Sustainability
RadiciGroup: concrete investments in sustainability
At Domotex 2020 (January 10 -13, 2020), RadiciGroup introduces Renycle, a new range of products with recyclate content. The Group also announces the acquisition of a material recovery company.
RadiciGroup is starting off the new year 2020 under the banner of sustainability: the market launch of Renycle, a range of yarns obtained from recycled nylon, and the acquisition of Zeta Polimeri, an Italian company with thirty years’ experience in the recovery of synthetic fibre and thermoplastics. Both concrete actions fall within the Italian Group’s strategy aimed at environmental protection and meeting the requests of an increasingly demanding market.
At Domotex 2020 (Hall 11 C48), RadiciGroup is exhibiting a number of innovative solutions for the recovered fibres sector targeted at fashion fabrics, furnishings and automotive applications. These new products are the result of the Group’s vertically integrated nylon production and the synergies among its various business areas, from chemicals to engineering polymers and synthetic yarns.
“We are working on a puzzle now close to completion,” said Angelo Radici, President of RadiciGroup. “Our Group has always made effort and investments to improve the sustainability of its products and processes. We have long experience in the recovery and reuse of the industrial scrap from our processes to give them a second life as secondary raw materials in the polymer industry. With these new products we are looking to take centre stage in the world of sustainable textiles.”
At RadiciGroup, all production scraps become resources. For some time, the Group has had the expertise to sort the various polymer scraps and select the most appropriate new use for each of them in the field of engineering polymers. Now, with Renycle, the Group has the analogous capability to produce yarn for the segments of textile flooring, rugs and fitted carpet, not to mention the most precious “Made-in-Italy“ fashionwear. Renycle reduces the need for new raw materials of fossil origin, thus decreasing the overall environmental impact, while providing same the high-level technical characteristics the market is accustomed to. Moreover, it is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.
Renycle™ PA6 recycled yarn
Renycle™ is a product obtained from recycled nylon 6, a highly valued material because of its excellent resistance, dyeability, softness and versatility.
Nylon after nylon
Through recycling and recovery, production scrap is converted into polymers and then into yarn endowed with technical performance characteristics perfect for textile flooring, apparel and automotive applications.
Closing cycles for polyurethane mattresses
Recticel and Covestro are working closely together in developing breakthrough solutions to make mattresses more sustainable and ready them for a circular economy. This includes the research of raw material technologies – from mattress production to end-of-life and beyond. At imm cologne 2020 furniture fair, Schlaraffia® ([http://www.schlaraffia.de/)/ Recticel Schlafkomfort GmbH will show such innovative and sustainable solutions at Booths nos. A010 and A011 in hall 5.2.
“Polyurethane mattresses are widely used for a long time and valued for their comfort,” says Boudewijn Dezutter, Commercial Director at Recticel. “Now it is time to further increase the sustainable value of the material at each stage of the lifecycle.” “The project is part of a long-term program with which Covestro is strongly oriented towards a circular economy,” states Dr. Berit Stange, Circular Economy Manager in the Polyurethanes segment at Covestro. “In particular, we focus on using raw materials from sustainable sources, such as waste, plants and CO2.”
Turn polyurethane into a truly sustainable material
The greatest potential for closing cycles in the plastics industry lies in the recycling of post-consumer waste. This in particular applies to the recycling of thermoset materials like polyurethanes. Mass products such as mattresses are a main focus here. Covestro wants to contribute to this by developing chemical recycling technologies.
The company is part of the Europe-wide research project “PUReSmart”, which comprises nine companies and academic institutions from six countries and is coordinated by Recticel. The goal is to develop a complete circular product life cycle and turn polyurethane foam into a truly sustainable material: recover the used material (e.g. mattresses) and turn them into building blocks for existing or new products.
Covestro is much committed to supporting the flexible foam industry with a solution to achieve a complete circular economy with polyurethane foams and especially post consumer mattresses. In this context, the company is already investigating the feasibility of a short-term scale-up from laboratory scale to semi-industrial level, with the aim of making chemical recycling an efficient industrial process. This solution should then also support the current PUReSmart project.
CO2 as building block for flexible foams
Besides the latest project to recycle post-consumer waste, Covestro has been putting emphasis on working with alternative feedstock for many years already. The use of CO2 as building block for chemical synthesis has been the focus – resulting in a breakthrough development: a CO2 polyol. A team of researchers from Covestro and RWTH Aachen University made it to the final round of the prestigious German President´s Award for Innovation in Science and Technology.
