The importance of sustainability is growing ever more important in the textile and apparel industry. From the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there are many themes where the textile and apparel industry can take action, such as the fight against climate change, preserving the natural environment, including water and soil, ensuring human safety for laborers and others, and addressing the issue of marine microplastics.

Making Use of High-Quality Used PET Bottles

Japan’s fabric related enterprises, including chemical textile manufacturers, spinning, and dyeing related material processing firms are all delving deep into their unique stores of expertise and technology to propose new sustainable materials.

In the field of recycled materials, polyester textiles made from recycled PET bottles have seen a surge in popularity. Home garbage is strictly separated in Japan, and the collection rate for used PET bottles exceeds 90%. Additionally, to make the PET bottles in Japan even easier to recycle, the industry adheres to the voluntary rule of only using clear PET bottles.

These practices have made it possible to obtain high-quality source materials for recycling in Japan, allowing companies to create sophisticated, value-added recycled materials such as ultra-fine, long fibres, irregularly faced threads, and fully dull (FD) threads.

Renewable Plant-Based Materials Garner Attention

Advances are also being made in highly sensitive materials made from renewable plant-based materials, biodegradable fabrics, and up-cycled products made from post-consumer goods.

Innovations to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing process are gathering steam, with initiatives such as conserving water and energy, avoiding the use of toxic chemicals in dyeing, and the use of renewable energy sources seeing wider adoption.

The importance of sustainability is growing ever more important in the textile and apparel industry. From the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there are many themes where the textile and apparel industry can take action, such as the fight against climate change, preserving the natural environment, including water and soil, ensuring human safety for laborers and others, and addressing the issue of marine microplastics.

Making Use of High-Quality Used PET Bottles

Japan’s fabric related enterprises, including chemical textile manufacturers, spinning, and dyeing related material processing firms are all delving deep into their unique stores of expertise and technology to propose new sustainable materials.

In the field of recycled materials, polyester textiles made from recycled PET bottles have seen a surge in popularity. Home garbage is strictly separated in Japan, and the collection rate for used PET bottles exceeds 90%. Additionally, to make the PET bottles in Japan even easier to recycle, the industry adheres to the voluntary rule of only using clear PET bottles.

These practices have made it possible to obtain high-quality source materials for recycling in Japan, allowing companies to create sophisticated, value-added recycled materials such as ultra-fine, long fibres, irregularly faced threads, and fully dull (FD) threads.

Renewable Plant-Based Materials Garner Attention

Advances are also being made in highly sensitive materials made from renewable plant-based materials, biodegradable fabrics, and up-cycled products made from post-consumer goods.

Innovations to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing process are gathering steam, with initiatives such as conserving water and energy, avoiding the use of toxic chemicals in dyeing, and the use of renewable energy sources seeing wider adoption.

PET Bottle Recycling

ECOPET® Differentiates through Technological Know-How　

TEIJIN FRONTIER CO., LTD.

TEIJIN FRONTIER CO., LTD. is greatly expanding the market for its ECOPET® polyester material made from recycled PET bottles.

TEIJIN FRONTIER first launched sales of ECOPET in 1995. A person in charge of the project shares, “The many different types of collected materials presents a challenge when it comes to reusing PET bottles. Our company’s great store of know-how allows us to produce fibre and textiles of stable quality.” With a line-up including short-fibre, long-fibre, extra-thin fibre, irregular face fibre and hollow fibre materials, TEIJIN FRONTIER is constantly expanding its product range to meet a variety of performance and design needs. Applications are also growing more diverse, including sports, outdoors, uniforms, fashion, and industrial use.

TEIJIN FRONTIER has also placed a focus on CSR (corporate social responsibility)-aware procurement. In 2011, the company joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an organization seeking to make the apparel industry more sustainable. TEIJIN FRONTIER is also part of a growing number of companies that have adopted the Higg Index, an independent index that serves as a measurement of a product and business’s sustainability and transparency. In addition to its own factories, TEIJIN FRONTIER is also promoting the use of the Higg Index at its partner factories.

