Cone Denim Furthers Sustainability Initiatives With Focus On Regenerative Cotton

GREENSBORO, N.C. — June 9, 2022 — Cone Denim® is proud to further its sustainability commitment by focusing on incorporating regenerative cotton in its premium denim styles. In collaboration with Regenagri®, an international regenerative agriculture initiative that helps organizations reach new levels of sustainability, Cone’s goal is to increase access to sustainably sourced cotton grown using regenerative agricultural practices while also working on various programs to help its customers and brands achieve key sustainability actions.

Cone Denim is proud to be an advocate for regenerative agriculture as a more sustainable approach to farming and way to minimize apparel’s global footprint. By working with nature, these practices help improve soil health by restoring the soil’s organic carbon. Regenerative practices include no-till agriculture, use of cover crops, diverse crop rotations, in addition to reduced use of fertilizer or pesticides. Cone is in full support of the Regenagri initiatives that support organizations transitioning to holistic farming, including prioritization of increasing soil health and biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and sequestering CO2. Regenagri’s certification is backed by the Control Union, which helps develop services around the sustainability of supply chains that feed into many markets including textiles. Regenerative farming is a journey, not a destination, and so continuous improvement is required. Cone is assisting brands and farmers who are currently along this continuum.

“We are increasingly dedicated to providing fabrics created with integrity, offering assurance and transparency to our customers, and participating in the newest ways to ensure sustainable cotton,” said Cone Denim President Steve Maggard. “Cotton is the foundation of denim. Cone is committed to leading the industry in offering the highest standards in sustainable and ethically grown cotton from our new certification with Regenagri and longstanding participation with BCI and Cotton Leads to our partnership with Oritain. Not only are we dedicated to achieving Cone’s sustainability goals, but we’re also passionate about working with brands to help our customers meet and exceed their sustainability goals. The industry must collaborate on integrating these regenerative agriculture practices into supply chains in order to continuously push towards a more sustainable future.”

Together with its parent company Elevate Textiles, Cone Denim has pledged to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and committed to source 80 percent verifiably sustainable cotton by 2025. The brand offers a variety of responsibly sourced cotton including recycled cotton, organic cotton, and Better Cotton Initiative™ (BCI) cotton, and continuously invests in supporting new initiatives. Cone is a member of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, which brings verifiable goals and measurement to sustainable cotton production and drives continuous improvement in certain sustainability metrics. Additionally, Cone’s partnership with supply chain traceability specialist, Oritain, remains another ongoing priority when it comes to transparency and supply chain integrity.

Cone Denim will continue to incorporate regenerative farming into its cotton supply chain and build upon its sustainability commitments, always searching for new and improved strategies. To find out more or to learn how to work with regenerative cotton, please contact your Cone Denim representative.

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: Cone Denim

Consumers Wrongly Believe Fashion Is Less Damaging To The Environment Than Aviation, Shipping, Food, And Construction – But Would Pay More For Sustainable Clothing

CAMBRIDGE, England — June 9, 2022 — Although the fashion and textile industry is one of the most polluting on the planet, second only to oil and gas, consumers are unaware of its real impact on carbon emissions.

New research, commissioned by Alchemie Technology — innovator of low energy, waterless, textile dyeing technology — shows that just seven per cent of consumers think their clothes have the biggest impact on their carbon footprint.

When people were asked to list in descending order which sectors are most damaging to the environment, oil and gas emerged top (42 percent ranked it as the biggest contributor to carbon emissions), followed by aviation and shipping (28 percent), food (13 percent), construction (8 percent), and then fashion (7 percent).

However, the fashion industry is the second largest cause of industrial water pollution in the world — and is responsible for ten per cent of global carbon emissions, more than international flights and shipping combined.

Textile production uses huge quantities of water; 1.5 trillion liters annually.  It takes 30 tonnes of water to dye one tonne of fabric, and many textile factories dump untreated dye contaminated wastewater directly into rivers.

