TEXTILES.ORG
The award-winning life science and high-performance fabric company PurThread Technologies, Durham, N.C., has announced that it has fully completed the process to be officially designated a bluesign® system partner. This elite status ensures manufacturers, consumers and retailers that PurThread acts as a responsible part of the textile supply chain and works to continuously improve environmental performance, with a focus on a sustainable future.
The bluesign system partner status signifies that the high-performance textile technology with antimicrobial properties found in PurThread’s medical linens, apparel and home goods meets the strict safety and environmental requirements of the complete suite of bluesign criteria.
“It’s a true honor for us to achieve bluesign system partner status,” said PurThread CEO Lisa Grimes. “In addition to developing apparel and soft surface technology that is scientifically proven to work, we are dedicated to the utmost standards of sustainability, making the guidelines set forth by the bluesign system a natural progression of our commitment to excellence and to corporate social responsibility.”
In the PurThread process, each fiber is integrated with a proprietary antimicrobial agent when the polymer is molten, providing an even distribution of the technology that is neither a topical coating nor a coated standard fiber. This leads to a flexible fiber that can be blended well into multiple yarn combinations and is able to be easily dyed a multitude of colors, while keeping fabrics that include PurThread fibers soft and pliable. The antimicrobial agent is both non-leaching and able to retain its efficacy through launderings and repeated wear.
The fiber is used in PurThread’s clinically-researched medical apparel and linens and also in the company’s anti-odor sportswear brand PurThread Sport. Additionally, PurThread partners with leading companies for end uses where its technology adds value, such as in military, first responder, industrial and home applications.
bluesign system partners are committed to applying the bluesign system, which unites the entire textile supply chain to jointly reduce its impact on people and the environment. Input Stream Management ensures that approved products and raw materials are used in all steps of the manufacturing process, and are audited on a regular basis.