Herculite Products, Inc. Named One Of Best Places To Work In Pennsylvania

EMIGSVILLE, Pa. — October 5, 2023 — Herculite Products Inc., a manufacturer of high-performance and custom fabrics, is pleased to announce that it has been selected by the Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business as one of the Best Places to Work in PA for 2023.

Best Places to Work in PA identifies, recognizes, and honors the best places of employment in Pennsylvania. Companies are ranked based on evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, and demographics and an employee survey measuring the employee experience.

“We are honored to be recognized as one of the 2023 Best Places to Work in PA,” said Vice President of Human Resources Pamela Funk. “We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we are committed to fostering a workplace culture that empowers our associates to thrive, grow, and make a meaningful impact. Thank you to all our associates for their hard work, passion, and commitment! Together, we will continue to create an environment where everyone can succeed and find fulfillment in their careers.”

Herculite President and CEO Peter McKernan added, “Congratulations and thank you to all our Associates for their commitment to creating a safe, engaged, and purpose-driven work environment. Our team’s dedication to each other, our mission, and our customers has made this achievement possible. We are proud to be recognized as one of the best places to work in Pennsylvania.”

“The 2023 Best Places to Work in PA honorees know what it means to create a culture in their organizations that results in teamwork and excellence. They are champions of business who know that the people in their companies are the keys to their success,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Central Penn Business Journal and Lehigh Valley Business. “We are pleased to join with the Best Companies Group to recognize this year’s winners.”

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source: Herculite Products Inc.

Hyosung Welcomes U.S. And European Marketing Management To Its Global Brand Marketing Team

SEOUL, South Korea — October 5, 2023 — To support its continued global business growth, Hyosung has appointed outdoor industry professional, Laura Nilo, as its new U.S. marketing manager, West Coast, and marketing strategist Christiane Rauch as senior consultant Northern Europe – Hyosung Spandex.

Nilo, who is based in Oregon, brings 15 years of global, director-level marketing and sales experience in the outdoor industry with progressive brands including Smartwool, Black Diamond, and La Sportiva. At Hyosung, she will identify business opportunities and develop customized textile solutions to help West Coast brands and retailers prosper. Additionally, Nilo will manage joint development and promotional programs with key industry partners.

Based in Germany, Rauch is a highly experienced marketing consultant with deep roots in the textile industry with businesses such as Nilit, Advansa, ICI Dupont Nemours, and Invista. She will collaborate with the existing Hyosung European marketing team to devise and execute creative marketing strategies and sustainable concepts focusing on strategic key account management for leading European retailers and brands.

“Laura and Christiane are fantastic additions to our team,” said Simon Whitmarsh-Knight, global marketing director, Hyosung Textiles. “Their respective understanding of the global value chain, brand, retail and consumer needs will help us further our global leading position as a complete textile solution provider.”

With offices in more than 40 countries, Hyosung can locally support and interact with the international supply chain to provide complete solutions and navigate the increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Together with Hyosung’s Fashion Design Center (FDC) Team who forecast trends and create fabric stories and samples in the context of global trends, the Global Brand Marketing Team supports brands and retailers with design ideas, sustainable platforms, and product development.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source: Hyosung

New Autumn/Winter 2023 GORE-TEX Brand Campaign Highlights Continued Commitment To Finding Innovative Solutions And ‘Going Further, Together’

LONDON/ELKTON, Md. — October 2, 2023 — W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) has announced that the consumer business of its Fabrics Division has launched a new GORE-TEX Brand campaign for the Autumn/Winter 2023 season.

The AW23 campaign, the first with new global creative agency TCO London, highlights the GORE-TEX brand’s continued commitment to innovation and responsible performance by showcasing the durability of new GORE-TEX products with ePE membrane.

Products featuring the GORE-TEX Brand ePE membrane offer durably waterproof, windproof and breathable performance; are light, thin yet strong; have a reduced carbon impact (per Higg MSI) and are PFC Free*. These products are made for consumers to experience life’s adventures and to help create unforgettable moments while offering the reliable performance expected from the GORE-TEX Brand.

TCO London developed the campaign to champion the human story behind the brand by highlighting people and their stories that celebrate the GORE-TEX Brand promise of ‘Going Further, Together’.

