#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-01-13

Institute welcomes new members to standards steering committee

The Institute is pleased to welcome Dr. Anna Lennquist, Senior Toxicologist at The International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec), and Dr. Nikola Juhasz, Global Technical Director for Sustainability at Sun Chemical, who have been appointed to the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute’s Standards Steering Committee by the Institute’s Board of Directors, as of 1 January 2022.

The appointments are the result of a thorough selection process that started in September 2021 with a public call for members.

The Committee is composed of technical and subject matter experts from a variety of stakeholder groups. The new appointments deepen the expertise of the Committee across all categories of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Standard, bringing on board additional material health expertise. Below is a full list of current members:

• Sean Ansett - Founder, At Stake Advisors Limited

• Dr. Alain Casoli - Group R&D Regulatory Affairs Director, Tarkett

• Don Frey- Chief Innovation Officer, The Honest Company

• Annette Hastrup - Owner and CEO, Vugge til Vugge ApS

• Dr. Nikola Juhasz - Global Technical Director for Sustainability, Sun Chemical

• Dr. Anna Lennquist - Senior Toxicologist – The International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec)

• Dr. Jennifer Russell - Assistant Professor, Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

• Jimmy Summers - Vice President of Environment, Health, and Safety, and Chief Sustainability Officer, Elevate Textiles, Inc

• Tom Vereijken - Director, European Water Stewardship, Water Stewardship Academy BV

• Dr. Susan Klosterhaus - Vice President, Science and Certification, Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute

The Standards Steering Committee is charged with providing oversight of the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard and is the main governance body for the standard.

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute verifies products and materials that are safe, circular and responsibly made by assessing sustainability performance across five categories: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. For more than a decade, leading brands, designers and manufacturers have relied on the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard to optimize products for immediate and long-term positive impacts on human and environmental health.

Learn more here about the Committee and its members:

https://www.c2ccertified.org/the-team/standards-steering-committee

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

Itema reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian textile industry at NasTex 2026

From July 18th to 21st, Itema will exhibit at NasTex at the Damascus Fairground (Hall 11 – Stand C02), marking its return to one of the Middle East’s historically significant textile markets. Itema will showcase advanced weaving technology designed to support the competitiveness and technological evolution of Syrian manufacturers and announces a new partnership with Growfast Agency as the sole agent of Itema in Syria.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.