Textile Insight

10 • Textile Insight ~ March/April 2019 textileinsight.com IN THE MARKET | ECO UPDATE Rudholm Group Unveils Biodegradable Products PRYM Fashion Introduces L.I.F.E. Certified Fasteners Attention Turns to Sustainable Solutions for Packaging & Fasteners. WITH AN AIM TO MINIMIZE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF the apparel industry on the environment, Rudholm Group has developed a new range of plastic packaging products that are naturally biodegradable in landfill conditions. The products use a technology that can be added to any plastic polymer, to speed the breakdown of the plastic's polymer chain by allowing naturally existing microorganisms to consume the plastic. The company estimates that these new products take around 12 to 24 months to break down, but states, "the biodegra- dation time has been observed to be even faster in most cases." The new process is not only naturally faster, but also improves on the older oxo-degradable technology as it does not result in microplastics or any toxic residue; oxo-degradable technology would leave fragments and toxins behind. Rudholm Group's biodegradable range of "WeCare" products, in collaboration with its technology partner, global garment packaging & accessories supplier, include polybags, shipping mailers, PET box-packaging, shirt collar stands, collar stays and collar support. Dennis Lau, director of Rudholm Group U.S. headquarters, RHG USA says: "We feel a strong and extreme trend towards sustainable products and materials within the apparel industry. Our biodegradable plastic initiative is just part of a big range of sustainable products that include many recycled and organic items. As a Scandinavian owned company, we are far ahead of the game in terms of sustainability efforts." All the products are manufactured in Rudholm Group regions, including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Turkey. According to Lau, the additional cost of production will have a minimal impact on the final product cost. The products are in compliance with the FDA, and have passed ASTM D5511 (a bio degradation test) and ASTM E1963 (a toxicity test). l PRYM FASHION HAS DEVELOPED a line of responsibly-produced, Low Impact Fastener Ensemble Fasteners. The new L.I.F.E. Certified program fasteners are manufac- tured to significantly lower the process and environmental foot- print of Prym Fashion products compared to conventional manu- facturing processes. "The production of metal fas- teners for apparel and leather goods involves a broad spectrum of processes and finishes, including electroplating, chemical coloring and coating – all of which require a substantial amount of resources and materials," said Brian Moore, chief executive officer of Prym Fashion. "Our goal for our L.I.F.E. Certified program is to produce a wide range of finishes through more environmentally friendly processes, allowing customers to use Prym fasteners that contrib- ute to their overall sustainability objectives." The initial collection of L.I.F.E. Certified metal fasteners will be produced by Prym Fashion Italia, a leader in the snap fastener and rivet industry, in its plant in Lecco, Italy. "There are four primary prin- ciples to produce fasteners with a lower environmental footprint, which are fewer harmful sub- stances, fewer chemical inputs, the elimination of heavy metals, and less energy," said Philipp Osthaus, manager of sustain- able products for Prym Fashion. "Any Prym Fashion fastener that is L.I.F.E. Certified will adhere to one or more of these principles, regardless of where they are pro- duced, and we look forward to introducing additional products in the months ahead. The environmental impact of nine metal L.I.F.E. Certified fas- teners compared to conventional processes, which were validated by Made-By, a recognized not-for- profit organization with a mission to make sustainability common practice in the fashion industry, include the following: • Water reduction of 65 percent • Electricity reduction of 16 percent • Chemicals reduced by 98 percent • Hazardous waste reduced by 85 percent "We are able to significantly reduce the environmental and process footprint used in the finish- ing of our metal fasteners, which in turn will help Prym Fashion reduce its global footprint," added Moore. "We see this as a big first step in our sustainability journey, and we will continue to build out the range of products that fit within our Low Impact Fastener Ensemble strategy." L.I.F.E. Certified metal fasteners are available in dozens of finishes based on brass, copper and stain- less steel base materials. l photo: rudholmgroup.com/eco-products Brian Moore, chief executive officer of Prym Fashion

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