Textile dyeing is the most damaging part of the textile supply chain, causing over three per cent of global CO2 emissions and more than 20 percent of global water pollution. The global population buys 14 kilograms (kg) of clothing per person on average each year, which creates 8,295 billion liters of wastewater and 553 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. UK consumers buy more, 26 kg on average, which creates 131 billion liters of dye laden wastewater.

Alchemie Technology is on a mission to reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment by transforming the textile dyeing process.

Dr. Alan Hudd, founder of Alchemie Technology, said: “The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters on our planet, and the process of dyeing the clothes we wear is the worst part of clothing production, responsible for 3 percent of carbon emissions.  If action isn’t taken now, it will make up 10 per cent of global carbon emissions by 2050. By changing the way fabric is dyed we can stop the industry producing 500 million tonnes of CO2 in the next eight years.”

Backed by fashion giant H&M and At One Ventures, Alchemie has developed a waterless digitally controlled dyeing technology, Endeavour, which produces no wastewater and reduces energy consumption by 85 per cent compared to traditional dyeing.

Despite not understanding the extent of the industry’s harmful impact, consumers are open to change. Alchemie’s poll of 2,004 consumers, which took place in April 2022, revealed that most people (59 percent) are willing to pay more for clothes which have been made with less impact on the environment.

Almost half of UK consumers (43 percent) think clothes should be labelled with a sustainability rating (like the food traffic light system), showing there is a public demand for clothes to carry information about how much water and energy has been used in their manufacture.

Two thirds of people (66 percent) think the fashion industry should invest in new technology which reduces the environmental impact of dyeing clothes.

“While there is already great awareness surrounding the issues of fast fashion and the amount of clothing going to landfill, there is still a long way to go to educate consumers on the extent of the fashion industry’s environmental damage,” Hudd said.

“Our new research highlights how little understanding there is specifically around the damage of dyeing clothing. Yet, as our consumption of fast fashion is increasing every year, the production of those clothes, especially dyeing the fabric, uses vast amounts of energy and water.

“The good news is that huge progress could be made very quickly. If brands switch to more sustainable dyeing methods, we can dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions, but still enjoy clothes of the same quality.

“Alchemie’s Endeavour system is one way of achieving those goals. Our aim is to clean up the global dyeing industry and help the fashion sector to reduce its climate impact.”

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: Alchemie Technology

Recover™ Accelerates Growth With $100 Million Minority Equity Investment Led By Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Partnering With Existing Investor STORY3 Capital Partners

MADRID — June 9, 2022 — Recover™, a materials science company and producer of sustainable, premium recycled cotton fiber and cotton fiber blends, announced today that it has closed a new $100 million minority equity capital investment led by the Sustainable Investing business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Goldman Sachs). Goldman Sachs is investing alongside majority shareholder STORY3 Capital Partners.

Recover will use the investment to accelerate its global expansion and production capacity, allowing more rapid adoption of sustainability initiatives by leading brands and retailers. Recover serves some of the largest and most recognizable retailers, brands and vendors in the world, including, among others, Primark, Inditex, C&A, Revolve and Lands’ End.

Recover’s proprietary recycled cotton fiber reduces the carbon and water intensity of the apparel supply chain, addressing the apparel sector’s contribution to one of the world’s largest sources of environmental degradation. Recover estimates that the new investment places Recover on a path to increase its production to over 350,000 metric tons of recycled cotton fiber per year by 2026, saving up to 5 trillion liters of water annually — equivalent to the drinking water consumed by over 4.5 billion people each year — and allowing for significant reductions of carbon emissions, energy and land use relative to conventional cotton fiber, based on industry research.*

“Goldman Sachs is committed to partnering with innovative businesses that help drive sustainability,” said Letitia Webster, managing director and chief sustainability officer of Goldman Sachs Asset Management Division. “Recover is a leading disruptor in the apparel and textiles space with much-needed sustainable solutions grounded in materials science. We’re excited to invest in Recover’s growth to accelerate scaled production and the continued development of its technologies.” As part of the transaction, Webster will join the Board of Directors of Recover.

