Green yarn in white
For Georg and Otto Friedrich KG in Gross-Zimmern, Hessen, this “green yarn” arrived on the scene at exactly the right moment: “Ever since London embedded sustainability into its plans for the 2012 Olympic Games, the demand for PET fabrics has been increasing enormously,” says Lothar Vorbeck, managing director of the reknowned manufacturer of warp knitted fabrics. Many of the producers of flags and banners for the 2012 Games are looking for material that has been produced in a sustainable manner.
PET recycling makes sense
PET is a valuable material because it is made from petroleum or natural gas, in other words from non-renewable raw materials. PET is generally 100 % recyclable. This makes ecological sense, as recycling reduces CO2 emissions: for each ton of recycled PET, 3 tons of greenhouse gases are saved. This amount is equivalent to the total emissions of one average car in a whole year, according to a 2007 Swiss study. In addition there is a 50% energy saving when new products are made out of recycled PET.
Until very recently, PET recycling always resulted in a loss of quality. When high-quality material – such as that used in warp knitted fabrics or plastic bottles – was recycled, it could only be used for simpler PET products like park benches or insulation. But the situation has changed. Thanks to new technology, polyester yarns can now be produced from recycled PET.
Innovation with certified high quality
Georg und Otto Friedrich KG, which has always had a reputation as a particularly innovative company, is taking advantage of the opportunity and can now offer its customers warp knitted fabrics made out of recycled PET yarn. The independent testing institute »DNV Business Assurance« has certified the yarn, which moreover fulfils the Class 1 requirements of the Oeko-Tex Standard. “Naturally we made certain beforehand that there would be no negative effect on the quality of the fabrics,” says the managing director.
At Georg und Otto Friedrich KG, a particular product is always made using yarns from the same manufacturer. The most important quality criterion is a consistent and 100% reproducible quality standard, and this standard can only be maintained by using the same yarn. “Our clients require this quality – and our name has stood for it for 60 years” says Vorbeck.
Green traditions in the company
The utilization of recycled yarns is not the first ecological achievement in the company. Early on, Georg und Otto Friedrich KG began manufacturing products using environmentally friendly and sustainable processes, long before the topic received public attention. Lothar Vorbeck points out, “For years now we have been recycling our manufacturing waste in an environmentally neutral process that provides secondary raw material for the local construction industry.”
Naturally, all the ecological standards which are required by law are maintained and monitored on a regular basis – not only regarding the company's own manufacturing processes but also those of suppliers. Lothar Vorbeck: “Our fabric finishing is one of the first in the EU that was able to fulfil the ISO 14001 environmental management standard requirements.” Using yarn made from recycled PET is just another logical step in developing sustainable production methods and taking the needs and wishes of our customers seriously.