URIM GREEN – the world’s first RECYCLED flame-retardant inherent fabric
At Tekstina we are committed to preserving the planet and conducting sustainable operations. Our values of persevering and respecting our natural and social environment are a key factor of our almost two centuries of success.
The lack of environmental awareness and regulations means that a significant amount of PPE waste is discarded into the environment rather than going to landfills and incinerators. Since most PPE items are plastic products, they contribute another source of plastic fiber and microplastics pollution.
Although significant efforts have been focused on alleviating the environmental pressure caused by PPE waste, we still alack effective approaches for managing PPE production, transportation, retail, usage and treatment from the systematic point view. Therefore, to preserve our planet we must develop green and degradable materials for PPE, as well as new production technologies to reduce their environmental impact.
Acting pre-emptively, we have included sustainability not only in our production process but also in our technical fabrics. Meet our new URIM GREEN fabric.
WHY URIM GREEN IS A SUSTAINABLE FABRIC:
URIM Green is a sustainable fabric thanks to four important sustainability criteria:
- The use of recycled fibers
Increased textile reuse and recycling reduce the production of virgin textile fiber and thus reduce the environmental impact.
The main issues today in the use of recycled material are first to obtain enough primary material (recycled fiber), then to achieve the same level of quality that virgin fiber provides.
That is why we decided to include in our new fabric pre-consumer textile waste where the recycled fiber retains the characteristics and stable quality of the original fiber.
URIM Green contains at least 20% recycled fiber and will be GRS certified.
- Reduced environmental impact
Our fabric is 100% made in the EU. We choose our suppliers carefully according to our quality requirements (ISO, OEKO-TEX, etc.) as well as by the level of quality and stability of the process. We insist that each shipment delivers the same level of quality as well as the same level of security for every garment.
We select suppliers in a radius of no more than 200km from Tekstina allowing us to reduce the overall carbon footprint of our fabric.
All the supply chain remains in the EU.
- Extended garment longevity
In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that 11.2 million tons of textile waste in the US ended up in landfills. Across the pond, in the UK, the average garment lifespan is just over two years, according to a 2017 Waste and Resources Action Programme report.
Quality and durability are essential factors in ensuring that any item of personal protective equipment (PPE) performs adequately throughout its lifetime.
Reducing the quality of the fabric would not lead to a sustainable one as its lifespan would be consequently reduced.
URIM Green has been engineered with a high level of abrasion resistance, > 100,000 cycles, to resist any mechanical damage during its lifetime, meaning it stands up longer to any heavy-duty work.
The wear appearance is also a criterion when it comes to replacing used garments. For this reason, we have managed to improve our color fastness so that garments will not look washed out even after many washes.
- Reduce costs and carbon footprint
Flame-resistant clothing is expensive to replace, so keeping it in service as long as possible is essential for employers responsible for its purchase and maintenance.
When purchasing new workwear, the initial cost should not be the only consideration: quality and durability are important factors too. It is more cost-effective in the long run to invest in high-quality products that are up to the job than lower quality items which may get thrown away after just a short time.
We performed a simulation showing the cost efficiency of investing in a long-lasting fabric:
Fabric A – basic MOD cotton – price base 10
Fabric B – URIM GREEN – price base compared to A 15
Fabric required per garment: 2m
Lifespan of fabric A: 2.5 years
Lifespan of URIM GREEN fabric: 3.5 years
GAIN in price: -36%
Fabric use reduction: -33%
Not only will this save costs on buying new clothes so often, but will also result in sending fewer items to landfill.
