Schoeller, the Swiss global textile solutions manufacturer, has been in business for just over 150 years. Its PROEARTH™ collection of biodegradable textiles, launched last month as a joint venture between Schoeller Textil AG and the Taiwanese Formosa Taffeta Co. Ltd. at Premiere Vision Paris, is comprised of bluesign® approved fabrics with biodegradable polyester.
As the founding developer of the bluesign system, the first activewear and leisurewear manufacturer to receive Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification (in 1994) and one of the first companies to sign the UN’s Paris Agreement for Climate Change, Schoeller’s most recent development was created to help offset the more than 16m tons of textile waste produced in the USA alone each year.
Jacket, pant and lining fabrics The SFTC PROEARTH collection launched with five bluesign-approved fabrics designed for lifestyle, fashion and outdoor categories. Made with virgin polyester that has been optimised for biodegradation and ‘has tested to biodegrade at faster and better rates than competitive offerings’, the initial PROEARTH articles available include jacket, pant and lining material qualities with various colour options.
Christine Hübner, Schoeller CRO, said, “Our SFTC PROEARTH collection was a natural progression in Schoeller’s visionary advances around sustainability, while we are also striving to make a difference in an industry that continues to be so demanding on our environment. After much testing and development, we are truly excited to introduce this collection that is not only friendly to our planet but also high-quality, luxurious product that consumers of all sorts will love to wear.”
Each of the PROEARTH fabrics can be enhanced with Schoeller’s eco-friendly production and finishing technology options. Its ecodye technology saves up to 30% of the water, energy and process time used for dying polyester, while its ecorepel® Bio and 3XDRY® Bio technologies are PFC-free and based on renewable primary products, providing water and aqueous dirt repellence.
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