Spearheaded by a 45-second film directed by Arthur Couvat and produced by TCO, the campaign captures the brand’s essence through inspiring, documentary-style visuals that range from bustling London streets to wild Icelandic landscapes. Photography was captured by Pim Rinkes.

The campaign storytelling is shared through the perspective of nine people who have a personal connection to the outdoors. The cast were selected by TCO through its editorial networks, with a focus on capturing the diversity of both the activities and the communities.

“This campaign showcases our story of expanding the boundaries of performance, comfort and sustainability while demonstrating the versatile nature of our products,” said Marc Bock, global content leader for the GORE-TEX Brand. “We’ve highlighted people who use and enjoy GORE-TEX products in recognition of the ever- growing and changing communities who rely on us in the outdoors.”

Simon Baker, TCO London managing director, said: “As an owner-managed and fully independent agency with roots in sport, we are proud to partner with a brand who shares our ambition to elevate the role of the outdoors in culture and to build on the GORE-TEX Brand’s position as a leader in sustainable performance. In our first campaign we have applied our publisher-agency model to appeal to both core fans, and a new generation of consumers, who are discovering the outdoors for the first time.”

Kerry Summers, global marketing leader for Gore Consumer Fabrics, added: “Our GORE-TEX brand and products are widely loved and admired, and we are confident that through this campaign and those to come, with TCO’s roots in culture, its global network and its strengths in sustainability and DEI, we’ll build more of these connections. It’s fitting that this first work delivers our brand promise of ‘Going Further, Together,’ because we share the perspective that the outdoors should be comfortably enjoyed by everyone, everywhere, today and in the future.”

* The new ePE membrane and all laminates it’s built into are “PFC-free” and advance the Fabrics Division’s goal of being free of PFCs of Environmental Concern over the lifecycle of our consumer products.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source: W. L. Gore & Associates

Aquapak Polymers Appoints Tom Barrett As COO To Support Global Growth

BIRMINGHAM, England — October 4, 2023 — Aquapak Polymers Ltd., which specializes in polymer-based material technologies that can deliver both performance and environmental responsibility at scale, has today announced the appointment of Tom Barrett as COO based at the firm’s main manufacturing site in Birmingham, England.  He will be responsible for supporting the expansion of Aquapak as it develops its portfolio of products and their applications, which provide a planet-friendly alternative to conventional plastics.

Tom has a successful track record in operations having worked for multi-site businesses with international supply chains. He held the director of Operations role at aerospace business, Sigma, for 15 years, and was at Rical Group for six years. He also has experience in the plastics sector as operations manager of WHS Plastics Ltd., based in Birmingham.

Commenting on Tom’s appointment, Mark Lapping, CEO, Aquapak, said: “Aquapak has enjoyed rapid growth and as our product development continues, the complexity of our supply chains and the number of partners we work with will increase. Tom has a fantastic track record of managing multi-site businesses and ensuring they operate efficiently and cost-effectively. We welcome him to the team.”

“Aquapak is an innovative business with a very exciting proposition in Hydropol™ which has been developed as an alternative to conventional plastics,” Barrett said. “I am pleased to be part of the growth journey and look forward to working with Mark and the team to help the business realize its full potential here in the UK and as it expands globally.”

Hydropol enables product design to provide its much-needed functionality whilst increasing recycling and reducing plastic pollution.  When extrusion coated onto paper, Hydropol adds strength and barriers to oxygen, oil and grease, and its solubility allows 100-percent paper fiber recovery through paper recycling mills.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source Aquapak Polymers Ltd.

C&A Europe Welcomes Minette Bellingan As New COO

Minette Bellingan

DÜSSELDORF — October 4, 2023 — C&A Europe appoints a new member of the European Leadership Team: Minette Bellingan is taking over the role of COO since October 2, 2023.

As COO, Minette will be responsible for the Fulfillment, Planning, Sourcing and Sustainability teams. Together, Minette and her teams will work to continually streamline and simplify operations, improving efficiency, increasing accountability and bringing these divisions into line with the industry’s best practices. The role will be key to help the company’s transition from a ‘push’ to a ‘pull’ operating model, with the clear objective of becoming a consumer-centric organization that is able to better match its offerings to consumer needs.

