Page 49 - TEXtalks International April/May 2022

48 Reducing and recycling

Why Viscose Fabric is Nature-based fibres have the advantage of being

biodegradable, meaning that when they are
eventually discarded they break down naturally in
the Future of the 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
Fashion Industry 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
Increasing demand for more sustainable options APR has committed to use 20% recycled textile content in the viscose staple fibre (VSF) operate. For example, APR has partnered with
production by 2030 producers of traditional batik cloth in Riau -
There is increasing realization around the world that produced, and what happens to them at the end of Indonesia, to help them use sustainable viscose
the fast fashion industry comes at a huge their useful lives. And nature-based fabrics, such as and natural dyes in their work.
environmental cost, with outfits designed to be worn viscose rayon, have a clear place in a future, more
just a handful of times before being discarded. sustainable fashion industry. And as part of the APR2030 commitment APR will
work together with APRIL Group to help eradicate
Unless something changes, by 2030 APR is on track APR’s viscose rayon is produced from trees grown extreme poverty within a 50-km radius of APR
to throw away more than 134 million tonnes of textiles on sustainably managed plantations that are operations.
each year. Most of this fashion waste is not independently certified, primarily through international
biodegradable – the most popular fabrics, such as body PEFC. That means that the raw materials are The industry still has work to do to realise the
nylon, polyester and acrylic, are all forms of plastic produced with minimal impact on the environment promise of sustainable fashion, but it’s clear that
and will remain in landfills for centuries. viscose fabric will play an important part in the
and, as part of the APR2030 agenda, APR is future of the fashion industry.
committed to net zero emissions from land use
Consumers are increasingly demanding more
sustainable options, and brands are rushing to catch through vertical integration with primary supplier For further information please contact
up. That means there is increasing focus on where APRIL, and to halve APR’s product carbon intensity NAUMAN_ILYAS@asiafibre.com
raw materials come from, how garments are per tonne of viscose production.
April/May 2022