CALIFORNIA – A new US venture which tackles synthetic fibre pollution has got the green light for commercialisation. The new technology allows polyester and other synthetic materials to biodegrade at a similar rate to natural materials such as wool in wastewater treatment plant sludge, sea water and landfill conditions.
Parkdale Advanced Materials, the fibres and yarns division of Parkdale Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of spun yarns, and Intrinsic Textiles Group, LLC, have announced the formation of Intrinsic Advanced Materials, a joint venture to bring CiCLO Sustainable Textile Technology to market.
It is claimed CiCLO is the first textile technology to market that apparel brands can easily implement at the manufacturing level to take responsibility for reducing synthetic microfibre pollution generated during washing, thereby minimising plastic accumulation in landfills caused by discarded textiles.
Recent studies claim that annual estimates of plastic microfibre pollution in the oceans is equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles by weight. While several researchers are currently working to quantify microfibre pollution contributions from textiles and specifically which textiles are the main sources, there is industry agreement that microfibres are shed during the washing cycle.
CiCLO is also Eco Passport certified by Oeko-Tex, demonstrating safety for use in sustainable textile manufacturing and conformance to the MRSL of the ZDHC Program.
Said Charles Heilig, president and CEO of Parkdale Textiles Division: “The Parkdale team has been working with Intrinsic Textiles Group for quite some time to vet CiCLO technology. We’re confident that CiCLO is the best solution for synthetic microfibre pollution and un-recycled textile waste. The joint venture is a strategic fit, leveraging each company’s strengths, and represents Parkdale’s commitment to continual innovation for our customers. We couldn’t be more excited to help bring CiCLO to market.”
“We are pleased to add CiCLO to the Parkdale Advanced Materials family of brands and are encouraged by the opportunity to be a solutions provider to our customers in the environmental responsibility and sustainability platform,” added Anderson D. Warlick, Chairman and CEO of Parkdale, Inc.