Sustainable Textiles

Without even realising, the harmful impacts triggered by the global textile industry have already left a mark on the planet. In order to keep up with the latest trends and global consumer demands, mass production of textiles and clothing are done at the expense of the environment - air, water and land.

For air, at least 10% of the global carbon emissions is contributed by the textile industry, and this is more than that of the international flights and maritime shipping combined*.

For water, agricultural runoffs from cotton cultivation** and dyeing processes severely degrade nearby water bodies and ecosystem quality due to substantial use of toxic chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides.

For land, all polyester-related*** textiles entering into landfill waste will continue to stay put for several decades and even centuries. This is detrimental to both people and the planet due to the toxic greenhouse gas emissions produced.

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For air, at least 10% of the global carbon emissions is contributed by the textile industry, and this is more than that of the international flights and maritime shipping combined*.

For water, agricultural runoffs from cotton cultivation** and dyeing processes severely degrade nearby water bodies and ecosystem quality due to substantial use of toxic chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides.

For land, all polyester-related*** textiles entering into landfill waste will continue to stay put for several decades and even centuries. This is detrimental to both people and the planet due to the toxic greenhouse gas emissions produced.

*Data sourced from European Parliament (2020)

**Cotton is the world’s most used natural-based textile fibre

***Polyester is the world’s most used textile fibre

Here at NEXTEVO, we provide a Sustainable Textile solution to reduce detrimental impacts by the global textile industry.

Made from pineapple leaves, our pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) textiles are a unique natural option ideal for use in four key textile categories - footwear, apparel & accessories, home textiles, and upholstery & interior furnishings. From September 2021, we have begun our PALF production in Thailand. Pineapple leaves are collected and purchased from local farmers, instead of discarding the leaves as waste.

From Farm to Fiber Processing:

(1) Raw material collection

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Pineapple leaf collection would supplement farmers’ incomes on top of fruit harvest

(2) Fiber extraction

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Pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) extraction at NEXTEVO’s production facility in Thailand

(3) Sun-drying of fibers

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Natural sun-drying of pineapple leaf fibers (PALF)
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Ready-to-Spin (RTS) Fibres

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Ready-to-Spin (RTS) fibres are short staple fibres, and also depicted as a ‘cottonised’ form. These fibres have been refined by a carding machine to remove residues from the processed natural fibres.

We currently offer RTS made from pineapple leaf fibres (PALF). PALF, in fact, is not a new innovation. In the Philippines, traditional luxurious textiles were made from PALF and exported to Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. These were made by traditional craftsmen in small quantities.

The silky white and short RTS PALF that we offer is produced on a commercial scale and has features like high mechanical strength and can be easily dyed. It has also passed all tested parameters of the OEKO-TEX ® Standard 100 Product Class I Baby, indicating that this product is safe to use, even for baby products.

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Blended Yarns

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Blended yarns are produced by combining NEXTEVO’s RTS fibres with secondary fibres through a yarn spinning process. These secondary fibres are predominantly eco-friendly, which includes natural fibres (e.g., wool and linen), regenerated fibres (e.g. lyocell), organic fibres (e.g. organic cotton), and recycled fibres (e.g. recycled polyester).

We currently offer blended yarns made from PALF and it is compatible with cotton, lyocell and recycled polyester. NEXTEVO’s PALF-blended yarns combine the advantages of PALF and the secondary fibre to achieve higher functionality, such as material biodegradability and/or high performance & durability.

Down in the value chain, fabrics made from our PALF-blended yarns have the following features:

  • Smooth and soft
  • Not stiff to handle
  • Not easily wrinkled
  • Cooling hand feel
  • High ability to absorb and retain dye
  • Better cooling effect and sweat evaporation than cotton, linen and jute

4 key textile applications:

Footwear

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Footwear upper for knit and woven-based (canvas) sneakers/shoes

Apparel & Accessories

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Denim jeans in particular, as well as circular knit and woven-based clothing, bags and jewellery bands

Home Textiles

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Loungewear and towels made to achieve features like comfort and high water absorption respectively

Upholstery & Interior Furnishings

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Soft coverings of chairs, sofas and other furniture made for high performance and made to last for decades
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