Re-thinking our way into the future at FibreGuard

At FibreGuard, we are not alone in that we’re looking to the future of both our industry and our planet. We’re looking around at the technology and materials we already have with us to see how we can remake these existing technologies and resources into materials with which to build a better future.

Today’s article is about refocusing our perspectives, rather than re-inventing the wheel, to build a healthier environment for us, our children, and our communities.

Textile industry sustainability needs decision makers to face facts

Yes, consumers really do want sustainable products. It’s interesting to realise that the pressure for sustainable products is growing because of market demand – despite what manufacturers and producers themselves might think they know about their markets.

Retail executives’ perceptions about consumers and sustainability are off the mark, according study findings reported in Furniture Today.

This re-thinking of our industries is coming from a place of real consumer demand, at a time when our own climate needs this change most urgently.

The study found a jarring misalignment between what consumers value when it comes to sustainable issues and sustainable products, and what retailers believe they value. From our perspective in the textiles industry, key takeaways from this study include:

• While 68% of consumers say that they would pay more for sustainable products, 66% of retailers believe that consumers would not.
• Almost three-quarters of consumers (72%) said that sustainability is a very or somewhat important a purchase consideration, with only 51% of retailers believing the same.
• Retailers disproportionately believe consumers are shopping sustainable products because they want to be “good citizens,” a behaviour characterised as social signalling. In fact, consumers are shopping sustainable products because they want to help the environment.
• Among consumers, the most important attributes for sustainable products include improving the environment (29%), reducing production waste (23%) and reducing carbon footprint (22%).

So, as you see, developing sustainable business practices and sustainable textiles isn’t just some fad that companies are jumping on the bandwagon of so that they can show everybody that they’re “good citizens” too.

Making sustainable textile production as transparent as possible

This re-thinking of our industries is coming from a place of real consumer demand, at a time when our own climate needs this change most urgently.

Working within the Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

Many of our new collections feature easy clean upholstery containing polyester that’s certified under the Global Recycled Standard. If a company wants to list the GRS on their consumer-facing labelling, the product must contain at least 50% recycled content.

This is a transparent way of proving to our customers that any claims made about the recycled content of our fabrics are true and can be easily checked. Our aims within the GRS:

• Reduce any harmful impact of textile production to people and the environment
• Provide assurance that FibreGuard fabrics are processed more sustainably 
• Drive higher percentages of recycled content in our fabric collections

The end-to-end traceability and transparency offered by GRS is such an important step in taking responsible design further.

Get all details on FibreGuard fabrics and the Global Recycled Standard here. Our unique GRS number is 1036513.

FibreGuard fabrics and the Organic Content Standard (OCS)

Many of our new collections feature Organic Content Standard (OCS) cotton, produced according to strict organic agricultural standards which safeguard the health of soils, ecosystems, and people. No artificial chemicals or genetically modified organisms are permitted under organic guidelines.

Our aims within the OCS:

• Looking at the complex journey to sustainability, it becomes quickly clear that all of us are in it together and that all our choices have knock-on effects. Organic cotton on its own isn’t completely eco-friendly, just as electric cars aren’t the full answer to a more ecologically healthy climate either.
• However, choosing certified organic cotton gives you peace of mind about the origins and provenance of your fabric.
• Our adoption of environmental measures such as reducing the use of chemicals, energy and water are fundamentally grounded in our respect for the natural world. By choosing a FibreGuard fabric you are choosing to help create a kinder, greener planet.

It's not just 'organic'. It’s certified organic.

Read more about the Organic Content Standard. Please refer to our fabric samples to confirm which collections are OCS certified. Our unique OCS number is 1036513.

The GRS and the OCS are only part of our eco-labelling initiatives

Producing fabrics certified under the Global Recycled Standard and the Organic Cotton Standard is only part of what we’re doing to re-imagine how we do business.

For example, we’re also monitor our mills' compliance with the ISO 140001 standard on environmental management, empowering them to develop practical systems so that we can all manage our environmental responsibilities together.

Environmental sustainability in the textiles industry is a huge, layered topic, and there are no ‘magic bullet’ solutions to the climate change issues that are forecast to increase. Organisations and individuals across all sections of our society are searching for concrete actions they can take towards sustainable business practices.

Explore our sustainability commitment here - and how it reaches all parts of how we do business.

How FibreGuard can help you re-think your company’s future too

Our future-focused approach to sustainable design is one of the defining features of life at FibreGuard.

Consumer safety and environmental responsibility lie at the heart of our manufacturing processes, as does our dedication to quality management under Quality, Environment, Safety and Health (QESH) guidelines. Our work with organic content standards and recycled polyester fabrics are part of this, of course.

Find out more about our processes by getting in touch.