TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — March 20, 2021 — Ultrafabrics has issued its annual sustainability report highlighting the company’s 2020 progress against its sustainability objectives while outlining plans to leverage technology and innovation to further develop healthy, low-impact materials.
As a producer of animal-free performance fabrics, Ultrafabrics’ vertically-integrated business, with manufacturing and design operations in Japan and sales and distribution in the U.S. and Europe, enable to drive sustainability throughout the value chain.
In 2019, Ultrafabrics conducted a comprehensive ESG materiality assessment to inform the development of a targeted sustainability strategy. This strategy focuses on three key themes with 27 related objectives that address where the company can have the greatest impact;
- Product Quality, Health and Safety;
- Material Innovation; and
- Transparency and Accountability.
In line with its new strategy, Ultrafabrics 2020 Sustainability Report captures its efforts to improve the sustainability performance of its manufacturing processes and materials.
Improving Sustainability Profile Of Materials
Ultrafabrics has established the following sustainable product goal: 100-percent of all new products will include biobased and/ or recycled materials by 2030. In line with this goal, in Q4 of 2019, it launched Volar Bio, it’s first biobased collection. Volar Bio incorporates a unique product construction made up of multiple layers of renewable plant-based materials; integrating corn-based ethanol with wood pulp-based materials into the twill backcloth. While it maintains the functionality of a conventional plastic alternative, plant-based resins produce a fraction of the emissions.
Volar Bio was created with both functionality and sustainability in mind and has a 29 percent USDA BioPreferred program label and received the 2020 PETA Vegan Homeware Award.
Reducing And Reusing Water
Ultrafabrics notes the essential role that water plays in its complex manufacturing processes, but also fully recognizes that the business has a responsibility to reduce its water footprint. To this end, it has implemented a new distillation process, which has enabled it to reduce its total freshwater use by up to 10 percent.
Reducing And Diverting Waste
Ultrafabrics has a long-term commitment to eliminating waste across manufacturing, unsold inventory, and product returns. During 2020, it established baselines for manufacturing and inventory waste, implemented new inventory control measures, and continued its donation programs. n 2020, the company reduced its waste intensity by approximately 10 percent. This includes significant reductions across waste from manufacturing defects and scraps, product returns and discontinued inventory.
Commitment To Safe Chemistry
During 2020, Ultrafabrics took significant steps to restrict the use of substances of concern in its products and provide clear guidance on how those products can be used and cared for safely. The company notes that while the manufacturing process for their products requires organic solvents, its’ equipment enables it to capture and reuse greater than 98 percent.
Posted March 23, 2021
Source: Ultrafabrics
