Fig. 1.
Value of EU Textile Output in 2020 (million Euro) (Source: EUROSTAT 2022 [17])
Fig. 2.
Technological trends in the textile industry
Fig. 3.
Share of textile company websites in relation to advanced technologies [20]
Table 1.
Innovation ideas and technologies according to trends identified in the EU Report 2020, Source: Technopolis Group based on text-mining company websites [20]
| Technological trends | Innovation |
|---|---|
| Advanced Materials |
|
| Nano-technology |
|
| Integrating the Internet and electronics |
|
| 3D printing |
|
| Artificial Intelligence |
|
Fig. 4.
Growth of E.coli bacteria after modification of bio-nonwoven (own elaboration)
Fig. 5.
SEM images of the modified nonwoven. (own elaboration mag. 1500x)
Fig. 6.
SEM images of the melt blown nonwoven (own elaboration)
Table 3.
International standards and guidelines for testing biodegradability
| Standard | Title | Environment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| OECD 301 B | CO2 Evolution (Modified Sturm Test) | aqueous medium | 38 |
| ISO 9439 | Water quality — Evaluation of ultimate aerobic biodegradability of organic compounds in aqueous medium — Carbon dioxide evolution test | aqueous medium | 39 |
| ISO 14852 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide | Activated sludge | 40 |
| ISO 14851 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium — Method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer | aqueous medium | 41 |
| ADTM D5338 | Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions, incorporating thermophilic temperatures | compost | 42 |
| ISO 14855 | Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions — Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide — Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratory-scale test | compost | 43 |
| EN 14046 | Evaluation of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability and disintegration of packaging materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of released carbon dioxide | compost | 44 |
| EN 13432 | Packaging. Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging | compost | 45 |
| ASTM D6400 | Standard specification for labelling of plastics designed to be aerobically composted in municipal or industrial facilities | compost | 46 |
| ISO 17556 | Plastics — Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in soil by measuring the oxygen demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved | soil | 47 |
| DIN EN ISO 11721-1 | Textiles — Determination of resistance of cellulose-containing textiles to micro-organisms — Soil burial test — Part 1: Assessment of rot-retardant finishing | Soil | 48 |
| DIN EN ISO 846 | Plastics — Evaluation of the action of microorganisms | fungi and bacteria and soil microorganisms | 49 |
| ISO 21701 | Textiles —Test method for accelerated hydrolysis of textile materials and biodegradation under controlled composting conditions of the resulting hydrolysate | compost | 50 |
| ISO 17088 | Specifications for compostable plastics | compost | 51 |
Table 4.
Dynamics of changes in the textile industry in Poland – basic data Sources: author’s own compilation based on data of Statistics Poland
| 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold production of the textile industry (in millions of PLN) | 7680 | 8161 | 12440 | 16188 | 18564 |
| Financial result of industrial enterprises by ownership (in millions of PLN) | 147.7 | 348.6 | 597.8 | 835.5 | 927.2 |
| Employed persons (in thousands) | - | 53.2 | 53.8 | 54.9 | 56.0 |
| Average paid employment indices in the industry (previous year = 100) | - | - | 105.2 | 95.3 | 102.7 |
| Labour productivity in the industry, measured by the gross value added per paid employee (in thousands) | - | - | 86.9 | 106.7 | 115.9 |
| Average monthly gross wages and salaries in the industry by ownership (in PLN) | 1585 | 2180 | 2709 | 3875 | 4276 |
| Average monthly gross wages and salaries indices in the industry (previous year = 100) | - | - | 104.6 | 107.0 | 110.4 |
| Investment outlay indices in the industry | - | - | 106.8 | 70.2 | 103.4 |
| Industry exports (in millions of PLN) | - | 6115.3 | 9456.2 | 14027.1 | 16358.1 |
Fig. 7.
Businesses in the textile industry in the Łódź voivodeship [61]
Fig. 8.
Average annual salaries (in PLN) in the textile industry (Source: own compilation based on BDL data)
Fig. 9.
Textile industry concentration in the Łódź region between 2011 and 2020 (Source: own compilation based on data from Statistics Poland)