The ICR XChange is one of the leading consumer-oriented investment conferences. Over the course of three days, more than 150 companies will present to over 1,500 attendees, including buy- and sell-side analysts, the private equity community, the media, select investment banks, law firms and consultants. This event each year sets the tone for industry developments in the coming twelve months.

The Company’s presentation will begin at 3:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 10, 2012.  Chief Executive Officer Larry Levy will be speaking at the conference in the Glimmer Ballroom 1 & 2. Mr. Levy will be available for private meetings throughout the day.

More information on the conference is available at the website: http://www.icrxchange.com.

About ICR

ICR is a leading financial communications firm specializing in investor relations and corporate communications. Established in 1998, ICR represents more than 300 companies and has significant industry expertise and relationships in the resources sector.  ICR maintains offices in Norwalk, CT, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Beijing and is one of the industry’s fastest growing consultancies.  For more information: http://www.icrinc.com.

About AirDye Solutions

AirDye Solutions is passionate about creating new printing and dyeing technologies that help sustain the planet while offering unsurpassed quality, value, and accessibility. AirDye® technology manages the application of color to textiles without the use of water. It is the most efficient, sustainable alternative to traditional printing and dyeing processes. AirDye also reduces process time to weeks rather than months so orders are delivered more quickly and adjustments are implemented with real-time speed.  For more information: http://www.airdyesolutions.com.

For More Information:
Paul Raybin
Chief Sustainability and Marketing Officer
(909) 758-1590
p.raybin@colorep.com

Having revolutionary eco-friendly technology alone isn’t always enough to attract business, so we set out to build a green brand that had verifiable life cycle analysis to substantiate the technology’s environmental benefits plus clear “traditional” benefits for the textile industry: quality products, fast time-to-market, reduced inventory risk and unique design capabilities. The process and our philosophy is explained in Claudia Girrbach’s GreenBiz.com article 5 Lessons from AirDye on Building a Strong Green Brand.

Even putting climate change aside, India has many factors contributing to water scarcity: increases in population, income, industrialization, and agriculture. On top of the growing demand for fresh water, is the fact that water pollution is also growing. Lack of domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastewater treatment and collection has led to high levels of water pollution in India’s lakes, rivers, and ground water.

indian companies ignore water risks

Despite the clear signs of water scarcity, few Indian companies are accounting for their water risks. In a study released by Crisil Research, in a survey of 500 publicly traded companies they found that “only 30 percent of companies reported that they have company level water policy for prudent management of water usage. Similarly, 22 percent of companies reported that they have policies to manage waste water discharge.”

Overall this situation is gloomy. Mr. Mukesh Agarwal, senior director at CRISIL Research said,

Most companies continue to have a cavalier approach towards use of water /waste water discharge and consequently, have been forced to face physical, regulatory and reputational damages. This has often led to significant impact on the financial performance, and in select cases, companies have even had to shift or shut down their business operations. Indian companies must therefore manage their water usage/discharge in a responsible and sustainable manner.

indian government taking action

Responsibility for water regulation and enforcement is up to the local states in India. This has resulted in “competition and conflict at all levels” according to the World Bank. But, there are signs of improvement and action, even if they’re uneven. Earlier this year, hundreds of dyeing units in Tirupur were closed by the state Pollution Control Board due to excessive water pollution. When some businesses wouldn’t close themselves, the local electric company cut their power. Most of them remain closed until the area has established zero discharge processes, which are underway.

The result of the dye houses being closed has been a hit to the Indian textile industry, with a loss of over $600 million U.S. and more than 50,000 jobs this year, not to mention the effect on supply chain issues for the global customers of these dye houses.

In other states, in order avoid closure, various dyeing associations are scrambling to construct common effluent treatment plants (CETP) at a significant cost to the companies. But even the establishment of the CETP doesn’t mean cleaner water. Poor planning led to at least one facility that didn’t meet the guidelines set by the state Pollution Control Board.

As the Crisil report says, “Going forward, growing scarcity and pollution of water, coupled with challenges arising out of climate change could pose serious risks to industrial and business operations in India.” Clearly, water is already a risk for the Indian textile industry.

International brands relying on Indian vendors for their supply chain need to take notice. As we’ve been talking about for some time, how excessive water use and pollution in the textile industry will take its toll. For decades the industry has relied on lax, or non-existent environmental regulations to produce cheap goods. But as China and India begin to understand the financial, societal, and environmental costs, we should expect more closures, unexpected costs, and supply chain disruptions so long as the industry remains water intensive. Not to mention, if these happen often enough, consumer confidence and brand value will suffer as well.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an independent not-for-profit organization holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world, just released their second annual Water Disclosure Global Report 2011 [PDF]. This survey of 190 companies from around the world found that over one-third are already experiencing water-related disruptions. The survey was taken at the request of over 350 institutional investors.

