Industrial Biotechnology - A new approach towards Conservation
Over the years, Novozymes has graduated from a biotech company with a strong focus on enzyme production to a globally acclaimed industrial biotechnology company changing the foundation of industrial systems.

Novozymes holds expertise in bio innovation. We apply industrial biotechnology to challenge and complement traditional thinking and applications to identify sustainable solutions for forward-looking companies. With several years of experience, we have mastered the full spectrum of biotechnology which enables us to develop new value-adding products and produce them at high yields at less cost.

A drive towards growth with minimal input
Novozymes has been able to produce more from less with its core strength, enzymes, a biodegradable catalyst that is able to make biological reaction at low temperatures without using hazardous chemicals, hence curtailing the cost for energy and water. Our ability to anticipate and understand our customers' present and future requirements enable us to generate high-quality solutions that benefit the customers and contribute in their growth. We want to be a recognised leader in quality management, regulatory compliance and supplier management. We want sustainable solutions for our customers in every part of our value chain. It is our goal to maintain high efficiency, ensure supply reliability and apply our values to our processes.

Magnetising the world towards sustainability

At Novozymes we are at a constant quest for solutions to the augmenting challenges like climate change and energy shortage through innovative partnerships and open dialogue with customers, NGOs, suppliers and governments. We are inclined towards positioning our technology and developing our vision for a bio based economy. Our biological solutions enable companies to produce better quality with minimum cost and environmental impact. In fact, by applying Novozymes' bio solutions, customers reduced their CO2 emissions by an estimated 52 million tons in 2013 - equivalent to taking approximately 20 million cars off the road.

Life Cycle Assessments show how Novozymes' products contribute to reduce CO2 emissions within several categories:

• Textile enzymes save water and energy in the production process and often also improve the quality of fabrics produced
• Bio energy enzymes reduce use of fossil fuels
• Household care enzymes lower laundry wash temperature
• Feed enzymes save animal feed and phosphate

Integrating sustainability into our business
• Our cross-functional Sustainability Board safeguards our priorities and is geared to respond to our stakeholders' concerns.
• Novozymes' Life Cycle Assessments enable customers to back up their sustainability claims with solid data. Our Life Cycle Assessments also allow us to document our carbon footprint.
• We help our customers respond to regulatory initiatives and tough sustainability criteria from retailers, thereby responding to consumer preferences.
• We assess sustainability of our supply chain.
• Novozymes collaborates with research institutions around the world to share knowledge and develop new sustainable technologies.
• Novozymes works continuously to achieve higher levels of sustainability performance, impact, and collective action as a member of UN Global Compact LEAD, a platform for corporate sustainability leadership for approx. 50 companies.

Recognitions
• Dow Jones Sustainability Index: Reconfirmed as biotech industry leader in 2013. Gold Class rating SAM Sustainability Yearbook in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010
• Member of the FTSE4Good Global and Europe indexes
• Ranked 3rd in the Carbon Disclosure Project Nordic Index 2013, up from 5th place last year

Engagements and commitments
• U.N. Global Compact (LEAD company)
• U.N. Sustainable Energy for All (SEFA)
• U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity
• UNIDO Green Industry Platform

Reporting and targets
• We have done integrated reporting for over 10 years
• Novozymes has ambitious long-term targets for CO2, water and energy efficiency in our own production
• In 2013, Novozymes introduced three new sustainability targets related respectively to diversity in management, suppliers' sustainability performance, and biofuels as sustainable energy.

1) GeoTowel™

A new green towel with lasting softness, no dyes, no softeners, no harsh chemicals. Novozymes has developed a new enzymatic process for making the best and most sustainable towels that yet has been seen, with the following benefits:

• More than 50% cost savings on water and energy
• Process time reductions from 532 minutes (with dyeing)/270 minutes (without dyeing) to 116 minutes
• Superior absorbency again and again
• Long lasting softness, due to the unique mild treatment of the cotton and careful retention of naturally occurring softeners in the cotton
• Wastewater benefits, due to elimination of chemicals

2) “Core & Cold” denim

An enzymatic solution for sustainable denim fashion

“Core & Cold” is our term for desizing, abrading, bleaching and finishing jeans with Denimax® Core and Denilite® Cold. This solution replaces chemicals and pumice stones, reduces back-staining, and allows turning down the temperature. The savings in water, time, and energy are up to 50%.

