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#Man-Made Fibers

The LYCRA Company strengthens sustainability leadership, appoints Alistair Williamson as VP of Product Sustainability

The LYCRA Company has appointed longtime executive Alistair Williamson as vice president of product sustainability, reaffirming its commitment to developing sustainable solutions for apparel and personal care products.
The LYCRA Company has appointed longtime executive Alistair Williamson as vice president of product sustainability, reaffirming its commitment to developing sustainable solutions for apparel and personal care products. In this role, he will guide the company’s next chapter of sustainability strategy and oversee all initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact across products, operations, and innovation platforms.


Williamson has four decades of experience in textile fibers and apparel, having held commercial, sales, and marketing leadership roles across EMEA, North America, and South Asia. Before joining the predecessor of The LYCRA Company in 2007, Williamson worked for two nylon spinners.

“Alistair's expertise will drive our sustainability agenda and support our customers’ evolving requirements,” said Doug Kelliher, executive vice president, product. “His leadership will ensure we continue delivering high‑performance solutions with greater transparency and lower environmental impact.”

In recent years, The LYCRA Company has achieved several key sustainability milestones. These include launching Renewable LYCRA® fiber with 70 percent plant-based content, introducing products made from recycled materials, and obtaining third-party certifications to promote transparency and traceability across the value chain.

“I’m honored to step into this role as our industry continues to shift toward more sustainable, transparent practices,” said Williamson. “I am committed to advancing sustainability as a shared priority across the organization, partnering closely with industry stakeholders, and driving meaningful, lasting outcomes.”




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#Man-Made Fibers

The LYCRA Company expands its co-creation vision through an immersive Lifestyle District at Intertextile Shanghai.

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in fiber and technology solutions for the apparel industry, is reimagining the trade show experience at Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition, which opened today in China. Building on the success of last year's ALL IN concept, the company has expanded its co-creation vision into a 356-square-meter Lifestyle District featuring partners Jingzili New Material, JYT Textile, Lianxingfa Knitting, and Trend Textile. The district is part of a larger 895-square-meter pavilion showcasing a total of 19 co-exhibitors. Together, they demonstrate how innovations in fiber, fabric, and garments can be combined to create compelling solutions for both work and play.

#INDEX 2026

The LYCRA Company launches LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber for nonwovens, advancing comfort and fit in disposable hygiene at INDEX™ 26

The LYCRA Company, a leader in innovative and sustainable fibers for apparel and personal care, today announced the official global launch of LYCRA® ADAPTIV fiber for nonwovens at INDEX™ 26, in Geneva, Switzerland, May 19–22. This breakthrough stretch fiber, already trusted by leading global apparel brands, now ushers in a new era of comfort, fit, and performance for baby diapers, disposable hygiene products, adult incontinence, and feminine care.

#Man-Made Fibers

arena introduces renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber in its latest swimwear collection

Italian swimwear specialist arena has unveiled a new collection that brings sustainability and performance even closer together. Launched on December 4, the line features swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — the first time the bio-based spandex has been used commercially in swimwear.

#Man-Made Fibers

The LYCRA Company announces grand opening of its largest global Spandex production facility in China

The LYCRA Company, a global leader in innovative and sustainable fiber solutions for the apparel and personal care industries, today announced the official opening of its largest spandex production facility—the LYCRA® fiber (Yinchuan) Plant in Ningxia Province, China. This milestone underscores the company’s continued investment in the Chinese market and highlights its strong commitment to developing localized supply and distribution networks while advancing smart manufacturing upgrades.

More News on Man-Made Fibers

#Man-Made Fibers

Dutch court orders Shanghai Port Star to stop sales of HMPE link chains in EU

The District Court of The Hague has ordered Chinese supplier Shanghai Port Star to stop selling and distributing certain synthetic fiber link chains in the European Union after finding that the products infringe EU design rights held by Avient Corporation. The ruling concerns link chains made from high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers for marine and industrial applications.

#ITMA Asia + CITME 2026

ITMA Asia 2026: How Barmag is reshaping the future of man-made fiber production

The textile industry is entering a groundbreaking era. Manufacturers face rising energy prices, growing sustainability demands, increasing labor shortages, and an unprecedented need for flexibility. For a globally active textile industry, where competitiveness is closely linked to production efficiency and cost leadership, this means that technology is no longer merely a means of improving operational processes – it is increasingly becoming a strategic differentiator.

#Spinning

Eltex takes the tension out of heat-setting

The ACT-MULTI system developed by Eltex – a member of TMAS, the Swedish textile machinery association – is bringing individual yarn tension monitoring and automatic control to the heat-setting process, helping manufacturers maintain consistent processing conditions across every yarn position.

#Spinning

Greater efficiency for tomorrow’s textile industry

From September 24 to 27, 2026, Barmag, together with BB Engineering (BBE), will present innovative solutions for the efficient and sustainable production of synthetic yarns at the Egy Stitch & Tex Expo in Cairo, Egypt. Under the motto “A New Era. Powered by Innovation.,” experts from Barmag and BBE will present technologies spanning the entire textile value chain — from melt to yarn — at the ATAG Ltd. booth (Hall 1, Booth C1).

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#Associations

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

#Research & Development

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

#Associations

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

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