January 25, 2022
Happy New Year! We hope you are looking forward to a healthy, productive and successful 2022! We certainly are!
As you many have heard, we achieved a major milestone in early 2021. Our Kempen, Germany and Putnam, CT production facilities became 100% climate-neutral. Our carbon emissions have been significantly reduced through the use of green electricity, green gas and other measures, and are recorded within the DIN ISO 50001 framework. All remaining emissions are being reduced by our carbon offset program in corporation with ClimatePartner and its Plastic Free Oceans climate protection project.
According the EPA equivalency calendar, the number of 2021 carbon emissions we’ve offset are equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of driving 7,682,846 miles in an average passenger vehicle – or nearly 307 times around the globe!
While this news is positive, some may wonder what climate neutrality actually is.
According to ClimatePartner, climate neutrality means that the carbon footprint of a company, product, service or event is calculated on the basis of internationally recognized standards and fully offset by the support of international climate protection projects.
ClimatePartner recommends companies establish the avoidance and reduction of CO2 emissions as a continuous process and supports them in appropriate strategies by defining scientifically based reduction targets or switching to renewable energies.
While many textile manufacturers are doing what they can to make the industry greener by developing high-quality recycled/bio-based fibers and fabrics, waterless dyes, compostable packaging among other sustainable initiatives that follow through the supply chain, it is extremely difficulty for a company to be 100% climate neutral by doing these great measures alone.
For instance, we have a few X-Pac® laminates that are made with 100% recycled post-consumer PET and another that is made with organic cotton, both of which save valuable resources from being drawn from the earth. These fabrics are identified by our cleenTEC® seal, which guarantees they are
100% climate neutral by including recycled or bio-based components with the added sustainable measure of having climate offsets applied directly to these specific fabrics.
That said, we know that despite our great efforts in making our production facilities and fabrics greener, we still need to do more, thus our carbon offset program with ClimatePartner for an eco-friendlier environment.
In a carbon neutral panel discussion hosted by Performance Days last month, Jan Schüßler, Head of Key Account Management, ClimatePartner said, “We cannot wait 20, 30, 40 years until a company can produce a product that’s CO2 free. That’s why carbon offset projects play a vital role in the whole transparent communication of climate-neutrality. We take our customers on a journey by helping them measure and work on their carbon footprint, support them with a carbon offset project, and finally help them transparently communicate their sustainable initiatives every step of the way.”
Our climate offset partnership through ClimatePartner’s Plastic Free Oceans program supports Plastic Bank® to prevent tons of plastic from entering the ocean, and empower plastic collectors in coastal communities in Haiti, Indonesia, Brazil and the Philippines. At collection points, collectors can exchange the plastic for money, food, drinking water, or even school fees. The project ensures that less plastic ends up in the sea. Instead, it is recycled and processed into so-called social plastic, which serves as a raw material for new products, such as packaging.
As we strive to introduce more sustainable X-Pac® laminates, we will continue to develop fabrics that stand the test of time and collaborate with ClimatePartner for a climate-neutral environment.
Please contact us if you have any questions or need more information on our climate neutral program!
Stay tuned for getting to know cleenTEC®….
Photo Credit: Plastic Bank.