BekaertDeslee, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of circular knitted fabrics for the mattress ticking sector, has joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative, pledging to develop and exercise corporate responsibility programs and to implement sustainable business practices.
The UN Global Compact encourages companies to create a culture of integrity by incorporating 10 principles in the areas of anticorruption, environment, human rights and labour, and to take action in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
“BekaertDeslee is proud to join thousands of other companies globally committed to taking responsible business action for a better world. Assuming sustainability means offering safe, high-quality products and ensuring that business activities are environmentally friendly and socially responsible,” the company said.
Earlier this year, BekaertDeslee teamed up with the Seaqual brand in a project aimed at helping to clean up the world’s oceans. The company is working with Seaqual, which pays fishermen from the Spanish coasts of the Mediterranean Sea to collect garbage and bring it ashore, to source plastic waste that can then be upcycled into new yarns that are used to produce mattress fabrics.
Other materials that are collected, including aluminum, metal, glass and plastic, go to their own recycling chain. The Seaqual brand is owned by three leading Spanish textile businesses, namely Ecoalf, Antex and Textil Santanderina. It is spun from polymers derived from plastic bottles, which have been collected from the sea alongside the catch of hundreds of Spanish fishing boats. The project was initially developed by Ecoalf and has recently been extended to Thailand.
“Seaqual is a filament with a unique value proposition: cleaning the oceans,” the companies said. “Fully made with recycled pet, the company, together with fishermen, collects and recycles garbage from the seabed. Each kilogram of Seaqual filament translates into 1 less kilogram of garbage in our oceans.
“Seaqual, although entirely made of recycled pet, has the same properties of virgin polyester, albeit a much smaller ecological footprint. Applications range from fashion to automotive. It’s hydrophobic nature, for example, paired with good tenacity and durability makes it the choice of fabric for high stress sport outdoors use or technical clothing. But the facts that it is also wrinkle resistant make it optimal for everyday clothing like pants, shirts, tops, skirts and suits.”
