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VF Corporation has launched a method to screen for hazardous trace chemicals in textile formulations before they enter the mill. The Chem-IQ process can pinpoint minute traces of more than 400 hazardous substances before they are used in production. It assigns formulations a simple green, yellow, orange or red environmental rating at the end of a simple five step screening process.
Each sample is given a rating: preferred (green), allowed (yellow), due diligence required (orange) and prohibited (red). The factory then receives a report on all chemical formulations submitted, and is required to phase out use of any red rated chemicals and work towards making sure the inventory is loaded with green rated chemistry. The idea is a factory meeting the Chem-IQ requirements has a very low risk of product failures, wastewater pollution and worker safety issues.
The method can help mills filter out potentially hazardous formulations in the global textile supply chain and continuously improve their environmental profile. Although the Chem-IQ program currently relates only to the VF Corp supply chain, the company wants the new process to be applied to the wider textile community.
www.vfc.com/brands
Invista and Lenzing are working on developing a denim fabric for women that will provide cool dry comfort and softness. The two fiber companies began working together in 2013 when they announced the results of a study on the benefits of combining Lenzing’s Tencel fiber with Invista’s dual FX technology. Now they are extending that collaboration to new fiber blends. The companies are aiming to leverage their strengths in performance, fashion, and sustainability.
Today’s women expect more from their denim and these fabrics can deliver on the benefits women are seeking. Studies by Invista have shown that women are looking for more performance attributes in their clothing as well as aesthetic features such as soft hand. Invista’s Coolmax fabrics blended with Lenzing’s Tencel meets both of these needs as well as provides consumers with a sustainable option.
Coolmax is made from 97 per cent recycled polyester. Tencel is made from wood pulp, a renewable raw material, which is then processed through a closed loop system to create an ecologically responsible fiber. Invista is a part of the ongoing Kingpins show in Amsterdam being held on October 29 and 30. In addition to showcasing its global collection, the company is debuting its new brand imagery to the European denim market and previewing several new fabric innovations.
www.invista.com/en/index.html
Archroma, the global leader in colour and specialty chemicals will sponsor the ITMA Future Materials Awards 2014. World Textile Information Network, publisher of international technical textiles magazine Future Materials had launched this award to recognize successful textile innovations and to celebrate the essential work of the businesses that support the industry.
On the company’s move to sponsor the award, Uwe Halder, Head of Textile Chemicals, Textile Specialties Business, Archroma, says, “Archroma's textile specialties business plays a key role throughout the entire textile supply chain, with special chemicals for pre-treatment, dyeing, printing and finishing of textiles. Sponsoring this key industry event helps to demonstrate our commitment to innovation – and long-term sustainability.”
Future Materials Awards are open to all the end-use sectors for technical textiles as well as material experts, product developers and designers. The winners will be decided by a panel of renowned industry experts and will be announced at a gala dinner that will take place on November 26, 2014 in Dresden, Germany.
www.futurematerialsawards.com.
Nonwoven will continue to see healthy growth in global markets for the next several years, with medical and filtration applications continuing to be focus of use. The market for nonwovens for filtration end-markets is forecast to grow from $3.5 billion in 2014 to $4.6 billion in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent, says a new study by Smithers Apex. At the same time, the worldwide market for medical nonwovens is forecast to reach $2 billion in four years.
The slow and uneven recovery of global economies after the recession has had a significant impact upon the growth of nonwovens for filtration. With some of the key markets in automotive and construction still growing slowly in some regions, filtration nonwovens have had to aggressively replace older filter media materials, like paper and textiles, as well as enhance performance in order to maintain growth at 5.6 percent per year.
The study, ‘The Future of Nonwovens for Filtration to 2019’, shows that the market for filtration nonwovens is growing because of both the overall growth in filtration market and the replacement of textile and paper filter media. Despite problems in the global economic recovery, the filtration market as a whole has still seen positive growth due to some of the key end-uses for filter media being driven by the increasing demand for cleaner water and air, for protection against pandemic diseases, and for energy conservation.
