Fashion suppliers are stepping up their efforts toward sustainability and manufacturing more environmentally sound materials.
Milliken
Milliken & Company has achieved a gold rating on its 2022 EcoVadis assessment.
Milliken’s score places it in the top 7 percent of more than 90,000 organizations rated by EcoVadis, a provider of business sustainability ratings.
“Milliken relies on our core values, including sustainability and integrity, to drive our purpose and growth,” said Halsey Cook, president and CEO of Milliken & Company. “The EcoVadis assessment benchmarks our work and guides our improvements to help us build a healthy future.”
EcoVadis reviews sustainability policies, actions and results in four main themes–environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement–using methodology built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the ISO 26000. Milliken’s performance was measured at the enterprise level, meaning the score and subsequent gold rating reflects the company’s efforts across its complete textile, chemical, floor covering and healthcare businesses.
“Comprehensive third-party reviews like the EcoVadis assessment help us understand how we are doing, what refinements we can make and ultimately inspire us to achieve new heights in our sustainability journey,” said Kasel Knight, general counsel and head of sustainability at Milliken.
Lenzing
Lenzing, a supplier of sustainably produced specialty fibers, has been recognized in The International Textile Manufacturers Federation’s ITMF Awards 2022 for its commitment toward paving sustainable practices for the denim industry.
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Tencel Modal fiber with Indigo Color technology was presented with the award for Sustainability and Innovation at the ITMF Annual Conference in Davos, Switzerland. First launched in 2021, Tencel Modal fiber with Indigo Color technology is a fiber solution addressing the demand for more eco-responsible fiber alternatives among denim brands and retailers.
The new technology incorporates indigo pigment directly into Tencel branded Modal fibers using a one-step, spun-dyeing process that delivers superior color fastness relative to conventional indigo dyeing. Compared with traditional rope-dyed indigo yarns, the production of Tencel Modal fiber with Indigo Color technology saves around 99 percent of water and electricity, 80 percent of chemicals and 100 percent of heat energy, significantly reducing the ecological footprint of denim products.
“At Lenzing, sustainability and innovation are key drivers of our business, and it is truly an honor to be recognized by industry players and the ITMF Awards,” said Florian Heubrandner, vice president of the Global Textiles Business at Lenzing AG. “Through a blend of eco-responsible materials and pioneering technology, we created a new benchmark for the denim industry with Tencel Modal with Indigo Color technology. We will continue to innovate our fiber offerings to address the rising demand for eco-responsible alternatives. With each fiber innovation, we are one step closer to reducing [the] environmental impact of our textile industry ecosystem.”
Tricia Carey, director of global business development, denim and Americas at Lenzing, said while the company continues to explore different washes, effects and fiber blends, it is open to innovation.
“Beyond the denim market, there are already commercial programs in knitwear,” Carey said. “With so many great minds and new ideas out in the market, this is an excellent opportunity to experiment with something new and lower the environmental footprint.”
Tencel Modal with Indigo technology has been designated BioPreferred by the United States Department of Agriculture and was certified with the EU Ecolabel.
Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison Fastener Solutions has added a new recycled Polypropylene (rPP) fastener to its environmentally friendly Ecotach portfolio.
The newly Global Recycled Standard (GRS)-certified rPP fasteners will help apparel manufacturers, brand owners and retailers to reach internal plastics recycling targets and comply with government-mandated requirements. Ecotach rPP fasteners feature 30 percent recycled polypropylene content sourced from clear plastic takeout food containers. The paddle-type fasteners are designed for apparel hang tag applications, including price tags, informational tags and tags promoting brand image.
“As part of their sustainability efforts, many apparel companies have established ambitious goals related to increasing the percentage of recycled plastic in their products and packaging,” Matt Hayes, product manager, Avery Dennison Fastener Solutions, said. “With 30 percent recycled polypropylene content, Ecotach rPP fasteners can help companies meet their recycled-plastic goals and prevent huge quantities of virgin plastic from entering the waste stream.”
Avery Dennison’s Ecotach rPP fasteners also allow companies to adapt to new government regulations that are taking effect in many European countries including the U.K., covering single-use plastic materials. These laws impose taxes on plastic products and packaging with less than 30 percent recycled content.
In addition to U.S and European production facilities, Avery Dennison Fastener Solutions has a production facility and warehousing sites in the Asia-Pacific region to support brands with tagging operations.
Avery Dennison Ecotach rPP fasteners are available in 0.5-inch to 3-inch sizes for different applications and are compatible with standard Avery Dennison application tools. The fasteners come standard in natural color and can be ordered in various custom colors.