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| Issue date:01/08/2008 |
| ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel - Aug 2008 Issue |
| Source:Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel |
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| Petroleum-derived fibers could play an important role in an eco-friendly future |
by Adrian Wilson
Ecological and clean processing claims are increasingly becoming a way for companies to differentiate their products, and fiber producers are no exception.
Recently, however, US industry organisation Cotton Inc was forced to withdraw an advertising campaign making its case for cotton as an "sustainable" fiber – the word was replaced with "renewable" – and this area of advertising is coming under closer scrutiny.
When cotton can be called an eco-friendly fiber, something is seriously wrong, according to Colin Purvis, director general of the European fiber organisations CIRFS (the International Rayon and Synthetic Fibers Committee) and EATP (the European Association of Textile Polyeolefins).
Cotton should now only be a premium priced product created in limited quantities in countries where the climatic conditions are most appropriate, he asserted at the recent Nonwovens Summit held by EDANA (European Disposables and Nonwovens Organisation) in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The market is completely distorted by government subsidisation, especially in the USA. What we've got as a result of subsidies is cotton trying to compete in commodity markets and grown in areas to which it is completely unsuited," he said. "There also needs to be a rigorous examination of its life cycle and I think many of the people who believe cotton is natural or green would be extremely surprised by the results."
The EDANA Summit raised some interesting questions and attendees expressed some surprise to be informed by Dr Jörg Rothermel of VCI, the German Chemical Industry Association, that just 3% of all fossil fuels are actually converted into any kind of chemical product.
There was a general consensus that perhaps a greater portion could be turned into useful materials prior to being either recycled or burnt as fuel. This would certainly solve problems for the textile industry, but also seems to make sense from an ecological perspective.
"That we burn 97% of all the oil that pops out of the ground is just incredible," said the representative of one group of delegates at the EDANA Summit. "Petroleum is an excellent feedstock for the production of polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. Why don't we concentrate on extending the current uses of petroleum as a fuel stock for actual products and use alternative energies like solar power or wind power, and potentially biomass, for fuel?"
More companies make eco vows
One of the key reasons such an argument will hold no sway, is that, in the past few years there has been a surge in corporate "eco-promising", the practice of making claims about the environmental attributes of products, especially in Europe and the USA.
"Eco-promises" cover a wide array of activities, and take many forms, says US company, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), which advises many of the world's leading corporations on socially responsible business practice.
Claims might include pictures of unspoilt landscapes or wildlife, or specially developed symbols and labels.
Promises can be on a particular issue such as organic content or about the nature of the product, such as being free from chemicals. They could be third-party labels or campaigns run by the company itself, or they might just be a strategic commitment from the company to develop more efficient products or to donate a percentage of profits to an environmental charity.
No matter what they are or how they are presented, these claims all have the same major aim, says BSR, to attract consumers and convince them to buy one product over another.
Any association with fossil fuels simply does not lock into the perception of "green", which is being so heavily promoted to the public in Europe and the USA.
One man-made fiber company which is certainly capable of backing up all of its positive attributes is Lenzing of Austria, which is head and shoulders in front of most of its competitors at the moment in respect of green credentials.
Lenzing has recently introduced its new "Botanic Principles" campaign for its beechwood (Modal) and eucalyptus (Tencel)-based products.
The term "organic", explains Lenzing's head of business development Susanne Jary, only applies to agricultural products and does not extend to trees, prompting the new Botanic slogan of Lenzing.
"Fifteen years ago, when we went to retail and told them we were doing eco balances they were not really interested," said Friedrich Weninger, vice-president and general manager, of Lenzing's Textile Fiber business unit, "but the big chains are now very active in this respect. In the Modal process everything is controlled and we are self-sufficient in terms of energy. The investments we have made in our responsible processing methods are certainly paying off now."
Lenzing emphasises eco strengths of its cellulosic brands |
The company has just introduced a patented new fiber variant called Modal Loft designed to improve both the softness and bulking force of towels and characterised by improved coloration with reactive dyestuffs due to the low fiber stiffness and smooth surface.
The botanic principle of photosynthesis serves as the basis for the new towelling fiber. Fibers are extracted from plants, which convert carbon dioxide and water into wood and pure oxygen by photosynthesis. In addition, the water management of the Lenzing manufacturing plants globally and the mechanisms of closed loop processes and sustainability play an important role.
Nonwoven fabrics made from Lenzing Viscose and Tencel, meanwhile, have recently been certified and registered as compostable materials by Din Certco, the certification organisation of TÜV Rheinland Group and DIN, the German Institute for Standardization.
Global growth for cellulosic fibers
Growth for cellulosic fibers was dramatic in 2007 according to analysis by Andreas Engelhardt, Senior Manager of Oerlikon Saurer, with year-on-year growth of 9% swelling capacity to 3.7 million tons.
