SEOUL, South Korea — November 21, 2022 — After nearly three years, Hyosung is looking forward to gathering once again at ISPO Munich November 28-30 where it will introduce its latest textile solutions that bring significant benefits across the entire value chain. Over the course of three days, show attendees can find out which materials and styles major apparel brands will be incorporating into their collections at Hyosung in Hall A1, booth 312.

Hyosung will highlight the following:

From Nature to Performance Fiber

As the first company to commercialize bio-based spandex, Hyosung will present its range of textiles and finished garments made with SGS certified creora® bio-based spandex. The yarn is made by replacing petroleum-based resources with bio-derived materials derived from responsibly grown industrial field corn.

On November 28 at 2:30PM in ISPO Hall B2 Future Lab, Claire O’Neill, Hyosung European marketing manager, and Patrick Van Waes, PDO Global marketing director, CovationBio will present an interesting discussion on the growing importance of bio-derived materials that includes their provenance, positive impact, processing, and product development/application in sportswear.

“While recycled fibers have made great strides in the development of sustainable materials, there is a need to add diversity to the textile fiber market,” O’Neill said. “By replacing petroleum-based raw materials with renewable corn-based feedstock, Hyosung’s new 3rd-party certified creora® bio-based spandex lowers the carbon footprint and reduces reliance on non-renewable resource — complementing the company’s rich portfolio of recycled sustainable solutions.”

Sustainable Textile Solutions for an Interconnected Future

Hyosung’s Fashion Design Center (FDC) has surveyed progressive brands and retailers, spanning the US, Europe, and Asia. FDC’s mega-trend is that of an Interconnected Future, which can be summarized under four sub-trends: Sport Smart, Exploration of Outdoors, Practical Aesthetics, and Science of Comfort. FDC will present its FW 23/24 findings along with concept garments made with textiles featuring Hyosung multi-function yarns below.

• Ocean Protection Initiative — Saving the Oceans while Providing Textile Solution — Hyosung’s Mipan regen ocean nylon is GRS certified, 100-percent recycled nylon made from discarded fishing nets and other reclaimed nylon waste. The company conducts an extensive collection, chemical recycling, and creation process to produce this exceptional quality yarn which will meet every brand’s expectation. A special collection of PLEATSMAMA apparel and accessories made with Mipan regen ocean will be on display.
• Beyond Strength — Mipan robic and Mipan regen robic — Durability is a number 1 priority when it comes to rugged backpacks and outdoor gear. Hyosung’s Mipan robic high-tenacity nylon and its 3rd-party certified 100-percent recycled Mipan regen robic nylon are what leading outdoor brands are choosing to make their top-of-the-line gear with. Samples of these premium packs will be on display.
• Mechanical Stretch — xanadu and regen xanadu — Performance apparel with a more business-casual style is emerging, and textiles made with Hyosung’s xanadu mechanical stretch fiber are helping brands achieve this aesthetic.

Hyosung xanadu is a multi-functional fiber made from a blend of PET and corn-based materials. The company also offers an eco-friendlier version — regen xanadu — made with a blend of recycled post-consumer PET and corn-based materials. Xanadu’s spring-like structure is the secret to providing comfortable stretch and recovery. Its additional fiber benefits include rapid moisture transport and quick drying. Xanadu is also wrinkle resistant and retains its color, making it the perfect fiber for long-lasting, easy-to-care-for apparel.

ISPO Textrends Top 10

Two of Hyosung’s specialty fibers made the stringent ISPO Textrends jury’s top ten list — its regen xanadu outer layer twill, and 100-percemt recycled regen askin polyester/creora regen spandex with an ottoman texture. The two fabrics along with eight additional Textrend fabric submissions made with Hyosung’s numerous multi-function 100% recycled polyester and nylon yarns and creora bio-based spandex will be on display at ISPO.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: Hyosung

GUJARAT, India and TULSA, Oklahoma — November 21, 2022 — Arvind Ltd., India’s largest textile to technology conglomerate, and PurFi Global LLC, a sustainable technology company specializing in rejuvenating textile waste into virgin quality products, today announced a joint venture to reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfills.

