How Sateri Fosters a Circular Economy with FINEX
In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to establish the first International Zero Waste Day (celebrated on March 30), aiming to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns while supporting society’s transformation into a circular economy.
Since less than 1 percent of the materials used to produce clothing are recycled globally, there is ample room for recycling textile fibers. Green innovative designs using recyclable and renewable materials have increasingly become the focus of the fashion industry and are driving change.
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China, the world’s largest textile producer with output of 58 million tons a year in the fiber categories alone—accounting for more than 50 percent of the world’s total—has a responsibility to be part of that change. China has textile and garment exports of $316 billion, representing more than a third of global shipments and a retail scale of more than $672 billion, with online retailing representing about $298.9 billion, according to G&F Group Inc.
As per capita fiber consumption continues to increase, so does textile waste, and recycling of waste textiles is an important measure to alleviate pressure on resources and the environment. The fashion industry is also realizing the sustainable development of the industrial chain through “circular fashion.”
According to Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) research, every kilogram of textile waste used (versus new textiles created with virgin inputs) can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.6 kilograms, save 6,000 liters of water and reduce the use of 0.3 kilograms of chemical fertilizers and 0.2 kilograms of pesticides.
As one of the world’s largest manmade cellulose fiber manufacturers, Sateri has committed to providing consumers with natural, biodegradable and green fiber products.
“Production capacity advantage alone is not enough,” said Zhang Wentao, president of China-based manufacturer Sateri. “By launching higher value products such as regenerated recycled fiber, Sateri creates value for customers, contributes to environmental protection and practices the corporate purpose of benefiting the people, country and industry.”
FINEX?
In 2019, Sateri invested $200 million in next-generation textile fiber innovation and technology to research and develop next-generation materials and clean closed-loop production technology.
In 2020, Sateri launched the recycled fiber FINEX?. Short for ‘Fibre Next,’ FINEX? is an innovative, next-gen cellulosic fiber containing recycled content. Like Sateri’s flagship brand EcoCosy?, FINEX? is made from bio-based natural fibers derived from a mix of recycled pre- and post-consumer textile waste as well as other Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)-certified wood pulp from renewable plantations.
FINEX? fiber yarn has an advantage over recycled cotton, which is created by mechanical recycling and has very low fiber strength (the highest yarn count can only reach max 30S, the average is between 5-20S). FINEX? fiber yarn, in contrast, can reach 50S which can improve the performance and enlarge the application for these recycled fibers. Further, through the innovation of fabric partners and the brand’s innovative applications, it has been confirmed that the product finds a balance between recycling and maintaining high quality, and has large-scale commercial mass production capabilities.
Sateri’s Nanjing Linz yarn factory used two advanced technologies—compact and vortex spinning—for trial spinning, which confirmed that FINEX? is compatible with existing spinning technology and equipment, and the yarn production is stable without the need to adjust the existing process or parameters. Additionally, the fiber has great spinning efficiency and spinnability, and the resulting yarn has “excellent uniformity and strength.”
“Innovation and technology make it possible to recycle cellulose textile fibers, allowing products derived from nature to be recycled and regenerated,” said Vera Shen Wei, marketing manager at Sateri. “FINEX? is a direct embodiment of recyclable fashion. The brand spirit of FINEX?, ’Regenerate Beauty’ expresses Sateri’s desire to become the first choice for the next generation of recycled fiber.”
Sateri aims to increase the content of recycled-fiber raw materials from the previous 20 percent to 50 percent by 2025, and the company has achieved this goal ahead of schedule. Its Suqian factory has successfully produced fiber-based products with stable quality and also containing 50 percent recycled raw materials, marking an important breakthrough for Sateri in the use of recycled raw materials. In line with the concept of “sustainable fashion,” FINEX? will continue to use advanced technology to give fibers a second life.
Looking ahead, Sateri’s “2030 Sustainable Development Vision”—included in its 2022 sustainability report—clarifies the development of zero-carbon products in addition to achieving a 30 percent carbon emission reduction by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
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