Swiss textile innovator HeiQ introduced a fluorine-free product in its HeiQ Eco Dry product family for a full range of durable water repellence (DWR) technologies, for ranges in apparel and footwear.
After adding HeiQ DuPont Eco-Led to the range last year, HeiQ has now developed a new technology targeting footwear materials. This new solution conforms to Oeko-Tex standards, enabling high hydrophobic property levels. It is suitable for wool, polyamide and their blends.
Used by more than 50 brands worldwide, HeiQ Eco Dry is a family of innovative, eco-friendly and perfluorinated compound (PFC)-free water repellent textile technologies. PFCs have been linked to a range of human and animal health problems and many companies in a variety of industrial sectors have been developing non-PFC alternative products.
Bio-inspired HeiQ Eco Dry, launched last year, is used to keep garments ecologically dry and equips textiles to handle wet-weather conditions. HeiQ Eco Dry is suited for outdoor jackets, windbreakers, hiking pants, fleece and footwear.
The company noted that fluorine-free HeiQ Eco Dry FW does not compromise on breathability. For leather on footwear, HeiQ DuPont Eco-Led enables brands to protect their products in a sustainable manner.
“Summer just started and in many countries it also means the start of rainy season,” Hoi Kwan Lam, chief marketing officer at HeiQ, said. “We work with over 150 brands all over the world on a daily basis and what we see is the unstoppable growth in their craving for innovative, sustainable and effective solutions.”
Lam said HeiQ’s ecological solutions allow brands to send a positive message and maintain a sustainable image.
“Today, 58 percent of consumers that are willing to pay more make their purchase decisions based on a brand’s environmental commitment,” he said, citing a Credit Suisse study, “Millennials Drive Sustainability.”
Lam said this is a positive development that also provides business opportunities.