industry news
Kurt Haselwander
G
oing green is a phenomenon taking hold in industries across many supply chains today. Growers of natural fibre including Wool, Alpaca, and Cashmere have been embracing ecologically responsible practices for some time. Processors and manufacturers using these fibres are being swept up in this ground swell. ‘The process of developing a very specific yarn for a very specific application, with a certification level nominated by the customer, requires the entire chain to work together. This is why we believe that spinning together yields the best solutions. The superior natural credentials of the natural fibres we use and the methods of process we use provide a firm focus on good sustainable outcomes,’ says Kurt Haselwander, CEO at the Schoeller the Spinning Group. The company can offer yarn that achieves a number of levels in certification including Bluesign® GOTS, EU Ecolabel, IVN, ISO, Nativa, RWS, Eco-Tex
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Smart solutions for Standard and Global Recycled Standards. ‘We are committed to sustainable development goals and subscribe to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) set out be the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs’, he says. ‘We offer four main product types in their wool yarn selection, providing certification at levels selected by each client for our yarns that include Pure Wool (GOTS); Pure Wool (Nativa); Merino-Tencel (EXP chlorine free processing); Alpaca-Merino (Zero 100)’. Schoeller’s Alpaca Nature brand is a yarn that is blended using undyed merino and fine undyed
alpaca.The untreated fibres are sorted based on their colour. This allows melange colours to be created that do not require dyes or quantities of water for dyeing. The program got off to a successful start in the sustainable fashion sector and has been adopted with surprisingly good results in the upholstery and automotive sectors. Natural colours are a huge advantage for sustainability, or as many people say, “a new level of sustainability (NLS)”. The high level of interest from the market in the Schoeller NLS products is supported by the use in the automotive industry. This natural alpaca NLS thread yarn is used in seating fabric. This is a further step in sustainability
