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Invista has received an award for its outstanding achievement and constant pursuit of innovation and industry transformation. The Innovation Upgrade Award recognizes those companies that make outstanding contribution to corporate responsibility, environmental protection, sustainable development, and safe and reliable operations.
Invista is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibers. The company’s technologies for nylon, spandex and polyester are used to produce clothing, carpet, car parts and other products.
In March, the company broke new ground at its hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and nylon 6,6 polymer plants in China. Invista owns or licenses more than 1,000 patent families and has 75 years of expertise in nylon technologies in mainland China. In the past year, the company has also launched a carpet technology research and testing laboratory as well as an applied technology laboratory to support the automobile, performance apparel and home textile industries.
Invista has a plan to develop the Chinese nylon and polyurethane markets. The China Textile Research Center was established in 2012. The 2,15,000 ton HMD plant and the 1,50,000 ton polymer plant are expected to start in 2015 and 2016. Invista has manufacturing facilities in Qingpu and Foshan, and regional offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
www.invista.com/en/index.html
Sympatex Technologies has won the Future Materials Award 2014. The winning product Sympatex Phaseable is especially suitable for high levels of physical effort during sports and outdoor activities. The laminate offers an intelligent climate regulation by using a dynamic thermal insulation.
The three-dimensional half-layer on the inside of the laminate only touches the skin punctually in the form of foam points. During the recovery phase of the athlete, an insulating air layer is created between the skin and the laminate. When physical activity is increased, moisture is produced, which lets the compact hydrophilic Sympatex membrane swell up. Thus, the foam points disappear, the distance to the skin is reduced, and the laminate gets closer to the skin. This offers a better moisture transport and breathability. In addition, the breathability increases during higher levels of physical activity due to the dynamic climate regulation.
There are also environmental benefits. As an ecological alternative among functional textile specialists, Sympatex doesn't use any solvents for its technology. The carbon footprint is also kept as low as possible.
Sympatex develops membranes, laminates and functional textiles as well as finished products. It is a pioneer for high-tech functional materials in clothing, footwear, accessories and technical fields of application.
www.sympatex.com/
Jeanologia has been continuously creating new technologies which help the industry in its eco sustainable initiative. One of the company’s latest developments is the light scraper. This is a new generation laser which creates effect on garments and designs patterns of the fabrics. The laser can create yarn effects on denim garment which seem to originate from the fabric structure.
For instance, if a normal OE denim fabric has been used to create a garment, then the light scraper can create different yarn patterns on the garment to give the looks like ring slub, cross hatch, multi count etc. So instead of just giving a washed look to the garment, the laser will also change the look of fabric structure, giving more options to manufacturers to design their garments and create value addition.
This is a new technology which can create hand sanding or a scraping look in the fabric. It is a complete revolution because from one fabric it is possible to have the look of several fabrics and for the first time the human hand can be eliminated completely.
Jeanologia has concentrated on five different kind of slub looks initially to be created on the garment.
www.jeanologia.com/
Vietnam's garment and textile export turnover is likely to increase 19 per cent over last year. This will be the largest increase in three years. The industry's efforts in the strategic direction of production, and increasing localisation, have helped increase competitiveness. To date, the sector has raised the localisation rate to more than 50 per cent.
The negotiation of free trade agreements has promoted the growth of the industry and is attracting orders from other countries. The next challenge for the sector will be the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is expected to open up huge opportunities for Vietnam's garment and textile industry. However, companies will need to improve their productivity, quality, and competitiveness and invest in new technologies, machinery and innovation, in order to compete effectively.
Since the reunification of its northern and southern regions, Vietnam has become a strong player in the global textile market. The textile and apparel industry plays a major role in increasing the country's prosperity. The Vietnamese textile industry, with more than 3,800 companies, is leading the export sector. State-owned enterprises make up just 0.5 per cent of Vietnam's businesses and 75 per cent are joint stock or limited companies. The country ranks fifth worldwide in textile and apparel exports.
Bangladesh has set a target of reaching $50 billion in readymade garment exports by 2021. This is not unrealistic, given the potential and growth momentum of the sector over the years. But at the same time the setbacks triggered by the incidents of fire, factory collapse and labor unrest in recent years have cast an ominous shadow.
The situation prevailing now, reflects numerous difficulties and challenges that might have a multiplier negative effect on both production and exports. The readymade garment sector is the key contributor to the country's economy. Like other manufacturing sectors, it faces shortage of energy, skilled manpower and poor infrastructure, those that are equally challenging relate to wage and workplace safety constraints compounded by demands of labor unions and rights group activists.
Movement of cargo from factory sites to ports is extremely time-consuming. Producing goods for export has become expensive. Inspection of factories by Accord and Alliance, the EU and US-based retailer groups respectively, will require most factories to spend a lot to meet safety standards.
The sector needs a roadmap to negotiate ahead. Given that the basic infrastructure needs cannot be met overnight, efforts must be wholehearted to improve the situation as quickly as possible.
Kenya wants to make a mark in global textile segment. The government is trying to lure textile manufacturers with a new subsidy, this year slashing the cost of power. It’s believed the sector can create 3,00,000 jobs if given the push it needs to grab a larger slice of the global clothing market.
