Sympatex to present eco-friendly textiles at ISPO 2017

According to its goal “100% Sympathy Inside”, German textile producer Sympatex will take ISPO 2017, taking place from February 5 to 8, as the official starting point for an integral eco-clustering of its entire laminate portfolio. This means the portfolio will be offered in the future in five dedicated laminate categories that focus on sustainable aspects. These range from “100% Sympathy Inside” for the minimum level of sustainability to “100% Sympathy Inside” for the best ecological category that meets all the requirements for a closed apparel loop.

“Uncompromising transparency is the key to give the end customer the possibility to make well-informed buying decisions at the stores”, said Rüdiger Fox, CEO of Sympatex Technologies, in a press release. “By not only focusing on the high functionality of outdoor clothing but also showing the ecological price tag that burdens the next generation with the purchase, we can change the industry together in a way that it will sustainably protect what it appreciates most: an intact nature.”

From now on, Sympatex customers also have the option - at no additional cost - to show the respective eco-category on a label on their garments, thus providing end customers with detailed information about the sustainability criteria via a QR code that they can access directly in the store via their smartphones.

As the company announced in December 2016, the Sympatex membrane itself is already carbon neutral as it fulfills all the sustainability aspects in an optimal way. From now on, the evaluation will include the complete functional textile with criteria ranging from the sustainable use of raw materials, consumed energy and water up to avoiding harmful climate gases and the banning of chemical toxins. They also include the ability of recycling valuable materials.

Apart from avoiding toxins and enhancing the recycling capability, one further priority is the avoidance of all CO2 emissions. Thus, Sympatex will encourage its customers to switch to entirely climate-neutral clothing: With the help of the Sympatex eco-calculator, the exact CO2 emission of every meter of textile can be determined as part of the ecological footprint. Sympatex customers can compensate the unavoidable CO2 emissions by supporting certified climate protection projects. The compensation considers the entire process chain from the raw materials production to the delivery to the customers (“cradle to customer gate”). Clients will receive a certificate that can be linked to the label of the finished product via a QR code. Thus, the transparency for the consumer is guaranteed.

Sympatex will present its ecological alternatives at ISPO 2017 in hall A1, booth 418 from 5th to 8th February.

Photo: Sympatex