TEXTILES.ORG
With record sales of its scrubs during the pandemic, health-care apparel brand Barco® has reached a sustainability milestone of 40 million plastic bottles recycled, marking a 115 percent year-over-year increase.
The company’s top-selling brands, Barco One and Sketchers by Barco, incorporate five to seven recycled plastic bottles into the fabric of each garment, according to a company press release. Barco’s in-house design team relies on the innovative rPET process, where plastic bottles are cleaned, shredded into pellets and spun into thread woven into polyester.
In 2016, Barco launched the Barco One sustainable brand of scrubs, which has gained popularity among health-care professionals because of the fabric’s anti-static and temperature-regulating properties. The product also appeals to veterinarians because of its Quick-Shed technology, which releases animal hair quickly from the surface of the fabric.
“Health-care professionals have shown a growing preference for brands that make a difference and are aligned with their values, with sustainability being at the top of the list,” explained Ron Wagenseil, president and CEO of Barco Uniforms.