#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.

ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.

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.

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.

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.

Long John puts KARL MAYER's RDJ 7/3 into operation and strengthens its position as a market leader

KARL MAYER has just unveiled its new RDJ 7/3 Jacquard Double Needle Bar Raschel Machine in the international trade press, and the innovation is already causing a stir in the market: The Long John Group, a leading manufacturer of performance footwear fabrics and a long-standing partner of renowned brands, was the first customer to invest in the new machine and celebrated its official launch at its Indonesian plant on August 20.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.