Pioneering bio-degradable, sustainable fabrics

Yunsa is a global leader in the development and manufacture of high quality, eco-friendly fabrics. Founded in 1973, it has grown to become one of the world’s top producers of worsted textiles and Europe’s largest integrated producer and exporter of fabrics. Philip Yorke takes a closer look at a company that continues to drive industry standards forward and is a pioneer in the quest for more sustainable, eco-friendly products and processes.

Yunsa was founded in Turkey in 1973 and is a major European success story, exporting its products to more than 50 countries through its global network of sales agents. The company manufactures all its textiles in-house in an extensive, state-of-the-art and fully integrated facility in Cerkezkoy, Turkey. Currently it has an annual production of more than 14km of worsted wool fabric and 4.5 tonnes of yarn.

A large proportion of Yunsa’s woven fabrics are composed of 100 per cent pure wool, in addition to its wool-cashmere, silk, cashmere silk, Lycra, polyester and viscose blends. As a cutting-edge company, Yunsa is fully certified to the ISO 9001, ISO14001 and ISO50001 standards. Broad range of sustainable initiatives

Yunsa has always been at the forefront of the global drive for more sustainable and biodegradable products and devotes a significant proportion of its turnover to R&D in this area. “We are currently developing wool-PET blend products using recycled PET polyester yarns. We have collections available with 10–20 per cent RPET in general composition. New developments have resulted in the inclusion of higher percentages of recycled materials without any detrimental effect on their quality,” said Sinan Yorgancigil, Yunsa’s marketing manager.

“We also recycle our wool waste that comes from the combing process and spin the wool using our own special technologies. On aver-

age we are able to use 25 per cent recycled wool while maintaining optimal quality and colour fastness. We are also able to use non-muleised wool in our products with full observation of animal rights. In addition, we produce our own dye stuffs from walnut shell, pomegranate peel, mint leaves and other such natural sources. We dye 100 per cent of our wool products, which are environmentally friendly and non-toxic.

“What’s more, our self-cleaning fabrics use organic products that can eliminate stains under exposure to daylight. This special fabric is also antibacterial and has a carbon-free water-repellent function. The goal here is to decrease usage of detergents and chemical cleaning agents, thereby saving water and energy resources,” added Yorgancigil.

The company’s modern textile mill also subscribes to a greater focus on conservation and sustainability. Water is accumulated from rainfall and then refined to use on its production lines, of which over 70 per cent is re-used. In addition, Yunsa’s R&D department is working on a project which will reduce its total water usage by as much as 50 per cent.

Furthermore, Yunsa was the first Turkish company to register for carbon footprint reporting. Yorgancigil commented, “We take sustainability seriously and are taking part in a major EU project aiming to achieve the industrialisation of biodegradable and sustainable fabrics. Our vision is to grow by making a difference in textile products and services. We pursue innovative product development, new technologies and process development strategies through continuous development programmes and creativity throughout the workplace.”

Innovation driving sales

Yunsa’s extensive R&D facilities were involved in more than 260 national and internationally funded projects last year. The mission of its R&D centre is to establish Yunsa as a pioneer, as well as a competitive and value-creating company offering a diverse range of textiles. The continuous programme of development and creativity has paid dividends for the company by increasing the global demand for its products and enhancing its position in the manufacture of speciality fabrics for use in casual, protective and work-wear clothing.

Today Yunsa has an enviable customer base which includes many famous global brand customers such as Hugo Boss, Armani, Joop, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Massimo Dutti, Max Mara, Ann Taylor and Versace to name but a few. Product categories include high quality fabrics for menswear, womenswear, corporate wear and for many upholstery applications. n For further details of Yunsa’s innovative and eco-friendly textiles visit: www.yunsa.com