Foss Manufacturing, a leading innovator and pioneer in the specialty fibers, Nonwoven and needle-punch fabrics industry, announced today that the SpectraShield™ 9500 Surgical N95 Respirator Mask won the New Hampshire High Technology Council’s 2011 Product of the Year honor. The mask’s antimicrobial effectiveness is powered by Fosshield® featuring Sciessent’s Agion® antimicrobial technology – a first-of-its-kind, safe and natural antimicrobial. The SpectraShield™ mask has FDA 510K clearance and NIOSH approval, making it the first and only antibacterial respirator mask of its kind to achieve FDA clearance in the United States.

Recognizing a need for an inclusive conference to service the needs of multiple production and bonding technologies and the converter segment, INDA, the leading Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, will hold their new CAB™ 2012 Converting and Bonding Conference from April 17-19, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville, S.C.

Americhem Inc., a global provider of custom color and additive masterbatches, will provide an expert view on masterbatches for automotive trim during the inaugural Crain conference Decorative Automotive Plastics 2011 from November 30 – December 1, at the NH Frankfurt City Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. Martin von Wolfersdorff, Americhem’s sales & marketing director EMEA, will present on color harmony and material property enhancements with masterbatch

Braskem will supply propylene and other inputs for BASF’s project in Bahia Braskem, the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas and the global leader in the production of biopolymers, will be present today, November 24, at the launch of the Production Complex for acrylic acid, butyl acrylate and superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in Camaçari, Bahia. With investments of around US$30 million, Braskem will be BASF’s main strategic partner in the project, being responsible for supplying the new complex with propylene and soda

LEEDS – A group of the world’s largest clothing retailers and brands have teamed up to develop a joint ‘roadmap’ towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in their textile supply chains by 2020. The document, with its detailed pledges, comes in the wake of Greenpeace International’s Detox campaign, which highlights how the supply chain activities of suppliers to major brands and retailers were behind toxic pollution into Chinese rivers, namely the release of chemicals capable of breaking down into persistent, bioaccumulative, and hormone-disrupting substances.

HONG KONG – Textile giant Central Textiles has released its 2010 Sustainability Report which as well as outlining the steps taken to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its water usage, also outlines future plans for helping reduce the group’s overall carbon footprint.

WEST VIRGINIA – SustainU, rwhich is renowned for only producing apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials, has opened its first retail store in the USA.

AMSTERDAM – Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning and European retail giant C&A have joined the Greenpeace ‘Detox’ campaign, adding their weight to the ‘Joint Roadmap’ which is aimed at eliminating all releases of hazardous substances from supply chains and products by 2020.

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has released its third quarter trade report on global yarn and fabric production.