“Recover is helping create a sustainable future by solving a colossal environmental issue and we are overjoyed to partner with Goldman Sachs to accelerate our growth,” said Alfredo Ferre, fourth-generation family steward and CEO of Recover. Ben Malka, operating partner at STORY3 Capital Partners and Executive Chairman of Recover, stated, “Recover has perfected the art and science of scaled production of sustainable recycled cotton fiber over more than 70 years across multiple generations of the Ferre family in Spain. Today, Recover offers a solution grounded in proprietary IP that provides cost-competitive, maximum-performance recycled cotton fiber for both rotor and ring-spinning applications.”

The Recover brand is an important part of leading retailers’ and brands’ sustainability commitments and credentials, and a growing number of Recover’s customers are co-branding products with Recover to showcase that they have been produced with the company’s recycled cotton fiber. Operating in the $50 billion cotton market, Recover is a leading innovator and category-defining business that has experienced rapid growth. The company has opened new manufacturing hubs in Pakistan and Bangladesh, with additional hubs in Bangladesh and Vietnam due to open in the near term.

“For change to happen at scale across the fashion industry, we need partnership and collaboration with innovators like Recover,” said Lynne Walker, director of Primark Cares, Primark. “As we increase the use of Recover’s recycled cotton fiber in Primark products, this investment will enable us to meet our pledge to make more sustainable fashion affordable to millions of customers.”

Peter Comisar, managing partner of STORY3 Capital Partners and former Partner of Goldman Sachs, said, “We are incredibly proud that our collaboration with Recover has enabled the business to dramatically scale since our acquisition in 2020. Over the coming years, we will see radical transformation of large industries with sustainable solutions. Recover is uniquely positioned to be the global leader in sustainable cotton fiber and we are excited to partner with Goldman Sachs on the next phase of Recover’s evolution.”

*Source: LCA study verified by AITEX, Universitat de València and UNESCO.

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: Goldman Sachs Asset Management / STORY3 Capital Partners

World Of Wipes® International Conference Features Industry Experts Addressing Key Issues To Help Attendees Meet New Challenges

CARY, N.C. — June 9, 2022 — Industry participants at the World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference will gain valuable insights from 23 recognized experts addressing key issues exclusively focused on the wipes industry.

The industry leaders will tackle topics on wipes sustainability, supply chain, consumer trends, packaging, disinfection technologies, and flushability at the WOW conference, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis.

INDA is expecting more than 475 participants at WOW, making attendance at the event highly valuable for both its relevant content on key issues and great potential for making business connections.

Information-Packed Conference Program

Headlining the action, the WOW conference will feature 23 industry speakers from such leading organizations as Euromonitor International, University of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing, the Responsible Flushing Alliance, Water Services Association of Australia and Ecolab.

Expert presenters include Procter & Gamble’s Sergio Barbarino on recycling wipes; Amcor’s David Clark on packaging sustainability; Rockline Industries’ Carlos Giraldo and Berry Global’s Jake Smith on supply chain and Kline & Company’s Laura Mahecha on consumer cleaning wipes trends.

The thought leaders will address the following eight themes: Circular and Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, and Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends and Developments in Flushability Issues.

To learn more about the speakers and their presentation topics, see the full program on the WOW website.

Expanded Networking

WOW 2022 will open with a Welcome Reception on June 27 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the Vu Rooftop Bar where attendees will enjoy breathtaking city views from the 22nd floor, with cocktails and food.

As a sign of the strong interest by WOW participants to make and renew connections, over 50 companies have registered to display their innovative product offerings during two 90-minute evening receptions on June 28-29.

In response to industry demand for in-person networking, WOW 2022 event will feature 11 hours of face-to-face engagement and also include a first-time attendee mentorship program and breakfast connections.

