The demand for sustainable textiles in the hospitality sector is growing as we all become more aware of our environmental responsibilities. Moving forward we see the role of SUNBURY DESIGN as a leading ethical supplier as we educate ourselves and inform our customers on the decisions we have made, especially when developing new collections, to minimise the environmental impact our fabrics have on the planet.
SUNBURY DESIGN has always met our environmental responsibility by adapting to new laws and regulations. Now, with our growing collections of recycled fabrics, halogen free FR treatments and fluorocarbon (PFC) free easy clean finishes, we are looking to do much more. Scroll down for more information and to view the collections.
For more details on our wider sustainability initiatives CLICK HERE.
Using branded recycled yarns such as Repreve with GRS (Global Recycling Standard) accreditation is more expensive but essential to guarantee that we are using waste plastic that would otherwise go into landfill or pollute our oceans. We also have less options in terms of yarn types so there are limits as to what ‘looks’ can be achieved, but this will change as demand grows.
repreve.comHalogens are widely used to meet stringent contract/hospitality fire retardancy (FR) standards with some of these elements already banned under REACH due to their toxicity. The biodegradable, halogen free options we now use are comparatively new and used in less volume so subsequently more expensive.
Soil and stain treatments have become an essential part of hospitality fabric specification. PFC’s (perfluorocarbons, PFOA and PFOS) are used to achieve oil repellent properties for the highest performance level. PFC’s are not naturally found and according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) – fluorocarbons are among the most potent and longest lasting type of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity.
Our ‘PFC Free Evergreen’ treatment can only offer water repellent performance and is not resistant to oil based staining. However, this treatment, combined with the naturally easy clean recycled polyester yarns will give protection against most normal spills.
As part of our sustainability policy we are constantly assessing our company and products as we all become more aware of our environmental responsibilities. We prioritise the development of better sustainable textiles, and over time our intention is to roll out technologies such as recycled yarns and halogen free FR on our existing lines where available and viable.
