Page 48 - TEXtalks International April/May 2022

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Why Viscose Fabric is
the Future of the
Fashion Industry
Increasing demand for more sustainable options
There is increasing realization around the world that
the fast fashion industry comes at a huge
environmental cost, with outfits designed to be worn
just a handful of times before being discarded.
Unless something changes, by 2030 APR is on track
to throw away more than 134 million tonnes of textiles
each year. Most of this fashion waste is not
biodegradable – the most popular fabrics, such as
nylon, polyester and acrylic, are all forms of plastic
and will remain in landfills for centuries.
Consumers are increasingly demanding more
sustainable options, and brands are rushing to catch
up. That means there is increasing focus on where
raw materials come from, how garments are
April/May 2022
Reducing and recycling
APR has committed to use 20% recycled textile content in the viscose staple fibre (VSF)
production by 2030
produced, and what happens to them at the end of
their useful lives. And nature-based fabrics, such as
viscose rayon, have a clear place in a future, more
sustainable fashion industry.
APR’s viscose rayon is produced from trees grown
on sustainably managed plantations that are
independently certified, primarily through international
body PEFC. That means that the raw materials are
produced with minimal impact on the environment
and, as part of the APR2030 agenda, APR is
committed to net zero emissions from land use
through vertical integration with primary supplier
APRIL, and to halve APR’s product carbon intensity
per tonne of viscose production.
Nature-based fibres have the advantage of being
biodegradable, meaning that when they are
eventually discarded they break down naturally in
the soil. APR’s viscose for example has been
independently verified to biodegrade naturally in
both soil and water. That goes some way to
reducing the growing volume of fashion waste
sitting in landfills.
Reducing the impact that fashion waste has in
landfills is important, but the holy grail of the
fashion industry is to stop that waste in the first
place, by recycling fabric discarded in the
production process, as well as used garments that
would otherwise be thrown away.
This is harder than it may sound. Fabrics that are
blended with other materials must be unpicked,
zippers and buttons must be removed, and dyes
must be extracted – and much of the technology to
do this remains in its infancy.
As part of the APR2030 goals, APR has committed
to use 20% recycled textile content in APR viscose
staple fibre (VSF) production by 2030. In part this
will be achieved through a US$200 million
investment by APR’s parent company, RGE, to
mainstream the use of recycled textiles and
accelerate circularity in the textile industry.
Good for Community
A more sustainable fashion industry must also take
account of the way in which raw materials, fabric
and the clothes themselves are produced. As well
as creating jobs in APR operations, APR also aims
to have a positive impact on the area in which APR
operate. For example, APR has partnered with
producers of traditional batik cloth in Riau -
Indonesia, to help them use sustainable viscose
and natural dyes in their work.
And as part of the APR2030 commitment APR will
work together with APRIL Group to help eradicate
extreme poverty within a 50-km radius of APR
operations.
The industry still has work to do to realise the
promise of sustainable fashion, but it’s clear that
viscose fabric will play an important part in the
future of the fashion industry.
For further information please contact
NAUMAN_ILYAS@asiafibre.com