Minette has more than 25 years’ experience in supply chain management, manufacturing, global sourcing and compliance, gained with some of the largest retailers in the world, both online and offline. She has led businesses in Asia, Europe and the United States, and wasbased in Asia for the last 12 years. She has also become a respected sustainability academic and was recently named an Industry Fellow of Cambridge University’s Institute for Manufacturing.

Her latest position was at global e-commerce leader Coupang.com, Korea’s largest consumer internet company, where she was part of the leadership team and also CEO of CPLB, a wholly owned subsidiary. Prior to this, Minette was director of Global Sourcing and Private Brands for Amazon.com, which involved leading product sourcing and supplier management, operations, quality and compliance for all its private brands and direct imports.

Giny Boer, CEO, C&A Europe, said: “An efficient and sustainable supply chain is essential to offer our customers high quality clothing at an affordable price. Minette will contribute greatly to the transformation of our company with her love of sustainability and extensive international experience in this area and supply chain management.”

With this appointment, the C&A European Leadership Team is complete and fully equipped to continue pushing further on its successful growth plan to transform C&A Europe into a modern, omnichannel fashion retailer, under the leadership of Giny Boer, CEO.

Sharing the Leadership Team’s common passion of making the C&A transformation a joint success, Minette will work alongside Betty Kiess, Chief Communications Officer; Birgit Kretschmer, Chief Financial Officer; Daniel Jimenez, Chief Merchandising Officer; Fareen Abdullah, Chief People & Culture Officer; and Jason Morgan, Chief Commercial Officer.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source C&A Europe

Manjushree Group Enters Emerging Indian Nonwovens Market With Reifenhäuser Reicofil Smart Composite Line

Manjushree Group relies on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

BANGALORE — October 4, 2023 — After four decades in the packaging industry, the Manjushree Group is entering the Indian nonwovens market with ambitious goals. The entrepreneurs rely on a flexible RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil to meet very different customer requirements.

The Manjushree Group may be a newcomer to the nonwovens industry, but it is not a blank slate: Company founder Vimal Kedia operated a blown film line for packaging materials for the tea industry in the eastern part of India as early as 1983. In the years that followed, Manjushree Technopack Ltd. developed into one of the largest suppliers of solutions for rigid plastic products in South Asia — and the family business grew into a group with several business segments. In 2018, the entrepreneurial family repositioned itself: it sold its previous core business to a financial investor and established Manjushree Ventures with footholds in start-up financing, real estate business, and manufacturing — the largest of which is Manjushree Spntek as a producer of high-quality spunmelted fabrics.

“We invest in modern, technology-based companies that are shaping the future – for example, in the healthcare sector,” says Rajat Kedia, Managing Director at Manjushree Ventures, describing the company’s philosophy. “A detailed market study revealed a large growth potential in disposable medical products and hygiene items. That’s why we founded Manjushree Spntek.

Experience as a core competence in the new market

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-performance spunmelts on an RF Smart Composite line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil — benefiting both from many years of experience in the packaging industry and from experience with Reifenhäuser’s blown film lines. “We know a lot about plastic extrusion, for example when it comes to line operating parameters such as temperature and pressure. Processing is similar in both industries,” explains Rajat Kedia. “The main difference is the distribution of the products: In plastic packaging, we had an established customer base and sold a lot of material to the big consumer goods manufacturers. The nonwovens market in India, on the other hand, is still forming, with thousands of small companies currently getting involved.” These serve customers in their regions, such as hospitals.

Challenge: small-scale market

Small-volume markets present spunmelt producers with their own unique challenges: Many customers tend to buy smaller quantities, but have specific requirements for the spunmelt. In India, the material also has to meet the different regulations of the approximately 30 states. For example, there are different specifications for colors, properties and basis weights. And then, of course, customers have high quality requirements: “Customers are looking at better web uniformity, more softness, lighter weight fabrics and off course cheaper if possible,” described Rajat Kedia.

“Our need was for a machine which can cater to the entire gamut of requirements right from 10 GSM to 100 GSM, being extremely cost efficient for colour changes, but most importantly being consistent with product quality and cost,” Kedia summarized the requirements for the spunmelt line. “We chose an RF Smart line from Reifenhäuser Reicofil. The technology is very flexible and allows us to respond to the current needs of the market.”