Significant transformations across the fashion industry have led to a dramatic rise in “fast fashion.” The textile industry generates more than 64 billion pounds of post-industrial textile waste and 284 billion pounds of post-consumer waste annually. Yet only 12 percent of textiles globally are recycled, and about one percent are upcycled. As the fashion industry has embraced calls for more circular and sustainable supply chains, PurFi’s proprietary technology — supported by more than 30 patents and 400-plus registered trade secrets — has emerged as a proven and complete solution for rejuvenating textiles back into virgin-like fibers.

“Sustainability and innovation are key pillars of our strategic growth. We have always centered our approach on innovative ideas and sustainable initiatives” highlighted Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Ltd. We share the common value system and excellent working relationship with PurFi Global, and this partnership will not only provide an innovative solution to deal with the issue of textile waste but will also strengthen our motto of being Fundamentally Right. We look forward to working with these technologies to fuel the next set of growth in textile manufacturing and at exceptionally less environmental impact.”

“Partnering with PurFi will enable Arvind to expand on our decades-long commitment to extending sustainable practices into every aspect of our business,” affirmed Ashish Kumar, president and CEO, Arvind. “For more than 25 years, PurFi has been developing and investing in state-of-the-art technology to rejuvenate industrial textile waste. Unlike the traditional ‘one-and-done’ recycling approach, PurFi’s technology can rejuvenate waste materials into virgin-like fibers 17 times, and it can be done at scale. Working together, we believe we can lead the textile and fashion industries into a new era of sustainable practices, transforming textile manufacturing into a truly closed loop cycle.”

PurFi and Arvind will locate the first in a series of planned fiber rejuvenation facilities near one of Arvind’s manufacturing facilities in India. This facility will process textile waste — white cotton, colored cotton, denim and man-mades — into virgin-like fibers for reuse from two lines, where each line will have a 5,500-ton capacity per year with plans to expand over the next five years. The investment for these two lines is envisaged at Rs. 200-250 crores. Expansion plans include an additional production line that removes elastomers from fabrics utilizing another of PurFi’s proprietary technologies. Currently, 85 percent of the world’s apparel contains elastomers, which make it very difficult to recycle or rejuvenate. PurFi’s technology is the first commercially viable technology proven to safely remove elastomers without the use of toxic chemicals and preserve the host fiber while having the ability to recycle the elastomers that were removed. The joint venture is slated to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2022 with full production expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023.

“We are thrilled to partner with Arvind as they share our values and have a rich history of innovation, superior textile manufacturing capabilities and commitment to sustainability,” said Joy Nunn, founder and CEO of PurFi Global. “Arvind immediately understood the value and promise of our technology and will increase efficiencies in their production with rejuvenated fabric. In addition, our unique tracers that are specific to PurFi rejuvenated fibers provide customers with a clear line of sight to the origin of the fibers they source. This authentic product identifier is of great value to manufacturers like Arvind, who are committed to providing transparency into their sustainability practices and understand that rejuvenated materials have moved from ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’ in their product offerings. We look forward to partnering with Arvind as we continue to innovate to create a more sustainable planet and contribute to the circular economy.”

The circular economy is being embraced by those who are conscious of their carbon footprint, especially younger generations who want to associate with brands that share their values. The textile industry seeks to combat the environmental concerns created by “fast fashion” and the take-make-waste model with a goal of creating a system where clothing and textiles are reused and not thrown into landfills. To fulfill their commitments to 100% recycled or sustainably sourced materials within the next decade, many in the textile and fashion industries, including global stalwart brands, are looking for alternative materials and efficient processes.

PurFi’s technology requires significantly fewer resources than the production of virgin textiles. When compared with manufacturing virgin polyester, nylon or cotton, PurFi fiber manufacturing uses up to 96 percent less water and 90 percent less energy. The process also generates 85 to 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

PurFi’s Proprietary Technology

PurFi fiber maintains the original quality and integrity of the input fabric and can integrate additional properties to make it even better. PurFi teases apart the fabric back into the original yarn, and from the yarn back to the original fiber. This process ensures the length is maintained and any resulting short fibers are filtered out. Source materials never touch unfiltered air or human hands once entering a rejuvenation line and are then penetrated by PurFi’s patented and trade secret technology to achieve a reverse spinning technique.

