Sustainability
At Sunbury Design we are committed to reducing our environmental impact both with the products that we sell and the daily actions of our business.
We recognise our responsibility to address ongoing environmental and social concerns and have the relevant policies in place to allow us to make informed decisions and meaningful changes all aimed at continually improving our sustainability and that of our supply chain.
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 our role 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.
Below are some of the key initiatives that allow us to achieve our sustainability goals.
Halogen Free FR
Halogens have been widely used to meet stringent contract/hospitality fire retardancy (FR) standards with some of these elements already banned under REACH due to their toxicity.
As of 2021 all of our new collections use biodegradable, halogen free FR back-coatings and treatments.
Bio PVC
BIO PVC is an innovative, next generation PVC made from 100% renewable feedstock. It replaces traditional petroleum based vinyls, delivering much lesser impact on the environment compared to regular fossil fuel PVC and a carbon footprint reduction of up to 90%. Ethically sourced, renewable, bio-based feedstock includes natural, residual and energy crops that do not compete with the food chain and bio-sourced ethylene derived from wood based residue.
Importantly BIO PVC does not compromise on performance and is suitable for use in the hospitality and healthcare sectors because of its durability and practicality.
GRS Recycled Yarns
As technology continues to evolve we are committed to developing sustainable fabrics that meet the unique demands of hospitality interiors. Our vision is that all new collections will include genuine recycled fibre content meeting the Global Recycling Standard (GRS).
It is important to have a verified supply chain for recycled textile yarns. The GRS is an international standard that ensures accurate content claims and traceability of recycled content. With the GRS you can be sure that the raw materials used are genuinely from recycled sources.
www.repreve.com
REACH & OEKO-TEX Standards
All of our products are REACH compliant and where possible meet OEKO-TEX Standards ensuring there are no harmful substances used in their manufacture.
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals used in the manufacture of products including textiles. It is the strictest law to date regulating chemical substances and one that we fully comply with.
PFC Free Easy Clean Treatments
Easy clean treatments have become an essential part of hospitality fabric specification. PFC’s (perflurocarbons, PFOA and PFOS) are generally used to achieve the oil repellent properties for the highest performance level. The issue is that 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.
Currently PFC free treatments will only offer water repellent performance and are not resistant to oil based staining. However, we believe a high quality PFC free water repellant treatment combined with the durable, inherently easy to clean polyester yarns will give the required protection against normal spills to perform well in most contract environments.
Patterning & Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
All of the paper and board products we use in our patterning from the pattern cards, memo tags and even our mailers are from recycled paper and FSC certified sources.
FSC is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forestry. Certifying forests all over the world to ensure they meet the highest environmental and social standards.
www.fsc.orgAs part of our sustainability policy we are constantly assessing our products and refining them as manufacturing techniques evolve. This allows us to develop better sustainable textiles and use innovation to improve our environmental performance.