RF Smart: ideal for smaller and emerging markets

The RF Smart Composite line is a standardized spunmelt line for smaller and emerging markets. The line produces nonwovens of the highest Reicofil quality with appropriately adapted throughput. This makes it ideally suited for applications in hygiene and medical technology and, with typically 8,200 annual production hours, it is extremely reliable. In addition, operators can start production quickly because in many cases the line can be integrated into existing buildings. “The RF Smart is an alternative to lines with a particularly high output, such as RF5 and RF5 Plus, or special requirements, such as RF5x and RF 5 Tech,” explained Falk Roesner, sales manager at Reifenhäuser Reicofil.

Qualities that also convinced the Kedia family of entrepreneurs: “The Smart line is suitable for emerging markets and delivers exactly the same quality of product as the higher version of the machine, yet being very agile and flexible in running – Quick changeovers, low running speed to 400 mtr per min and minimal wastages, optimal power consumption, etc.,” Kedia said. “The main advantage is the competitive pricing of this line, we feel extremely pleased with our decision to go with this Smart technology.”

Spunmelt production newly established

Before production could start, Manjushree built a new production building in Bidadi, a town an hour’s drive from Bangalore International Airport. The building is designed to be sustainable: It uses natural light and fresh air, has comprehensive contamination control, and obtains almost all of its energy from renewable sources. Reifenhäuser Reicofil then installed, commissioned and tested the RF Smart Composite line.”Reicofil’s experts helped us with process settings and machine parameters to achieve the best result with minimal downtime,” Kedia described. “Reicofil’s experience and expertise in improving products is tremendous. In addition, their world-class support and services are always available and they are open to new ideas — whether it’s products, customer experience or machine improvements.”

Products for hygiene and medical industry

Since February 2023, Manjushree Spntek has been producing high-quality spunmelted nonwovens, including ultra-soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings for customers in the hygiene and medical industries. The material can be used, for example, for baby diapers and feminine hygiene products, but also for medical articles ranging from surgical gowns to surgical drapes.

Manjushree Spntek is also working on many development projects with customers — after all, setting up production is only the first step: “We entered the nonwovens market to become the market leader,” Kedia said, who believes he is well equipped to achieve this ambitious goal: “While we are new to production of Nonwovens; we are experts in deciphering customer delight, consistent quality and innovative R&D. The most important factor being understanding of the customer needs and delivery to their delight. This is our single minded focus for all our customers, large or small.“

Requirements for the spunmelt line:

  • Making a finer filament for better web uniformity;
  • Enhanced thickness for the softener and superior feel at lower grammages;
  • High hydro head for superior protection;
  • Better tensile properties; and
  • Ability to switch from one product to another with minimal wastage.

Insight into the production:

  • ultra soft fabrics and fabrics with special coatings;
  • Width: 60 mm to 3200 mm;
  • Basis weight: 20 to 100 gsm;
  • Throughput: 800 tons per month targeted; and
  • Raw materials: polypropylene nonowvens with anykind of value-added tropical treatments.

About Manjushree Spntek

  • 2018 founded as part of the Manjushree Group;
  • Headquarters: Bangalore;
  • Employees: 110;
  • Products: High-performance spunmelt nonwovens for surgical gowns and drapes, baby 
diapers, feminine hygiene products, among others;
  • Markets: mainly medical and hygiene industry, but also industrial applications; and
  • Production starts in February 2023.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source The Reifenhäuser Group

AtoZ Automation Signs Distribution Deal With British Automation Machinery Brand MattressTek

ROSSENDALE, England — October 5, 2023 — AtoZ Automation, a division of AtoZ Packaging Enterprises Inc., based in Marietta, Ga., has agreed to a deal with an automation machinery manufacturer in England to advance and maintain their presence across North America.

MattressTek has enlisted the support of A to Z as its exclusive U.S. distribution agent after collaborating on a project for a large-scale mattress manufacturer, where it installed a Hot Glue Bridge that stacks glue-sprayed layers of foam and pocket springs after the adhesive is applied. This incorporates conveyors, a multi-layer tilting conveyor rack and application gantry which holds application spray guns/heads.

Sid and Walter from AtoZ — who are already established in the provision of MattressTek’s programmable sewing and stitching capabilities — are said to be “extremely excited” about the partnership. They set up A to Z’s first incarnation back in 2001 and are president and vice president of Development respectively. MattressTek has a range that includes bespoke innovations, along with the multi-needle 3D Tek, Vertical Border and Panel makers, double overlocker SergeTek, Side Stitch and Tacker (TakTek), Handle Maker and Label Attacher, Tape Edge, Sock Closer and machinery for notching, cutting and stamping (vent and handle) panels.

