Sustainably-made products are more than just an industry trend. These products have become a consumer expectation. In a recent "2019 Retail and Sustainability Survey" more than two-thirds of the respondents show that consumers consider sustainability when making a purchase and are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Major brands and manufacturers are relying on strong collaborations with their suppliers to make apparel and gear that consumers feel good about purchasing. Sustainability needs to consider everything from waste reduction, garment durability, water-and energy-savings, biodegradability, recycling, and recyclability, etc.
For this year's "Top 10 Textile Innovations" the FabricLink Network is focusing on companies that have gone above and beyond in developing products and manufacturing processes that advance sustainability and are true examples of caring for the environment.
Looking for past winners? Check them out here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
CMYUK launches UFABRIK Wallcover Canvas ECO
CMYUK, the UK's largest independent supplier of digital printers, cutters and materials, announces the launch of its UFABRIK Wallcover Canvas ECO. The wallcovering, manufactured from recycled plastic bottles (rPET), is a premium canvas suitable for art reproductions, single piece wallcoverings, display graphics, and tension frame systems. Made from plastic waste, UFABRIK Wallcover Canvas ECO uses pre- and post-consumer plastics that are cleaned, chopped, melted into extruded fiber, and then spun into the canvas yarn. The woven fabric is compatible with latex, solvent or UV inks, and is available in roll widths up to 3100mm. The canvas counterbalances three challenges: strong ecological credentials; quality print reproduction; at an attractive price point into one wallcovering—problems that have proven difficult to resolve in the past. UFABRIK Wallcover Canvas ECO also provides B1 flame retardancy. The wallcovering is part of CMYUK's brand portfolio for quality, fit-for-purpose, environmentally-responsible products, and their disposal. More Info.
CHROMUCH Introduces "ChromShield™ Technology" for On-Demand Fade-Resistant Yarn Dyeing and Functionality
CHROMUCH, innovator of a 100% recycled, solution-dyed polyester fiber, advances a new standard in sustainable color design. CHROMUCH fibers are rich in color, colorfast, earth-friendly, and use no water in the dyeing process. "ChromShield™ Technology" provides rich color and functionality, inherent to the yarn, innovating the design process. ChromShield™ allows for magnified color vibrancy and durability, and a variety of on-demand performance like fade-resistance, UV protection, fire-retardancy, heat-retention, quick-dry, and antibacterial properties. The patented On-Demand ChromShield™ offers the deepest blacks, richest reds the brightest blues, and protects its vibrant color wash- after-wash. Made from recycled PET bottles, CHROMUCH solution-dyed fibers are water-less and save 3 gallons of water per yard of fabric. (For every kilogram of CHROMUCH fiber, 77 plastic bottles are removed from landfills and seas.) CHROMUCH eco-certified synthetic fiber is GRS 4.0, Bluesign, Higg Index, Oeko Tex, and ISO-14001 approved. More Info.
DuPont™ Sorona® Launches Plant-Based Faux Fur for Performance Fashion Apparel
As consumers increasingly move away from using animal fur, DuPont™ Sorona® unveils its recyclable, luxuriously soft Sorona® faux fur. This thoughtful substitution for animal fur, provides a premium look and feel in garments. Sorona® faux fur, made with 70 to 100 percent bio-based Sorona® polymer fibers, creates one of the first commercially available plant-based faux furs. The long-lasting, fur alternative has an array of performance attributes including warmth, design flexibility, and dyeability. With exceptional softness and durability, this natural feeling fur alternative will not break down from heat or UV rays. Sorona® faux fur can be mechanically recycled, rather than being directed to the landfill. A variety of classic fur styles provide limitless design applications including jacket linings, collar trims, fur-lined footwear, fur accessories, earmuffs, etc. Sorona® faux fur pushes the boundaries of sustainable fashion, while providing an ethical option that is better for the planet. More Info.
Eastman Recycles Discarded Carpet into New Materials
Eastman is giving new life to one of the most challenging waste materials in U.S. landfills. Carpet is heavy and bulky – and there is a lot of it, with more than 3 billion pounds of carpet having been sent to U.S. landfills in 2018. Eastman has begun recycling post-consumer carpet waste through its carbon renewal technology, which converts and upcycles carpet waste into new materials including textiles, cosmetics and personal care, and ophthalmics. Its partnership with Circular Polymers, which reclaims post-consumer waste products for recycling, secures a consistent source of feedstock for the program. Circular Polymers collects polyester carpet from homes/businesses, recycles it, utilizing a unique processing technology that separates the PET fiber from the carpeting, and densifies the fiber for transport to Eastman's manufacturing site for chemical recycling. Eastman expects to use up to 50 million pounds of waste plastic in carbon renewal technology during 2020, and anticipates expanding that amount. More Info.
Evrnu Introduces the First Garment Made Using the NuCycl™ technology
Evrnu, a textile innovation company specializing in fiber technologies, introduced NuCycl™, the company's first commercially available technology. NuCycl™ converts pre-and post-consumer, as well as postindustrial textile materials into high quality materials for new clothing with performance and environmental advantages. Evrnu created the fiber for the first proof-of-concept 100% recyclable limited release Infinite Hoodie as part of the adidas by Stella McCartney Fall/Winter 2019 collection. Using NuCycl™ by Evrnu technology, the Infinite Hoodie is made from 60% NuCycl™ and 40% organic cotton diverted from landfills and can be reused again and again to be remade into high-performance product. Garments made with the NuCycl™ technology can be disassembled at the molecular level and regenerated multiple times, helping brands drawdown the impact of creating and disposing of garments. The Infinite Hoodie and NuCycl™ by Evrnu signal a move towards a reality where products can be completely recycled and repurposed. More Info.
