How can we accelerate the biotransformation of the textile industry?
BioTurf
Please find attached the results of our PressRally from 23 June on the occasion of Techtextil:
1. Today's textile market and tomorrow's changes for sustainability
Expanded world fiber supply to 127 million tonnes is currently exposed to geopolitical instabilities, economic and logistical risks as well as uncertainties from shifting to sustainability as Andreas Engelhardt from The Fiber Year explained. Most significant changes at temporarily weakening demand will occur at synthetic fibers, wood-based viscose fibers and notably environmentally safe lyocell will attract considerable investments in the foreseeable future. For further information, please contact Andreas Engelhardt, engelhardt@thefiberyear.com.
2. BIOTEXFUTURE - Conversion of the textile value chain from petroleum-based to bio-based - using the example of BioTurf (development of an artificial turf structure made of bio-polyethylene (PE), which differs only slightly chemically from petroleum-based PE). Artificial turf systems are increasingly being used in the construction of new sports surfaces.
According to ITA scientist Sea-Hyun Lee, the aim of the BioTurf project is to develop an artificial turf structure made of bio-polyethylene (PE), which differs only slightly from petroleum-based PE in terms of essential properties. The mono-material structure enables high-quality material recycling in the sense of a circular economy. In addition, the novel artificial turf structure is to manage without the addition of infill granulate and thus minimise the input of microplastics into the environment.
BioTurf is part of the BIOTEXFUTURE innovation space funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which has been led by adidas in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University since November 2019. We work with partners from industry and academia who share our vision of transforming the textile value chain from petroleum-based to bio-based products and who are committed every day to creating the necessary change in the industry. For any queries, please contact Dr Sascha Schriever, sascha.schriever@ita.rwth-aachen.de.
3. INGRAIN: Best in the West: Innovation Alliance Agro-Textile-Food – From Residue to Valuables and Nutrition
The Innovation Alliance INGRAIN actively combines agro-, textile- and food industry through a bio-based circular economy, by integrating science, business, and politics into one consortium. INGRAIN intends to use the available residual waste streams from agriculture, food-processing and textile industries to ensure sustainable and economic production of upcycled regional products.
Since approval by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in late August 2021, the project focuses on and around the westernmost administrative district in Germany, the rural district of Heinsberg (State: North Rhine Westphalia), which has been characterized by various structural changes for decades including the decline of the formerly formative textile industry, end of coal mining, including its regional neighborhood. For further information, please contact Sea-Hyun Lee, sea.lee@ita.rwth-aachen.de.
4. Bio4MatPro - Local renewable raw materials instead of petroleum-based basic materials create high-quality products
Due to the energy transition and the coal phase-out, Germany is facing fundamental changes in its energy supply, industry and its raw material base by 2030. According to Stefan Schonauer, ITA, the goal of this initiative is therefore to produce the basic chemical acrylonitrile (ACN), which is currently produced from petroleum, on the basis of renewable raw materials (glycerine from biomass) and to locate both the production and processing of materials such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or carbon fibres (CF) made from it, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (ABS), nitrile rubber (AB) and their products in the Rhenish mining area. In this way, part of the hitherto petroleum-based product tree is to be opened up by renewable carbon sources. If you have any questions, please contact Stefan Schonauer, stefan.schonauer@ita.rwth-aachen.de.
5. Textile Factory 7.0 - Building an emission-free and digitalised textile production
Emission-free production, robotics/automation and sustainable, circular raw materials are to catapult the textile and clothing industry into the future of an Industry 7.0. Prof. Dr. Rabe (Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences) explains how these megatrends are being worked on and driven forward by various actors* in the Textile Factory 7.0 project in order to make the transformation a reality. The partners C&A FIT and 140 Fahrenheit are setting a good example with their modern, sustainable on-demand production at the Mönchengladbach site. For further information, please contact Prof. Dr Maike Rabe, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, maike.rabe@hs-niederrhein.de.
*Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Science – Faculty Textile and Clothing Technology, Mönchengladbach, Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Textilakademie NRW gGmbH, Mönchengladbach, Wirtschaftsförderung Mönchengladbach GmbH, Mönchengladbach, Verband der Nordwestdeutschen Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie, Münster, Verband der Rheinischen Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie, Wuppertal
- Recycling Atelier Augsburg - an efficient approach to successful textile recycling
The Recycling Atelier is the first model factory to offer a new and unique concept for the holistic recycling of textiles. The scientists from ITA and the university are researching all process steps of textile recycling: from material analysis, sorting, preparation and textile processing to product design. Dr Stegschuster from ITA Augsburg explained that the Recycling Atelier focuses on the following areas: on the development of new products and processes for textile secondary raw materials and on the elaboration of concepts for the complete recycling of used textiles with the best possible quality through integrated and high-quality recycling and through cycle-oriented product design. The results lead to the industrial use of recycling concepts and build the bridge to current business models. For further information, please contact Dr. Georg Stegschuster, georg.stegschuster@ita-augsburg.de.