Sustainability – Page 6 – Specialty Fabrics Review

Solar options for tents

February 1, 2011 | Feature, Sustainability, Tents

Decades of research narrows the search for affordable and efficient solar panels for tents. By Todd Jensen & Sigrid Tornquist For flexible solar panels to have a place in the world of tents they have to be lightweight, and they have to pull their weight; in other words, they have to benefit the …

Fabric products help conserve water

January 1, 2011 | Feature, Geosynthetics, Sustainability

As supplies drop and demand rises, governments, companies and individuals look for cost-effective ways to save a limited resource. By Janice Kleinschmidt Picture 26 Olympic-size pools filled with water. That’s how much of the precious resource was prevented from evaporating in a year’s t…

Boat made of plastic bottles sets sail

November 1, 2010 | Sustainability

An epic voyage highlights the environmental problems of plastic bottles—and some possible solutions. By Marie O’Mahony Australian billionaire James Packer’s $30 million Z Sydney cruiser (replacing his $50 million Z Ellerston super yacht, sold last year) is an impressive sight as it…

DGNB builds sustainability standards

October 1, 2010 | Industry News, Sustainability

We’re now perfectly positioned for the international market,” says Dr. Christine Lemaitre, CEO of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). Under the general management of board members Dr. Peter Mösle and Johannes Kreissig, the DGNB has been developing its certification syste…

Building a better roof

October 1, 2010 | Sustainability

An old Japanese essay says, “Buildings should be built for the summer.” By Kikuko Tagawa This year we are having an especially hot summer in Japan. An old Japanese essay says, “Buildings should be built for the summer.” Reducing the summer heat in buildings has been a perenni…

Making sense of sustainable printing

October 1, 2010 | Business, Feature, Graphics, Sustainability

Printing choices that are sensitive to the environment are also good for business. By Michael Labella With the global economy almost five times the size it was half a century ago, sustainable growth has now become the paradigm of the 21st century: a responsibility that our society has for itself and…

Creating the future of textiles (part 1)

August 1, 2010 | Markets, Sustainability

Moisture-barrier properties in fabrics and sustainability concerns top one expert’s list of important industry developments. By Donna Visioli, Ph.D. Part I of a series by speakers at the Advanced Textiles Conference 2010. Part II covers developments in auxetic materials, Part III addresses ele…

How green is my economy?

August 1, 2010 | Feature, Markets, Sustainability

Environmental hyperawareness is a luxury that Europe can ill afford, according to the region’s fiber industry experts. By Adrian Wilson European synthetic fiber manufacturers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the many legislative obstacles to trade that are placed in their path—p…

Discover the potential of natural fibers

August 1, 2010 | Feature, Sustainability

It’s not as simple as “oil versus cotton,” but technological advances have sparked renewed interest in nonsynthetic textiles. By Janice Kleinschmidt If a white-clad John Travolta dancing disco could be called polyester’s shining moment, perhaps the British Petroleum (BP) oil …

Go green for the good of your business

June 1, 2010 | Feature, Sustainability

Recycling and repurposing fabric will bring the satisfaction of doing what’s right— and boost your bottom line. By Jan Brenny Being ‘green’ is becoming a necessary part of doing business today. Operations of all sizes and across all industries are adopting business models tha…

Category: Sustainability