Sustainability
Automotive interiors setting the pace for vehicle design
Faced with unprecedented levels of disruption and innovation, technological advances are impacting all segments of the vehicle industry, particularly interiors. Despite ongoing setbacks due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a shortage of semiconductors and higher raw material, energy and transport costs, automakers have continued to develop their visions of the future – and …
Natural fiber composites – a practical guide for industrial utilization
Every year thousands of nonrecyclable/nondegradable composite parts end up in landfills, including gigantic parts like wind turbine blades, putting more pressure on composite manufacturers to reevaluate the sustainability of their products and their end-of-life options. This is why many of the industry players are interested in natural fiber composites (NFCs); however, a general unfamiliarity with …
Shifting the needle to Europe’s PET polyester waste
CuRe Technology (Emmen, The Netherlands) Garbo Srl (Cerano, Italy), gr3n (Chiasso, Switzerland), and PerPETual (Remscheid, Germany), are companies all involved in developing new processes for chemically recycling PET polyester for fabric and garment production. Their processes all involve various depolymerization techniques to break down the polymers of waste PET into useful chemicals. With the aim …
BASF gets down to the business of sustainable cotton
BASF’s e3 Sustainable Cotton program is designed to directly connect members of the cotton fiber value chain, from cotton farmers to brands to retailers. e3 stands for equitable, economically viable and environmentally responsible, as BASF is aiming to align itself with a consumer base that is increasingly eco-conscious and is demanding traceability in the clothes …
Recycling processes for the plastic waste from textiles
Plastics play a major role in our lives. They are widely used in many sectors and applications, but at the end of their lifecycle they become waste that needs to be managed properly. Given the steady rise in the consumption of plastic materials and the subsequent generation of huge amounts of waste, the European Commission …