FW
A partnership between H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) has found a way of chemically recycling polyester and cotton blended textiles into new polyester fabrics and yarns without any quality loss. The new fiber-to-fiber recycling process is seen as a major step towards closed-loop textile processing. It is expected to have no negative impact on fiber quality.
The aim of the four-year partnership was to find at least one ready technology to recycle clothes made from blended textiles. It has developed a hydrothermal process to fully separate and recycle cotton and polyester blends. The recovered polyester material can be reused directly without any quality loss.
The hydrothermal process uses only heat, water and less than five per cent of a biodegradable green chemical to self-separate cotton and polyester blends. This fiber-to-fiber recycling method is said to be cost effective and there’s no secondary pollution to the environment.
By being able to upcycle used textiles into new high value textiles, there is no need to solely rely on virgin materials to dress a growing world population. For too long the fashion industry has not been able to properly recycle its products. This encouraging breakthrough on separation and recycling of textile blends has the potential to change that.
Spinning units in India have decided to curtail yarn production and minimise losses. They have decided to move up the value chain by making value-added products instead of making only yarn.
The disparity between cotton and yarn prices has put the spinning sector in a tight spot especially due to the steep decline in price of yarn compared with the fiber cost. The spinning sector has to do this as in the textile manufacturing chain all others such as weaving, processing, apparels and home textiles optimise their utilisation levels based on demand, supply and order trends.
Reduced yarn supply will help match the demand. But if yarn supply needs to be curtailed, mills will have to go slow in consumption of cotton and this, in turn, will help bring down the cost of the fiber as well. This method is expected to help the mill sector reduce losses, besides bringing about a balance in cotton and yarn prices.
A number of standalone spinning units are cash-starved, considering that many varieties of yarn are now selling at levels well below the manufacturing cost. Mills have to formulate a sustainable and long-term formula instead of resorting to interventions every now and then.
Oman is building its textile and garment sector. The country has some advantages like land, labor, capital and organization and a logistical cutting edge due to its strategic positioning. Other advantages are an ample supply of power and energy and proximity to strategic ports.
Textiles can be one of the major non-oil exports of the Sultanate. A young population can be trained in automatic machines, robotic machines and other technologies of garment manufacturing to help the nation mark its presence in the global textile map. In 2006, there were about 25 garment factories in and around the capital but today this number has shrunk.
Oman has a free trade agreement with the US. There’s no garment manufacturing or trading between these two countries however, there is a clause for yarn and fabric movement, which Oman wants to activate. The country hopes to produce cotton, develop yarn spinning mills, and from that initiate an automatic spinning industry. Technology can reduce the cost of production.
The present clause is that any yarn or fabric bought from another country cannot be exported to the US. But if duty concessions can be secured under the FTA, Omani-made products can be exported to the US.
Neenu Plastics is starting its own accessory manufacturing unit. The company is a supplier, manufacturer and exporter of polycarbonate sheets and multilayer flat sheets. The New Delhi-based company entered textile and garment sector two years ago with a strong background in supplying plastic and vinyl for different industries. It has been offering world class products, including PU, PVC, flock, glitter, reflective heat transfer films etc, for years.
At present, it imports all the products from the US, Germany and Korea. The two years in textile and apparel industry have proved really good for Neenu. It expects to grow faster with its own unit now as most of the other players are already importing such products. Having its own manufacturing will provide better control on colors, timely production etc. It will help its clients too as they will receive the products quickly.
Additionally Neenu Plastics recently completed four decades of being in business. It is diversifying into new industries, focusing on sustainability and participating in industry events as well increasing its market reach.
The company offers limited products but aims to improve on the sustainability front. It is working with its associates to make the products even more environment-friendly.
Bangladesh hopes to explore a new market for garment products in Georgia as it's an important country in Europe. Bangladesh sees Georgia as a huge market especially for medicine and agriculture. Power and pharmaceuticals are other areas.
Georgia has an unique geographical position in terms of communicating with European Union countries. Georgia provides duty-free access to Bangladeshi products. Bangladesh’s exports to Georgia currently stand at nearly a million dollars and this will progressively get bigger.
Trade is extremely important to Georgia’s economy; the value of exports and imports taken together equals 110 per cent of GDP. The average applied tariff rate is 0.7 per cent. There are some restrictions on foreign ownership of agricultural land. With the banking sector growing and modernized, access to financing has improved. Capital markets continue to evolve.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy its South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions, which make up about 20 per cent of Georgia’s territory. Georgia has maintained strong momentum in liberalizing economic activity while taking steps to restore fiscal discipline. Public debt and budget deficits remain under control. Open-market policies, supported by competitively low tax rates and regulatory efficiency, have facilitated flows of trade and investment.
Itema the Italian manufacturer of weaving machines and spare parts offers technical textile manufacturers the top three weft insertion technologies rapier, airjet and projectile. Itema is exhibiting at Techtextil, Mumbai from September 13 to 15.
