• February 02, 2021

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with technology innovator CleanKore, aiming to advance sustainable dyeing processes throughout the denim supply chain.

The agreement will allow Archroma and CleanKore to promote the benefits of each other’s technologies.

This includes Archroma’s robust catalog of dyes and specialty chemicals along with CleanKore’s patented process of dyeing yarns at the denim mill that completely eliminates the need for potassium permanganate (PP) spray and laser booster to achieve the bright white abrasion effect in the garment finishing process.

The result is a large and circular bright white core with a small ring of indigo dye. The technology does not just eliminate the chemicals associated in the PP spray and laser process, which is much safer for denim workers, it also allows to save significant amounts of water and energy throughout the manufacturing process from fabric to garmenting.

CleanKore initially looked at eliminating potassium permanganate due to its being classified as hazardous if inhaled or ingested, or in case of contact with the skin or the eye. It is also considered very toxic to aquatic life.

No new equipment or capital expenses are needed to implement the CleanKore technology, which works on all denim fabric, including dark indigo, sulfur top/bottom and sulfur black.

This is where Archroma comes into the picture. Its global technical team of denim coloration specialists will provide support to denim mills seeking to implement the CleanKore technology and develop the desired looks and effects - with the right colors and chemical systems for their production set-up.

CleanKore estimates that the technology allows to save up to 15 liters of water per garment, or the equivalent to the drinking needs of 5 people per day, and up to 0.51 kWh of energy per garment, or the equivalent of five 100-watt light bulbs on for 1 hour. The CleanKore technology also leads to a 10% to 20% increase in production throughput, as a result of a faster garment wash-down and the elimination of PP spray.

For CleanKore CEO Darryl Costin Jr., the announcement comes at an ideal time for CleanKore: "We have successfully proven the technology with mill partners such as Arvind and other denim mills in Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Thailand and the United States. The response from the industry has been overwhelmingly positive. Having a partner in Archroma, one that is highly respected for their innovation and emphasis on sustainability throughout the industry, will allow us to take CleanKore to the next level.”

Umberto Devita, Global Indigo Manager at the Archroma Global Competence Center for Denim & Casualwear, adds: "CleanKore is perfectly aligned with the 3 pillars of 'The Archroma Way to a Sustainable World: Safe, efficient, enhanced'. 'Safe' through the elimination of a potentially harmful substance and the protection of the denim workers, 'Efficient' through the reduction of resource consumption, improved productivity and cost-effective profile. And 'Enhanced' through the gorgeous colors and effects allowed with Archroma's innovations and systems, in particular our aniline-free* Denisol® Pure Indigo and Diresul® sulfur dyes. We look forward to help promoting an innovation that will help with many of the challenges facing our denim customers throughout the world. Because it’s our nature."

Organic cotton, with confidence of no genetic engineering

Hohenstein is one of only a few testing laboratories worldwide accredited to ISO 17025 for the ISO/IWA 32:2019 protocol

BÖNNIGHEIM (ivs) Textiles without genetic engineering - when it comes to this concern, more and more consumers are turning to organic cotton and are happy to accept higher prices for it. This is because the cultivation of organic cotton requires the renunciation of genetically modified seeds as well as chemical pesticides and fertilisers. Nevertheless, genetic modifications are found time and again in textiles that are actually labelled with the relevant organic labels. The conceivable causes of contamination of organic cotton by genetic modifications are complex and extend along the entire value chain. The textile testing service provider Hohenstein is currently one of five laboratories in Europe that carries out accredited testing of textiles for genetically modified organisms (GMO) in accordance with the ISO/IWA 32:2019 protocol. 

The protocol was developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) as an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on the initiative of Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Textile Exchange. The aim is to be able to apply an official, standardised GMO testing protocol for textiles from organic cultivation. According to this, all organic cotton must be free of genetic engineering, whereas conventional cotton permits the use of genetic engineering. In mid-February 2021, the initiators of the ISO/IWA 32:2019 protocol published an overview of the 14 testing laboratories worldwide that are permitted to carry out tests in accordance with the protocol's requirements, including the German testing service provider Hohenstein.

However, the Hohenstein experts have also developed their own molecular biological detection systems in order to be able to test genetically modified cotton at all critical points along the entire value chain - from raw cotton to yarns and fabrics to finished end products. Once we have been able to extract DNA, the screening allows full traceability throughout the textile chain with clear yes/no statements about GMO-free cotton or textiles. As a member institute of the OEKO-TEX® Association, Hohenstein also screens textiles for genetically modified organisms as part of the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification. If the requirements are met, the articles can be advertised here with the claims "organic cotton", "biological cotton" or "GMO not detectable".

Manufacturers, brands and retailers, but also certification organisations, benefit from complete analytical evidence all the way to the end product: consumers can be confident that no genetically modified cotton could be detected in the articles they buy. This is because up to now most organic certifications either do not include any obligatory laboratory tests at all or only random sample tests on cotton seeds.

