Textile Insight

8,000 to reduce risk, minimize impacts, work efficiently, control costs and identify new ways to deliver products." Chemours' circularity strategy also believes strongly in a collective pursuit of sustainability with focus on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). e Executive Summary published in Chemours' latest CSR, highlights this theme. For example, the firm's 2030 goals align most closely with three SDGS that prioritize clean water and sanitation; responsible consumption and production; and climate action. Sean Uhl, sustainability technology director, stated, "In 2021 we established our goal of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 absolute GHG emissions by 60 percent by 2030, positioning us to reach net zero operations by 2050. Building on this commitment we are pursuing an official science-based target through the SBTi to reduce our Scope 3 emissions, strengthening our already ambitious climate goals." Steven De Backer, EMEA technical marketing manager, remarked, "In 2021, Chemours joined a three-year recycling research project, Remove2Reclaim, in collaboration with industry, academia and government experts to develop a more sustainable process for recovery TiO2 and polymers from plastic end-use products." Ambitious Collaboration Earlier this year at Lineapelle, the international leather fair held in Milan, Lenzing and National Fiber Welding, Inc., (NWF) showcased a new sustainable alternative for leather applications that features Tencel fibers as another backer option for NFW's plant-based technology, Mirum. Mirum is a categorically unique material class, according to NWF. Free from plastic, Mirum is made from natural rubber, plant and mineral pigments, plant-based oils and waxes, and an all-natural fabric backing. Instead of relying on PU binders, a characteristic of most leather alternatives, Mirum uses natural rubber and plant oils for binding. A variety of natural ingredients like biobased charcoal, clay, cork powder, rice hulls, coconut fibers, recycled denim or seaweed are used to develop color or add visual interest. Products made with Mirum can be recycled into new Mirum or ground up and returned to the earth, when no longer in use, while Tencel fibers are compostable and biodegradable, enabling complete circularity of finished products. "At NFW, we believe that plant matter is the only material that can scale to replace plastic. By adding fabrics made of Tencel to MIRUM, we can enhance material transparency and traceability, while guaranteeing comfort and great hand feel on the skin," said Oihana Elizalde, VP and general manager of Mirum at NFW. Allbirds' Fall '22 Plant Pacer, features Mirum in the upper and lined with Tencel. At material science company Pangaia, collaboration and innovation go hand in hand. e Renu jacket, Pangaia's first denim product made entirely from cotton textile waste, was created in collaboration with Evrnu's NuCycl. Dr. Amanda Parkes, chief innovation officer at Pangaia, believes the partnership demonstrates the "extraordinary potential for superior quality from recycling technologies." With NuCycl, pre-and post-consumer textile waste is broken down and transformed into a high-performance fiber for premium textile products. e technology uses repolymerization to convert the original fiber molecules into new renewable fibers. Products made with NuCycl can be disassembled to the molecular level and regenerated multiple times into new clothing . e fiber doesn't need to be blended with virgin fiber, thus significantly less resource-intensive while also easing recyclability. Evrnu co-founded/ CEO Stacy Flynn shares what many in the textile world believe to be an industry priority in 2023: "Our mission is to help brands create clothing out of recycled materials that are not only of the highest quality but can also continue to be recycled." n Nia Silva, director, Materials @ Fashion Snoops shares leading innovations and in- dustry shifts that will influence the product development of materials and surfaces for the next 3-5 years. 1. Ethical Foundations: The basis for ev- erything, and vital for sustainable design. "To pave an ethical way forward, suppli- ers sow seeds to a responsible future." Emerging: Fostering regenerative farming; example denim powerhouse Citizens of Humanity partners with Kiss the Ground non- profit to support and fund U.S. cotton farmers. 2. Low Impact: Prioritizing cyclical prod- ucts and sustainable material engineering. Government plays a role in carbon reduction — whether plastic, steel, cement, or textiles. Emerging: Consumers will expect traceable tech and transparency, but will they pay for it? Emerging: Carbon becomes a leading re- newable resource and "captured carbon" will scale. 3. Bactory: Bio-designed will saturate the market as the biodesign system becomes robust and "lab-grown" provides a prom- ising future. In 2020 start-ups in biotech raised $8B U.S. Alt leather, silk and synthetics. Emerging: algae & seaweed i.e. sea-sourced materials offer performance and aesthetic benefits. Emerging: bio-derived leather accel- eration into new markets. Mushroom (mycelium-based) MycoWorks partners with Ligne Roset using its Reishi product in furnishings. 4. Consciously Renewed: Waste ma- terial becoming raw material of the future. Trash is now a "waste resource." Emerging: Repair of damaged goods with deadstock and offcut fabrics. Emerging: Companies, such as Renewcell, create sophisticated and purposeful product from textile waste. 5. Streamlined Processes: The next frontier in manufacturing is streamlining processes to increase speed, efficiency and revenue while reducing waste. New modes of making include more mecha- nized processing, 3D printing, 4D weaving. Collapsing the supply chain will shift from multi-step make to "all-in-one" process. Emerging: Karl Mayer & Shima Seiki effec- tively "de-couple" and streamline areas of the supply chain. 5 TOP TRENDS The Future of Materials COVER STORY 30 • Textile Insight ~ Spring 2023 textileinsight.com Pangaia's Renu denim garment made from cotton textile waste.

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