Global consumption of all medical nonwovens was $1.5 billion in 2013 and is forecast to grow to $2 billion by 2018 at CAGR of 5.1 per cent, according to another study by Smithers Apex, ‘The Future of Medical Nonwovens to 2018’, which covers the time frame 2008 to 2018. Surgical drapes and gowns make up the largest medical nonwovens end-use globally, as well as in most regions, with global consumption valued at $889.2 million in 2013 and a forecasted value of over $1 billion in 2018. The segment is growing at an annual rate of 3.9 percent from 2013 to 2018. Incontinence products are globally the second-largest end-use segment as well as the fastest growing medical nonwovens market, with an annual growth rate of 8.2 per cent from 2013 to 2018.
The study identifies six key trends which are driving the market for medical nonwovens. These include continuing replacement of reusable (textile-based) medical fabrics by disposable (nonwovens-based) medical fabrics; increasing responsibility of hospitals and institutions for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs); increasing emphasis on cost control for healthcare; increasing potential for pandemic outbreaks; increasing age of global populations, which raise the need for assisted care and incontinence products; and increasing availability of modern healthcare to emerging market regions. www.smithersapex.com
Pakistan's exports of value-added textiles grew by 10 per cent in the July to September quarter of this fiscal year. Value-added segment refers to bed wear, knitwear and readymade garments.
However, non-value added spinning-based exports declined by 15 per cent. Exporters expect better figures in the next quarter on the back of a possible hike in international demand, particularly during Christmas. On a month-on-month basis, bed wear and knitwear exports surged by 34 per cent and 27 per cent in September over August. Improved demand from China is thought to be a major factor behind the increase in export volumes of basic textiles.
Textile exports in September 2014 grew by 25.5 per cent over the previous month and 1.2 per cent year-on-year. The silver lining for the textile sector is a plunge in cotton prices. Local cotton prices also reflected the downfall despite flash floods and this is expected to mark higher profit margins for textile players from the October-December quarter onwards. However, the textile sector can benefit from exchange gains in the short term. And, since the provision of the GSP Plus status, the value-added segment has outweighed the fall in the spinning sector to some extent.
Bangladesh will allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the garment industry outside the export-processing zones (EPZs). The aim is to boost apparel exports. Certificates will be issued to foreign-owned garment factories outside the EPZs. Foreign investors have to invest only in producing high-fashioned, non-traditional and costly garment items.
Earlier there was a strong feeling, foreign investment would pose a threat to local entrepreneurs. But now there is optimism about a significant boost to country's exports both to traditional and the comparatively new markets across the globe as a result of the move to open the sector to foreigners.
Also, the country hopes to strengthen its capability and longevity since workers will be trained in making high-end garment products. Foreign investment is expected to also help in technology transfer. As of now Bangladesh has only 6.09 per cent stake in the global apparel trade, which means huge opportunities are still lying untapped.
At present, nearly 140 foreign companies have invested in Bangladesh's garment sector. They are operating factories in eight EPZs across the country. Their aggregate investment in the factories amounts to around $1.5 billion. Around 10 other foreign companies are also in operation outside the EPZs under a joint venture agreement with local entrepreneurs.
Textile products trade fair Milano Unica China VI was held in Shanghai from October 20 to 23. The sixth edition of Milano Unica saw a 14.7 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of visitors. Milano Unica featured merchandise from a wide category of textiles and accessories collections, for both men and women.
The majority of clients were Chinese, but there were also a large number of Korean, Russian and Indian visitors. Above all, this was an important opportunity for the 127 Italian exhibitors presenting top end textiles and accessories from different areas of the country. A trend area guided clients in the selection of the latest fabric and accessory trends. A workshop provided explanations, suggestions and guidelines to better understand both the trend area and products proposed by exhibitors.