The fibers have the option to be treated with a purification technology prior to being baled into fiber. This technology can embed the rejuvenated fibers with additional characteristics, including hydrophobic, hydrophilic, odor control, fire retardant and others. Additionally, PurFi can blend fibers together to make customized fabric compositions. All of this is done at the fiber level instead of at the yarn or fabric level, which withstands washings and wear-and-tear much longer. PurFi fibers can be used in meta-aramid and para-aramid textiles as well. Importantly, textiles can be produced with 100 percent PurFi fibers whereas recycled fibers must be blended with virgin fibers.

Posted: November 21, 2022

Source: Arvind Ltd./PurFi Global LLC

BANGKOK, Thailand — November 18, 2022 — Indorama Ventures Public Co. Ltd. (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, has been named winner of the Best Sustainable Product Award at the Chemical Week Sustainability Awards 2022. The award was for IVL’s Deja™ Carbon Neutral pellets, the world’s first carbon-neutral virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, helping to reduce environmental impact.

Sanjay Ahuja, executive president of Combined PET at Indorama Ventures, said: “This recognition by Chemical Week marks another milestone in IVL’s sustainability journey. This award recognizes our team as they continue to achieve our vision of being a world-class sustainable chemical company making great products for society.”

The Deja brand covers carbon neutral virgin and recycled PET resins and a range of recycled PET (rPET) products, including flakes, resins, fibers, and yarns. It provides IVL’s global customers with a range of high-performance applications, including packaging, lifestyle, automotive, apparel, and medical equipment. The solutions help environmentally conscious companies meet their sustainability goals.

IVL has set ambitious 2025 and 2030 targets, which shall be met through its six-pronged decarbonization strategy, including energy transition, improving operational efficiency, circular feedstock, and future technologies. The company also has a goal to recycle 100 billion PET bottles annually by 2030.

“We are proud to have introduced the world’s first certified carbon-neutral virgin PET pellets. Sustainable innovation is the key to our success, and we are already realizing the environmental and economic benefits of PET circularity while meeting our decarbonization targets. Deja supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals of promoting a sustainable, greener circular economy.” Mr. Ahuja added.

Chemical Week Sustainability Awards recognize the industry’s best efforts in addressing financial, operational, and strategic challenges by focusing on ESG and sustainable product development. The awards were assessed by S&P Global, the world’s leading credit rating agency, and a panel of experts from various companies across the chemical industry’s value chain.

Posted: November 18, 2022

Source: Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL)

KELHEIM, Germany — November 18, 2022 — In this year’s “Hot Button Report” released on November 9, 2022, by environmental NGO Canopy, Kelheim Fibres has once again achieved a top position with a dark green/green shirt and was able to improve its overall ranking by another 1.5 points compared to the previous year.

The Hot Button Report thus confirms the viscose specialty fiber manufacturer’s leadership role when it comes to conserving Ancient and Endangered Forests. For example, Kelheim Fibres has once again increased the proportion of FSC®-certified pulp in its production and confirmed in an audit that its supply chain is low-risk of sourcing from Ancient and Endangered Forests. There was also credit for the active and public support of Canopy’s work, as well as research and development of low impact Next Generation fiber solutions.

And finally, the Bavarians achieve top points in the areas of chemical management and transparency. As a member of the non-profit organization ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals), Kelheim Fibres supports their goal of completely eliminating harmful substances from the textile value chain. Furthermore, Kelheim Fibres is the only EMAS-validated viscose fiber manufacturer worldwide to regularly publish all relevant environmental data.

“We are proud to have improved again in the Hot Button Report and to be able to hold our own as a relatively small viscose fiber manufacturer among much larger companies,” said Matthew North, commercial director at Kelheim Fibres. “Our fibres are an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic materials — of course, this is only possible because we also live the environmental concept in the sourcing of our raw materials and in all steps of production.”

Posted: November 18, 2022

Source: Kelheim Fibres GmbH