Denimax® Core for desizing and abrasion in 1 step

This unique multi-enzyme solution gives denim a high color contrast finish and a low degree of indigo back-staining. By replacing the pumice stones, effluent is improved and strains on equipment are avoided. Furthermore, enzymes are gentler to the denim quality than conventional methods:

 

Denilite® Cold for cold and fast denim finishing Denilite® Cold is a new bleaching solution that enables bleaching of indigo and selected dyes at room temperature. The benefits are:

• Better quality in terms of significantly less back-staining and no damage to stretch fibers
• No need for heating the water
• Bleaches in just 10-15 minutes
• Simplified process with same result batch after batch, as the enzymes stop working automatically
• A safer working environment, as it replaces hypochlorite

 

No damage to the stretch fibers Stretch fibers are used in virtually all women’s denim jeans and the inclusion rate in men's jeans is growing. Traditional bleaching with hypochlorite is known to damage the stretch fibers and can ultimately lead to complaints. While hypochlorite is an unspecific chemical that potentially will oxidize everything it is in contact with, the enzyme solution is specific to indigo and will only bleach the color.

3) Novozymes CombiPolish ®
Rethink biopolishing and release the potential

Textile manufacturers are facing growing demands for processing with less consumption of water and energy. At the same time, retailers are facing growing consumer demands for higher quality longer-lasting fabrics, as consumers consider poor quality and pilling a major problem. Novozymes invented biopolishing in the 1990ies to give cotton knits a durable smooth fuzz/pill-free surface and vibrant colors.

 

Combining 3 steps into 1
Our 3rd generation patented CombiPolish® solution is the fastest, gentlest and most sustainable way to do biopolishing and bleach clean-up in the dye bath without any extra water or time consumption. Novozymes’ pH neutral enzymes are specifically developed for use in the dye bath and work better than any other cellulase in the market in terms of reproducible results and even dyeing.

Our solution combines 3 process steps into 1, and reduces weight and strength loss considerably, compared to conventional acidic biopolishing.

Novozymes has been recognized with 2 innovation awards for its CombiPolish® process.

A consumer pull

The great news for the brands and the textile manufacturers is that biopolishing increase consumers repurchase intent from 8 to 40% (5 times), according to a consumer survey carried out by an independent research agency in December 2013.

Brands like Marks & Spencer, Jockey, Tesco, and Woolworth are promoting their biopolished knits as “STAYNEW” or”As new”, acknowledging that consumers seek long-lasting garments.

 

Major environmental impact Based on the consumer survey findings, the English NGO, WRAP and Novozymes have made a Life Cycle Analysis showing that biopolishing of knits leads massive savings in water and chemicals consumption.

If the entire world were to biopolish all knits, global savings would be:

• 17 billion m3 water/year which equals the annual water consumption of 500 million people
• 56 million co2eq/year which equals 12 million medium-sized cars

Novozymes CombiSoft™
Leading textile mills have discovered a new use for Novozymes’ CombiPolish™. With an increased dosage of Novozymes’ gentle pH neutral enzymes and silicone softeners, these manufacturers produce a new type of luxurious high-end fabric that has won over the female population.

The fabrics appear with:

• Silky drapable look
• Exceptional hand-feel
• Clean surface with vibrant colors – wash after wash

Novozymes’ technical staff can guide you on how the CombiSoft™ fabric is made in case you or your suppliers want to try it out, and direct you to a certified enzyme provider in your area.

Biopolishing in Dyeing

Several cotton knit fabrics and garments contains tiny, protrudent fibres and dead cotton that results in pilling on initial wash or once worn. These pills can however be eradicated by a process called biopolishing, where cellulose enzymes remove the fibre from cotton, making the surface of fabric and Garments clean for a long span of time. Biopolishing can also be performed in the dye bath both in textile and garment dyeing, as Novozymes' enzymes work under neutral pH. Compared to conventional biopolishing under acidic conditions, biopolishing in dye bath serves one process, that is saving of water and energy.

