With a little innovation, companies around the world are achieving certifiable success in their recycling efforts.

RCS-certified Liva Reviva

Worldwide acclaim for a UN award doesn’t stop this innovative Indian company from proudly proclaiming RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certification on its website.

Birla Cellulose, one of the world’s largest producers of manmade cellulose fiber, became the first winner of the National Innovative and Sustainable Supply Chain Awards hosted by UN Global Compact Network India in April 2021.The award was presented in recognition of its innovative solution for upcycling textile waste and for establishing transparency in a complex fashion value chain – both achievements highly valued in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The company’s innovative solution resulted in the manufacture of Liva Reviva viscose fiber, which is made of 20% pre-consumer cotton fabric wasteand 80% wood pulp. Birla Cellulose now proudly displays the RCS logo in its infographics for the fiber along with the line “Liva Reviva viscose holds the distinction of RCS”.

ISCC Plus-certified Cristal™ Renew

Qualiform offers ISCC Plus certified recycled copolyester with a high level of transparency – a real innovation in the cosmetic packaging market.

Plastic product bottles must be flawlessly beautiful for a brand to succeed in the luxury cosmetics industry. However, the purchasing decisions of a growing number of users are also influenced by the amount of certified recycled content contained in such bottles. When Eastman first introduced Cristal™ Renew copolyester in 2020, France – based luxury packaging producer Qualiform jumped at the chance to use it in luxury cosmetics bottles. Not only did this copolyester offer high levels of ISCC Plus certified recycled content without compromising bottle aesthetics, but it was made through innovative depolymerization technology that can repeatedly recycle polyester waste without degradation. This technology results in a 20 to 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in comparison with conventional production methods. Other environmental benefits include a diversion of waste from landfills and greater conservation of resources. Thanks to Cristal™ Renew from Eastman, Qualiform can offer ISCC Plus certified recycled resins with a high level of transparency.

GRS-certified ARIAPRENE® TERRA™

Tiong Liong Industrial received Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification in 2020 for an eco-friendly synthetic foam fabric containing 20 to 100% recycled content. Tiong Liong Industrial Co., Ltd. developed a proprietary eco-friendly foam lamination process through years of trial and error at its foam lamination factory in Taiwan. This water-based, solvent-free process laminates layers of toxic-free, hypoallergenic foam to produce a synthetic foam fabric for footwear, backpacks and apparel called ARIAPRENE® foam can be customized to best suit any product by adjusting the thickness, color and texture. It can also be laminated with fabrics or PU (polyurethane) foil for waterproof qualities or to create a leather-like appearance. With eco-friendliness and cost-efficiency in mind, the company then strove to reduce waste during the cutting and trimming phase of production. It finally found a way to recycle leftover material in-house and released a new product line of synthetic foam called ARIAPRENE® TERRA™ in 2019. This foam contains 20 to 100% leftover material yet offers nearly the same performance characteristics as ARIAPRENE®. About a year later, ARIAPRENE® TERRA™ received GRS certification to the great pride of the company.

https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2021-04-16/birla-cellulose-wins-innovative-sustainable-supply-chain-award-by-un-global-compact-network-india
https://www.birlacellulose.com/liva-reviva-infographic.php
https://www.iscc-system.org/unzipping-polyester-for-a-cleaner-future/
https://www.eastman.com/Brands/Cristal/Products/Pages/Cristal-Renew.aspx
https://ariaprene.com/blog/grs-certified-eco-friendly-foam-core-fabric/
(Link to external page)