New sustainable garment range to be launched in 2022
The Earth Day 2022 theme, “Invest in our planet”, is right up the alley of Sioen. Our R&D people and product managers are guided by Sioen’s slogan “Protection through innovation” and are constantly searching for ways to contribute to a sustainable clothing industry. In 2022, Sioen will launch a range of sustainable garments which are designed for a long service life.
Sioen commits itself to have a positive influence on the world and one way of contributing to this is paying more attention to sustainability. Some of the challenges Sioen addresses with its sustainable clothing range are the efficient use of resources and the ecological design of garments.
Smart use of raw materials
One way of efficient use of available resources is simply using less raw materials. By choosing fabrics with a lighter weight, less raw materials are needed. Another way is using recyclable or renewable raw materials. Although it may be hard to believe, PET bottles and wood can be made into fibres. Fewer CO2 emissions are generated during rPet (recycled polyester) production compared to virgin polyester and it is also a great way to diminish the plastic debris laying around the earth. Some of our new sustainable garments will have Tencel™ Lyocell fibres in their composition. Those fibres are made from sustainable wood chips and wood pulp and the best thing is that those fibres are biodegradable.
Reduction of water use
Water-related challenges will become more important in the years to come, hence it’s vital that we take a look at how we can improve our use of water in our production processes because you would be surprised at how much water is used for producing one piece of clothing. The water consumption already starts on the fields where it is needed for the growth of cotton. Also during the manufacturing process, for example when dyeing the yarns, a lot of water is used. The amount of water used for clothing production can be reduced by choosing other raw materials or by opting for a closed loop production process.
Eco design
Next to an efficient use of resources, an efficient clothing design can also contribute to the long life of a garment. Our PBM are often worn in harsh working environments where it is not inevitable that clothing gets damaged. By designing clothing in a way they can be repaired easier, the lifespan of the garment can be extended. Eco design can also refer to the afterlife of the garment. For instance, recycling of the different components of the garment can be made easier by making sure that the garment can be easily taken apart or by pursuing a maximum homogeneity in the choice of materials.
Our first sustainable range will exist of 5 hi-vis products, but many more will follow as innovation lies at the heart of Sioen. We kick off the launch of our sustainable range with the Turup trousers, available in hi-vis orange and yellow.
Make sure you keep an eye on our website in the months to come for our new product launches. If you are interested in Sioen’s sustainable initiatives, please check out our CSR website.