Fibres sustainability feed

Table of contents

• April
  • Western Europe dominates the global trade in worn clothing
  • Little growth in the value, volume or unit price of extra-West European worn clothing exports
  • Africa is the major destination for West European exports of worn clothing
  • Rise in fast fashion is driving the increase in the volume of discarded clothing
• March
  • Renewcell files for bankruptcy
  • Many impediments present to disrupt the commercialisation of fibre recycling technology
  • Syre, a H&M and Vargas Holding joint venture, is constructing a polyester recycling plant in the US
• February
  • Companies recycling fabrics made with blended or mixed fibres face considerable challenges
  • BASF and Inditex announce the development of the loopamid process to recycle nylon 6 in discarded textiles
  • The Swedish recycler Renewcell files for bankruptcy
• January
  • Government policy could provide a standardized framework for the development of a sustainable textile industry
  • The European Commission is developing a suite of regulations to promote textile sustainability and recyclability
  • Price and value remain the most important determinants in consumers’ purchasing decisions
• December
  • Increase in the textile industry’s adverse environmental impact with the growth in fast fashion
  • Strong growth in clothing resale platforms
  • The EU is set to introduce new rules to encourage textile repair and prevent textile destruction
• November
  • The textile industry and its products are a major source of microplastics
  • Textile manufacture, laundry and use are also major sources of microfibres
  • Measures to cut microfibre pollution have been identified
• October
  • Mitsubishi, Suntory and ENEOS have established a partnership to produce 100% bio-polyester
  • Avantium’s technology is being used to produce bio-PTA and bio-MEG for the production of bio-polyester
• September
  • Several firms developing technologies to use carbon dioxide as feedstock for fibre precursors
  • 1. Lanza Tech.
  • 2. Fairbrics.
  • 3. Rubi Laboratories .
  • 4. Newlight Technologies .
  • 5. Covestro .
  • 6. Econic Technologies.
  • 7. Nature Works
  • CO 2 can be used as feedstock for fibre production
• August
  • Fibre blends and combinations pose particular challenges for textile recyclers
  • Several firms now developing technology to recycle mixed fibres
  • Södra and Renewcell have established commercial plants recycling cellulose fibre
  • The EU has introduced its anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR)
• July
  • H&M Foundation’s Global Change Awards
  • The Microfiber Innovation Challenge
  • Carbios secures funding for the polyester recycling plant in Longlaville (France)
• June
  • The textile industry is a major global industry and a major source of environmental pollution
  • While consumer awareness of the importance of sustainability grows, cost remains a prime factor shaping purchasing decisions
  • Governments introducing legislation to improve the textile industry’s sustainability and recycling performance
• May
  • Growing interest in the development of environmentally friendly textile bio-fibres
  • Engineered microbes are providing a route for bio-fibre production
• April
  • A small number of companies are developing technologies to recycle the different fibres in blended fabrics
  • Hydrothermal and chemical technologies used to recycle mixed fibres
  • Platform launched in China to promote textile recycling and sustainable fibres
• March
  • Growing interest in the use of enzymes to recycle textile fibres
  • 1. Cellulose
  • 2. Polyester
  • Enzymatic recycling of textile fibres is still in its infancy
  • Enzyme-based technology offers the possibility of an environmentally friendly recycling process
• February
  • The chemistry for recycling the synthetic polymers used for fibres is well known
  • Many firms have used glycolysis to recycle polyester
  • Growing requisite to develop technologies to chemically recycle textiles made with mixed fibres
• January
  • Open-loop recycling to produce fresh polyester fibre is based on recycling polyester bottles
  • Growing capacity to produce fresh polyester fibre from discarded bottles​
  • Technology available to lift mechanically recycled polyester's properties
• December
  • Strong growth in sales of secondhand clothing
  • The use of mechanical recycling is set to grow ​
  • Renewcell signs agreements for its Circulose pulp with Eastman and Lenzing ​
• November
  • Bio-based monomers and fibres under development to lessen the textile industry’s sustainability record
  • Avantium constructing a plant to produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FCDA) for polyethylene furanoate (PEF) manufacture
  • Lycra Company and Hyosung have announced the launch of bio-based spandex fibre
• October
  • Textile polyester fibre has become a major waste issue
  • Many routes under development and commercialisation to recycle textile polyester fibre
• September
  • Sateri has recently made a major investment in textile recycling technology
  • The major viscose and lyocell producers are advancing technology to use more recycled cellulose in their cellulosic fibres
• August 2022
  • Textile waste in the EU and Switzerland is set to reach 8.5-9.0 million tonnes by 2030
  • Euratex is planning to establish five hubs across Europe to process Europe’s textile waste
• July 2022
  • Are sustainable cellulosic fibres an important component of the textile industry’s response to its environmental issues
  • Lyocell’s development as a sustainable cellulosic fibre has been spread over six decades
  • China: trend in viscose staple, lyocell staple and cotton prices, Jan 2018 – July 2022
  • China: trend in price differential between ( i ) lyocell-VSF; and (ii) lyocell-cotton
  • Chinese lyocell exports have surged in recent years as more lyocell capacity was added
  • China: trend in lyocell staple imports
  • China: trend in lyocell staple exports
• June 2022
  • The Belgium start-up Noosa is developing sustainable polylactic acid fibre for textile applications
  • Several companies are exploring textile applications for bio-materials made from fungal mycelia
• May 2022
  • Carbon capture technology being developed to sequester carbon and decarbonise industries including the textile industry
  • Fairbrics and LanzaTech are using CO2 as feedstock for MEG production
  • Will cellulosic fibres be used to sequester carbon
• April 2022
  • Puma launches project to recycle polyester sportswear chemically
  • Technology developed to assess presence of recycled bottle polyester in garments
  • Renewcell to expand Circulose production to 120 ktpa
• March 2022
  • The apparel industry supply chain’s GHG emissions set to rise by 55% by 2030
  • Carbios and Indorama Ventures to build plant to recycle polyester waste enzymatically
  • Eastman constructing French recycling plant that will utilise its PET renewal technology
• February 2022
  • The European Commission is committed to a sustainable and circular textile market
  • EC’s roadmap for Europe’s textiles market
  • Majority of textiles sourced from outside Europe
  • Brands and their design teams to play major role in establishing circular textile economy
  • Textile industry is one source of microplastics
  • Rudi Labs to convert CO 2 to cellulosic fibres
• January 2022
  • New institute launched by management fund publishes report on microfibre shedding
  • Textiles shed 0.48-4.28 Mt microfibres annually
  • Claim 80% of oceanic microfibres are cellulosic
  • 120 million microfibres shed annually per Canadian household due to tumble drying clothes
  • What is the source of polymorphic cellulose?
  • Patagonia partnering Samsung to cut microfibres

Tables and charts

This report includes 17 images and tables including:

• Exports of worn clothing* by major origins
• West Europe: intra- and extra-West European exports of worn clothing
• Major origins of extra-West European worn clothing exports

What's included

This report contains:

• Fibres sustainability feed

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