious sustainability strategy, Fashion FWD, in the 70 markets they operate in. That’s why it’s great to get to see the launch of their first product with SPINNOVA® fiber that is now available for all their consumers,” said Spinnova’s CEO Kim Poulsen.
This product launch is integral part of Spinnova’s commercialization journey. Spinnova’s first commercial scale factory is expected to be completed in Finland at the end of this year. Together with its investor and joint venture partner Suzano, Spinnova aims to scale its global production to one million tonnes of sustainable fibre annually within the next 10-12 years – providing global fashion brands and retailers with a versatile and sustainable fibre at scale.
NEW YORK CITY/HONG KONG — October 27, 2022 — Hong Kong-based startup and B2B tech-enabled global sourcing platform BuyHive today announced its first Advisory Board comprising three senior global supply chain experts from Walmart, Gap, Tesco, Carrefour and Flextronics.
The Advisory Board will support BuyHive’s leadership team by providing input on the company’s business strategy, product roadmap, and fundraising, in support of BuyHive’s efforts to scale the business.
Minesh Pore, CEO and Co-Founder of BuyHive said, “We at BuyHive have an ambitious strategy to fundamentally change how small and mid-sized buyers around the world procure goods from international markets, by democratizing the process via expert-assisted sourcing to bring it within easy reach of global buyers. Our vision for BuyHive is to become the world’s most trusted, transparent and reliable sourcing platform for global retail buyers that are small and medium in size. The newly formed BuyHive Advisory Board has members with impeccable credentials and strong expertise in the global supply chain industry, and we look forward to their guidance and support to help us realize our vision.”
The inaugural BuyHive Advisory Board includes Zixiao Pan – Chief Revenue Officer at PCH International; Jimmy Ku – Head of Growth at Flutterwave and Venture Partner at 10X Capital; and Christophe Roussel – leading global sourcing and supply chain expert and an industry veteran.
Zixiao Pan
In addition to her role at PCH International, Zixiao is also a Venture Advisor to Mu Ventures and Anthropocene Ventures, where she tracks cutting-edge supply chain technologies transforming global commerce, including infrastructure, robotics, automation, and software & data. She has earlier held senior level roles in corporate strategy, product innovation, and strategic investments at various organizations in the US and China.
“Global sourcing and procurement has dramatically changed in the post-pandemic age and BuyHive is navigating this transition admirably, by leveraging technology to make sourcing painless for small and mid-sized buyers around the world. Filling the trust gap and addressing the needs of global buyers wanting to source high-quality products while minimizing risk is an important value addition that their platform brings,” Zixiao said.
Jimmy Ku
As Venture Partner at 10X Capital, the most active VC in the United States, Ku assists the portfolio companies with discussions around growth and fundraising. He is also a prolific angel investor and an advisor to several startups and established companies. As Flutterwave’s Head of Growth for developed markets, he is building teams to grow the business in North America and Europe. Flutterwave is Africa’s largest payments infrastructure company by reach that serves over 900,000 businesses globally.
“The importance of ecommerce has grown during the pandemic. But the underlying technological solutions powering the sourcing industry hasn’t changed much. BuyHive is the sourcing solution for the 21st century and I’m honored to be joining the BuyHive team as an Advisor because they are addressing an important sourcing issue, have a seasoned team of experts that has built a product with product-market fit, and have a $4.9 trillion market opportunity ahead. In just over two years, BuyHive has already built the world’s largest network of sourcing experts (over 5000) with experience from top global brands and have contributed to the data and insights that make BuyHive the most trusted, effortless sourcing platform for supplier and product data anywhere,” Ku said.
Christophe Roussel
Roussel is a leading global sourcing and supply chain expert who has led the sourcing functions for several global retail giants, including GAP, Tesco and Carrefour. He has more than 25 years of experience in building, shaping, and transforming international sourcing, supply chains and product development.
“I am happy to join BuyHive’s Advisory Board and work with the team to spearhead a revolution in global sourcing. The leadership team at BuyHive has a finger on the pulse of the global buyer community and I am confident that their platform is poised to transform sourcing and procurement for small and mid-sized companies around the world,” Roussel said.
BuyHive provides buyers, including small and mid-sized retailers or D2C brand owners, with a trustworthy and high-quality sourcing experience through its platform. It connects buyers with freelance sourcing experts in the world’s leading sourcing markets who know the best suppliers from their professional work experience.
BuyHive’s platform offers buyers worldwide access to more than 5,000 independent and local sourcing experts. They specialize in all major consumer product categories, including Fashion, Textiles & Fabrics, Home, Kitchen & Office Décor, Garden & Outdoor, Electronics, Travel, DIY, and Toys.
SCRANTON, PA. — October 27, 2022 — Noble Biomaterials has announced its latest innovation, Ionic+® Botanical, which will revolutionize products using antimicrobial and anti-odor treatments in fabric.
Celebrating 25 years in antimicrobial fabric science, the launch of Ionic+® Botanical expands Noble’s portfolio of Ionic+ antimicrobial products. This new formulation uses a renewable citric-based technology which is pending EPA approval and is applied as a topical fabric finish. Ionic+ Botanical’s durability comes from the use of its advanced textile technology and is rated at 50 wash cycles.
