#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-11-12

SABIC hosts high-level forum on Circular Carbon Economy

A high-level virtual forum on the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) was hosted by SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals. Attended by over 300 participants, the event addressed how enabling the CCE through the application of game-changing technologies, is playing a vital role in helping companies meet the rising expectations of investors and wider society with regard to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards.

The first-day sessions at the Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) Enablers Forum highlighted the growing efforts of technology venturing arms of corporate and institutional organizations in facilitating the use of the ‘4Rs’ of the CCE (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, and Remove). The sessions also explored how to apply the ‘4Rs’ on a commercial scale, as a route to harnessing their added value towards improved ESG performance.

SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, Yousef Al-Benyan, opened the forum and said: “Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. The CCE framework presents an effective solution towards significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the long term. However, delivering a lasting and positive impact will require the public and private sector to work closely together, harnessing the full potential of their innovative and collaborative capabilities.”

He added: “At SABIC, we have continuously demonstrated our commitment towards a more sustainable future and, specifically, the Circular Carbon Economy. We have reached several key milestones in driving the Circular Carbon Economy framework forward, as witnessed recently in building the world’s largest carbon recapture plant in Jubail, and when we demonstrated, with Saudi Aramco, the successful production of blue ammonia along with the product’s first shipment from Saudi Arabia to Japan.”

Also taking place on Day 1, Adam Sieminski, president of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, (KAPSARC) introduced the CCE and its value proposition.

Day two began with opening remarks from Dr. Bob Maughon, SABIC’s Executive Vice President for Technology and Innovation (T&I) and Sustainability, who highlighted: “The circular carbon economy today is being complemented by the Life Cycle Assessment and the rise of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, which are becoming an increasingly important part of the global investment community’s agenda.”

From there, discussions focused on areas such as the role and importance of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in building the CCE and the challenges associated with maintaining a strong alignment with ESG requirements. Sessions also included insights shared by investors on their perspectives around the growing importance of ESG, and the ongoing challenge of aligning LCA practices at organizational and country levels.

The closing remarks of Day 2 were delivered by Dr. Fahad Al-Sherehy, SABIC’s VP for Energy Efficiency and Carbon Management.

SABIC has been actively involved in researching the CCE in Saudi Arabia and has worked closely alongside Saudi Aramco as well as government and academic institutes, including NEOM and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

SABIC has played a key role in driving the CCE agenda forward during the recently held B20 Summit in Riyadh and will continue to do so in the upcoming G20 Summit.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

Albany International reports progress with Cyclezyme on industrial textile recycling project

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) reports continued progress in the ongoing project with Cyclezyme AB, a leader in advanced enzyme-based plastic recycling, based in Sweden. The project exemplifies leading edge innovation in materials science, focusing on the development of enzyme-based recycling of industrial textiles primarily consisting of polyester and polyamide, where there is currently a significant lack of effective solutions for circular material flows. The objective of the project is to establish enzymatic processes for depolymerization and recycling of technical textiles and high-performance industrial materials.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.