#Raw Materials

2024-06-20

AMSilk’s fibers have a significantly lower environmental footprint compared to Silk

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a frontrunner in advanced biomaterials made from spider silk-based proteins, today announces that that it has completed an independent ‘Cradle-to-Gate’ Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental footprint of AMSilk Ultrafine Fiber with mulberry silk across five environmental indicators: climate change, land and water use, acidification and freshwater eutrophication.

These indicators are the most relevant to the textile industry and represent the top five of all 16 Product Environmental Footprint (“PEF”) indicators evaluated after having normalized and weighted all results. The study was executed by Quantis, the leading environmental sustainability consultancy.

The ISO-compliant and objectively reviewed study found that the relative impact of 1 kg of AMSilk Ultrafine vs. Mulberry silk was significant, with AMSilk Ultrafine having:

• 81% lower climate change impact

• 90% lower acidification

• 73% lower eutrophication of freshwater

• 92% lower land use

• 97% lower water use

Based on this “cradle-to-gate” study, AMSilk Ultrafine Fiber has a more favorable environmental footprint compared to Mulberry silk in the five environmental indicators examined. Key factors contributing to this include AMSilk’s potential to reduce water and land use impacts by avoiding the negative impacts from deforestation and land use change associated with mulberry tree cultivation.

Overall, the reduction in environmental impacts associated with AMSilk fibers can be attributed to its biofabricated nature, which circumvents the resource-intensive processes of silkworm rearing and cocoon harvesting inherent to silk production.

In a separate analysis by the Fresenius Institute, AMSilk’s textiles were shown to be readily biodegradable according to OECD 301B, with >60% degradation in just eight days, well ahead of the benchmark of 10 days, and 84% degradation within 28 days. Nonetheless, the material is fully durable in daily use by a consumer.

Ulrich Scherbel, Chief Executive Officer, AMSilk commented: “These strong figures reinforce the environmental performance characteristics of our material in addition to their various high-performance properties. Our biofabricated fibers and yarns remove the limitations of existing materials and offer brands unimagined opportunities to reinvent themselves while reducing their carbon footprint.”

Click here for more details: Cradle-to-Gate Report Overview

https://www.amsilk.com/app/uploads/2024-06-18_Fiber-LCA-2024_public-version.pdf

To showcase its innovative biofabricated yarns, AMSilk will be attending Pitti Immagine Filati, in Florence, Italy, from the 25th to 27th June 2024, and Première Vision in Paris from the 2nd to 4th July 2024. If you would like to meet with a member of the team, please get in contact, or come and visit the stand.

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Christian Wichert appointed Chief Executive Officer to lead next phase of growth

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader in advanced biomaterials made from silk proteins, today announces the appointment of Christian Wichert as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 1 June. The appointment marks a pivotal moment in AMSilk’s journey, as the Company advances from development through scale-up to commercialization.

ALLIED expands down traceability with lot-level carbon footprint data

ALLIED Feather + Down has expanded its TrackMyDown traceability platform to include validated cradle-to-gate carbon footprint data linked to individual down lots. The initiative is designed to provide brands and consumers with more detailed environmental information on the materials used in finished products and could also support future data requirements associated with Digital Product Passports.

ICAC’s 84th Plenary Meeting to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt

Registration will soon be open for the International Cotton Advisory Committee’s 84th Plenary Meeting, to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt. The local Organizing Committee in Egypt has chosen “Building a Resilient and Competitive Future for Cotton and Textiles” as the theme for the event, which will be held at the Rixos Montaza Alexandria Resort.

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.

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.

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.

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.