At AirDye® Solutions, we believe in marrying technological improvements in dyeing with outstanding environmental practices. When another company sees what we see, it’s a great match. With that in mind, we are very pleased to announce our newest partner: Deer Creek Fabrics.

The Connecticut-based company has been in business for decades, and has recently stepped up its sustainable efforts and selection of eco-friendly fabrics. To get a deeper understanding of the company and what excites them about AirDye, we spoke with Steve Lucier, president of Deer Creek Fabrics.

Good for Business (G4B): For those who are unfamiliar with Deer Creek, would you tell us a little about the company?
Continue reading ‘deer creek fabrics introduces eco-friendly fabrics at outdoor retailer’ »

For some time, we have covered Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) restructuring and revival plan. That program—called Plan A because the company considers it the best way to do business—is saving the company money. Sustainability is putting M&S on the right path, and the payback is adding up fast.

In fiscal year 2011, Plan A contributed over £70 million ($113.2 million) to the company’s bottom line, up from £50 million the prior year. M&S is working toward its goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

“Plan A is now delivering more for our customers than ever before. It is creating great products with eco and ethical benefits like the world’s first fairtrade vegetable and the Indigo Green fashion range. Over 180,000 people recycled their unwanted clothes with the Oxfam Clothes Exchange,” M&S Chief Executive Marc Bolland said in the company’s press release.

Beyond what it’s doing to involve its customers in the mission, M&S it is making substantial savings through sustainable efforts. Of the £70 million gained through Plan A last year, 19 percent stemmed from energy savings, 15.7 percent came from packaging reductions, 2.9 percent through reduced fuel use, and 1.4 percent in hanger recycling. These are tangible savings, and they have been reinvested in the business.

M&S also is focused on its textile use. As part of its Plan A commitment, the company boosted its use of recycled polyester in general merchandise products to more than 1,900 tons—equivalent to 47 million two-liter plastic bottles.

What’s more, the company plans to source 25 percent of its cotton from sustainable sources by 2015, and then raise that amount to 50 percent by 2020. Sustainable sources are defined as fairtrade, organic, recycled, and “Better Cotton.” Better Cotton is an initiative designed to make cotton production better for the people  who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for “the sector’s future.”

We are very happy to highlight the success of the Plan A initiative. It’s another example of how sustainability can be good for customers, the environment, and business. We continue to wish Marks & Spencer success with Plan A, as well as with the company’s goal of becoming the world’s most sustainable retailer by 2015.

Here at the AirDye Good for Business blog, we have often urged textile companies to talk more about water scarcity and pollution. All of us in the industry know how water-intensive textile manufacturing can be, yet so few stand up and publicly address the problem. Patagonia is one of the few companies confronting the issue. The company, a steadfast supporter of good environmental practice, has launched a new initiative focused on the impending global freshwater crisis.

Patagonia’s “Our Common Waters” program blends supply chain assessment with consumer education. Some time ago, we praised Merrill’s NADA (Not Any Dye Applied) program for its focus on saving water and averting pollution. However, Patagonia’s initiative is a broader, more inclusive effort.

Continue reading ‘patagonia cares about your water’ »

Information about the health, environmental, or social impact of a company’s products or operations used to be hard for consumer to find. That is changing. As consumers demand more information about the products they buy, new resources are beginning to provide answers. The GoodGuide, which just added ratings for 190 apparel brands, is a perfect example. Founded in 2007, the GoodGuide gives consumers access to a database filled with information about the health, environmental, and social aspects of products.

10% of fashion brands have LCAs

Before rating the 190 apparel brands, GoodGuide researchers spent eight months analyzing each clothing company’s supply chain, product design, corporate transparency, and consumer education. Unfortunately, according to GoodGuide, only ten percent of fashion brands incorporate life-cycle assessments (LCAs) when designing products. Only nine percent publicly disclose the names of their suppliers.

Research and effort are required to determine the sustainability and impact of apparel. For consumers, that research is both difficult and time consuming. GoodGuide is taking a lot of the guess work out of the process. The group already rates household products such as cleaning supplies, personal care items (shampoo and soap, etc.), baby food, toys, cars, even food. Adding apparel is a logical addition.
Continue reading ‘goodguide now evaluates apparel brands’ »

Unifi, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of recycled polyester fabric, has opened a new recycling center to expand production of its Repreve recycled fiber. For Unifi, recycled polyester represents a fast-growing market. Since its introduction in 2006, the Repreve brand has grown from a single recycled fabric into a family of products for the apparel, automotive, seating, and paneling fabric markets.

Over the last two years, Unifi has recycled more than 247 million post-consumer plastic bottles and turned them into Repreve products.

Continue reading ‘unifi increases recycled pet fabric production’ »

Many companies today are seeking products and packaging with recycled and recyclable content. As such, the demand for packaging materials such as recycled PET (plastic packaging recycled from products such as soft drink and milk jugs, other bottles and containers) has grown over the past half decade. In order to better provide companies with hard data on the environmental benefits of rPET over its virgin counterpart, the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) released a Life Cycle Inventory study.

