New Industry Partnerships Take Root this Spring
New Industry Partnerships Take Root this Spring
A handful of budding partnerships bloomed this spring in the textile world, confirming how suppliers are finding value in creative collaborations and unique sponsorships to build their businesses. Here’s a rundown of new ways firms are joining forces:
NILIT, maker of high quality Nylon 6.6 for apparel, is pioneering a unique German-Israeli partnership to advance textile circularity. The initiative launched with the Circular Textiles Business Matchmaking Showroom, organized by Re-Fresh Global, that opened at Expo Tel Aviv last week. The showroom kicks off a year-long exchange program between German and Israeli experts in sustainability, circularity, and textile waste management. The project is supported by the German-Israeli Future Forum Foundation.
Ilan Melamed, NILIT general manager, stated, “NILIT has been recognized for improving our manufacturing footprint by increasing our use of clean energy, reducing emissions and waste, and introducing responsible new products that target specific ecological challenges.”
Nilit’s recently launched Sensil branded products under the company’s Total Product Sustainability program, include Sensil WaterCare that eliminates 100 percent of the water used in the typical wet dyeing process and Sensil BioCare, featuring technology that reduces microfiber shedding.
HEIQ and Alchemie Technology are preparing to roll out production of a sustainable, high-performance, multifunction finishing solution in Q3 of this year. Called Novara, the new product will feature digital on-demand smart dyeing technology that is durable and eco-friendly.
Novara can apply single-sided, or simultaneous two-sided, coating of multiple finishes to specific areas of textile — combining anti-odor and water repellency in one material, for instance — with considerable savings in chemistry, energy and production costs.
Dr Simon Kew, managing director, Alchemie Technology commented, “Extensive testing using HeiQ’s chemistry with our digital finishing technology has achieved exceptional finishing performance with half the chemistry required of traditional finishing methods.”
He elaborated that using Novara for single-sided finishing of HeiQ Viroblock required 52 percent less chemistry, 66 percent water reduction and 50 percent less energy, while achieving a 99.7 percent reduction in antimicrobial activity after 15 washes at 400 celsius.
Carlo Centonze, co-founder & CEO of HeiQ Group noted that the technology is critical both for increasing protection and reducing environmental impact.
APPLIED DNA SCIENCES is partnering with thread manufacturers American & Efird (A&E) to lend its trademarked CertainT technology Powered by BEACON to the expansion of A&E’s Integrity ECO100 sewing thread line, a sustainable 100 percent recycled fiber thread that provides an innovative and economical solution for brands to authenticate and validate their products anywhere within the supply chain. The thread can be used in an array of non-apparel products such as footwear, home furnishings, automotive, and luggage as well as embroidery. Beyond ensuring claims of product sustainability and social responsibility, the heightened level of traceability achieved via this partnership will help fight the $4.5 trillion estimate in total global trade of fakes, according to the companies.
The innovation authenticates a brand’s products and components by using the Beacon technology for a quick, in-the-field optical verification and, when needed, by using a portable qPCR test for a forensic analysis of the molecular tag.
“Integrity thread protects the brand, as well as supply chains, at a time when security and sustainability are extremely important. We are helping to ensure that customers can meet their supply chain traceability and sustainability goals,” said Wayne Buchen, VP, strategic sales, Applied DNA Sciences.
LENZING and Södra, producer of pulp, signed a cooperation agreement earlier this month, addressing the enormous textile waste challenges facing the industry and society at large. The cooperation has a goal to process 25,000 tons of textile waste per year by 2025.
Together the firms look to boost circularity by developing technologies further towards a broader, industrial-scale use of post-consumer cellulosic waste. The jointly developed pulp, called OnceMore, will subsequently also be used as a raw material for the production of Lenzing’s Tencel x Refibra branded specialty fibers.
“One company alone cannot solve the pressing issue of textile waste. It is proactive partnerships like this that enable us to move forward and bring about real systemic change,” stated Christian Skilich, a member of Lenzing managing board.
Through new investment, Södra looks to increase production capacity ten-fold of OnceMore pulp during 2022.
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