Fibres

Swedish textile recycling pioneer Renewcell has decided to file for bankruptcy. The reason for the company going bust has nothing to do with either its product or facilities, but a global fashion  industry that is still unwilling to increase its uptake of recycled fibres.

A start-up straddling two continents is spinning an all-new yarn from a 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable, regenerative but sadly forgotten tree that since time immemorial has been growing unabashed in the wild.

Next-gen material solutions are here. Biomaterials company Keel Labs has launched its first in-house garment by using Kelsun fibre, with the T-shirt serving as the start of global product and brand launches to come.

Biomimetics has helped researchers in Japan to create a device that spins artificial spider silk that closely matches natural spider silk which is biodegradable and ideal for biomedical applications, such as sutures and artificial ligaments.

Neolast, the latest ' new material' in the market, promises the apparel industry with a high-performing alternative to elastane for performance stretch fabrics, unlocking the potential for end users to recycle such fabrics.

Jute finally gets a formal collective identity in India with an assurance on origin and quality for traditional jute and jute-diversified products with launch of the Jute Mark India logo.

Swedish gamechanger TreeToTextile was recently awarded the ITMF Start-up Award for creating a biobased textile fibre through an innovative chemical process that refines cellulose from wood and other cellulosic sources. Chief Executive Officer Roxana Barbieru talks alternative fibres.

Without a rapid transition to “preferred” fibres and raw materials, including significantly reducing reliance on virgin fossil-based synthetics, the textile-fashion industry is unlikely to meet the 45% GHG emissions reduction target for raw material production by 2030, warns the just out 'Materials Market Report' by nonprofit Textile Exchange.

The Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix (PFMM), designed to assess the performance of standard systems within a material category, has been made publicly available for the first time.

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has launched the ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres that promises to strengthen productivity and competitiveness of the advanced manufacturing sector and place the country at the forefront of a global shift towards functional and sustainable materials.