New York City-based Designtex has partnered with American Fibers and Yarns Co. (AF&Y),
Chapel Hill, N.C., to offer customers a means of recycling its Eclipse collection of indoor/outdoor
textiles. Eclipse textiles sent to AF&Y’s facility in Bainbridge, Ga., are processed into black
plastic resin pellets, which are then converted into a range of end-products including weed block
fabrics, filtration fabrics and wastewater liners, among other products, offsetting the need to use
virgin plastic pellets derived from oil.
Designtex also currently partners with Honeywell Nylon Inc., Morristown, N.J., for
reclamation of its Zeftron® Contex Solution-Dyed Nylon with Nano-Tex™ Resists Spills™ collection of
contract textiles. In addition, the company can provide customers with information on how to
participate in a reclamation program for its Fusion collection of architectural panels.
In addition to its product reclamation programs, Designtex has joined the Boulder,
Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy program, which enables Designtex to purchase renewable energy
credits to offset all of the electricity used at its Varick Street facility with clean, renewable
energy produced at biomass facilities and wind farms. According to Designtex, the offsets will
reduce carbon dioxide pollution by more than 900,000 pounds over the next three years.
In other company news, Designtex has introduced several new products, including a line of
drapery made from Ingeo™ polylactic acid fiber, the Regeneration collection of 100-percent
post-consumer recycled polyester upholstery textiles, and the Renewal collection of 100-percent
recycled polyester textiles. Additional new products include180 Walls™, a self-adhesive recycled
polyester wallcovering; and Sonic Fabric, a multipurpose textile created from recycled
audiocassette tape.
October 23, 2007