Milano Unica is fast becoming an important meeting place for intercultural exchange between two countries, China and Italy, with a strong entrepreneurial character. On the one hand, Chinese clothing collections are becoming less instinctive and focusing on collections developed using organized creative procedures, a sign of growing maturity for the market; on the other hand, the creative and quality heritage of Italian production is becoming even more essential, above all for emerging new talents.
china.milanounica.it/
IAF recently participated in the Quality Garment Network Days organized by Veit, world market leader in ironing and pressing machines, in Southern Germany. IAF Secretary General, Matthijs Crietee gave the keynote address titled, ‘The global garment system, a travelling circus still, or becoming a more ‘normal’ industry’.
He explained its vision on improvement for the global fashion industry. “Improvement is necessary,” said Crietee, adding, “because parts of the industry have gotten caught in a low price spiral whereby continuous pricing down has distorted the consumer’s sense of value of clothing. This is also affecting more upmarket brands, even though they themselves mark down less. The common response to continuous price pressure in consumer markets is making things worse. The industry’s custom of moving production to locations of cheaper labour costs in reaction to rising production costs is also hitting brick walls. Industrial accidents in Bangladesh are further tarnishing the image of the industry.”
Crietee told the audience that, the IAF believes strongly in the power of education. “To work with a longer term horizon when making arrangements with suppliers requires knowledge; a different kind of knowledge than is often available at both buyers and suppliers. More coordination and focus is certainly possible here. And secondly, the industry needs to stop its pre occupation with sourcing statistics and wage statistics. We must look at more at indicators showing investments in the supply chain, such as for instance figures on returns on investments of PLM. IAF is working on both the education and the statistics,” he said.
Tanzania has established the Textile Development Unit (TDU) to support investors at every stage of the investment process. With this guide, investors will find the information they need, the advantages of investing, and the investment incentives and guarantees, as well as practical information on setting up a business in Tanzania.
Low wages and the low price of electricity make Tanzania one of the most cost-effective textile and garment producers in the world. The country can support a profitable, integrated manufacturing value chain from cotton field to finished garment production. In addition, there are opportunities for joint venture partnerships. In 2012, Tanzania produced around 3,50,000 metric tons of seed cotton of which approximately 80 per cent was exported unprocessed. To that extent, there are opportunities for value addition with significant potential returns from producing yarn, fabrics, garments and related products.
The Tanzania Cotton Board (TCB) regulates the cotton sub-sector on behalf of the government. TCB ensures adherence to cotton farming procedures and regulations, ensures steady supply of agro-inputs, maintaining a level playing ground for the cotton business firms and collecting, refining and disseminating information to stakeholders. TCB guarantees producers availability of cotton lint throughout the year.
The country’s production of seed cotton increased from 2,00,664 metric tons in 2007-08 to 2,44,892 metric tons in 2013-14.
Hong Kong is hosting China Sourcing Fair from October 27 to 30. On display are latest trends in fashion with 1,300 booths by suppliers from Greater China and Asia. Tens of thousands of international buyers are expected to attend. Buyers can source product lines under one roof. Among the buyers are Bestseller Fashion Group, Carrefour, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Sears and Woolworths.
The show has Asia's largest selection of scarves, a new sportswear pavilion and fast growth in the finished garment and fabric lines. Fashion parades with professional models will spotlight products that capture the spirit of trends. There will be show floor demonstrations on how to accessorize with scarves and how to recognize different scarf fabrics.
Color authority Pantone is highlighting hot hues with swatch cards, photos, videos and products from pre-selected exhibitors. Professional models are walking the ramp to show off latest sportswear, fashion bags and jewelry from top exhibitors. Online forecaster Fashion Snoops has identified the next big thing in fashion with pre-selected products from actual exhibitors.
The fair is organised by Global Sources. It also hosts electronics, mobile electronics and gifts and home products events.
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