New INDA President and Awards

INDA’s new President Tony Fragnito and INDA President Emeritus Dave Rousse, will open the conference program with remarks on June 28. The leaders also will present the INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award and 2022 World of Wipes Innovation Award®.

Three finalists for the prestigious World of Wipes Innovation Award – Bast Fibre, Fitesa and Nice-Pak – will present their products on June 28 to the attendees who will vote for the winner.

The Lifetime Technical Achievement Award will be revealed at the event and recognize an individual whose technical achievements over a career of 20 years or more have meaningfully contributed to the growth of the nonwovens industry.

WOW 2022 begins with the WIPES Academy, a 1.5-day value-added wipes training opportunity on June 27-28.

To register for WOW 2022 or reserve a tabletop display, see www.worldofwipes.org. Also, download the INDA app for attendee, speaker and exhibitor information and other updates.

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

The Nonwovens Innovation And Research Institute (NIRI): Agile Collaboration For Rapid Product Development

LEEDS, England — June 9, 2022 — Global leaders in nonwovens innovation and consultancy, the Nonwovens Innovation and Research Institute (NIRI) offers clients a “plug-in” approach to R&D, through their novel NIRI Accelerator. The approach is designed to support world-class businesses to get products to market faster by streamlining product development through shared expertise and effective collaboration.

NIRI assign an Innovation Partner to a client’s development team whose primary task is to manage the communication channels and accelerate innovation across multiple projects and programs. Through the Innovation Partner, the customer has full access to NIRI’s extensive prototyping capability and support from NIRI’s 40-plus world-class textile scientists and engineers.

Dr. Ross Ward, chief commercial officer at NIRI, explains the rationale behind the service: “One arguably unexpected outcome from Covid is the current global recruitment challenge, felt across all sectors, which is impacting on the capacity and capability to develop new technologies and products within commercially viable time frames. For companies that struggle to recruit highly skilled staff and train them up to the necessary level of expertise, NIRI offers instant expertise and capability through the NIRI Accelerator, to help clients with agile R&D and support them from concept though to commercialization.”

For the cost of one employee, clients have access not only to the scientist assigned to the project and embedded within the company, but also to NIRI’s full innovation team and the Institute’s world class facilities.  As the innovation director at one £2.5billion company puts it, “NIRI has the abilities and the facilities that we do not.”

Facilities available to companies through the Accelerator include a full range of state-of-the-art prototyping equipment, covering fiber and filament, drylaid, wetlaid, spunmelt, nanofibre and bonding.  NIRI’s comprehensive analytical services include fabric structure, fiber and surface analysis; chemical, thermal and filtration properties; hygiene testing and liquid transport, as well as physical testing facilities for fibers, yarns and fabrics.

“At NIRI, we continually invest in the facilities that ensure our clients stay at the forefront of product innovation,” Ross said. “With a clear focus on commercially viable R&D, our extensive facilities mean that we can develop products from concept through to working prototypes and then support scale-up. The combination of a world-class Innovation Partner, access to our full Innovation Team and extensive facilities now, more than ever, makes our NIRI Accelerator a compelling proposition for companies — from SMEs to multinationals — looking to extend their R&D, boost output and accelerate product development with minimal financial risk and maximum efficiency.”

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: The Nonwovens Innovation And Research Institute (NIRI)

Online The “Languages” Of The 58th Edition Of Filo

BIELLA, Italy — June 9, 2022 — Starting today, “Languages” – the creative proposals carried out for the “Dialoghi Creativi” of the 58th Filo edition – are available on Filo’s website in a digital format ( https://filo.it/en/online-the-languages-of-the-58th-edition-of-filo/ ).

The proposals for the “Dialoghi Creativi” of the 58th edition of Filo – developed by Gianni Bologna (responsible for Filo’s creativity and style) – are described in an extremely evocative video, whose title is “Languages”. The general macro-theme is then expanded in four textile interpretations: “Pictograms”, “Body language”, “Emoji”, and “Silence”.

