Prioritizing Sustainability: Building Better Products

Written by Maria Diefenbach, Global Textiles Marketing Manager

In today’s world, sustainability is more important than ever and we’re seeing a major impact on the industry becoming a must to incorporate all the way down to supply chains to the way we do business. Much more than a passing trend, the focus on sustainability is a fast-growing movement—triggering companies to find new ways of doing business in order to keep up. With part of the conversation regarding environmental impact focusing on textiles—specifically, water and energy consumption and landfill issues brought about by discarded textile-based products—Microban has taken steps to create more sustainable processes for the future. In recent years, we’ve initiated plans to reduce waste in all forms and are committed to creating a portfolio of only sustainable innovations.

Here are the strides we’re taking toward sustainability best practices:

Globally-Recognized Accreditations

Dedicated to the highest standards for sustainable and safer chemical products, Microban has built an impressive portfolio of antimicrobial and odor capture solutions approved by bluesign and Oeko-Tex—certifications that ensure harmful substances are removed from the beginning of the textile manufacturing process and that Microban technologies meet environmentally responsible textile production standards.

Our portfolio of six bluesign approved solutions help keep supply chains free of dangerous elements, and they live on to help consumers cut down on water and energy consumption, too.

Textiles treated with Mircroban technologies inhibit the growth of damaging microorganisms or neutralize unpleasant odors. With improved product performance and longevity, the need for frequent washings is eliminated. And if end users cut down on washings, collectively we cut down on the rate of garment disposal, helping keep waterways free of microfibers and landfills free of excess waste.

Development of Sustainable Technologies

In recent years we’ve been fueling product innovation through our leading analytical labs with sustainability leading the charge. Conducting more than 40,000 tests a year, our team of microbiologists, chemists and engineers have developed new technologies that were created to save time, energy and resources. Take Scentry Revive, for example. Through scientific and repeatable odor-panel testing, this technology has proven to neutralize odors for up to 50 washes, maintaining freshness without the need for frequent laundering and saving end users more than 26 gallons of water per year and 220 water bottles from one shirt. Did you know eliminating one shirt from your wash can save 75 pounds of greenhouse gases?

Regulatory Support

Because the antimicrobial technology industry is highly regulated around the globe, it’s imperative to ensure businesses within the industry are effective and productive—functioning inside the environmental legal and regulatory parameters of any given country.

Our in-house team has been intricately involved in antimicrobial technology incorporation around the world, so we offer our partners input and advisement from regulatory experts with global experience, information and connections.

With a vast network of external resources, we remain up-to-speed on current directives related to legal and regulatory issues in the chemicals industry; and we’re associated with major trade and professional organizations that serve as key influencers across a number of industries. Most importantly, we work hand-in-hand with our partners’ legal, regulatory and quality assurance teams to create seamless, unified approaches and navigate the regulatory guidelines that impact innovation and the way we incorporate sustainability best practices into our business.

Now, more than ever, customers want to know the implications of their choices. And Microban is committed to offering products that aren’t just designed to perform, but to help address growing environmental concerns. With a history of safe use that meet consumers’ needs, Microban is making way for a more sustainable future.

Take advantage of the benefits of extending your research and development, technical, legal, regulatory and marketing teams with a Microban partnership—contact a member of the Microban team today.