The goal of the report is to help companies that are recognizing the fragile nature of water resources and taking steps to transform their businesses “by encouraging meaningful and systematic reporting on water globally so that investors and their stakeholders can understand how companies are building water into their core business strategies, and so that leading practices can be shared.”

water risks from too much or too little

In just this last year, we’ve seen farmers in Texas leave cotton and food crops rotting in the fields because of the worst drought on record costing more than $5.2 billion and caused global cotton prices to spike. In Thailand and Australia floods have closed down businesses and left millions homeless. Regardless of where businesses are located, more and more are waking up to the problems of having too much or too little water.

Water risks to business operations come in various forms according to the respondents. The biggest risk is water stress or scarcity (41 percent), then flooding (24 percent), reputational damage (23 percent), and higher compliance costs (21 percent).

From those who responded to the CDP’s survey, nearly 60 percent of the companies “report exposure to water-related risk that has the potential to cause significant business impacts.”

Oddly enough, though, some of these same companies don’t have board-level oversight of water-related policies, strategies, and plans. The CDP does report that 94 percent of the respondents are concerned enough about climate change to manage it at the board-level.

more companies are monitoring and reporting

Of course, knowing how much operational risk your company has, means that you have know how much water you’re using, recycling, and reusing and at which stage of the process.

Without valid measurements and reporting, water management simply can’t be done. Fortunately, the study shows that more companies are able to report water data. Last year, only 42 percent of the survey knew how much water their operations were recycling and/or reusing. In 2011, 58 percent reported having this vital information.

It was interesting to note, that of the various sectors covered in the survey, the energy companies had the lowest response rate overall. They also had the lowest level of board oversight and was the only group to report that eight percent of their companies had no one responsible for water policies. Rather startling results, given that energy production is one of the most water-intensive industries on the planet.

investors want water risk reporting

In an article for the Guardian, Global Head of Ownership Policy at Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), Anne Kvam, explains that companies must monitor and report their water-related risks. She says:

NBIM expects businesses to disclose their exposure to water risks, and show to what extent they manage these risks in their operations and supply chains. We also encourage companies to report on the annual water use at each of their main operational sites, for instance by comparing usage at a site to the average flow of the river it draws water from or against the maximum water usage allowed by local regulators. Providing such information will enable companies and their stakeholders to track performance in this area over time.

As an investor, it would be very difficult to find a business that has minimal exposure to water-risk. And companies should look beyond their direct operations and into their supply chain. As the flooding in Thailand continues, automotive, textiles, and electronics companies around the world are unable to get the parts they need to fulfill orders, thus impacting revenues and profits.

future water woes

The planet may be covered in water, but less than one percent is fresh and accessible. That number isn’t going to change. But demand for the water is. By 2030, demand for fresh water could outstrip supply by 40 percent according to the 2030 Water Resources Group. Or as Paul Simpson, CEO of the Carbon Project, puts it in the report:

As growing demand for water from industrialisation and population growth is compounded by climate change and growing uncertainty of supply, the global economy will be reoriented towards businesses that take active stewardship of water resources and build resilience to shortages and floods. The companies that succeed will be those that consider water with the strategic importance it deserves and take steps to transform their business now.

Businesses need to ramp up their water policies and begin to develop programs to find alternatives soon. Otherwise, we’ll find in next year’s Water Disclosure Global Report even more companies losing money to water risks.

chart credit: Water Disclosure Global Report 2011

Chan points out that the Chinese government is well aware of the impact climate change is already having on their economy and population and is making long-term plans. After all, water scarcity is already costing the Chinese economy 2.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and factories have already had to close due to lack of water, and water prices are on the rise. To address the issue, Beijing is already putting in place tighter environmental regulations, and is starting to focus on water efficiency and conservation.

investors need to consider water risks

But, it’s not enough for the Chinese government to take steps, Chan wants investors to make sure they’re factoring in these same risks as they review their investment options.

HSBC has a list of questions it suggests investors use to asses risk levels, corporate strategies, and operational efficiency. But they do note that getting answers to the questions can be difficult as companies aren’t always aware of their full exposure or don’t want to disclose them. Here are a few questions from Chan’s list:

• Which companies are directly exposed to serious water availability constraints?
• Which companies are located in provinces with ambitious energy intensity reduction targets?
• Are the risks of resource stress in China understood at board level?
• What contingencies have been put into place to respond to disruption of resources?

If nothing changes, or not enough, it’s likely that China will face massive water shortages by 2030. And if the droughts continue, there’s reason to expect power disruptions, civil unrest, and more government action in the coming year. In the short and long-term, China’s water scarcity will have an impact on business.

What are you doing to protect your investment or the part of your supply chain that comes from China?