With a view to the 58th Filo edition, Filo continues to favour the publication of the creative proposals exclusively through the online format, and Paolo Monfermoso, responsible for Filo, explains why: “The release of the video containing the inspirations for the next edition is one of the most awaited and appreciated events not only for Filo’s exhibitors, but also for all the professionals working in the textile-apparel industry. That’s why we have decided to release Filo’s style proposals as widely as possible, by choosing the digital channel, for the added value that it represents for our supply chain in terms of communication – and inspiration – towards the companies”. Mr. Monfermoso adds: “Filo’s proposals have a unique connotation in the panorama of textile fairs: they focus on products, proposing yarns, processes and materials that can result into multiple textile solutions, to the point of imagining end products. Starting by this edition, we have decided to call them “Dialoghi Creativi”, since they represent a great source of inspiration for each company, which will then be able to create and customise products according to their needs and following their creative ideas, in a continuous “dialogue” between Filo and the companies which take part in it. In conclusion, our intention is to offer to the companies a real “technical and stylistic handbook” to be consulted at any time and from anywhere, by simply browsing our website”.

This is how Gianni Bologna explains the theme chosen for the 58th edition of Filo: “We are dwelling on “Languages” since nowadays communication is not just a mean of transmission anymore; it actually replaces what we defined as “reality” and “identity”. The four themes that we have selected identify four aesthetic expressions and ways to wear garments linked to these identities which hover around these identities, more or less “influenced” by communication. They are four languages expressing “oneself”, that can distinguish types of consumption and self-representation: naturalness, connection, awareness of body and physical wellness, need for abstraction”.

The 58th edition of Filo will be held on the 14th and the 15th of September 2022 at MiCo Milan.

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: Filo

Crealet Management Passes To The Next Generation: Andreas Wirz Named New Crealet CEO And Mario Kuster Is Head Of R&D

Andreas Wirz

WALD, Switzerland — June 9, 2022 — Crealet has a track record of wise decision-making spanning 20 years. First, the company correctly recognized the ongoing growth in technical textiles, focusing on the increasing potential for electronic warp feeding systems in both wide and narrow fabric weaving. Now, the founders are preparing for future challenges by handing over management duties to the next generation.

Crealet AG was founded through a management buyout from Willy Grob AG in 2003. The advantages of existing operational know-how, experience and relationships with suppliers and customers were already in place. But a new brand name was needed. The name Crealet derives from “creative let-off motion,” based on the core competence of warp feeding and the specialty of engineering unique customized solutions.

Opportunity and challenge

Since the late 1990s, increasing competition from the Asian textile industry was having a strong impact in Europe. Leading manufacturers responded by shifting their business focus towards the ever-growing market for technical textiles. Textile companies saw chances in special fabrics for those markets with most demanding requirements. “We saw an opportunity for our company in this challenging field of specialty fabrics. Successful production of woven technical textiles requires know-how and ingenious ideas as well creative warp let-off systems,” said Walter Wirz, one of the founders and Crealet CEO.

Crealet built a strong reputation for its knowledgeable support for weaving professionals, with a reliable range of products and innovative solutions. At this time, the global business climate was tough, and many countries were facing a recession. “We proved our creativity and technical excellence to respond to market demands. We were focused on practical and forward-looking solutions that bring real and tangible benefits to our customers,” said Leo Kuster, another founder and head of Engineering at Crealet.

New generation

In 2007, Mario Kuster joined Crealet as mechanical engineer. He specialized in plant engineering and drove the latest developments in feeding carbon fiber from creel to the weaving machine. He also took responsibility for engineering projects for the automotive industry. Qualified electrical engineer Andreas Wirz joined the company as technical administrator, and extended his area of responsibility in 2015, becoming sales manager, progressing into operational management later. He today leads product development in the field of electronic applications.

