From cellulose to new Finnish man-made cellulose fibers and sustainably colored textiles

Textile and clothes are an essential part of our everyday life. They protect us from the elements and other external impacts, serve cultural and societal functions, and can be part of our identity. Every year, 80 billion(!) pieces of garments are produced. Unfortunately, this has a huge negative effect on our environment. The textile and clothing sector belongs to the most polluting industries. Finland used to be a center of textile expertise in Europe. But due to the globalization of markets and product during the past decades, many textile businesses have closed and expertise got lost. Propelled by the increasing environmental awareness among the population, many initiatives to reverse this trend have been launched in the recent past. Finland became a hub for novel biobased textile fibers. Several new fiber technologies were developed through private and public research. However, the textile value chain from raw material to final product is highly fragmented and new technologies must be compatible with the existing chain to guarantee commercial success. The goal of FinnFiberColor is to develop solutions for the challenges that man-made cellulose fiber (MMCF) technologies currently developed in Finland will face when they will be integrated into the textile chain. Advanced analytical tools will be utilized to understand how alternative biobased raw materials can be used for existing and new spinning technology. The properties of novel MMCFs will be studied to ensure their compatibility with further processing steps. In order to reduce the environmental impact and enhance sustainability, FinnFiberColor will also study two novel textile coloration technologies: spin dyeing using bio-colorants and non-water salt-free dyeing. This project is conducted by a consortium of academic and industrial partners. This will provide the best possible ecosystem needed to path the way for more sustainable textiles and clothing.