The neutral cellulase enzymes effectively remove the pills without affecting the color as they are very compatible with the fabric dyes. This is a big plus that will help your customer sell high quality textiles to retailers or brands, and offer them an alternative that has reduced impact on the environment.

Bleach Clean-Up

Bleach clean-up plays a vital role in even dyeing and shade reproducibility. Bleach clean-up is traditionally carried on using a reducing agent or hot water rinsing. In either case excessive amount of water is used that result to unnecessary wastage of water. This wastage can be avoided through an enzymatic approach.

Constant dyeing is significant to the quality of the intermediate and final product. The natural fabrics are normally bleached in order to get the perfect shade. Bleaches, such as hydrogen peroxide, are highly reactive chemicals. Any trace of this auxiliary can interfere with fabric dyeing and leave the fabrics patchy and uneven in color. That makes it requisite to completely eliminate the hydrogen peroxide before dyeing.

Novozymes Terminox® handles this task to perfection by breaking down hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 into water, H2O, and oxygen, O2. With bleach clean-up using Novozymes' catalase, textiles are ready for consistent and even batch-to-batch dyeing reproducibility.

Combined Bleach Clean-Up & Biopolishing in Dyeing

If biopolishing happens at all, it would be as a different step. It would occur in middle of the process, for instance after the rinse that removes bleaching agents from the fabric and prior to the fabric dyeing. With Novozymes' patented process bleach clean-up can be done in combination with the process that prevents fabric from forming pills. This process uses a neutral cellulose enzyme, "Novozymes Cellusoft®", to assure top quality.

Abrasion Including Prewash

Abrasion is a process of giving jeans a worn out or aged classy effect which is popularly known as stonewash, through scraping or rubbing a pumice stone to the surface of the denim. The pumice stone is hard on processing equipment as well as it generates an ample amount of sludge and pumice waste. Another challenge is the labour that goes into adding and removing of the stones.

The alternative to this traditional process is "enzymes" that spares you from all the tedious work and wastage. They create high-quality abrasion by loosening indigo color to fabricate the style that your customer is looking to make. With enzymes it is possible to avoid the use of pumice stones or other auxiliaries that tear at production equipment, generate sludge, and challenge your customer’s working environment. With Novozymes' proprietary technology for abrasion, prewash is also included.

Abrading with Novozymes Denimax® completely removes size. It is the way to get high color contrast finish, high color pull and a low degree of indigo back staining.

Desizing

When a fabric is weaved, a special sizing agent is applied during the process to prevent the threads from breaking. Once the cloth is weaved it undergoes a process of desizing to prepare the fabric for finishing, where the sizing agent sticking to the fabric is removed, to ensure high-quality dyeing in cotton and to prevent jeans from streaking. The desizing process can be carried out in a number of ways, for instance by treating the fabric with chemicals such as acids, bases or oxidising agents or hot water, depending on the size. This process leads to waste of excess water as the cloth is washed after desizing.

Desizing with enzymes ensures complete removal of starch-based sizes which means even dyeing and great batch-to-batch reproducibility. Adding Novozymes Aquazym® automatically reduces the need for chemicals and offers an approach that is gentle to the fabric and retains fabric strength.

Efficient processing of denim requires the right fabric preparation, including the removal of size. Enzymes ensure full removal of size and produce high-quality denim looks without streaks.

Denim Finishing

Novozymes' enzymatic finishing solutions give denim fabrics a unique vintage look and, in addition, they enhance the abrasion effect. Enzymes enable your customer to create exciting new fashion looks that are distinctly different from the finish of traditionally bleached denim - and it’s easy to control.

Bioscouring

The yarns and fabric once manufactured goes through the process of scouring to eliminate the impurities and harmful substance stuck to them while production. Conventional scouring requires high temperatures and high consumption of chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide. But enzymes have replaced this harsh process through an environment friendly method called bioscouring that saves water, chemicals, and energy.

Bioscouring improves wettability of the fabric and gently prepares it for the subsequent wet processing stages. Novozymes Scourzyme® breaks down the pectin in cotton and assists in the removal of waxes, oils and other impurities. Pectinases hydrolyse and selectively makes waxes extractable and removes pectin from raw cotton fiber during the preparation for dyeing.

Bioscouring enzymes retain the structure of the cotton and therefore the fabric strength for longer-lasting cotton.