With sustainability becoming more and more important in the home, DuPont announced it is partnering with home textile producer Welspun India for a new sustainable home goods line using DuPont Biomaterials’ Sorona partially plant-based fibers.
The collection, which includes bath towels and bed linens, capitalizes on a growing trend toward sustainable home goods. According to the Sustainable Furnishings Council’s 2021 consumer survey, 97 percent of respondents reported preferring to buy sustainable items for the home if the style and price is similar. And a recent sustainability report from Edited found a significant year-over-year uptick in the use of natural fabrics in home goods.
Sorona is made from 37 percent renewable plant-based ingredients and boasts a high level of performance, including inherent stain resistance. Fibers made with Sorona polymer are currently used in apparel applications, such as athleisure and athletic wear, insulation, swimwear, outerwear, suiting, faux fur, and more. The fibers also are used in carpeting. Sorona is a USDA Certified Biobased Product and is certified as a Oeko-Tex Standard 100 product.
“Welspun India challenged us to deliver a fiber innovation that will enable them to offer a perceptible value addition to their end customers and yet provide a sustainable solution,” said Gowri Nagarajan, regional sales and marketing manager for DuPont Biomaterials. “We were able to deliver to the Welspun team the Sorona fiber in a format that allows its incorporation into a range of applications, including towels and bedsheets.”
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Welspun India, which is part of the Welspun Group—an India-based conglomerate that in addition to producing home textiles manufactures pipes, and infrastructure and energy products—has upped its sustainability efforts in recent years. For instance, the company launched a patented multi-level traceability process called Wel-Trak that tracks finished products back to the raw material.
The company also recently launched HygroCotton technology which traps the air in its core, making terry towels fluff after every wash, and regulates a bedsheet’s temperature naturally.
Umasankar Mahapatra, senior vice president, innovation for Welspun India, said the company has seen increased demand for home textiles that offer performance qualities along with sustainability at both the fiber and fabric level. He said this partnership allows them to achieve that balance.
“We have been working with our suppliers to achieve this performance, and, in the realm of comfort, stretch, and moisture management, DuPont has a long history of innovation,” he said. “It is remarkable to see our teams develop this performance stretch Sorona Agile fabric without the need for spandex. It is able to withstand industrial wash conditions without any compromise in fabric property for the life of the fabric. Our teams are currently closely engaged to incorporate other Sorona yarns into home textile applications.”