 &+ (And Plus) Provides High-Value-Added Recycled Fibres　

Toray Industries, Inc.

Toray Industries, Inc. has established the new recycled polyester brand &+ (And Plus), which seeks to develop sophisticated uses for recycled PET bottles. Toray Industries has partnered with recycling manufactures to secure high-quality source materials and launch a high-value-added fibre under the &+ label in January 2020.

Toray Industries already has an established recycled PET bottle material brand, Ecouse®. Due to disparities in the source PET materials, however, fibres of specialized shapes and narrow diameter were not possible, limiting the brand to standard products. The company also faced the challenge of degradation in the source polyester leading to decreased whiteness in its final products.

With &+, Toray Industries has partnered with Kyoei Industry Co., Ltd., a leader in recycled material processing technologies. The two companies have applied Kyoei Industry’s filtering technology and Toray Industries’ polymer technology to eliminate foreign matter and discoloration in the source polyester to secure a supply of high-quality material for &+. This will allow Toray Industries to produce polyester of high whiteness, similar to petroleum-sourced virgin polyester, and develop a line of products including irregular-faced fibre, narrow fibre, and high-value-added multi fibre.

Toray Industries has also ensured the traceability of its recycled fibres, which was previously a challenge, and has also established a system to classify its recycled fibres with additive agents.

Biomass Materials

Advancing an Environmentally Aware Production Process with Bemberg®　

Asahi Kasei Corp.

Asahi Kasei Corp. is promoting its Bemberg® cuprammonium fabric as a sustainable material, having acquired a number of environmental certificates including the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Unused fibre serves as the raw material for production, and Asahi Kasei has increased solvent recover to over 99% in its production process and is also promoting the use of renewable energy in manufacturing.

Asahi Kasei first started producing Bemberg in 1931 at its Nobeoka City factory in Miyazaki Prefecture, and it is currently the only company in the world producing the fabric. The cotton linter that grows around cotton seeds, a material previously discarded after harvesting the cotton, is used to produce both long and short-fibre materials after purification and dissolution. Bemberg fabric is defined by its wonderful texture and luminosity and is popular in a wide range of applications including inner-linings and outer and inner wear.

In addition to utilizing unused cotton linter, Asahi Kasei strictly manages its chemical usage to achieve 99.9% recovery and reuse of solvents such as copper and ammonia, and has ensured traceability of its Bemberg product. Based on these efforts, Bemberg achieved GRS certification in 2017, and biodegradability certification by INNOVHUB, and also meets the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100.

Asahi Kasei has furthermore established a sustainable production system. Nine dedicated hydroelectric plants provide power to the industrial region of Nobeoka that is home to many textile and other factories, including Asahi Kasei’s production plants, and renewable energy accounts for approximately 40% of all electricity used. Asahi Kasei’s oldest factory is 94 years old, but the company is investing in major renovations to make the location a sustainable factory.

 Accelerating the Acquisition of Environmental Certifications　

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Having earned third-party approval, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is promoting its Tri-acetate Filament Yarn Soalon™ while further enhancing its sustainability. In addition to acquiring FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) certification, the company also concluded a system partnership contract with bluesign® in October 2019.

As sustainable materials gain traction around the world, customers are increasingly seeking detailed information about production processes, and a great deal of importance is placed on uniform third-party standards.

Soalon is a semi-synthetic fibre made primarily from wood pulp, and Mitsubishi Chemical is the only company in the world producing this kind of fibre. The company sources its wood materials from forest certified for sustainable management by a renewable certification program, and in 2017, Mitsubishi Chemical’s Toyama Plant filament factory acquired FSC certification.

Bluesign is a certification standard for environmental protection and worker and consumer safety in the textile industry. Mitsubishi Chemical has formed a system partner contract that ensures its adherence to set standards, and in 2020, Soalon became the first bluesign-approved base fibre in the world.

