#Textile chemistry

2025-11-27

Archroma earns portfolio-wide Cradle to Cradle Certifications

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, today confirmed its commitment to advancing circularity for the textile industry with ten product groups achieving Cradle to Cradle Certified® Material Health Gold level under Version 4.0 of the standard.

Representing dozens of Archroma brands and approximately 200 individual products, the certifications are an assurance of safety and sustainability under the world’s leading multi-attribute standard. This means that textile mills and fashion brands can confidently use these products to help achieve Cradle to Cradle certification on their finished fabrics and garments as retailers and consumers embrace the circular economy.

The Cradle to Cradle Material Health standard evaluates the chemical composition of products for safety to humans and the environment. This provides the foundation for circularity because safe chemicals are essential for safe recycling and composting.

“Our goal is to exceed industry standards and help lead the shift to cleaner chemistries and a more sustainable world,” Dhirendra Gautam, Global VP Commercial, Archroma, said. “The Cradle to Cradle label is becoming increasingly significant at the brand and mill level. We believe in transparency and supporting our partners to make informed decisions that not only prioritize human health and the environment, but also bring production resource savings and improve the durability of end products.”

Archroma’s SUPER SYSTEMS+ solutions matrix quantifies these factors. It allows industry professionals to combine processing solutions and intelligent effects for specific end uses while delivering measurable environmental impact. Cradle to Cradle-certified Archroma products will generally be found within the Impact and Impact+ categories.

Archroma’s Cradle to Cradle Certified® product portfolio spans reactive, acid, disperse, indigo and sulfur dyes; a full series of chemical products such as pretreatment and sizing, optical brightening agents, dyeing auxiliaries and flame retardants. It includes DIRESUL® EVOLUTION BLACK, the most sustainable sulfur black in the market; AVITERA SE®, a revolutionary resource-saving reactive dye range; the revolutionary Blue Magic pretreatment concept which comprise of the all-in-one IMEROL® BLUE bleaching auxiliary, which saves water and speeds processing time, SIRRIX® NE LIQ, a biodegradable neutralizing agent with precise control across the whole pH range and BACTOSOL® SAP NEW LIQ, an anti-peroxide enzymes that remove residual bleaching agents before dyeing; industry-leading high fastness and phenol/bisphenol compound-free color blocking ERIOFAST® dyes for polyamide; TERASIL® WW dye range with outstanding washfastness for high-performance polyester and its blends; and ULTRAPHOR® optical brightening agents that deliver outstanding results on synthetic fibers, fabrics and finished garments.

In addition to its textile sector solutions, Archroma also achieved Cradle to Cradle Material Health Gold certification for low-sulfide sulfur dyes for the paper industry.

Search “Archroma” in the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Registry to explore the certified product groups and downloadable documentation.

® Trademarks of Archroma registered in many countries.

Archroma expands denim possibilities at Kingpins Amsterdam

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals, will present a portfolio of six sustainable denim innovations at Kingpins Amsterdam from April 15-16, 2026. Under the theme “Creating Possibilities in Denim”, the showcase reflects Archroma’s commitment to giving brands and mills solutions that are as commercially compelling as they are environmentally responsible.

Archroma brings high-impact textile innovations to Colombiatex 2026

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, is proud to announce its participation in Colombiatex 2026, one of the most influential textile and apparel industry events in the Americas. The event will take place in Medellín, Colombia, from January 27 to 29, where Archroma will welcome visitors at Booth PC006.

Archroma and HeiQ partner to bring revolutionary antimicrobial and odor-control solutions to textile industry

Archroma, a global leader in specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and HeiQ, a Swiss deeptech materials innovator active in functional textiles and sustainable fibers, have entered into a co-marketing agreement that combines their complementary strengths to deliver advanced, planet-conscious anti-odor and antimicrobial technologies to brands, retailers, and textile mills worldwide.

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

A flagship for chemical production: BASF inaugurates world-scale Verbund site in China

BASF today (March 26, 2026) celebrated the official inauguration of its newly built, world-scale Verbund site in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province in southern China. Covering an area of around four square kilometers, it is more than a major BASF project in the chemical growth market of China. “Zhanjiang shows what the future of chemistry looks like: efficient, digital and sustainable by design. The site showcases a smart integrated Verbund structure on an industrial scale,” said Dr. Markus Kamieth, CEO of BASF, at the ceremony attended by representatives from government, customers, business partners and employees.

Hof University develops sustainable textile coating for the fashion of tomorrow from mushrooms

Clothing is often treated as disposable: T-shirts for events, general merchandise, or short-term campaigns frequently end up in the trash after only a few uses. This is particularly problematic given that their production still largely relies on fossil-based materials. This is precisely where a new research project at Hof University of Applied Sciences comes in.

New study shows low environmental impact by Cotton made in Africa Organic Cotton from Tanzania

Today, the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) is announcing the results of a comprehensive life-cycle analysis (LCA) for cotton produced in Tanzania under the Cotton made in Africa Organic (CmiA Organic) standard. The study emphasises the small ecological footprint of CmiA Organic verified cotton. This can largely be traced back to the absence of synthetic pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and artificial irrigation. Consequently, CmiA Organic cotton can help the textile industry meet regulatory requirements as well as science-based targets. The results also show that the consequences of climate change threaten the livelihoods of these cotton farmers, even though the type of agriculture they practise barely contributes to climate change.

PERFORMANCE DAYS proves its relevance as the industry’s key meeting point

Held on March 18–19, 2026, PERFORMANCE DAYS once again confirmed its position as a leading international platform for functional textiles. A total of 3.366 trade visitors and around 560 exhibitors gathered in Munich, with the event already kicking off successfully on DAY 0, which received highly positive feedback for its interactive format. Despite challenging conditions caused by the public transport strike in Munich, the event saw strong attendance and a consistently high level of activity across both exhibition days.