We were recognized for AirDye® technology. AirDye addresses one of the world’s most pressing problems: the over-use and pollution of trillions of gallons of fresh water. AirDye Solutions innovative technology uses no water at the point of coloration, eliminates the need for toxic dye chemicals, and is revolutionizing the textile industry.

The World Technology Awards have been presented by the World Technology Network (WTN) since 2000, as a way to honor those in 20 different categories of science and technology and related fields doing “the innovative work of the greatest likely long-term significance.” Nominees for the 2011 World Technology Awards were selected by the WTN Fellows (winners and finalists from previous annual Award cycles in the individual Award categories) through an intensive, global process lasting many months.

The World Technology Award for Environment was presented by the WTN in association with TIME, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, and Technology Review. AirDye Solutions now joins a roster of organizations and individuals from over 60 countries around the world deemed to be doing the most innovative and impactful work.

The Advisors for 2011 were:

• Ray Kurzweil, inventor/futurist/author
• Albert Teich, Director, Science and Policy Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science/AAAS (retired, 2011)
• Jason Pontin, Editor/Publisher, Technology Review
• Lev Grossman, Senior Writer and book critic, TIME; co-author TIME.com blog “Techland”

Other nominees included Recyclebank, Siemens Water Technologies, and Better Place. The full list of 2011 finalist and other nominees can be found on the WTN website.

Paul Raybin (center), AirDye Solutions’ chief sustainability and marketing officer, accepted the award from Jim Clark, WTN chairman, and Poppy Harlow, CNN. Here are Paul’s remarks…

On behalf of everyone at AirDye Solutions and our partners around the world, we’re honored to receive this award.

In a world where fresh water is becoming scarce, the textile industry continues to destroy trillions of gallons of water every year printing and dyeing fabric. At AirDye Solutions our goal is to help move the textile industry away from its over-dependence on water for printing and dyeing fabric – making that water available for life-sustaining activities instead. Or, as we like to say – Water for Living Not for Dyeing.

In the past year we’ve entered into important new partnerships in Asia and elsewhere and now major brands are introducing textiles and apparel products dyed and decorated without using water.

So we hope that this award tonight helps increase awareness of the water scarcity problem around the world and that others continue to join us in seeking solutions.

Everyone in the company is proud and honored to be recognized by the WTN and the international community. Of course, without the hard work and dedication of everyone in the AirDye Solutions family, AirDye technology wouldn’t be able to make an impact on the textile industry and eventually, a greener planet.

photo credits: The WTN

Earlier this year, Martex Fiber announced their “No Fiber Left Behind” campaign. Martex is challenging every textile mill to stop sending the scraps to the dump and commit to recycling, which will not only improve the environment, but can save the mills money.

Kassandra Braun, of Martex Fiber, told me “many mills don’t know there are alternatives to the dump. Education is a big problem.” In fact, she explained, mills are paying haulers to remove the textile waste and take it to the landfill.

On the other hand, if these mills signed up with a textile recycling program, this expense could become an income stream. Pre-consumer textile waste has value to the recycling company who will pay the mill for the materials.

Martex Fibers is currently collecting 110 million pounds from textile mills and aims to grow to 150 million in the next two years. The company takes in waste clippings and salvages from new apparel and upholstery manufacturers in the U.S. and in Central America. One of their largest customers is Fruit of the Loom.

Depending on the type of textile, the fabrics are sorted and broken down. In Martex’s South Carolina facility, they make “eco-wipers” rags from the high quality cotton scrap or spin the fibers into new ECO2Cotton yarn at their Georgia plant. Both of these are excellent alternatives for the industry, requiring no new cotton production, and they don’t use any water during the manufacturing process.

For those fibers that aren’t suitable as a rag or yarn, it can become filler for pillows. Martex takes in any type of non-metallic textile and finds a market for it.

We know that our customers and colleagues are always on the lookout for quality recycled textile options that are made in America. With programs such as No Fiber Left Behind, we hope to see more mills and textile manufacturers find uses for recycled fibers and divert their own, inevitable waste, back into the supply chain and out of landfills.

Bonnie Julian, senior vice president of textiles, Phillip Hess, studio director, and Paul Raybin, chief sustainability and marketing officer, will be meeting with major brands and retailers in London to see how our eco-friendly dye technology can help them meet their design and sustainability goals.

Then it’s off to Brussels, where AirDye will be on site for MoOd (Meet only Original Designs)—formerly known as Decosit Brussels—for an international upholstery, window, and wall covering producers trade show. If you’re at MoOD keep your eyes out for the newly released AirDye collection.

When things wrap up in Brussels, AirDye team members will have the opportunity to meet with textile mills in Istanbul that are searching for ways to conduct business with less water.