Supported by an experienced sales team, they are looking forward to joining MattressTek directors Shaun Peel and Michael Birtwistle to showcase their expanding range to the mattress manufacturing markets, and recently attended Foam Expo exhibitions in Stuttgart, Germany, and Novi, Mich., as well as Interzum, held at Koelnmesse Cologne, Germany, and are working through the inquiries gathered through that.

With the mattress production markets growing, alongside the foam processing and innovation capabilities, the team are optimistic and excited about the coming months and look forward to welcoming more customers, contacts and partners along the way. The brand has become known for its preventative approach to innovative problem solving in factory automation with 70 percent of its business attributed to export.

As well as a string of industry awards for innovation and international trade and export, MattressTek have also been successful in being securing 50-percent funding claim from the UK government’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT, formerly Department for International Trade) Internationalisation Fund, through the Northern Powerhouse division, supported by their local trade advisor, and are a keen lean manufacturer, submitting a project for funding through Lancashire Manufacturing Growth Fund, guided by Boost and GC Business Growth Hub, to further support their shipping activities.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source MattressTek

Bally Ribbon Mills To Display High Performance 3-D Woven Composites At CAMX 2023

BALLY, Pa. — October 5, 2023 — Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM), an industry in designer, developer, and manufacturer of highly specialized engineered woven fabrics, announces that it will showcase its high-quality, high-performance products at CAMX 2023, taking place October 30-November 2, 2023 in Atlanta, Ga. BRM experts will be on hand in booth K46 to discuss the company’s 3-D woven joints, thermal protection systems (TPS), and other 3-D structures.

In partnership with NASA, BRM recently developed the 3D Orthogonally woven 3DMAT Quartz Material for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) compression pads. BRM and NASA efforts are a great example of NASA partnering with an American small business with a unique specialized technological capability that will further current and future exploration plans. The 3DMAT Quartz Material was recently named the 2023 NASA Government Invention of the Year.

BRM uses 3-D continuous weaving to create new joint structures and improve existing joints. Delivering the optimal blend of strength, durability, and structural integrity, BRM’s 3-D woven joints are available in “Pi – π,” double “T,” “H,” and other complex net shapes. 3-D woven joints from BRM lower weight and cost without sacrificing integrity and performance. Because of the nature of the 3-D weave, strength and support is translated in all 3 dimensions, thus enabling the join to reinforce the strength along the load paths of the sub-structures being joined together. These 3-D woven shapes for joining can be tailored to suit the architecture of the structure itself, as well as the sub-components being joined.

3-D woven composites by BRM are particularly successful in aviation heat shield applications such as thermal protection systems. These systems are mission-critical components, particularly in space exploration vehicles, and 3-D woven composites reduce weight and cost while maintaining excellent performance in TPS systems. The ability to vary yarn types, density, thickness, and width, as well as resin type, allows BRM to create fully customizable TPS to fit each specific mission or application’s needs.

Along with TPS systems, 3-D woven components also function well as engine parts in aircraft. Replacing traditional titanium engine components with 3-D woven carbon fiber composites serves to reduce weight and therefore lifetime cost, all while meeting the rigorous demands of manufacturing and use.

For more information, speak with BRM experts in booth K46 at CAMX 2023.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM)

Deakin University Explores Ways To Turn Waste Into New Products

Deakin University – Waurn Ponds Campus. Deakin’s REACH partenership with Jet Technology. Howard Ju CEO of Jet Technology, Deakin Research Fellow Motilal Mathesh Shanmugam with Colin Barrow , Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Biology

GEELONG, Australia — October 5, 2023 — Australia creates more than 7.6 million metric tons of food waste annually, costing more than $36.6 billion and producing 17.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas. Now, Deakin University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) has partnered with Japanese company Jet Technology to address Australia’s landfill crisis by recycling organic waste into valuable products, including converting apple waste into organic fabrics and sugar waste into stock feed.

Alfred Deakin Professor and Deakin’s Chair in Biotechnology Colin Barrow and his team from the Centre for Sustainable Bioproducts will work with Jet Technology to explore the capability of the company’s Environmental Recycling System (ERS) to convert organic waste into reusable products.