Mitsubishi Chemical is also increasing the sustainability of its mixed-synthetic material products. The company has now begun utilizing recycled polyester fibres in its mixed-polyester materials and has submitted a GRS (Global Recycled Standard) application.

Upcycling Post-Consumer Products

Upcycling Denim with L∞PLUS　

KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD.

KURABO INDUSTRIES LTD. is expanding its L∞PLUS project to upcycle fabric scraps. The company recently announced a project utilizing denim scraps from the jeans brand EDWIN and has setup a dedicated production line for recycled materials at its Anjo factory, targeting sales in FY2020.

The L∞PLUS project uses a recycled cotton machine to return fabric scraps to cotton fluff form, and then turns that material in to thread, fabrics and products. KURABO INDUSTRIES formed a partnership with EDWIN, which has multiple production plants throughout Japan, to ensure a stable supply of the essential raw materials as the company seeks to commercialize the project.

Approximately 400 tonnes of fabric scraps are discarded by EDWIN factories annually. The L∞PLUS project will separate out 100% cotton, and cotton and polyurethane mixes that can be used in the recycled cotton production process to produce spun yarn mixed with virgin cotton. Due to the concern of dyed denim products transferring colour to the recycled cotton, KURABO INDUSTRIES plans to start operations on a dedicated line in 2020. The company will work with EDWIN to develop products utilizing the recycled fibre produced by L∞PLUS for commercial sale.

To further expand the L∞PLUS project, KURABO INDUSTRIES will promote the initiative as an opportunity to reduce the expenses of disposing of fabric scraps, and also burnish the company’s image.

Commercializing Recycled Paper Rayon　

Omikenshi Co.,Ltd

Omikenshi Co., Ltd. is promoting its HOPE rayon product, which considers the environment at all stages, including the source material, production process, and final product. The company has established technology to mass-produce rayon using recycled paper and is advancing environmentally-aware projects together with clients.

Omikenshi is devoted to the use of sustainable timber resources and uses FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified wood pulp as the raw ingredient for its rayon. In its production process, Omikenshi has reduced the use of its coal boiler from 100% to 50%, replacing the difference with renewable energy. The company is also applying higher standards to its wastewater, as the Kakogawa River located near the factory is now covered by the Setouchi Environmental Conservation Special Measures Law, as an environmentally-aware initiative.

Carbon disulfide is used as a solvent in the production of viscose rayon, but Omikenshi has sophisticated management and recycling manufacturing facilities that recover more than 90% and reuse about 80% of the solvent.

Omikenshi is also promoting its recycled rayon product, which is made from cellulose extracted from recycled paper, in addition to the virgin pulp used in biomass-based products. Initially, the company utilized the folded cranes donated to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to produce “Folded Crane Rayon” towels and hand-cloths for retail sale. Omikenshi has now set its sights on mass production and is carrying out a project to collect and reuse paper containers from retail shops and other locations.

Dyes Conscious of Environmental Impact

KURASHIKIZOME Production Processes and Energy Reduction through Smart Factories　

HOWA

Howa, a major jeans washer, is promoting the local KURASHIKIZOME dyeing brand that guarantees safety and peace of mind and is also focusing on bringing environmentally-aware manufacturing techniques to its factory.

The KURASHIKIZOME brand is managed by the Okayama Prefectural Textile Dyeing Industries Association of which Howa is a member and adheres to the ZDHC MRSL 2015 Version 1.1 safety standard of the international ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) organization, which has global SPA (specialty stores of private label apparel) manufacturers as members. The ZDHC standard ensures the safety of a number of processes, including chemical and wastewater processing.

Howa is also conscious of its production environment. Howa has continuously made efforts to prevent the emission of harmful substances, such as using discharged sludge as fertilizer, and has sought to improve the working environment by adopting laser processing machinery as quickly as possible. Going forward, the company will introduce tablets to its factory to digitize production management. The amount of water and electricity used will become visible to each employee, leading to further energy savings.