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Sustainability key for outdoor market Sustainability is a central force for the protective textiles (outdoorwear) Gore-Tex recently launched an expanded polyethylene (ePE)
conventional technologies may harbour irresponsible or increasingly restricted chemistries yet deliver optimal performance. Legislation and regulations are slowly curbing the availability of the use of conventional, yet harmful chemical components, particularly within the US and Europe, also pushing the need for sustainable innovation from an angle of need rather than desire. Nevertheless, this demand for levelled-up sustainability with corresponding performance is central to new innovations, with areas such as biotechnology projected to deliver advanced chemical formulations that can balance both factors. Need for a change to the status quo in protective finishes and effects has thus opened opportunities for market newcomers, as well as own brand proprietary solutions. A contemporary example is The North Face’s Futurelight electrospun membrane technology, which it says rivals market leading solutions. Elsewhere, spin-offs such as Dimpora offer alternative protective innovations with claimed sustainability merit. Notably, this shift in product requirements and demands has also triggered established names to react and invest in alternative chemistries and production technologies. For instance, dominant market player
market. In particular, premium and high-performance segments of the market are turning towards more sustainable developments, while pressure from legislators, stakeholders, consumers and other are driving the movement. The outdoor industry is somewhat uniquely pressured to deploy sustainable strategies and foster sustainable innovation due to its business proposition. Many stakeholders say that the selling of outdoor experiences and products equate with an inflated responsibility to protect said spaces. In recent years, this has drawn awareness to the detrimental consequences of not only material production, but the impacts of critical protective elements such as coatings, effects and protective membrane technologies. Concerns around raw material acquisition is pushing change in other production industries, such as the drive for regenerative or organic farming in agriculture. However, many operators within protective textiles are slow to adopt more sustainable solutions mainly due to a clash of priorities – performance over sustainability. This is particularly true of premium or professional grade offerings, where
technology, which it says has a reduced environmental footprint compared with its conventional solutions. Ultimately, the modular nature of outerwear and protective apparel (and sportswear) in terms of the array of advanced materials, coatings and components that can be involved in one garment involves a wide range of production areas and stakeholders. Many will look to production sustainability to improve market competitiveness against competitors. Again, this is particularly true of premium brands and manufacturers operating in the space. What is clear is the expanding nature of the outdoor market, with new technological capabilities and innovations being developed each year. Show’s such as Techtextil are ideal for showcasing technical solutions that be used on outdoor apparel. However, while inroads are being made sustainability remains a challenge for the market, which is still riddled with PFAs (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The industry is beginning to come up with alternatives and we hope pressure from consumers, governments and industry will help propel further growth into a cleaner chemical market for the protective textiles industry.
Premium and high-performance segments of the market in particular are turning towards more sustainable developments
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