#Sustainability

2020-11-19

Creating sustainable value, from plantation to fashion

Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) has released its inaugural Sustainability Progress Report covering the first 18 months of its operations from January 2019 to June 2020. Formally inaugurated by Indonesia President Joko Widodo in February 2020, APR is a vertically integrated operation from renewable fibre plantations to high-value textile manufacturing facilities, located in in Riau, Sumatra.

APR’s effort to report on its sustainability performance underscores the company’s commitment to responsible viscose production. The report, themed ‘Creating Sustainable Value, From Plantation to Fashion’, details APR’s sustainability efforts which are focussed on clean manufacturing, sustainable sourcing, and initiatives in support of employees and communities.

Basrie Kamba, APR Director, said: “In our first 18 months of business, we focussed on laying a strong foundation by embedding sustainability in the way we operate – whether as a manufacturer, an employer, a member of the local community or a global corporate citizen. Our operations are guided by our sustainability policy. We sought to actively monitor our performance so as to develop a baseline from which to improve on, and to benchmark ourselves against industry peers, with the aim to be a top quartile viscose producer.”

Manufacturing Excellence

Notably, APR has attained a string of certifications relating to manufacturing, sourcing and product. It is the first viscose manufacturer in Indonesia to receive the internationally recognised STeP by OEKO-TEX certification. APR’s products carries the labels of OEKO-TEX Standard 100, USDA Biobased, MADE in GREEN by OEKO-TEX, Medically “Tested-Tested for Toxins” by FKT. It obtained ISO 9001 for quality management and 14001 for environmental management systems, and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety management systems. Its PEFC Chain of Custody certification confirms sourcing from 100% certified dissolving wood pulp.

Further, in September 2020, APR updated its sustainability policy, strengthening its clean manufacturing commitment to the ZDHC Roadmap and adopting a time-bound roadmap to meet the emissions and consumption levels set out in EU BAT.

Contributing to Indonesia & Local Communities

As Indonesia’s leading integrated viscose producer, APR contributes to the transformation of the country’s textile industry, supporting the realisation of Indonesia’s ‘Industry 4.0’ vision. APR actively partners local fashion stakeholders to promote viscose as an enabler for sustainable fashion and launched “Everything Indonesia” as a catalyst to revitalise Indonesia as a global centre for textile manufacturing. The company’s blockchain-based ‘Follow Our Fibre’ platform provides transparency and traceability of its viscose from seed to bale.

APR has also been in active engagement with its community stakeholders with programmes aimed at improving rural education standards and empowering livelihoods of women. In response to the COVID-19 health pandemic, the company provided 15,000 PPE gowns, 150,000 medical face masks and pairs of surgical gloves to Riau’s COVID-19 taskforce. It distributed 11,000 household packages to impacted communities in 176 villages across Pelalawan and 165 hygiene kits to maternal and child health centres. APR produced 88,000 fabric masks and distributed them to employees, their families and households in surrounding communities.

“It has been our great pleasure to work with APR on its first sustainability report. As a new player in the man-made cellulosic fibre industry, APR has an opportunity to bring innovation and solutions that can help shape a more sustainable textile and apparel industry. The transparency and accountability that sustainability reporting brings is incredibly important for APR to build trust and engage stakeholders in its sustainability efforts, as well as to continuously improve

“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.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

The Or Foundation, adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, and Inditex launch Apparel Recovery Coalition, responding to impacts of post-consumer textile exports

adidas, BESTSELLER, H&M Group, Inditex and The Or Foundation, with support from Circle Economy, unveiled the Apparel Recovery Coalition (ARC). The coalition will explore how producer responsibility systems can support circular pathways such as reuse, upcycling, recycling, and responsible waste management in countries that receive large volumes of exported secondhand apparel.

Georg Stausberg, a veteran of the textile machinery industry, takes over as Rieter Group CEO

Georg Stausberg, one of the most experienced executives in the international textile machinery industry, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Rieter Group with immediate effect from 4 November 2026. With more than three decades of industry experience and a long-standing leadership career at Barmag, Stausberg brings extensive technological expertise, international market knowledge and an established network across the global textile industry to his new position.

Inside the Making connects denim and sportswear supply chains at Ecomondo 2026

Six European companies are joining forces at Ecomondo 2026 in Rimini to demonstrate how different stages of denim and sportswear production are interconnected. The new initiative, Inside the Making, highlights the importance of cooperation across the textile supply chain in addressing sustainability challenges, from reducing resource consumption to improving transparency and the reliability of environmental claims.

EDANA welcomes definitive EU anti-dumping measures on Chinese PET spunbond

EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of PET spunbond originating in China. The association considers the measures an important step towards restoring fair competition and safeguarding European industrial capacity.

EU imposes definitive anti-dumping duties on Chinese PET spunbond imports

The European Commission has introduced definitive anti-dumping duties ranging from 39.8% to 48.1% on imports of PET spunbond from China. The measures, which entered into force on 31 October 2026, will remain in place for five years and are intended to address unfairly priced imports that have caused injury to European manufacturers. The EU market for these nonwoven materials is valued at approximately €200 million.