The rapier R9500 loom is the perfect machine for the manufacture of the full range of technical textiles, including ones with the finest monofilament yarn, multifilament yarn with high tenacity, and multiple pick insertion fabrics.
The airjet A9500 has already amassed important references, especially in medical applications and automotive fabrics. It is pre-set for independent motorized jacquard with no cardan shaft, allowing to weave specific technical textiles (such as Airbag OPW) with no speed limitations. Key components are reinforced to ensure optimized machine control and reliability while Itema patented devices guarantee reduced consumption and superior textile efficiency.
Technical fabrics are the specialty of the legendary and unique projectile P7300HP due to the unparalleled versatility and reliability of its weft insertion system. The unmatchable uniqueness of the positive weft transfer consists in the single insertion driven by the projectile, which catches the weft and carries it directly with no exchanges, providing unmatched efficiency. It represents a benchmark for those looking to weave the very widest fabrics - up to 655 cm weaving width - and high-specialty materials, such as agro textiles, geo textiles and carpet backing fabrics.
International chains, led by H&M and Zara, are facing falling sales in Israel. H&M, the Swedish multinational clothing retailer, has suffered a dip in sales of between seven to ten per cent so far this year. Sales declines have been so steep that they have caused overall turnover at shopping malls around the country to fall 1.3 per cent since the start of the year, even as the population has grown about two per cent.
The US apparel chain Forever 21, which targets younger shoppers, was a huge success when it entered the Israeli market five years ago, but it will now be closing several mall shops over the next several months, leaving it with just four in Israel.
Even Zara, the international chain most popular with Israeli shoppers, has seen a sales slowdown. The reason international chains are hit is that the Open Skies aviation agreement that went into force four years ago which has led to cheaper airfares and more routes between Israel and Europe. When Israelis travel abroad, they go into the malls and discover that prices are lower. In the first seven months of this year, the number of overseas trips by Israelis climbed 12 per cent from compared to the same time in 2016.
The global garment industry is infamous for its labour sweatshops in developing countries. Workers are grossly underpaid and work under despicable conditions – producing for a global apparel market valued at around three trillion dollars. They get paid less than the living wage – the wage required by a worker to meet the basic needs of a family unit of four (two adults, two children) in order to maintain a decent quality of life.
The living wage is different from minimum wage for labour as fixed by the governments of different countries. Garment workers in the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China-- get paid only around half of the living wage required to support a decent standard of living.
Workers on an average need to be paid an additional 35 per cent over the living wage to offset the financial demands of income tax and social security. Agricultural workers are actually the lowest paid in the garment supply chain. While garment factory workers are paid around half the living wage, agricultural workers get paid even less in all the four countries. On an average, in Asia, garment workers get about one-third of the minimum living wage. In India, a monthly minimum living wage is Rs 18,727 – without overtime payment and benefits.
The global eco fiber market is growing at a CAGR of 12.1 per cent. Expanding textile industry in emerging nations, including India and China, has been a major growth driver. In addition, increasing environmental concerns coupled with volatile prices associated with conventional fabrics has also spurred their adoption in global market.
In the early 1990s, garment manufacturers started developing environmental-friendly products such as bamboo fibers, biodegradable detergents and paper as well as organic cotton, produced from controlled use of chemicals and pesticides; and fertilizers.
Organic cotton farming does not utilize any toxic chemicals and is certified to organic agricultural standards. The production of such fibers uses over 70 per cent less water and 62 per cent less energy compared to conventional fiber production while improving soil quality and having less impact on the air. Additionally it promotes a safe work environment and better livelihoods.
Regenerated eco fibers emerged as the dominant segment in 2016, with over 55 per cent volume share. Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.5 per cent from 2017 to 2025. The rising emphasis on sustainable disposal of textile and industrial waste in order to minimize the harm to people and the environment has spurred the demand for regenerated fibers.
Xinxiang Chemical Fiber’s viscose filament has a 52 per cent market share in India. Viscose filament is used for manufacturing saris. The Chinese company’s yarn, which could be as thin as 20-denier or one third of the thinness of hair and which is of high breathability and without knots, is popular in India. The yarn can replace silk threads.
Products supplied by Xinxiang Chemical Fiber almost always meet quality standards. The company is principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of chemical fiber textile raw materials. The company's major products include centrifugal viscose rayon filament yarn, continuous viscose rayon filament yarn, viscose staple fiber, polyester, and spandex of five series with more than 100 varieties.
Set up in 1960 the company has the biggest viscose rayon yarn production capacity in the world. Its products go to more than 30 countries including Denmark, Italy, Japan, South Korea, India. Viscose filament yarn is a natural yarn made from wood pulp or cotton pulp. Owing to its silky appearance and feel, it can be used to make fabrics for clothing and home textiles. It is also widely used to make viscose embroidery thread.