More information:

www.hohenstein.com/gmo-testing­­­­
www.hohenstein.com

Two steps to 100 percent certainty - Hohenstein GMO tests are carried out as follows:

1.   The sample is shredded and the cotton fibres are broken down mechanically and enzymatically. The genetic material (DNA) is isolated from the fibre and purified in a multi-stage process. 

2.   A genetic modification exists if specific target sequences (marker genes) are present in the DNA. These can be detected by molecular biology. Control reactions are used to detect unmodified cotton DNA and to exclude false-negative results.

About Hohenstein

Headquartered in Bönnigheim, Germany, with 1,000 employees in its branches and laboratories around the world, Hohenstein has been providing accredited and independent services such as testing, certification, research and development of textile products and training for more than 70 years. Product labels such as the Hohenstein Quality Label or the UV STANDARD 801 support manufacturers and retailers in their marketing activities. As a founding member, Hohenstein is also one of the most important laboratories for testing within the framework of the OEKO-TEX® labels.

ORGANIC TEXTILE SECTOR REACHES A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN TESTING FOR GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GMO) COTTON

In 2019, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Textile Exchange partnered to develop the ISO IWA 32:2019 protocol¹ to create a common language among laboratories worldwide to screen for the potential presence of genetically modified (GM) cotton along the organic cotton value chain.

Following that project, the partners set out on a new initiative to bring much-needed clarity regarding the laboratories that perform testing against the international ISO reference protocol and carry out qualitative GMO testing in cottonseed, leaf, fiber, and chemically unprocessed fiber-derived materials.

The global ISO IWA 32:2019 proficiency test initiative is a collaboration between GOTS, OCA and Textile Exchange with technical support from Wageningen Food Safety Research. The joint project has reached a significant milestone: fourteen laboratories from China, Germany, India, the Netherlands, and Portugal have successfully passed the proficiency test. An overview of the laboratories that can currently conduct GMO testing as per the ISO IWA 32:2019 method has now been jointly published by GOTS, OCA and Textile Exchange, which constitutes an important milestone on the journey towards the widespread use of this standardized protocol.

Bringing clarity on GMO testing methods for the organic cotton sector, from seed to shirt

While GMOs are excluded from organic systems, organic isn’t a claim of absolute freedom from contamination or GMOs’ presence in organic products2. It is a claim that GMOs are not deliberately or knowingly used and that organic producers take far-reaching steps to avoid GMO contamination along the organic cotton value chain, from farmers to spinners, to brands. To manage this, it is essential that organic cotton stakeholders can reliably test their products for the potential presence of GM cotton.  

The ISO IWA 32:2019 is a globally accepted reference protocol that was developed to screen for the potential presence of genetically modified (GM) cotton. The protocol provided the organic cotton sector with an essential tool for taking all reasonable precautions to prevent GM cotton in their organic cotton produce Since the publication of this globally accepted reference protocol, qualitative GM cotton screening as per the ISO IWA 32:2019 is mandatory within the GOTS and OCS (Organic Content Standard) supply chain and OCA’s Farmer Engagement and Development program.

The sector now recommends using the ISO IWA 32 protocol throughout the organic cotton value chain as the only recognized method for GMO testing. Therefore, the global ISO IWA 32:2019 proficiency test initiative’s success is vital in building confidence among the industry.

Commenting on the global ISO IWA 32:2019 proficiency test initiative, OCA’s Programme Officer, Mathilde Tournebize, said: “As a global platform, we are committed to increasing the clarity and reliability of GMO screening for the organic cotton sector. The first results of the global proficiency test initiative have given us an overview of the laboratories that can be contacted to conduct such tests. We’re hopeful that as we see more laboratories implementing the ISO IWA 32:2019 worldwide, several rounds of proficiency tests will help us all chart the labs that can be contacted to reliably conduct GMO tests. We are proud to be working in partnership with both GOTS and Textile Exchange as we are united in our belief that this proficiency test will contribute to standardising GMO testing along the organic cotton value chain. Our ambition is to reach out to more laboratories and geographies to increase the widespread use of the ISO IWA 32:2019 protocol.”

Rahul Bhajekar, Managing Director at GOTS, added: “I am glad to see a high level of interest from laboratories across the world and results showing competence from producing and buying countries. We shall continue to further advance this collaboration with like-minded organisations to further develop the standardisation of GMO testing in cotton fibre products. We remain committed to ensuring that GOTS goods are free from GMOs.”

Amish Gosai, South Asia Manager at Textile Exchange, said: “The success of standardized testing methods depends on adaptability and uniformed results. Labs achieving a successful outcome in the proficiency test indicates both lab performance and the effectiveness of this method. We are glad to see that this initiative shows that the global ISO IWA 32 testing method gives consistent outcomes, and we look forward to more labs joining the next round of the proficiency test.”

A first step into unifying the sector on GMO screening

The ISO IWA 32:2019 proficiency test initiative will not cease with the current laboratories; the joint initiative will be repeated regularly. More laboratories are welcome to apply for the next round of proficiency test, which will be organized, once sufficient demand has been reached.