Global buyers are weighing Africa up against Bangladesh. The death of over 1,000 workers in a 2013 factory collapse in Bangladesh, are forcing them to re-evaluate their sourcing. Safety issues in a factory can damage a brand’s image. Africa on the other hand appears to offer a series of advantages – it has water, cotton, labor and green energy. Unlike Bangladesh, African countries also have duty-free access to the US apparel market under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. (AGOA)
Ethiopia has set up functioning business parks for factories. Kenyans are expert clothes makers. The largest apparel factory in Kenya, Ashton Apparel, is growing and turns over a $100 million a year. The business produces denim for H&M, Walmart and others. However, Kenya’s apparel industry is still small, with an estimated 30,000 workers. The industry comprises only six per cent of the small manufacturing sector.
Gap is trying to create transparent working conditions in Asian garment factories. For this, it is partnering with an investment fund which hopes to raise a billion dollars and transform the Asian garment factories that make much of the world’s clothing. The fund’s pitch to factory owners is that its capital and ideas will help turn a decent facility into a high class one.
The fund intends to buy minority stakes in factories and then upgrade environmental standards, improve labor conditions, and install technology that can raise productivity and increase transparency. The goal is to cultivate factories that are the apparel industry’s most radically transparent and compliant.
For Gap, the agreement with the investment fund is essentially a cost-free opportunity to give the vendors who produce its goods the possibility of a value add in the form of expertise or funding for some of their new ventures. Another benefit of the agreement is that it will Gap reduce production lead times. The brand sees this as a way of connecting the factory worker to its consumers.
Gap is the parent company of Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy. In India, a Gap initiative provides education and life-skills training to women who sew Gap clothing in factories.
www.gap.com/
Top international brands are sourcing sportswear from Bangladesh. This development is being seen as a new opportunity for the country’s readymade garment sector. Bangladesh has become the world’s second largest sportswear exporter after China.
The industry has more than 1,700 factories concentrated around the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong. Around 25 per cent of knit garments like sportswear go to traditional and non-traditional markets, including the US and EU countries. Nike, Puma, Adidas are among the big brands already engaged in outsourcing sportswear from Bangladesh. They feel manufacturers produce international quality sportswear with a competitive price range. Many leading international buyers, including renowned brands, are shifting orders to Bangladesh from Pakistan, Turkey, and China.
In recent times, more than 90 per cent sportswear products are being made from local fabrics, as the country is going to attain self-sufficiency in knitwear fabrics. There are more than 261 composite factories in the knitwear industry. There are 383 yarn manufacturing industries in the country whereas fabric manufacturing units are 743. The industry has backward linkages like knitting, dyeing and spinning.
The country's big knitwear manufacturers are introducing sportswear units as top international business partners have shown keen interest in sourcing these products.
Leading Austria-based man-made fiber manufacturer, Lenzing has no plans to expand its viscose fiber production capacity because of the challenging industry conditions. The company has been working to counteract the conditions through its cost optimization program launched early this year. Results achieved until now are encouraging but insufficient to offset the decline in viscose fiber prices in the international marketplace.
Average fiber selling prices fell by 10.4 per cent in the first three quarters of 2014. Consolidated sales dropped 6.2 per cent and EBITDA was down 16 per cent over last year. Though Lenzing still anticipates good volume demand for man-made cellulosics, fiber selling prices on the global market are not expected to recover in coming quarters.
This development is also attributed to the substantial decline in polyester fiber prices as a result of the massive oil price decrease, and the expected longer-lasting period of low or at least volatile cotton prices as a consequence of the surplus supply of Chinese cotton. As a result, Lenzing will not plan for any new expansion projects, which would have expanded its viscose fiber production. The restructuring measures will affect up to 250 jobs. The company completed a new Tencel fiber plant, which began production in July.
www.lenzing.com/?PHPSESSID...
Greenpeace's Detox campaign is having a significant impact in the textile industry. Six leading Italian textile suppliers have pledged support. Some of these Italian signatories currently act as suppliers to leading fashion brands such as Versace and Louis Vuitton.
Puma is working on eliminating hazardous chemicals from its supply chain within the next two years while simultaneously exposing suppliers to the scrutiny of a manufacturers’ restricted substances list. As Puma proceeds to eliminate hazardous chemical use from across its global supply chain, Greenpeace expects it to continue the process with transparency by supplying evidence to support its claims.
Detox has called for more significant corporate action and government policy changes in 2015. The Greenpeace Detox campaign was launched in 2011 and has seen support at events and displays from Mexico City to Moscow. The campaign now has the backing of over 20 global fashion brands and suppliers including M&S, Tschibo, Levi’s, Nike, Adidas and G-Star Raw along with over half a million people who have signed up to the Detox manifesto on the Greenpeace website, demanding toxic-free fashion and clean water.
Global fashion brands routinely use hazardous chemicals and dyes to make clothes. These chemicals poison rivers, and traces of these hazardous chemicals also end up remaining in many of the garments people buy.
www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/water/detox/