Professor Barrow said sending organic waste to landfill was a missed opportunity to use it as a resource.

“Through this project we are exploring innovative methods to reduce organic waste, mitigate environmental impacts, and create value-adding products for a range of sectors,” he said.

Jet Technology’s CEO, Howard Ju, said there was great potential to improve organic resource recovery in Australia’s agricultural, dairy and fishery sectors and develop a circular economy.

“Australia’s agricultural and fishery resources represent significant tonnage of organic product that could be scaled-up for commercialisation. Through this pilot project we will develop a range of applications and solutions to resolve current organic waste issues for different sectors and improve Australia’s organic resource recovery,” Ju said.

“Our world leading ERS technology reduces the organic recycling process from weeks or months to a few hours. It is a clean process with almost zero pollution to the environment that will produce organic products such as fertiliser, cow feed and textiles.”

The four-year research project will be undertaken at the ‘BioFactory’ at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus. It will initially focus on processing agricultural waste, converting apple pomace into a bioproduct for the textile industry. Apple pomace consists of the apple skin, pulp, seeds and stems left over from apple juice manufacture. Its disposal in landfill can lead to greenhouse gas emissions and potential soil and groundwater contamination.

The project will also look at new ways to deal with one of Australia’s biggest organic waste problems. Bagasse, the material left over when sugar is made, accounts for around 20% of the nation’s organic waste. The researchers will investigate ways that Australia’s 10 million tonnes of bagasse can be reused as a food source for cows that has the potential to yield $1000 per tonne commercially.

“Supporting Jet Technology with supply chains and infrastructure, we will develop viable solutions for repurposing industry-generated organic waste to build a circular economy across different sectors, unlocking millions of dollars in value and strengthening domestic manufacturing,” said Professor Barrow.

If successful, it could lead to the establishment of a local multi-million-dollar bioeconomy where organizations such as councils, supermarkets and food and beverage businesses could cut costs while generating new revenue streams and job opportunities.

Deakin’s REACH initiative collaborates with progressive industry, government and education partners to establish a multi-billion-dollar bioeconomy in Victoria and push the limits of technological innovation to deliver energy and recycling solutions that reduce landfill, fossil fuel emissions and the devastating costs of global warming.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source Deakin University

Freudenberg Performance Materials Extends ECO Range For Sustainable Carpet Backings

Freudenberg´s Colback ECO-R and Lutradur ECO-R backings contain a recycled content of between 51 and 90 percent.

WEINHEIM, Germany — October 5, 2023 — Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) is extending its recently-introduced ECO range of sustainable nonwoven carpet backings: Lutradur ECO-R and Colback ECO-R backings contain high percentages of recycled raw materials. With its ECO portfolio Freudenberg supports carpet manufacturers in their transition towards an increasingly sustainable product offering.

ECO-R products

Freudenberg’s spunbond nonwoven primary and secondary carpet backings contribute to manufacturers’ easy and efficient production processes as well as to high-performance end products. The company is now extending its ECO range in Europe with Colback ECO-R and Lutradur ECO-R backings that contain a recycled content of between 51 and 90%. Replacing virgin raw materials with recycled polyester saves on natural resources and improves the carbon footprint of end products. The ECO-R backings are specifically suitable for carpet tiles, broadloom, dust control mats and automotive option mats.

ECO-RE products

The company launched its ECO range for sustainable primary backings earlier this year with the introduction of the ECO-RE resource-efficient backings that use less raw materials and support end product recyclability. To achieve this, Freudenberg R&D teams further developed the company’s proprietary yarn production technology allowing for extremely thin filaments.

ECO range

“With the extended ECO range, Freudenberg now offers a variety of different solutions supporting carpet manufacturers in making sustainable choices to suit their ambitions and processes,” said Albert Hammerschmied, director for EMEA carpet business with responsibility for New Business Development and Sustainability. “Freudenberg is a long-term supplier to the industry with a strong history of developing tailored solutions for and with our industry partners. The continuous development of backings with recycled content is one result of these efforts.”

Further CO2 savings

Freudenberg manufactures carpet backings with recycled content in Europe, North America and China, allowing customers within the world regions to further optimize their CO2 footprint thanks to short transportation routes.

Posted: October 5, 2023

Source Freudenberg Performance Materials Holding GmbH

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