FREITAG’s circularity goals: From truck tarps to trending

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

FREITAG, a Zurich, Switzerland-based apparel and bag company, aims to create a closed-loop system of fashion manufacturing using biodegradable and compostable materials to make products that can return to the field after use.
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Compostable algae-based TPU plastic study results

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Researchers from material science company Algenesis Corporation and University of California–San Diego recently published results from a study investigating how microplastics from the company’s bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) break down under home composting conditions.
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FibeRobo actuating fibers respond to heating and cooling

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Northeastern University have developed a programmable liquid crystal elastomer fiber called FibeRobo that alters its shape in response to temperature changes, without needing any hard components such as sensors. The low-cost fiber …
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Team USA Olympic blazers help environment

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Those sharp Ralph Lauren blazers that the nearly 600 Team USA athletes were wearing got a real field test during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games as it poured while their boat traveled the Seine in late July. But being crafted of Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified wool, fa…
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Leatherlike Celium grown with agricultural fruit waste

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

In May, Polybion™, a Madrid, Spain, biomaterials company, released its Celium™ Swatch Sampler collection in a variety of tones, marbled patterns and embossed styles to show the leatherlike material’s versatility. The cultivated cellulose textile is fabricated via a process where bacteria feed …
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Sileather showcased in electric cars

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

Silicone fabric Sileather® is finding a variety of uses in electric vehicles for Chinese companies Leapmotor, HiPhi Motors and Huawei/SERES.
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Nonwoven wipes manufacturers focus on sustainability

September 1, 2024  |  Swatches

As in the larger textile industry, sustainability is at the forefront of efforts in the nonwoven wipes market. From the preservatives that keep the wipe from growing bacteria and the nonwoven substrates themselves to the product’s transportation and the establishment of recycling programs, compani…
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Ron Nissenbaum reflects on Humphrys’ 150 years

September 1, 2024  |  Features, Perspective

With early but short-lived career aspirations of becoming a sports broadcaster, Ron “Boots” Nissenbaum instead built a 56-year career providing a different type of coverage—several types, in fact. As CEO of Humphrys, Nissenbaum oversees three separate Philadelphia, Pa.,-based companies under t…
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Textiles that float return astronauts, research and more safely to Earth

September 1, 2024  |  Features

When it comes to the study of Earth and space, it’s easy to be mesmerized by the rockets and spacecraft that have soared past the very top of our planet’s exosphere. But bringing those astronauts and scientific research safely back to earth is thanks in part to textile products that float, such …
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Animal medical textiles: A market on the move

September 1, 2024  |  Features

All manner of pet product sales are increasing as animals become more significant parts of many people’s lives. Nearly every category within the pet industry is showing sales increases—including foods/treats, toys, health and wellness products, apparel and grooming—activity that manufacturers,…
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