Convincing LCA from Advansa
Polyester manufacturer Advansa has made a major investment into recycling technology at its plant in Hamm, Germany.
This has included a greenfield bottle recycling plant adjacent to its fibre manufacturing unit for minimum transportation costs, and a new optimised extrusion unit capable of handling post-consumer recycled PET bottle flakes.
Sophisticated process control at Hamm ensures the same high quality products as those made from virgin raw material and branded specialties for nonwovens such as fibrefill and performance insulation are already on the market.
In addition, the results of an LCA on the company’s recycled PET conducted by TNO Utrecht (the Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research) show the fibre out-performing all others in respect of a number of environmental factors.
Waste-free functional nanocoating
A new range of high performance, durable and conformal nanocoatings for nonwovens and technical textiles and an atmospheric pressure plasma liquid deposition technology are being introduced by US organisation Triton Systems.
The company’s patented RC1000 is an extremely environmentally-friendly process, with low energy and material consumption and no water or solvent used – eliminating the waste stream.
Big names bowled over by new technology
At the recent ITMA show, a nonwovens machinery builder has attracted enquiries from the likes of IKEA, Nike and Patagonia – while already supplying to Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Teijin – for its ability to create new value-added products from both staple synthetics and natural fibres like flax, hemp and PLA.
Taking root with Ingeo
Nonwovens and hygienic disposables companies along with other major international corporations will outline how they’ve successfully incorporated NatureWorks’ Ingeo bio-based products into their brands at the collaborative, biennial biopolymers forum – Innovation Takes Root (ITR) 2012 next February.
Among recent success stories, are the first 100% biobased baby wipes manufactured by Elements Naturals which have recently earnedthe coveted B Corporation certification – awarded only to organisations that use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. There are fewer than 500 B-certified corporations in the world.
Edelweiss – Lenzing’s carbon neutral fibre
Lenzing Modal Edelweiss is a new carbon-neutral fibre, with a low need for land in its production and a replenishable raw material.
It performs identically to conventional Lenzing Modal fibre with properties, softness and colour brilliance remaining intact. Even its processing in the textile and nonwovens supply chains is the same.
Constantly improving the process integration potential and implementing innovative techniques to further reduce environmental impact have resulted in Lenzing’s pulp factory in Austria being a net positive energy producer. The Lenzing pulp factory require sany additional energy and in fact supplies energy to the entire Lenzing site. As a result Lenzing is a pioneer in the field of wood-organic refineries and the carbon-neutral thermal processing techniques were developed by its engineers.
“The fibre manufacturing plant in Lenzing Austria is the only one in the world which is fully integrated and has all of the production steps – from the pulp to the fibre – perfectly under control,” says Lenzing’s Andreas Dorner.
Lenzing Modal is extracted from beech wood. Beech forests thrive in Northern and Central Europe and shape the landscapes of these regions. The tree is thought to improve the earth since it is a deep-rooting plant and conditions the soil. Beech trees propagate by rejuvenation – hence there is no need for reforestation or replanting of plantations. Forests grow on marginal land and yield a high cellulose harvest without irrigation, fertilizers or pesticides.
More than half of the wood used at Lenzing comes from Austria and the remainder from neighbouring countries. Only beech wood from forests managed in compliance with sustainable forestry legislation is used.
This means that the biocoenosis of the forest is upheld and it continues to function as a protective shield against natural dangers, a drinking water reservoir, a recreational spot, and natural habitat for animals and plants.
SCA provides aid for Somalia refugees
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is working intensively to provide hundreds of thousands of people fleeing from fighting and drought in Somalia with supplies.
SCA is contributing to the health and dignity of women and girls by donating 1.6 million feminine towels, which will be distributed in refugee camps.
Civil war and the worst drought in 60 years have impacted twelve million people in the Horn of Africa. Approximately 875,000 people are taking refuge – mainly in neighbouring countries – of whom almost 180,000 have fled to Ethiopia. Women are a particularly vulnerable group in the current Somalia emergency, and the provision of sanitary materials is crucial to the health and dignity of women and girls.
“The assistance needs in the Horn of Africa are enormous,” comments Hans ten Feld, regional representative of UNHCR for the Baltic and Nordic Countries. “Thanks to the generous contribution by SCA, our staff will be able to distribute sanitary supplies to even more Somali women who have fled into Ethiopia to escape drought, famine and fighting.”
The 1.6 million feminine towels donated by SCA will be handed out at the Dollo Ado complex in Ethiopia where UNHCR has four refugee camps, including Hilaweyn which was opened at the beginning of August.
“It feels only right for SCA to provide assistance in the extremely difficult situation that has arisen in the Horn of Africa,” says Kersti Strandqvist, senior vice president of corporate sustainability at SCA. “After food and water, access to hygiene products is a necessary priority to avoid disease. It is extra important in a situation involving a lack of hygiene and sanitation.”
Outlook Number Ten success
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2011, Outlook, the Personal Care Products Conference organised by EDANA once again met in Budapest last week.
With a focus on global markets, the more than 360 delegates were presented with information on innovation models and methods, regulatory support, environmental and waste management, bioplastics and the challenges and opportunities facing the European, MENA, Indian and global nonwovens markets.
Launching the conference, Robert Ward (pictured), director of global forecasting for the Economist Intelligence Unit advised the audience to be prepared for volatility, providing an update on the status of key economic indicators and how they have the potential to affect national or regional markets.
While much of the focus on economic indicators reflected the conditions in the United States and across the Euro zone, Ward identified four countries to watch for high potential, called the ‘NUTS’, comprised of Nigeria, Ukraine, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, there is promising news in some key markets, with the development of rising disposable income for persons living in inland China, and the considerable potential in India thanks to a large young population, and a strong individual practice of saving and investment.
Brazil was also identified as holding promise, with a wealth of potential, but the need to reform taxes, and develop infrastructure, and select countries in Africa, who are able to draw on a young population and fast growth.
Feedback from participants underlined the satisfaction with the mix and quality of papers, expressing interest in both the topics presented in 2011, and the range of speakers by their content, industry experience, and geographic reach.
Speakers also covered innovation from the management, optimisation of technology and transfer of knowledge, status and trends of the Indian and Asia markets, mixing culture and business, EDANA’s Nonwovens Vision 2020 and product stewardship approach, incontinence care, the role of plastics and bioplastics, environmental management for waste, forest certification and retail expectations, and the regulatory aspect of nanomaterials in nonwovens.
The next edition of Outlook will take place in Barcelona, from the 26th to the 28th September 2012.
Strong new partnerships for Alexium
Alexium has signed new development partnership agreements with Bruck Textiles, Australia’s biggest textile manufacturer, and Wilbur Ross’s International Textile Group (ITG).
The process to which Alexium holds proprietary patents was initially developed by the US Department of Defence and could find widespread application in the nonwovens industry.
The RST treatment technology allows for the rapid surface modification and attachment of nanoparticles or multiple chemical functional groups to surfaces or substrates to provide functions such as water proofing, oil proofing, antimicrobial, non-stick and UV protection.
The technology also has a number of environmental benefits, including being low energy, eliminating the need for harmful sufactants and solvents and significantly reducing water use.