A life cycle inventory quantifies the energy consumption and environmental emissions (i.e., atmospheric emissions, waterborne emissions, and solid wastes) for a given product based upon the study boundaries established.

Continue reading ‘life cycle inventory confirms recycled pet is eco-friendly’ »

Ray Anderson, chairman and founder of Interface, has been producing carpet tiles since 1973. For most of that time, his company was a conventional carpet maker, using virgin petroleum without considering the waste or pollution consequences. Interface has been transformed since then into a global leader in sustainability. Time Magazine recently called Anderson “America’s Green Industrialist,” and Fortune Magazine once characterized him as “America’s Greenest CEO.”  He is, without a doubt, committed to sustainability.

But Anderson’s commitment goes beyond that of most people. Speaking of how his fellow industrialists treated the planet, Anderson once famously declared, “Someday, people like me will go to jail.” While that comment may be the one most people associate with him, it doesn’t come close to summarizing how the man thinks about sustainability—and that’s the part that makes Anderson so impressive.

Continue reading ‘ray anderson knows sustainability leads to bigger profits’ »

Technology is about pushing forward. Be it computer technology, food technology, or textile technology, the purpose is to accomplish something that was once impossible. Such is the case with the recent introduction of a new wool dyeing technology that allows–for the first time–wool to be dyed with multiple colors and designs. New Zealand’s AgResearch developed the technology, and fellow New Zealander BGI Developments will commercialize the process.

The new technology could significantly expand New Zealand’s Merino wool market by attracting fashion houses that previously avoided the material because of its design limitations.

Until now, graphics and pictures had to be printed on top of dyed merino fabric. The result was a garment that was sticky and felt like plastic.

The new technology dyes the fibers themselves, so there is no difference in the feel or “hand” of the garment. And, unlike the “top graphics” on today’s wool garments, the designs will last as long as the material its printed on.

“Now you can have a pattern all over the fabric,” BGI’s Robyn George-Neich told us in an e-mail. “You would never have done that with Merino before, because the loss in softness and drape would have made the fabric horrible to wear.”

Now, decorative Merino can become a true player in fashion, especially since the technology works on a variety of fabric weights–a trait that offers clothing designers even more options.

Textile scientist Dr. Stewart Collie, who led the AgResearch team that developed the technology, said the new process helps the fashion industry stay nimble. “What manufacturers and fashion designers really like about this new process is the ability to choose colors and designs just before entering the market,” Collie said in a press release. “This allows much more flexible marketing of garments, reducing risk for both manufacturer and retailer alike.”

BGI is establishing manufacturing facilities in New Zealand and elsewhere, and the company hopes to land fashion design customers around the world. AgResearch expects to receive substantial royalties for its patented process, but the larger story here is in advancing the potential of Merino.

In our last post, we discussed the outdoor apparel industry’s growing commitment to bluesign certification. PrimaLoft, which makes performance insulation products, recently joined the growing list of companies with bluesign approval—or as bluesign prefers to call it, “system partner status.”

The company started with a general screening by bluesign, and that review eventually led to certification.  PrimaLoft’s “ONE,” “SPORT,” and “ECO” insulation products (manufactured in Nantong City, China) will be the first to carry the bluesign endorsement.

PrimaLoft insulation was developed for the U.S. military as a water resistant alternative to goose down. Today, PrimaLoft can also be found in outerwear, home furnishings, and even fashion.

“As a company with roots steeped in the outdoors, PrimaLoft is committed to taking steps to minimize our impact on the environment,” said Eileen Berner, sales and marketing director for PrimaLoft, in a press release. “Achieving the bluesign standard assures consumers, brands and retailers that PrimaLoft is a trusted partner with products that can be not only counted on to perform, but also adhere to strict environmental, health and safety regulations.”

The bluesign label is an added selling point for any company hoping to impress retail customers by touting its sustainability efforts. But it’s also becoming a necessity for textile mills, fabric makers, and other potential suppliers to bluesign “partners” such as Patagonia and The North Face.

Bluesign spokesman Sebastian Baumgartner applauded the PrimaLoft approval. “This is outstanding proof of the acceptance and importance of the bluesign standard in this industry,” he said. “In addition, PrimaLoft will allow a large number of brands, retailers, and end consumers to benefit from the positive effects of the bluesign standard.”

As bluesign certification spreads among influential brands, it creates a ripple effect throughout the industry–creating a higher benchmark for sustainability that both competitors and suppliers will be compelled to match.  It is becoming clear that bluesign is one standard that many in the outdoor industry are eager to meet.

For years, the outdoor industry has been working toward improved sustainability practices. As part of that effort, the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) formed an EcoIndex designed to measure the environmental footprint of companies throughout the supply chain. While the EcoIndex is a good idea, it is a work in progress and not ready for implementation. On another front, however, textile corporations are steadily adopting the bluesign standard–a positive trend that is already improving sustainability within the industry.

Bluesign is one of the textile industry’s leading standards for environmental sustainability. The organization behind the standard hopes to ensure that production processes deliver maximum productivity, while maintaining a high level of environmental integrity.
Continue reading ‘textile industry trend: bluesign certification’ »