Sustainability Solutions Lead With Bio-Based Products, Daisy Seeds
Click here to read the full article.
Bio-based products may be the next frontier in sustainable textiles. Belgian-based textile firm Devan Chemicals said today it will launch two bio-based solutions at the upcoming Heimtextil trade show in Frankfurt from Jan. 7 to 10. The announcement follows its launch of a bio-based flame retardant that debuted in May 2019.
Devan’s new solutions include a bio-based antimicrobial called Bi-Ome Natural, and Tones of Cool Bio, a bio-based Phase Change Material — the acronymic process for a material that can absorb or release heat energy, allowing for textile thermoregulation — that creates a cooling system for the wearer.
More from WWD
Its Bi-Ome Natural solution guarantees freshness and hygiene for textiles through active ingredients, which are natural, organic, GMO-free, biodegradable and recyclable, such as Linseed oil that is obtained from dried, ripened flax seeds and Chrysanthemum, derived from seeds of daisies, the company said.
“Many plants and flowers produce antimicrobial chemicals as a defense mechanism toward threats like bacteria, fungi and molds. More and more natural antimicrobials are used in food and cosmetics as a preservative,” Devan explained. “As known, the bedding industry and more and more governments are planning to invoke regulations on recyclability. Therefore, technologies such as Bi-Ome Natural, which are recyclable, could gain more interest over time,” they added.
And Tones of Cool Bio is a patented cooling technology that “stimulates the textile to dissipate redundant heat from the body and to instantly reduce the body temperature. The PCMs used in Tones of Cool Bio are derived from sustainable, natural sources,” the company said, which “form of a crystalline wax or oily liquid [depending on temperature] and is 100 percent plant based. In addition, Tones of Cool Bio has a lower flammability than traditional paraffin based PCMs.” The solution will initially be available for bedding accessories only, Devan said.
Its foray into bio-based products underscores the firm’s sustainable approach to textile solutions. But Devan says “sustainability has always been a focus topic” for the company, as it released its first “Eco-flam” product — the first halogen-free flame retardant — as early as 1995. In the years that followed, Devan had a number of firsts in textile technology, including commercializing a non-migrating antimicrobial solution, and later, a “masterbatch” technology for in-yarn solutions.
And Devan was the first company to introduce probiotics in textiles in 2010, which speaks to its inventiveness and consumer-centric approach to designing products that truly differentiate in today’s market.
“Plant based, non-persistent, low toxicity pesticides have been used for many years in agriculture and in industrial kitchens — and these natural, biocidal ingredients gave us inspiration to develop a new range of Odour Control Technology and anti-dust mite products.”
For more Business news from WWD, see:
U.N. ‘Texpertise’ Event Looks at Fashion’s Sustainable Development Goals
Field Notes: In the Name of Accountability
Inspectorio Leads Brands, Retailers to Sustainability, Transparency
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
