Page 62 - TEXtalks November/December 2021

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Why Viscose is the Sustainable

Viscose
Future of Fashion

Fast fashion may have improved consumer choice but it has come at a cost. The
average number of times clothes are worn before being thrown away continues to
decline, falling 36 per cent in the 15 years to 2017. In the U.S., the average garment
is worn just 40 times before it is discarded. Synthetic fabrics such as nylon,
polyester and acrylic, which make up around 60 per cent of garment production, are
all forms of plastic produced from petroleum. Synthetic fabrics also do not

biodegrade, meaning at the end of their life, if they are not recycled, they are either
burned or disposed of in landfills, where they will remain for centuries.

Viscose-Rayon Production Cycle. Viscose-rayon is sourced from sustainably managed plantations and forests Fibre to Fashion
Sustainable fashion first fully integrated viscose rayon producer in Asia
Sustainable fashion is often touted as the solution, from plantation to viscose fibre. APR, which has a
but what exactly is it? Sustainable fashion is a production capacity of 240,000 tons per annum, is plantation to viscose-rayon bale, APR has minimal plantations. This information is publicly reported
movement toward clothes that are manufactured co-located with pulp supplier APRIL in Pangkalan risk of supply disruption and is also protected against under www.followourfibre.com
responsibly respecting the environment and the Kerinci, in Riau province, Indonesia. APR and APRIL the volatility of commodity prices.
communities in which they are produced. both are part of a group of companies managed by Power optimized with renewable biomass: Most of
Singapore-headquartered resource-based group RGE. R&D and product development: Asia Pacific Yarn the mill’s electricity is generated from renewable
It takes into account not just the production of the (APY) started production on Feb 2020, APY is a resources, using clean energy throughout the APR
raw materials that go into the fabric, where and how Almost half of the output of APR is used in the quality gatekeeper of APR as improvement for APR mill processes. As a result, , APR can drastically
the clothes are made, and who makes them. domestic market, while the rest is exported to more fibre quality and to support APR’s customers in reduce the use of non-renewable fossil fuels.
than 20 countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, improving quality, production and cost. APY have all
Viscose-rayon is a natural alternative to acrylic, Vietnam, Germany and Italy. three spinning technologies of Ring, Open-End and Sustainability policy: APR aims to help build a
polyester, nylon and other petroleum-based synthetic MVS to produce yarn for both knitting and woven vibrant and sustainable textile industry where raw
fabrics. Made from 100% wood cellulose, viscose is applications, with a capacity of 7,200 tons per year. materials are responsibly grown, using the latest
biodegradable and naturally decomposes. technologies to maximize efficiencies and to supply
Viscose-rayon is increasingly a popular choice for World-class clean manufacturing: APR is committed world-class products for customers around the world.
designers and demand increasing as a sustainable to clean production of viscose-rayon fibre and
fashion fabric of choice. constantly strives to operate in the top quartile of APR openly and constructively engages all
viscose-rayon manufacturing, in terms of reduced customers, civil society organizations and fashion
Three areas have to be managed well if viscose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improved carbon brands to ensure that the company can continue to
production is to be sustainable: i) pulp-sourcing – disulphide (CS2) recovery, and wastewater strive to be among the best-managed and most
making sure that pulp is produced sustainably management in line with industry-leading practices. sustainable companies in the industry, creating value
certified to International certification standards and for the community, country, climate and customers. It
does not contribute to deforestation; ii) clean Traceability: The challenges of creating a truly is APR’s vision to produce the best quality viscose
production ensuring minimal environment footprint traceable supply chain are complex, often costly, and fibre to enable our customers to grow their product
on emissions and iii) making positive economic Inside APR Mills. Quality fibre as result of synergy of strong quality control and R&D require strong collaboration. Further, traceability is a offerings and be competitive in the market.
impact on the surrounding communities. collaborative effort that involves many actors across
Why select APR as a source of viscose staple fibre? the entire supply chain. APR’s fibre is fully traceability For further details on Viscose fibre usage and
Indonesian-based Asia Pacific Rayon (APR) is the Stable quality and supply: Being fully integrated from back to where the material is sourced including its properties, contact: nauman_ilyas@asiafibre.com

November/December 2021 November/December 2021