#Raw Materials

2023-02-02

‘All ICAC’ Edition of the review focusses on textiles & sustainability

In the newest edition of ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’, Editor and Economist Lorena Ruiz turned to her colleagues at the ICAC to address the intersection of two critical topics for cotton: textiles and sustainability.

Executive Summary

The just-released edition of ‘Cotton: Review of the World Situation’ includes:

An article from ICAC Economist Ms Lorena Ruiz on the global textiles and apparel trade,

An article from ICAC Head of Textiles Mr Kanwar Usman on the Product Environmental Footprint,

An article from ICAC Communications Director Mike McCue on the global textile supply chain, and

The official Final Statement from the ICAC’s 80th Plenary Meeting.

In addition to authoring an article herself, ‘Global Textiles and Apparel Trade: A Post-Pandemic Review’, Ms Ruiz secured articles from:

Mr Kanwar Usman, ICAC Head of Textiles, who wrote a deep-dive analysis of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), a life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC), and

ICAC Communications Director Mr Mike McCue, who provided an overview of the 2022 World Café, which convened 27 experts from around the world to discuss ‘The Evolving Global Textile Supply Chain’.

The final entry in the 13-page issue is the Final Statement of the ICAC’s 80th Plenary Meeting, which was held virtually from 29 November 2022 – 1 December 2022 with the theme, ‘Driving Sustainability through Innovation and Leadership’.

‘This issue of the Review reflects the recent and intensifying focus of the ICAC on textiles, as evidenced by the hiring of the first-ever Head of Textiles, Kanwar Usman’, Ms Ruiz said. ‘And while sustainability has always been a major area of emphasis for the ICAC, its importance to all stakeholders in the cotton industry is growing rapidly. Between the three staff-written articles and the Final Statement, readers will have a good sense of what the ICAC has been focussing on recently and that will only increase as we move forward’.

To read this free issue of the Review, please click:

https://tinyurl.com/577m7ja7.

China projected to increase cotton production, yields, and imports in 2026/27

World cotton production in the 2026/27 season is projected at 25.9 million tonnes, exceeding global consumption of 25.2 million tonnes, according to the May 2026 issue of Cotton This Month. That means both production and consumption are expected to remain close to current season levels, while global cotton trade is projected to decline by 2.7% to approximately 9.6-9.7 million tonnes.

New U.S. cotton study uses real-world grower data to reveal where fiber impacts occur

Cotton Incorporated has released a critically reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) of U.S. cotton fiber production that examines how cotton’s environmental impacts are measured and where meaningful improvements can be made across the value chain. The new data, grounded in real‑world grower inputs, measures what drives U.S. cotton’s environmental footprint from field to gin.

ECCO introduces first shoe featuring innovative protein-based fibre

ECCO, in partnership with Spinnova, announces the launch of the limited edition ECCO BIOM® 720, a first-of-its-kind shoe utilising an often overlooked leather by-product, transformed into a protein-based fibre. The fibres are produced using patented technology that advances material innovation while reducing waste and supporting full resource use across the leather and textile industry.

trinamiX mobile NIR spectroscopy: New applications for the footwear and textile industry

trinamiX GmbH expands its solution portfolio for the circular economy, now enabling the identification of materials used in the footwear and textile industries. With its mobile near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy solutions, trinamiX supports manufacturers, sorters, recyclers, and brand owners in reliably identifying materials and improving transparency across increasingly complex value chains.

Fifteen years of Autoneum – From spin off to global technology leader

What started as a strategic carve‑out has since become the success story of a global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. Headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, Autoneum supplies leading automobile manufacturers worldwide with innovative, lightweight and increasingly sustainable solutions.

Kruger, Canada, orders first nonwovens line for sustainable wipes from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from newly established Kruger Nonwovens to deliver a complete WetlaceTM hybrid line for the Wayagamack mill in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. With this investment, pulp and paper producer Kruger is preparing to enter the nonwovens market with a new generation of plastic-free, chemical-free materials for sustainable wipes. The line is the first of its kind in Canada and is scheduled to start production in 2028.

Picanol to present its leading weaving technology at ITM 2026

Picanol is pleased to announce it will be participating in ITM 2026 in Istanbul. This is a key event for industry professionals to engage with the Turkish textile industry as well as the extensive international audience attending the fair. During the event, Picanol will present its latest innovations to the visitors in Hall 8, booth 802.