Walking through clouds of dust and tiptoeing around dirty puddles in a sweltering fabric-dyeing house in China led to an epiphany for a British innovator, who is now on a mission to revolutionise the way clothes are manufactured.
The “shocking” sight that confronted Dr Alan Hudd when he stepped into the factory, on the outskirts of Ningbo, a city south of Shanghai, became ingrained so deeply in his mind that he felt compelled to act upon his return to the UK.
The former rocket scientist used lessons learnt at the Ministry of Defence to develop a device that offers an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional soaking, drying, washing and redrying method of dyeing.
Along with his employees at Alchemie Technology, a Cambridge-based start-up he founded in 2014, he created a device that blasts dye on to cloth, reducing the need for huge quantities of coloured water.
Using the machine allows dyeing manufacturers to reduce energy consumption by 85 per cent and results in much less water pollution, Dr Hudd said.
Looking back on his jolting experience in the Asian dyeing house in 2018, he said “within a flash” it struck him he was dealing with “a dinosaur industry” in urgent need of updating.
The scientist described seeing a worker trudging towards him “in a fog of pollution with no shirt on at all, with a scar across his chest”.
“It was really staggering,” he told The National. “It was truly shocking the amount of pollution that was being created, the amount of energy that was being created.”
“I had this everlasting image of getting off an aircraft from London into Shanghai, driving a couple of hours to this dye house.
“It was lunch time, it was very hot and very humid. We went into the dye house and it was dirty, full of dust, with huge puddles of polluted dyed water on the factory floor and you just saw the scale of the problem steeping tonnes and tonnes of fabric in water heated up to 130°C for four hours to dye clothes.
“If the world really knew about this, they’d be horrified and the problem is this is not well known, this pollution.”
The Endeavour machine, which Dr Hudd says will deliver “waterless smart design”, uses non-contact jetting to spurt 270 million drops per second on to polyester and cotton. The process eliminates the huge amounts of dyed water left over at the end of the colouring process which is sometimes dumped into rivers.
The device, which costs £1.5 million ($1.8m), has been bought by six firms around the world, including factories in major textile producers Taiwan and Turkey.
Novara, another of the start-up's creations, sells for £500,000 and applies finishing treatments such as water repellent and anti-odour technology to clothes.
In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of the global textile industry, Dr Hudd hopes his invention will reduce the average production time of an item of clothing from nine months to one.
H&M is an investor in Alchemie Technology and global sports brands have also shown interest in adopting the innovative methods, Dr Hudd said. But he stressed that the relationship between the average brand and the manufacturer is “brutal”.
Most big-name brands push manufacturers to provide services at the lowest rate possible. This makes firms reluctant to change the methods used to make clothes in case they incur more expense.
While brands have the power to endorse technology or to influence manufacturers, the final say on methods does not lie with them.
Finding manufacturers that are willing to invest in non-traditional dyeing methods to reduce their carbon footprint is a vital step for retailers when trying to promote their brands to eco-conscious consumers.
Investing in the Endeavour and Novara machines could cut a manufacturer’s labour costs by half, the developers say. While this may be seen as a positive by the firms, many uneducated workers who lack other skills rely on the outdated methods to earn a living.
During his doctoral studies at the University of Manchester, Dr Hudd was part of a team that invented a synthetic oil used in vehicles.
NLAW shoulder fired missile inventor
In the 1980s, he worked at the Ministry of Defence, where he designed and developed anti-tank rockets that Britain recently sent to Ukraine.
Dr Hudd credits his tenure at the ministry for the experience that gave him the tools to develop the machines he hopes will change the way the fashion industry operates.
“To every problem, there’s a solution and you just can’t be baulked by these problems,” he said. “It was a great training ground to create this problem-solving, solution-driven thinking.”
Louise Pollock, a fashion and textiles lecturer at North Kent College, said if Alchemie Technologie’s machines are adopted by warehouses used by big-name brands, it could spark a change affecting the whole industry.
The former designer, who has 40 years’ experience in the industry, has visited dyeing houses across the globe. She said vast quantities of waste dyed water are churned out in places such as India and often end up in rivers.
“It’s about not having that amount of waste any more,” she said of Alchemie’s machines.
“I think it’s going to make a massive difference,” she told The National. “It’s going to make a difference to the whole perception of fashion, which is not having a good time at the moment.
“I think that’s what [the fashion industry] needs to do. It needs to improve its image and build confidence back into the consumer.
“My students are aged 16 to 18, and some are in their 20s. They are all conscious of the environment and they do shop with that in mind.”
A spokesman for H&M said the machines would help to solve a ”long-standing sustainability issue in the supply chain for textile products”.
”We invested in them as the commercial implementation of their innovative technology not only aligns perfectly with our wider sustainability goals, but also has the potential to benefit the entire textile industry,” he said.
Adam Mansell, chief executive of the UK Fashion & Textile Association, said Alchemie Technology’s machines were part of a growing trend in the industry to move towards greener methods of production.
“There is a real move for the textile industry to reduce its water usage, so technological advancements such as the Alchemie process are gaining lots of attention in the sector,” he said.
“Other solutions are exploring foam dyeing, which significantly reduces the amount of water used in the dyeing process, as well as research into ways to recover dyestuff from post-consumer textiles and reducing water usage in domestic washing.
“The Textiles 2030 initiative, a voluntary agreement which the majority of the UK high street and fashion retailers are now signed up to, has named reducing the aggregate water footprint of new products sold by 30 per cent as one of its key targets. As a result, we expect to see interest and adoption of these kinds of technologies to continue to increase over the next few years.”
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
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- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Duration: Can linger for days
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- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
Flights: 149
Steps: 3.78 million
Calories: 220,000
Floors climbed: 2,000
Donations: GPB37,300
Prostate checks: 5
Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
Dog bites: 1
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The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Mobile phone packages comparison
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
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THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
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Porsche Macan T: The Specs
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Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
RESULT
Bayern Munich 5 Eintrracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern: Goretzka (17'), Müller (41'), Lewandowski (46'), Davies (61'), Hinteregger (74' og)
Frankfurt: Hinteregger (52', 55')
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
