Tokyo Firm Finds Use for Chinese Biodegradable Plastic in Clothes
upstart writes:
Japanese craftsmanship improves fiber quality, as company plans Europe sales:
HighChem, a Tokyo-based chemical trading company, has applied Japanese traditional craftsmanship to improve a Chinese-made biodegradable plastic fiber so it can be used in fashionable apparel and is marketing the fiber and fabrics to European garment makers.
[...] Yuichi Taka said he had gotten the idea of using PLA as an apparel fiber but his father opposed it at first. Major Japanese chemical makers had tried to commercialize PLA fibers but had not had success in dealing with the fibers' technical weaknesses, such as insufficient heat resistance. President Taka, an engineer, knew their unsuccessful attempts well.
He decided to make a business of PLA fibers despite his father's opposition in early 2021, saying he "would like to draw on the wisdom of the Japanese fiber and textile industries." HighChem has hired four apparel and fabric specialists so far and has marketed the fibers to traditional textile producers across Japan, including makers of synthetic fibers in Fukui Prefecture and denim fabrics in Okayama Prefecture.
Fiber and textile craftspeople who did not have preconceptions steadily improved the PLA fibers to the level of apparel quality by mixing them with natural fibers like cotton and plant-derived modifying agents. "The quality fibers have been realized because we are in Japan, where craftspeople propose the ways of improvement. We are in a business environment that is not available in China," Taka said.
[...] The fiber still has problems with heat resistance, requiring restrictions on ironing, and sells at $12 per kilogram, three times the price of polyester fibers. However, Europe's high-quality apparel brands are expanding the use of sustainable materials despite their higher costs. In view of this favorable factor, HighChem targets sales of Highlact of 5 billion yen ($37.7 million) for 2024.
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