Sustainability issues drive many of the innovations in the advanced textiles market. Products, projects and new ideas that support a healthier environment are discussed here. Textile from banana fibers wins design prize
November 11, 2019
Photo: QWSTION. Swiss backpack brand QWSTION has been awarded the Design Prize Switzerland 2019 in the textile category for its textile “Bananatex.” The technical textile is made from banana plant fibers known as banana hemp or abaca. The fibers are reported to give the bags strength and durability; a coating of beeswax
Read MoreThree ways to clean up textile dyeing
November 6, 2019
The textile industry’s most efficient processes for dyeing textiles require large amounts of water, energy and chemicals, and that’s a problem, now being addressed by University of Borås doctoral student May Kahoush. Currently the industry tries to solve that problem by using enzymes to cause the degradation of dyes and other chemicals.
Read MoreCannabis sneakers support sustainability
October 31, 2019
German sneaker brand nat-2, which has turned milk, plastic bottles, and coffee grounds into sneakers, recently presented sneakers made with cannabis leaves. The unisex sneaker’s uppers are made from sustainably grown, chemical-free recycled cannabis leaves, which cover up to half the shoe’s surface, depending on the style. The leaves are
Read MoreRose Brand and Milliken partner on stage curtains
October 28, 2019
Rose Brand, supplier of stage curtains and other theater supplies, and textile manufacturer Milliken & Co., Spartanburg, S.C., have entered into an exclusive partnership to introduce ReVive IFR fabric, an article in Lighting and Sound Americareported. ReVive fabric is made of 70 percent recycled material from discarded plastic bottles and is designed to have the
Read MoreSMX develops textile recycling technology
October 16, 2019
Security Matters (SMX), an Australian-listed Israeli technology solutions company, believes it can help keep some textiles and garments from being incinerated or placed in landfills. Sorting materials so they can be recycled is the fashion industry’s greatest hurdle when it comes to creating a circular economy, a recent Knitting Industry article reported. To
Read MoreSchoeller launches biodegradable textile line
October 15, 2019
Schoeller Textil AG has introduced its new PROEARTH™ collection of biodegradable textiles. The company says that the new collection is composed of bluesign® approved fabrics using biodegradable polyester; it debuted as part of the company’s FTC line, a joint venture between Schoeller Textil and the Taiwanese Formosa Taffeta. The company says that the
Read MoreNew study addresses microplastic fibers in effluents
October 14, 2019
The Hohenstein Institute published a study this month describing a new analytical approach for the determination of fibers in effluents. The detection of shedded fibers in effluents from textile washing has attracted attention due to its reported contribution to microplastic pollution. Commonly used analytical methods for fiber detection in liquids
Read MoreIFF Innovation Award winners announced
October 7, 2019
The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) has awarded Propex GeoSolutions, Chattanooga, Tenn., first prize in the 2019 IFF Innovation Award competition. The company’s PETROMAT® Enviro engineered paving fabric won in the category of End Products. Propex GeoSolutions was awarded a prize of $5,000, presented at IFAI Expo in Orlando, Fla. PETROMAT Enviro was
Read MoreThe Microfibre Consortium announces new members
October 1, 2019
Three organizations have recently joined The Microfibre Consortium (TMC), a project involving outdoor brands and research partners to develop solutions to minimize microfiber release into the environment, a recent article on Sportstextiles.com reported. The American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and Textile Exchange are research
Read MoreGoogle headquarters tent-like roof takes shape
September 26, 2019
Aerial shots have been released showing the progress on Google’s headquarters expansion. The campus in Mountain View, California, will be covered by a new fabric canopy that measures 595,000 square feet. It was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Heatherwick Studio. The tent-like roof canopy was designed to regulate indoor
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