Genomatica Showcases the First 100% Renewably-Sourced Nylon
Eighty years after DuPont's first commercial production of nylon, Genomatica announces the world's first renewably-sourced key ingredient for nylon-6, made from plants instead of crude oil. Nylon is responsible for an estimated 60 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year through traditional production which begins with crude oil. Genomatica's innovation, along with European nylon producer Aquafil, will produce 100% renewably-sourced nylon, delivering the equivalent performance of conventional nylon, but with lower environmental impact. This bio-based nylon has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of a $10 billion global industry that produces over five million tons of nylon-6 per year. Through biotechnology, Genomatica offers improved nylon production and a more sustainable future for many industries. Made possible through an engineered microorganism and proprietary production process, Genomatica's technology ferments plant sugars, creating the nylon-6 chemical intermediate.The chemical is then converted into nylon-6 polymer chips and yarn by Aquafil. More Info.
Reuse. Recycle. Regen. To help brands produce enduring, eco-friendly products that customers welcome, Hyosung has developed its new regen sustainability program of 100% recycled multi-performance fibers. Hyosung's regen robic MIPAN® is the first recycled high-tenacity nylon made from 100% reclaimed waste. Among the recent developments is the company's creora® regen recycled spandex made from 100% reclaimed waste. (With every ton of recycled elastane Hyosung produces, the company saves approximately 2 tons of non-renewable raw material.) Adopted by leading activewear, workwear, backpack and bags brands, the new regen program extends its multi-function nylon and polyester fiber collections to also include:
regen askin polyester cooling and UV protective fiber
regen cotna polyester natural touch fiber
regen aerocool polyester sweat-absorbing and quick-drying fiber
Hyosung is proud to offer its partners this unique and comprehensive package of recycled, multi-function fibers. These sustainable product offerings lift the entire industry becoming better stewards of the earth. More Info.
Minardi Piume's FLOWER DOWN, the New Innovative Fiberfil Product
Thanks to a sophisticated, recycling process that converts post-consumer waste to washed and sterilized recycled down, Minardi Piume produces a unique, natural, and sustainable high-performance filling product. Focusing on what nature already provides, the company developed this natural, recyclable, and biodegradable fill with a low environmental impact. By choosing the best fibers that nature produces, Minardi Piume created Flower Down, by blending two natural components: kapok fiber, the most sustainable vegetable filling, and recycled down to create incredible fiberfil properties with a high technical performance. The result is a filling that has inherent thermal-insulating qualities, along with being intrinsically lightweight, hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, sustainable, naturally water-repellent, soft, energy-saving, and thermo-regulating with high-fill power of 550+ to 700+. Flower Down is easy care, affordable, and ethical. Laboratory tests for Flower Down shows high thermal and technical performances. Flower Down is also GRS certified. More Info.
Outerknown, the California Lifestyle Brand, Creates World's First Merino Wool Boardshorts
Using the latest Optim™ spinning techniques and a unique 100% Australian Merino wool fabric, Outerknown creates its new wind- and rain-resistant "Woolaroo" boardshort. A collaboration between Outerknown and The Woolmark Company delivers this unique, high-performance Merino wool fabric that is ideal for outer-wear apparel. The enhanced water- and wind-resistant fabric is delivered through Optim™ fiber stretching technology. 100% Merino wool fibers are pre-stretched at high levels of thread density for the warp and weft yarns, then optimized for spinning and weaving processes, finished and the stretch is released, causing the yarns to contract into a dense fabric that is wind and water resistant. Sourced from Australia, the 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable fiber brings benefits such as odor-resistance, durability, breathability and natural UV protection. The 100% Merino wool "Woolaroo" is also machine washable and won't shed microplastics into the ocean. More Info.
PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ is PrimaLoft's proprietary manufacturing technique that reduces carbon emissions during manufacturing by as much as 48%. P.U.R.E. (Produced Using Reduced Emissions) is the latest development in PrimaLoft's Relentlessly Responsible™ commitment to make more sustainable products without compromising its industry-leading performance. The initial product produced with P.U.R.E. manufacturing technology uses 100% post-consumer recycled material and has all the insulating and performance benefits of existing PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation. Converting the yearly production of Gold Insulation to P.U.R.E.:
Reduces CO2 emissions by 48%.
Reduces CO2 by 348,111 lbs.
Saves 438,617 miles of CO2 – equal to driving around the earth 17.6 times.
During traditional insulation manufacturing, the fibers become thermally bonded by moving through a slow, high-heat oven. PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ manufacturing technology reduces carbon emissions by eliminating thermal ovens, instead using air to cure/stabilize the insulation. For fall 2020, Patagonia will be the first brand partner to incorporate PrimaLoft® P.U.R.E.™ manufacturing technology. More Info.
ZYIA - Item 107 - White Bomber Bra
A customer favorite, our vented Bomber bra offers a beautiful blend of form and function so perfect, you're going to want to stock up. The bomber provides medium all-day support without hardware, making it as easy to own as it is to wear. A flattering, supportive fit and charming racer back detail will make you want to show it off.
ZYIA - Item 1520 - Men's Black Briefs (2 Pack)
Built for performance, our briefs work overtime to keep you fresh and funk-free.Unique antimicrobial fabric resists odors, wicks moisture, and stretches every which way. A structured crotch and groin area offer the firm-but-gentle support you want while anti-chafe seaming and strategic ventilation help you go the distance in comfort.