Recticel was the first company to support the development of Covestro’s CO2 polyol, cardyon®, and to implement it for the production of its flexible foams. The reuse of carbon dioxidecontributes to closing the carbon cycle for mattresses. In January 2018, Recticel introduced the new second generation of its GELTEX® foam based on the CO2 polyol.
With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.
Recticel is a Belgian group with a strong European orientation, but also active in the rest of the world. Recticel employs over 8,400 people at 97 branches in 29 countries.
Recticel contributes to daily comfort with foam fillings for seats, mattresses and slat bases from top brands, insulating materials, car interiors and a wide range of other industrial and home applications.
Recticel is the group behind renowned bed brands (Beka®, Literie Bultex®, Schlaraffia®, Sembella®, Swissflex®, Superba®, Ubica® etc.) and GELTEX®. In the insulation segment, high-quality thermal insulation products are sold under the renowned brands Eurowall®, Powerroof®, Powerdeck®, Powerwall® and Xentro®. Technological progress and innovation have led to groundbreaking developments at the biggest names in the automotive industry, thanks to Colo-Fast®, Colo-Sense® and Colo-Sense Lite®.
In 2018, Recticel achieved total sales of €1.45 billion. Recticel (Euronext: REC – Reuters: RECTt.BR – Bloomberg: REC:BB) is a publicly traded company (Euronext, Brussels).
BEDifferent with TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres – a Lenzing project to circular economy in home textiles
At Heimtextil, which will be held from 07-10 January 2020 in Frankfurt, £Germany, Lenzing Group will continue its journey towards circular economy. Lenzing’s latest breakthrough for its pioneering REFIBRA™ technology with the industry’s first successful production of TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres using post-consumer cotton waste will also be the high-end basis for sustainable high-quality Home & Interiors products.
TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres for a sustainable future
Recently, Lenzing announced the second phase of REFIBRA™ technology upgrade by incorporating up to 10% of post-consumer cotton waste into the current mixture of 30% recycled materials alongside pre-consumer cotton waste. This step is a key milestone in the textile industry and empowers brands and retailers who are looking for eco-responsible solutions by giving textile waste a second life. Transparency being key, Lenzing uses a special identification technology for TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres so to assure consumers that the fibres in the final textile product contain recycled materials.
Sleeping in bed textiles containing TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres
The quality of bed textile materials is part of the secret of a good sleep comfort. TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres with REFIBRA™ technology facilitate good moisture management by regulating the absorption and release of moisture, thus supporting the body’s natural thermal regulation and providing breathability comfort throughout the night. In addition, the smooth fibre surface creates fabrics that are gentle on the skin.
BEDifferent – Innovative REFIBRA™ technology meets creativity
Lenzing invited talented students from top European universities, such as Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano, University of the Arts London, and Aalto University Finland, to dive into the world of sustainable Lenzing fibres and create a bedding collection inspired by their vision and with respect for the environment. “We at Lenzing care about the future and invest in sustainable solutions. Innovative thinking minds created TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibres and young and creative thinking minds created the BEDifferent collection. The next generation’s way of thinking was very inspiring to all of us and with this project the respect for people and the planet came into life with every single TENCEL™ x REFIBRA™ fibre. We are very excited to present the best three collections at our booth during Heimtextil and the students will be happy to share their way of thinking with the public about sustainable fibres,” said Ebru Bayramoglu, Head of Global Business Development Home & Interiors in Lenzing. The collections are not for sale but might inspire home textile producers for future bedding concepts.
The Lenzing Group stands for ecologically responsible production of specialty fibers made from the renewable raw material wood. As an innovation leader, Lenzing is a partner of global textile and nonwoven manufacturers and drives many new technological developments.
The Lenzing Group’s high-quality fibers form the basis for a variety of textile applications ranging from elegant ladies clothing to versatile denims and high-performance sports clothing. Due to their consistent high quality, their biodegradability and compostability Lenzing fibers are also highly suitable for hygiene products and agricultural applications.
The business model of the Lenzing Group goes far beyond that of a traditional fiber producer. Together with its customers and partners, Lenzing develops innovative products along the value chain, creating added value for consumers. The Lenzing Group strives for the efficient utilization and processing of all raw materials and offers solutions to help redirect the textile sector towards a closed-loop economy.
Key Facts & Figures Lenzing Group 2018
Revenue: EUR 2.18 billion
Nameplate capacity:1,034,000 tons Employees:6839
TENCEL™, VEOCEL™, LENZING™, REFIBRA™, ECOVERO™, LENZING MODAL™, LENZING VISCOSE™, MICROMODAL™ and PROMODAL™ are trademarks of Lenzing AG.