Guide Helps Apparel Industry Minimize Waste, Pollution

The FluoroCouncil has published a best environmental practices guidance document for the global apparel industry to help mills and finishers minimize waste and environmental releases, while also keeping fluorinated product performance in the textile.

Guidance for Best Environmental Practices (BEP) for the Global Apparel Industry: Including Focus on Fluorinated Repellent Products outlines practical steps to implement best environmental practices for fluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) products in the apparel industry. It is available in English, Chinese, Japanese and German.

The document is a how-to guide for wet processing textile mills and finishers. In addition, the guidance provides a list of questions for packagers, brands and retailers to ask their suppliers to ensure goods received are finished using best available technology and best environmental practices.

FluoroTechnology products offer performance properties for the outdoor apparel industry, such as breathable membranes and long-lasting DWR finishes that provide water repellency, oil repellency, stain resistance and soil release with abrasion resistant finishes for apparel and equipment. Garments and equipment treated with FluoroTechnology have a longer useful life, therefore reducing material, energy and water needed to manufacture replacements, the FluoroCouncil says. They also require less frequent laundering, lower wash temperature and shorter drying time, further reducing use of water and energy.