This was still beaten by growth in polyester, however, up 11.7% to 30.7 million tons.
In this field, China now has a 62.5% share of the world market with 19.2 million tons of capacity but there is excess capacity and manufacturers are struggling to keep utilisation above 70%.
During 2007, production of all other major synthetic fibers – polyamide, polypropylene and acrylic – actually declined.
Expansion in Ingeo
Meanwhile, Natureworks is currently preparing for a capacity expansion at its plant in Blair, Nebraska, USA, where Ingeo fiber and NatureWorks resin are manufactured.
Fernanda Gattinoni wedding dress made from Ingeo PLA fiber (left); and 100% Ingeo outfit by French designer Girbaud |
Ingeo has been promoted as an alternative to fibers derived from petro-chemicals. The PLA (polylactic acid) fiber comes from 100% renewable resources based on such feedstocks as corn starch.
NatureWorks is selling out the 140,000-tons line that started up in 2002, and while the quantity is small, growth can be considered more dramatic than any other fiber.
The company has also just signed an agreement with European fiber manufacturer DS Fibers for the production of Ingeo fiber.
This is the third master license agreement to be inked for fiber production in 2008 and underlines the NatureWorks strategy of growing its global Ingeo fiber manufacturing presence across all continents, matching consumer demand for better, more responsible products.
Debate on bioplastics
Recently, however, articles appearing in the popular press have questioned the replacement of fossil fuel-based raw materials with plant-based alternatives such as PLA.
The UK's Guardian newspaper in particular, ran a front page story at the end of April claiming that "corn-based material emits climate change gas in landfill and adds to the food crisis."
In particular, it said that the PLA manufactured by NatureWorks "will barely break down on landfill sites, and can only be composted in the handful of anaerobic digesters which exist in Britain."
NatureWorks subsequently responded to these criticisms, pointing out that all bioplastics are not the same.
"As a whole, biopolymers provide more recovery options than petroleum-based plastics – whether via recycling, composting, incineration or even disposal via a landfill," said NatureWorks fibers business development manager Eamonn Tighe. "The key issue is getting an appropriate infrastructure in place to support true biopolymer recovery, which results in much less waste than traditional plastics.
"We have worked to develop a long term vision to zero waste – PLA returning into PLA through natural hydrolysis – but establishing an appropriate infrastructure for recycling PLA cannot happen overnight."
The British Retail Consortium agrees.
"Rather than rejecting plant-based packaging as a potential alternative to conventional plastics, retailers and the recycling sector should instead look to bolster recycling capacity," said its spokesperson. "Understanding of bioplastics is progressing all the time and the lack of processing facilities shouldn't be a reason in itself for not using them. The key is in improving recycling facilities."
The "green debate" is having a tremendous impact on all aspects of manufacturing right now, and the debate on the correct approach for meeting future textile fiber demand is likely to rage for many years to come.
Spandex market looks promising for upstream producers
by Staff Reporters
The concept of eco-friendliness extends upwards to raw material suppliers, such as BASF.
With a new PolyTHF laboratory to be operating by the end of this year in Shanghai, China, BASF will support customers to improve their existing or new production processes, and also work with customers to improve the eco-efficiency of their PolyTHF-based products. PolyTHF is one of major raw materials in spandex manufacturing.
"Based on our global Know-how Verbund system and with respect to our green pledge, Responsible Care, we have optimized the formulation of ingredients with regard to their eco-friendliness. Additionally, we increase the efficiency of the production processes to save energy consumption," said Patrick Schiffers, Director, Diols business for BASF Intermediates Asia Pacific.
PolyTHF applications laboratory will be opened in Shanghai this fall (Pictured are researchers of BASF in Asia) |
Spandex, also known as elastan fibers, is a growing segment for the production of sportswear, swimwear, underwear and outerwear.
"As more production of spandex has been moving to Asia and especially China, the opening of our PolyTHF applications laboratory in Shanghai was the logical step in order to stay close to our customers and support their technical service needs in the fastest and most efficient way possible,” said Mr Schiffers.
Swimwear is often made in elastan yarns for improved performance and functionality |
China's annual production capacity of spandex increased to 250,000 tons last year, according to the country's industry estimates. Meanwhile, the global aggregate spandex capacity topped 500,000 tons.
"The mid to long term outlook for Spandex in Asia is very promising, with growth rates slightly above GDP levels; external market studies confirm this view. Although there is a slower growth for spandex compared to 2007, a high domestic demand in China will continue to be strong for years ahead in spite of the weaker export performance temporarily," he said. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "ATA Journal for Asia on Textile & Apparel", Adsale Textile English Website - www.AdsaleATA.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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