Turkish mills are struggling to get enough freshwater to meet demand, and are having to move mill locations as industrialization threatens natural resources. The freshwater situation in Turkey is only a leading indicator of things to come, as countries around the globe industrialize, they will have to decide how to use their freshwater.

Water for living, or water for dyeing? Several Turkish mills are ahead of the curve in exploring partnerships with AirDye Solutions.

Paris is the last stop on our brief European tour, where AirDye’s Japanese licensees, Debs Corporation and Komatsu-Seiren, will introduce major AirDye collections at the Premier Vision show. At Premier Vision fashion designers will be taking in the latest in fabrics, weaves, and dyeing techniques.

This is a very exciting time for us, and we’re happy to share our excitement with you. As our European tour progresses, we’ll update you here.

Winner to be announced at United Nations headquarters

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 8, 2011  – The World Technology Network (The WTN), announced today that AirDye Solutions has been named a finalist for a prestigious World Technology Award for Environment, presented by the WTN in association with TIME, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, and Technology Review. AirDye Solutions joins a roster of organizations and individuals from over 60 countries around the world deemed to be doing the most innovative and impactful work.

AirDye Solutions is a finalist in recognition for AirDye® technology. AirDye addresses one of the world’s most pressing problems: the over-use and pollution of billions of gallons of fresh water. AirDye Solutions innovative technology uses no water at the point of coloration, eliminates the need for toxic dye chemicals, and is revolutionizing the textile industry.

The World Technology Awards have been presented by the WTN since 2000, as a way to honor those in 20 different categories of science and technology and related fields doing “the innovative work of the greatest likely long-term significance.” Nominees for the 2011 World Technology Awards were selected through an intense process by the WTN Fellows (winners and finalists from previous annual Award cycles in the individual Award categories) through an intensive, global process lasting many months. Winners will be selected from among the finalists with the input of a select group of prominent advisors and will be announced in a ceremony at the United Nations on October 26, 2011.

The Advisors for 2011 are:

• Ray Kurzweil, inventor/futurist/author
• Albert Teich, Director, Science and Policy Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science/AAAS (retired, 2011)
• Jason Pontin, Editor/Publisher, Technology Review
• Lev Grossman, Senior Writer and book critic, TIME; co-author TIME.com blog “Techland”
• Oliver Morton (pending), Energy & Environment Editor, The Economist; former Chief News and Features Editor, Nature; Former editor, WIRED (UK edition)

“We’re honored to have been nominated in the Environment category of the World Technology Awards. We are particularly pleased by the recognition of our peers and of the growing global crisis of water scarcity.” says Paul Raybin, AirDye Solutions’ Chief Sustainability Officer.

The WTN is a curated membership community comprised of the world’s most innovative individuals and organizations in science, technology, and related fields. The WTN and its members—those creating the 21 century—are focused on exploring what is imminent, possible, and important in and around emerging technologies.

The winners of the World Technology Awards will be announced during a ceremony at the United Nations on the evening of October 26th at the close of the World Technology Summit, a two-day “thought leadership” conference (Oct. 25/26) held at the TIME & LIFE Building and presented by the World Technology Network in association with TIME magazine, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, Technology Review, and others.

“This year we are more eager than ever to pay tribute to the talent and innovation of our individual and corporate honorees.” says James P. Clark, Founder and Chairman of the World Technology Network. “Through the peer-nomination and peer-review process, we uncover the best of the best of the best in science and technology. We discover whose work is going to have the greatest likely impact over time. The World Technology Awards give a snapshot of the amazing science and technology revolutions in process.” Clark adds, “The World Technology Awards program is not only a very inspiring way to identify and honor the most innovative people and organizations in the technology world, but it also is a truly disciplined way for the WTN membership to identify those who will formally join them, as individual WTN Fellows or Corporate Members, as part of our global community. By working to make useful connections among our members, we look forward to assisting AirDye Solutions in continuing to help create our collective future and change our world.”

About AirDye Solutions

AirDye Solutions is passionate about creating new printing and dyeing technologies that help sustain the planet while offering unsurpassed quality, value, and accessibility. AirDye® technology manages the application of color to textiles without the use of water. It is the most efficient, sustainable alternative to traditional printing and dyeing processes. AirDye also reduces process time to weeks rather than months so orders are delivered more quickly and adjustments are implemented with real-time speed.

About the World Technology Network (www.wtn.net)

The WTN exists to “encourage serendipity”—the happy accidents of colliding ideas and new relationships that cause the biggest breakthroughs for individuals and institutions. The WTN works to accomplish its mission through global and regional events for its members and extended audience, to help make connections among them, and to examine the likely implications and possible applications of emerging technologies. The WTN is a curated membership community comprised of the world’s most innovative individuals and organizations in science, technology, and related fields—those creating the 21 Century.