“Ionic+ Botanical checks many boxes that biobased technologies on the market struggle to meet,” said Joel Furey, founder and chief commercial officer at Noble Biomaterials. “There is a challenge to meet EPA guidance and maintain durable performance. We made a clear distinction here in developing the best botanical product in the market to carry on the strength of our Ionic+ technology.”
Noble’s existing antimicrobial fabric technology, Ionic+ Mineral, uses positively charged silver ions to inhibit growth of bacteria on soft surfaces. The silver metalized-yarn and silver-based extruded-yarn lead the antimicrobial fabric category with permanent technology that never washes out. The genesis of Noble’s Ionic+ antimicrobial technology started 25 years ago with the development of X-Static® yarns. Today, Noble compliments its Ionic+ Mineral permanent yarns with renewable topical fabric treatment.
“We work with our customers to customize their approach to building sustainable fabrics,” said Furey. “Our mineral permanent technology is used on products designed for a long life cycle and extended life for re-commerce and technical performance. Our biobased durable technology is applied on products that strive to reduce care maintenance and conserve water and energy resources.”
Prior to the pandemic, Noble saw increasing demand for Ionic+ and antimicrobial fabrics in active wear and health care. Today, Ionic+ products are found in several categories, including the travel and leisure market, luggage, home bedding and towels, and sport accessories. Noble is developing Ionic+ Botanical with select material development partners, including Salomon, Crystal Denim, and Trident– global leader in Home textiles.
“As one of the largest home fashions manufacturers world-wide, the Trident Group is consistently on the forefront of innovation and application of advanced technologies,” said Jeffery Kambak CEO of US Operations at Trident Group. “Our partnership with Noble in developing new products with Ionic+ is key to our leadership position.”
“Our collaboration with Noble on Ionic+ allows Salomon products to be worn longer between washes, reducing the impact on water usage,” said Tim Maud Innovation Lab Director at Salomon. “Using Noble’s biobased, anti-odor treatment ensures our impact on the environment is lessened and our product life cycle is increased.”
Noble has a history of groundbreaking innovation, covering the first EPA-registered silver-based textiles, advances in the use of silver metallized yarns and fibers in wound care, to the first antimicrobial on the International Space Station. The company is committed to pushing the barriers of material science with its proprietary silver-based technology, which has been a cornerstone for building its partner portfolio.
Noble Biomaterials is a registered FDA medical device facility, an essential sole-source technology supplier to the US military, and a US EPA–registered antimicrobial manufacturer. Noble products are EPA, FIFRA, BPR, and CE conforming. As an EPA compliant partner, Noble Biomaterials takes very seriously any claims made to the consumers.
CLEVELAND — November 1, 2022 — Today, Avient Corp. announced its Specialty Inks business is improving its popular Wilflex™ Epic™ Rio Mixing System with the launch of Wilflex Epic Rio Ready-For-Use (RFU) Standard Colors, including 33 new flexible cure inks. This portfolio of vibrant, bold, and accurate colors is available to preorder today and will be ready to ship as early as December 1, 2022. This next generation of ready-for-use inks will replace the Epic Standard Color portfolio effective February 1, 2023.
Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Standard Colors were created with sustainability in mind. These popular industry colors have a flexible cure profile of 266 ⁰F to 320 ⁰F (130⁰C to 160⁰C), compared to the typical 320⁰F curing temperature of most standard inks. This reduction in curing temperature allows screen printers to maximize output while minimizing energy use and expenses.
“The launch of Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Standard Colors emphasizes Avient Specialty Inks’ focus on sustainability,” said Tito Echiburu, general manager of Avient Specialty Inks. “Rio RFU Standard Colors allow screen printers to reduce energy use while maintaining the highest quality performance for their intricate designs.”
In addition to Wilflex Epic Rio RFU Standard Colors’ wide-range curing profile, these inks can also print with excellent opacity, wet-on-wet printing capabilities, great stretch, and an optimal soft hand. These vibrant inks are developed to be simple to use, easy to print, and can be a sustainable solution for your colorful screen-printing needs.
MENTOR, Ohio — October 31, 2022 — Avery Dennison Corp. today announced that its board of directors has appointed William “Bill” Wagner a director, effective October 27, 2022.
Wagner, 55, is the retired president and CEO of GoTo Group, a global SaaS company and pioneer in remote work technology and IoT, with $1.3 billion in fiscal 2021 revenues.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Bill to our board,” said Patrick Siewert, lead independent director and chair of the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, Avery Dennison. “He is an accomplished technology leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth.”
“Bill brings deep expertise through his leadership and experience with emerging digital technologies,” added Mitch Butier, chairman of the Board and CEO, Avery Dennison. “His knowledge will be invaluable to Avery Dennison, particularly as we continue to grow our Intelligent Labels platform.”
Wagner joined GoTo Group, formerly known as LogMeIn, Inc., as chief operating officer in 2013 from Vocus, Inc. where he was executive vice president and chief operating officer. As part of his three decades in the technology industry, he previously served in positions at Fiberlink Communications Corporation and AT&T Corp.
Wagner has an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a BA from Lafayette College.
