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. Plant-based finishes from Devan
January 17, 2020
Devan Chemicals, the Belgium-based developer of finishing technologies for textiles, is launching two bio-based solutions at the Heimtextil trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, Jan. 7–10, the company says. The new solutions include a bio-based antimicrobial, BI-OME Natural, and bio-based phase change materials (PCMs), Tones of Cool Bio. The goal of BI-OME Natural is to
Read MorePG Denim touts cooler, water-saving dye process
January 10, 2020
Italian denim maker PG Denim has teamed up with a shirt supplier to recycle its viscose to create a flocked denim fabric. In a recent release, the company says that it also worked with chemical company Officina+39 and a Mexican manufacturer on a new cooler dye process. Generally, large quantities
Read MoreBiobased Xorel achieves Living Product Challenge certification
December 16, 2019
Carnegie Fabrics textile Biobased Xorel, sourced from sugar cane, has garnered Living Product Challenge certification, according to a recent news release. The Living Product Challenge is a program of the International Living Future Institute. The program assesses a product’s life cycle, social equity and material health effects. This framework aims
Read MoreChina holds sustainability conference
December 12, 2019
Hosted by Wuhan Textile University, the conference for the international apparel and home fashion industry is scheduled for Dec. 13–17. It will cover sustainable product development, innovation and technology. The conference is supported by the China Textile and Apparel Education Society and will feature environmental protection design competitions and joint
Read MoreStart-up makes fiber from food waste
December 9, 2019
A U.S.-based startup is finishing trials on its food waste-based fibers. Circular Systems is using discarded biomass from crops such as rice, soy, hemp and corn to make fibers. The company says its technology covers 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.It operates three solutions: Agraloop (biorefinery,) Orbital (hybrid
Read MoreSecond generation adidas Futurecraft unveiled
December 2, 2019
Futurecraft.Loop 2, the second generation of the adidas 100 percent recyclable sneaker, has been unveiled. The company launched its first Futurecraft.Loop April 2019, releasing 200 pairs to content creators, influencers, employees and others. Now the company has gathered up those sneakers and recycled them to create components for the new shoe.
Read MoreFil Doux offers new degradable vinyl alternative
November 25, 2019
Otratex, the next generation of the VinylLife collection from Fil Doux Textiles introduced in 2016, has been reengineered, the company reports. The degradable vinyl alternative is engineered phthalate-free and incorporates enzymes that react with microorganisms found in landfills, acting as the catalyst for its eventual decomposition. The goal for Otratex
Read MoreChemSec adds to its “SIN List” of chemicals
November 18, 2019
ChemSec, the International Chemical Secretariat, has revealed the latest additions of industrial chemicals to its SIN (Substitute It Now) List, a recent news release says. The organization urges manufacturers and others to make substitutions for more than 900 chemicals the organization says should be avoided in the global supply chain.
Read MoreTextile 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.
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