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A&E Corporate sustainability report
July 24th, 2017
American & Efird (A&E), a leading manufacturer and distributor of industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles, has released its “2016-2017 Corporate Sustainability Report.” This year’s report reflects the three concepts that drive A&E’s industry-leading sustainability program: transparency, traceability and trust. It also highlights the company’s accomplishments in the areas of safety, […]
Planning for the circular economy
July 1st, 2017
Economics is an older science than ecology, created (if not perfected) during times when there were no scarcities of natural resources (and no wild-eyed college freshmen running around flashing their “Earth Day 1970” buttons at each other). In ecological science, there really is no concept of unlimited resources. Economics is necessarily focused on short time […]
Closing the loop: long-term sustainability strategies for textile manufacturers
July 1st, 2017
Textile manufacturers are deploying sustainability strategies and forming partnerships to green up products and processes, helping manufacturers meet the requirements of even the most eco-concerned customers—and getting a good start on the circular economy of the future. For most manufacturers, eco-friendly, sustainable products are becoming a competitive necessity. And as concern over environmental issues has […]
Better chemistry, better products
February 1st, 2017
Sustainability in textile development and manufacturing is an ongoing conversation, much of it revolving around processes that conserve energy, water and natural resources. Beyond manufacturing processes, however, sustainability issues are driving true technical innovation, resulting in new products that offer a host of advantages. Replacing PFCs The search for alternatives to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) such […]
Developing friendlier fabrics
January 1st, 2017
As sustainability is increasingly important to growing numbers of consumers, fabric manufacturers are broadening their eco-friendly offerings, giving specialty fabricators plenty of green options. As a famous frog once lamented, it’s not easy being green. The same can be said for companies wanting to “green” up their product offerings and manufacturing processes, since doing so […]
Bold predictions: What’s realistic for smart textiles
August 1st, 2016
The words smart textiles have generated much discussion in the industry and the media recently. India-based market research firm Markets and Markets has estimated that the value of this high-tech textile sector will grow to $4.7 billion by 2020. Given that the smart textile industry was estimated to be less than $1 billion in 2014, […]
New STeP by OEKO-TEX® requirements
April 8th, 2016
Zurich-based STeP by OEKO-TEX® makes the sustainability of production facilities throughout the textile-value creation chain visible using a transparent scoring system. The STeP standard gives brands, retailers and manufacturers the opportunity to have each area of their company’s facilities analyzed and assessed according to environmental and social criteria by an independent body. As of Feb. […]
Sympatex wins Ecosport Award for best concept in “Eco Design Textiles and Footwear”
February 19th, 2016
Sympatex was awarded the Ecosport Award in the category “Eco Design Textiles and Footwear.” The award goes to products with the biggest effort of reducing their ecological footprint. Sympatex won with its portfolio of 100 percent recycled and recyclable functional laminates. The award was launched by the “French Ministry of Sports and Ecology,” the “Ministry […]
UNC Athletics releases sustainability report, highlights efforts with REPREVE
February 11th, 2016
More than 250,000 plastic bottles have been recycled through the 18-month collaboration University of North Carolina Athletics released its sustainability report highlighting environmental efforts throughout campus including a university-wide 12 percent increase in collected recycling materials. Unifi Inc., makers of REPREVE, teamed up with UNC in 2014 to raise awareness among student, faculty, fans and […]
Sustainability: public engagement
October 15th, 2015
Raising awareness of fabric recycling and re-using keeps the conversation going. With the proliferation of social media, the general public has become accustomed to interacting with companies as well as each other. And companies increasingly appreciate the importance of being part of the larger conversation. Insularity is no longer a protection of corporate advantage. In […]