GREENSBORO, N.C. — January 27, 2020 — With nearly 100 years of industry leadership in innovation and performance, Burlington enters the new decade energized and with an elevated focus on sustainable innovation, eco-friendly fabric performance and responsible manufacturing globally.
“Sustainability is at the core of Burlington’s performance fabrics collection. We embrace it and are excited by the opportunities ahead to raise industry expectations, bringing together sustainable fabric solutions and responsible manufacturing,” said Allen Smith, president Burlington, Safety Components & A&E Americas. “We remain committed to exploring new fibers, recycled content and advanced manufacturing processes within our Burlington Labs R&D incubator and working with like-minded partners to identify and lead new initiatives.”
Burlington operates as part of the new Elevate Textiles who announced last year bold 2025 sustainability commitments focused on responsibly sources fibers, reducing water consumption and lowering greenhouse gases. Burlington is excited to continue its leadership in the journey to meet these key environmental milestones.
2025 Sustainability Commitments
- Responsibly sourced fibers — Elevate brand products will be produced using at least 80% sustainably sourced cotton and 50% recycled polyester content.
- Reduced water consumption — Elevate manufacturing operations will reduce its water intensity by 25% per unit of production.
- Reduced greenhouse gases — Elevate will join other pacesetters within the industry to join the Science Based Target (SBT) Program and set a specific greenhouse gas target of achieving a 2.5% per year reduction trajectory.
“We are excited to further our efforts in the advancement of eco-friendly manufacturing and sustainable products,” said Per Loof, CEO of Elevate Textiles. “As innovators, our brands are driven to explore new possibilities and look for ways to offer our products with an eye to preserving the future and a focus on minimizing their impact to the environment today, while providing performance technologies and aesthetics that lead the industry. Elevate’s 2025 sustainability commitments build on the sustainability improvements we have already attained and solidify our pledge to responsible manufacturing and sustainable innovations fueled by our passion for excellence in all aspects of our operations, products and service to customers.”
Sustainable Fabric Innovation
Burlington’s leadership in sustainable fabric development is grounded in the exploration of innovative fibers, recycled content, and the development of proprietary performance finishes.
Smith continued, “We foster a continuous improvement culture throughout our development and R&D processes. We believe repurposing waste and exploring more environmentally friendly content are ways we can do our part to lessen our environmental footprint and make sure future generations have more opportunities for a healthy environment.”
Burlington’s Restora™ collection features eco-conscious fabrics made from a range of innovative and industry leading recycled content. Burlington is pleased to drive fabric performance through collaborations with newer innovators of recycled and sustainable content including CiCLO, Eco Circle™ and Seaqual™, and longstanding partner REPREVE®.
Responsible Manufacturing
Burlington operates a global manufacturing platform across the United States, Mexico and China. The Jiaxing Burlington Textile (JBT) operation in Jiaxing, China serves as the company’s flagship in sustainable manufacturing. The facility is a bluesign® system partner, having earned its designation in 2013, and also produces a wide range of products that meet the Oeko-Tex Standard 100. JBT has completed the Higg Index 3.0 certification and has been recognized as a model facility by the Jiaxing City Economic Development Zone. JBT was awarded the first Star Enterprise in Jiaxing for both environmental responsibility and hygiene performance. The facility’s advanced infrastructure includes an Ultra-Filtration (UF) and Reverse Osmosis (RO) water system that is the first of its kind within the Zhejiang province and allows for 30%-40% of the plant’s water demand to be recycled. The facility has reduced Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and consistently reduces utility usage on a per unit of production basis year over year.
Visit the Burlington booth (30078-UL) at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show January 29-31 to learn more about Restora fabrics and Burlington’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility or visit www.burlingtonfabrics.com. Come explore our many performance fabric technologies and discover what our fabrics can do for you.
Posted January 28, 2020
Source: Elevate Textiles
