#Sustainability

2022-09-08

Indorama Ventures wins Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2022

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical producer, won the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2022 in the Circular Economy Leadership category. IVL is the first Thai company to be recognized for this award category, which recognized the company’s successful "PET Bottles Recycling to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) Distribution" project.

IVL recognized for PET recycling project to produce PPE medical safety suits

Mr. Yash Lohia, Chairman of ESG Council at Indorama Ventures, said, "We are delighted to receive the Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2022 for the first time, and as the only Thai company to be recognized in the Circular Economy Leadership category. The award reflects the importance PET recycling, which is key to creating a circular economy. As the world's largest producer of recycled PET resins for beverage packaging, we have constantly developed our capacity to recycle post-consumer PET bottles and transform them into quality products with many uses, including specialty applications like medical equipment."

From 2011 to 2021, IVL collected over 72 billion post-consumer PET bottles for recycling, which prevented 1.6 million tons of plastic waste from going to landfill and reduced 2.4 million tons of carbon footprint in the product life cycle. IVL aims to expand its global capacity to recycle 50 billion bottles per year by 2025, increasing to 100 billion bottles per year by 2030.

This award recognized the company’s post-consumer PET recycling project to produce PPE suits for distribution to medical institutes to support personnel safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, IVL, in partnership with 14 organizations and 1,597 stakeholders, donated 8,000 PPE suits and 1,000 bedding sets. All are made from 9.35 tons of post-consumer PET bottles that were recycled into high-quality PET yarns and woven into polyester fabrics. The medical-grade PPE products were reusable and washable up to 20 times, reducing environmental waste commonly associated with single-use items. The PPE suits are certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Textile Institute of Thailand.

The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards are the most prominent CSR and sustainability awards for leading corporations in Asia. The awards are organized by Enterprise Asia to promote responsible entrepreneurship. They are based on six key pillars: the environment; fair practices; health; leadership; community; and people. In 2022, more than 250 companies submitted entries that were selected by judges from six industries using the three parameters: effectiveness & reach, relevancy, and sustainability.

“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.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

KARL MAYER is turning its anniversary year 2027 into a milestone for the textile sector. To mark its 90th anniversary, the industry leader is inviting customers, partners, and experts from around the world to a unique event series in September aimed at pushing boundaries, unlocking new opportunities, and jointly setting the course for a new era in textiles – just as KARL MAYER has done throughout its history. The company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt, is the place to be.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

Durak Tekstil, a leading brand in its industry, has developed Durak Maxibalance, a new product engineered with bio-ceramic and FAR IR technology. Ushering in a new era for sportswear, activewear, and medical textiles, this technology offers features designed to support balance and movement comfort by reflecting the energy absorbed from the body back into it.

Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 draws to a close, weaving sustainable innovation into global sourcing

Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 concluded with approximately 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, connecting with nearly 22,000 visitors from 110 represented markets, bringing the textile industry’s evolving material agenda into sharper focus. Held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, CHIC and PH Value, the fair connected upstream fibre and yarn innovation with fabric development, garment production and fashion-market demand.