Transparency, systemic incentives to offset textile waste

December 14, 2017  |  EcoNote

A recent report by Reverse Resources says that an average of 25 percent of resources used to manufacture fabrics and garments is wasted. The company has some ideas on how to reduce that figure. An article in Raw Materials says that the researchers don’t pin the inefficiency on factories or label i…
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Carbios develops enzyme to promote recycling of PET

December 11, 2017  |  EcoNote

Carbios SA has announced the development of its enzymatic biorecycling process of polyesters applied to crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (PET). An article in Recycling Product News reports that the new enzyme may make possible recycling of all plastic waste containing PET, including bottles (t…
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Biodegradable fleece wins Eco Performance Award

December 11, 2017  |  EcoNote

Biopile, a fleece fabric manufactured as a collaboration between outdoor manufacturer VAUDE and the Italian fabric producer Pontetorto, received the Eco Performance Award at the Performance Days trade fair for functional fabrics and sport accessories. Knitting Industry reports that Pontetorto launch…
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Carbon fiber from America’s Cup yachts to be recycled

December 7, 2017  |  EcoNote

An article in Inside Composites reports that ELG Carbon Fiber and Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) are working together to ensure that the team’s carbon fiber waste is recycled, to promote economical and environmentally efficient uses of the material. ELG will become a technical supplier to the…
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RÖJK makes a pledge for the planet

November 30, 2017  |  EcoNote

The Swedish apparel company RÖJK has announced that by 2020 all of its products will be 100 percent biodegradable and natural. The pledge extends to using no synthetic colors or chemicals. Instead, the company will primarily attain colors from recycled foods, such as nuts, vegetables and spices, fr…
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Huntsman introduces new DWRs for outerwear

November 20, 2017  |  EcoNote

Huntsman Textile Effects has introduced the new PHOBOTEX RSY non-fluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) providing rain and stain protection for high-performance outerwear. The product responds to consumers’ demand for rain-, stain- and soil-resistant qualities, as well as consumer and industry…
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See-through solar collector developed

November 8, 2017  |  EcoNote

Scientists associated with Michigan State University (MSU) report that transparent solar materials applied to windows could capture as much power as rooftop solar units. According to information from MSU, the scientists believe that using transparent solar applications, together with the rooftop uni…
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OEKO-TEX surveys 11,000 consumers for textile sustainability study

October 30, 2017  |  EcoNote

The OEKO-TEX® Association, in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, announces that it has commissioned a global research study to assess consumer attitudes about textile sustainability. Titled The Key to Confidence: Consumers and Textile Sustainability—Attitudes, Changing Behaviors, and Outlo…
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DuPont and Unifi to create eco-friendly apparel insulation

October 23, 2017  |  EcoNote

DuPont and Unifi Inc. have announced a collaboration to create high-performance, renewably sourced, cold-weather garment insulation combining DuPont Sorona polymer and Unifi REPREVE®. DuPont Sorona is made from 37 percent renewable plant-based ingredients and is reported to use 30 percent less ener…
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Companies pledge increased rPET use

October 20, 2017  |  EcoNote

Textile Exchange announced that more than 45 textile, apparel and retail companies have signed a pledge to increase their use of recycled polyester (rPET) by at least 25 percent by 2020. The pledge has been adopted by major brands such as adidas, Dibella, Eileen Fisher, Gap Inc., H&M, IKEA, Lind…
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