These two, the sons of the aforementioned founders, now take on management duties. Andreas Wirz is the new Crealet CEO and Mario Kuster is Head of R&D. The official handover was on May 9th, 2022. At the same time as the management change, there is a change of location. Crealet moves its headquarters from Eschenbach to Wald (an area in Switzerland where textile history started from 1800). Larger production halls were needed to assemble warp systems of up to 540 cm standard length and 650 to 680 cm on customer request with a diameter of up to 1600 mm.

Clear mission

Crealet continues to focus on responding to the increasing demand for clever — and inspiring — solutions and products in the field of electronics and embedded systems. Ambitious textile companies in particular are looking for software-supported innovations. “Our recent and future developments go clearly in this direction and include a supplement to our product range in the area of tension-controlled creels,” Kuster said. Crealet will also launch a new product for warp tension control for belt weaving, for which field trials are ongoing.

Certainly, supply chains need to be challenged, as the new management strives to keep pricing stable as far as possible. Another short-term goal focuses on after-sales visits and face-to-face customer meetings, which have suffered as a result of the pandemic. For a start, the company will welcome business partners at Techtextil Frankfurt 2022, from June 21 to 24. The Crealet booth will be a one-stop choice for advanced customized warp yarn feeding systems and weaving preparation solutions.

“Since the first day of Crealet, our goal has been to provide products and solutions for peace of mind for our customers. We are very proud of what has been achieved, but we will never be satisfied. Nothing inspires us more than satisfied customers. We’re looking forward to meet you at Techtextil,” says Andreas Wirz.

Posted: June 9, 2022

Source: Crealet AG

May/June 2022: Textile Activity At A Glance

May/June 2022

AAPN Honors Ed Gribbin And Dr. Lynne Sprugel At Annual Meeting

Ed Gribbin, recipent of the 2022 AAPN Walter T. Wilhelm Industry Achievement Award

During its recent annual pro:Americas Annual Conference, the Atlanta-based Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN) honored Ed Gribbin and Dr. Lynne Sprugel with the newly-renamed AAPN Walter T. Wilhelm Industry Achievement Award. Previously known as the AAPN Industry Acheivement Award, the name change recognizes Wilhelm’s decades of contributions to the organization as well as his leadership. The puzzle globe trophy conferred to the recipient also was renamed “The Walter” in his honor.

Gribbin was selected as a recipient of the award this year for his work when the COVID-19
pandemic began. According to AAPN: “In March 2020, when the virus hit, Ed created a database of over 1,000 producers and literally ran production of billions of masks and millions of gowns across the U.S. Ed was alone in this brilliant initiative and kept many thousands of people working.”

Lynne Sprugel with Walter Wilhem

Dr. Sprugel also was chosen to receive the award in 2022. AAPN cited her contributions to the AAPN Future Forums in its reasons for the honor: “In 2020, with all AAPN events canceled, Lynne organized a survey that created the AAPN Future Forums, generating 28 sessions with over 50 people creating over 7 hours of original content. These future-looking insights were an industry exclusive.”

May/June 2022

Bespoke Manufacturing Opens New Facility In Phoenix

Bespoke Manufacturing Co. (BMC), Phoenix, reports it will open a 50,000-square-foot,
state-of-the-art facility in Phoenix employing 250 people. The print and cut-and-sew company specializes in one-off and on-demand garments, as well as home fashion items. BMC uses the latest technology from companies including Kornit Digital Ltd., Lectra, Fetch Robotics and Juki to offer a production capacity of more than five dresses per minute.

“We chose to build our first plant in the heart of Phoenix because of the talented sewers the city has to offer,” said J. Kirby Best, BMC founder.

“Quality is of the utmost importance. We have hired first-rate tailors and sewers from around the world who are eager to show that the United States is a competitive force in apparel manufacturing.”

“With talented fabric and consumer-product innovators, Greater Phoenix continues to attract technology-focused companies and manufacturers,” said Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “We’re excited to welcome BMC as the latest high-tech manufacturer choosing to expand in the region and look forward to being a partner in their continued growth and success.”

May/June 2022

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