Sustainable fashion: from virus-fighting technology to zero-waste manufacturing, innovations from Finland

La textile industry has a great impact on the environment, so new sustainable solutions for each stage of the life cycle of textile products. The available raw materials do not meet the growing needs for textile fibers and, at the same time, millions of tons of waste from this industry are burned or end up in landfills. Finland It positions itself as a leader of the revolution that fights to achieve sustainable materials and business models in the international textile business.

 

The production and consumption of textile products entails significant environmental, climatic and social impacts due to the use of enormous amounts of water, land, pesticides and chemicals, as well as the emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants caused by the industry. The raw materials currently available are not capable of meeting the growing demand for fibers and textiles. At the same time, globally, it is estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced each year, of which 75-85% are burned or end up in landfills.

 

 

Finland offers innovative solutions and know-how at all levels of the sustainable textile ecosystem: starting with the handling of textile waste and its treatment, through B2B and B2C sale and use, to collection, recycling and identification, returning again to its handling.

 

The leading Finnish experts are Rester, NordShield®, Emmy, Spinnova and InfinitedFiber Company, that offer innovative solutions for the entire textile ecosystem.

 

"We have the opportunity to influence the large global system and value chains by replacing the main raw materials with recycled components, using, for example, wood textile fiber, or keeping existing materials in the process for as long as possible. ", it states Marika Ollaranta, responsible for the program “Bioand Circular Finland, "In Business Finland (Finnish organization for trade, investment and travel promotion and innovation financing).

 

Similarly, Ollaranta adds: "Finnish innovations offer revolutionary solutions that cover the entire life cycle of a textile. Governments, consumers and the industry itself are waking up and seeing the challenges of an industry very oriented to single use; without However, more work is needed to raise awareness and change mindsets and behavior, which will result in a more sustainable cycle that maintains quality levels and reasonable costs."

 

Innovative companies with sustainable solutions

 

Rester works closely with the Southwest Municipal Waste Management Company. Finland, LSJH, in a project that brings together the public and private sectors around this matter.

 

From waste handling to the physical characteristics of textiles, the patented technology of NordShield® allows a natural antimicrobial treatment of textiles, free of heavy metals.

 

Spinnova and Infinited Fiber Company have devised innovative ways to make fiber from wood pulp and discarded textiles, while Emmy Clothing Company has created a transparent resale-as-a-service of clothing, which makes it possible for all actors in the ecosystem to participate in prolonging the life cycle of a textile.

 

 

Finland opens the first large-scale textile refining plant in the Nordic countries this summer

 

 

First large-scale textile refining plant in the Nordic countries

 

Responding to the growing problems of textile waste, in 2025 it will come into force in the UE a new regulation on textile recycling. However, Finland aims to get ahead and start this process in 2023.

 

Rester, together with LSJH, is in the process of opening a textile refining plant in Paimio, Finland, which will purify textiles at the end of their useful life to convert them into raw material fiber that can be used in new products. It is expected to be one of the largest textile refining plants in northern Europe, baptizing Finland as one of the recycling centers of the Nordic countries. The two production lines will process post-consumer textiles from households and pre-consumer textiles from the B2B sector. Upon commissioning, the plant will annually process 12.000 tons of textiles at the end of their useful life. The plan is to increase the volume in the future until the capacity is doubled.

 

"The new plant has aroused great interest and we are very excited to be the precursors of systemic change in the textile industry. Our objective is to guarantee the quality of the recycled fiber, optimize the material to satisfy customer needs and ensure the best possible product performance through further fiber development. Our vision is to build an eco-community, Green Field Hub, in Paimio, and create a closed-loop system that allows the reuse and recycling of textiles at scale, together with the other actors in the ecosystem," says OutiLuukko, CEO of Rester.

 

Physical armor against Covid-19?

 

The Finnish biotechnology company NordShield® has created a naturally-based antimicrobial technology that works against bacteria, fungi and viruses (including human coronaviruses). In addition to not containing heavy metals, it takes advantage of the ancestral power of the Nordic forests. In its various forms, the technology can be applied to textiles and fibers, as well as medical devices, plastics and even skin.

 

"The power of nature is the power of NordShield®. We want to eliminate the use of unsustainable, non-renewable and toxic ingredients in antimicrobial protection. By offering a superior alternative to existing antimicrobial products, we are having a positive impact on the world and making the new normal as safe as possible. Our technology minimizes the chemical load on the environment and is also cost competitive," he says. Kristoffer Ekman, CEO of NordShield®.

 

The recently released NordShield® BioLayr is a durable antibacterial solution to make consumer textiles antimicrobial. The revolutionary NordShield® Brilliant technology has a wide variety of applications, such as disinfecting hands, feet, surfaces and even masks. Testing conducted in December 2020 and January 2021 confirms the long-lasting effectiveness of NordShield® Brilliant for up to five weeks.

 

Before NordShield® Brilliant products entered the market, disinfectants used alcohol as an active substance to kill microbes and germs. However, the effect of alcohol is short-lived: once it has evaporated, usually within seconds, the treated surface or skin is once again exposed to contamination. NordShield® Brilliant products contain alcohol for the immediate removal effect, but the long-lasting effectiveness derives from its disruptive technology based on a unique layer that does not evaporate, but rather forms an armor-like physical barrier on the treated surface. This technology is available to wholesalers throughout the EU/EEA and in Switzerland.

 

Less waste: make more use of clothes

 

Emmy Clothing Company is a leading online store in the Nordic countries that sells top quality second-hand clothing. The website allows consumers, clothing retailers and fashion brands to easily and efficiently resell, discover and purchase high-quality fashion, with complete transparency regarding quality, availability and delivery options. Focusing on quality, all items are hand inspected and checked for authenticity. Emmy also offers consumers and partners a fully transparent service for the reuse of textiles, as well as valuable information on the quality of garments and their impact on the environment.

 

"Our mission is to prolong the life cycle of clothing. The most sustainable way is to use clothing in its original form. We want to offer our customers a fun, comfortable and rewarding way to recycle clothing," he says TaruMarjamaa, CMO of Emmy