#Sustainability

2019-08-22

Responsibility from raw material purchasing to customer product

Sustainability does not begin and end at the CHT Group's factory gates, as the Group focuses on both its supply chain and its customers.

Responsible Care Award 2019 goes to CHT Germany

CHT's wide-ranging spectrum has now been submitted to the Responsible Care competition 2019 under the title "Demanding and promoting sustainability - we take responsibility from purchasing to customer application" and convinced the jury. For the second time in a row the CHT Group was able to win the VCI Baden-Württemberg State Award. This year, sustainability in the supply chain was the central topic.

To ensure sustainability along the supply chain the CHT Group's suppliers have been evaluated comprehensively in terms of their sustainability since 2014. All suppliers worldwide are analysed accordingly to uniform criteria and receive an overall rating that includes ecological and social criteria in addition to classic performance criteria such as quality safety, delivery reliability and competitive prices. As a minimum requirement for the status "Sustainable Supplier", in addition to a positively evaluated and documented self-disclosure, the countersigned Code of Conduct of CHT as well as valid certificates according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 have to be provided.

Suppliers that do not meet the required status are either replaced directly, or packages of measures are defined in a targeted manner, the implementation of which is then evaluated in a subsequent review. The current sustainability rate for CHT suppliers was 88% at the end of 2018.

On the sales side, CHT focuses on process chemicals and additives that help customers worldwide optimise their manufacturing processes while saving resources, energy, time and water. This sustainable approach has been gradually extended in recent years to include CHT's service functions. In addition to mere certification, CHT offers its customers comprehensive support and transparency with the QRPI tool (Quality & Regulatory Product Information), especially in the business field of Consumer Care Solutions.

The QRPI report concisely presents all information of the CHT product regarding quality, product safety, certification, legal regulations and chemical composition.

This new product passport helps customers not only with the application. The added value is immense, especially in the regulatory evaluation of their formulations and products with regard to subsequent declarations and certifications.

For CHT, sustainability therefore begins with the purchase of raw materials, it is an integral part of its own production and value creation and is also documented and made transparent for customers.

“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.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

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Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

SAITEX reports efficiency gains and greater transparency in 2025 Impact Report

Vietnam-based denim manufacturer SAITEX has published its 2025 Impact Report, documenting progress in resource efficiency, chemical management, digital traceability and knowledge sharing across its manufacturing operations in Vietnam and the United States. Rather than focusing on sustainability ambitions, the report presents operational data, manufacturing developments and lessons learned from the past year.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

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ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.