Sustainability
Sustainability Statement & Practices
Sustainability. Alongside the ever-important functions of aesthetic and performance, we earnestly and constantly endeavour to tread lightly on our one and only planet. But there is more to the topic of ecological sustainability and wellness than meets the eye!
Everything we do impacts upon our planet. Materialised takes this responsibility very seriously and strives to see that our materials, processes and recycling activities leave the smallest possible ecological footprint. Our approach is to look at − and objectively measure − the overall ecological toll. That evaluation goes all the way downstream from the source of raw materials, to initial production, to life extension and all the way to disposal at the end of the product’s life.
Our Digitally Printed Products
Digitally Printed Textiles – In-House Dye Sublimation Transfer Printing
The process of producing textiles involves transforming the selected substance, be it plant based, animal hair or some other element like oil or gas, into a yarn. They all need to be woven, finished, sometimes printed and then fabricated into the finished article, and transported . All of these processes incur a resource and energy cost.
The question is, what gives the best outcome on balance?
Our dye sublimation transfer method of printing gives many, many advantages over conventional wet printing. The design is printed in-house onto a transfer paper and then transferred by heat and pressure into the fabric (aka ‘dry dying.’) This process uses virtually no water, there is no wasteful speculation, the designs reproduce with magazine-like quality and it gives the client infinite options.
Whereas cotton is notoriously water hungry, both in growing and printing, dye sublimation is quite simply the least impacting ecologically. One European transfer printer says they used more water in staff coffee than they do in printing 30,000,000 metres of transfer paper per year.
Why Polyester Is The Best Sustainable Solution For Contract Interiors
Our approach to sustainability is viewed through the prism of appropriateness. For contract furnishings, polyester is in our opinion the most appropriate choice. This is simply because we believe polyester has compelling features for furnishing demanding ‘contract’ interiors.
We consider the chain of factors involved in the furnishing of Hotels, Health facilities and other such spaces. Consideration of the performance is top of that list. Products that shrink, crease, are not durably flame retardant and consume massive amounts of energy to maintain are extremely poor value by any measure. Such products usually result in unhappy owners and occupiers, inevitably resulting in premature replacement. That is ecological vandalism.
In terms of production and treatment, each class of fibre carries its own ecological cost. Comparisons reveal few unchallengeable winners, especially if one looks at the broader context.
For example, at first glance it may seem that a naturally-grown product like cotton has an advantage over a synthetic fibre produced by petro-chemicals and natural gas. However, when one factors in the ‘eco-cost’ of cotton’s very high demand for water (29,000 L/Kg) and insecticides (10 to 18 applications of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, leaving aside the impacts of dyeing and printing) the picture becomes much less clear.
Polyester Sustainability
Popular perception is that polyester and nylon fibres come from a limited and non-renewable source, which is true. However, the quantity of oil used in producing textiles, resins etc. is a negligible proportion of total world consumption, (at most estimate is less than 1%)
The principal deciding feature of polyester relates to flammability. Of the two options for flame retarding textiles, one is to treat vegetable fibre fabrics with a treatment that, when exposed to flame, emits a gas to preclude oxygen and extinguishes the flame. Alternative two, and the one we adopted, is to build in non-toxic and permanent inflame inhibitors into the fibre before it becomes yarn and woven. When exposed to flame, modified polyester gives off far lower levels of toxic fumes than topical flame retardant treated products, and its performance lasts the life of the fabric.
Secondly, our method of printing is dye sublimation transfer. It is a system requiring polyester base-cloths, using little or no water. This method enables ‘print-on-demand,’ saving extravagant speculation and waste.
Finally, it is stable, gives high abrasion resistance, cleans well and most of all has a very long useful life of service.
The most ecologically destructive act is to install products needing to be replaced prematurely.
Digitally Printed Wall Covering & Roller Blinds
Our swissQ UV printer delivers the very latest, state-of-the-art digital printing technology for wall covering and roller blinds.
For an overview of its capabilities and to see just how sustainable it is, read our article Sustainable Printing – Perform Beyond The Average.
Paper & Inks Used In Printing
DYE SUBLIMATION PRINTING (textiles)
- All our paper is FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council)
- We print using water-based inks that are OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT certified.
We recycle all spent paper from the transfer printing process.
DIRECT-TO-SUBSTRATE UV PRINTING (wall covering, roller blinds & window film)
- Solvent and VOC-free, GREENGUARD Gold certified inks.
Cleaning & Maintenance Efficiency
Both financially and ecologically, the cost of cleaning and maintaining fabrics must be an important consideration when making selections. The difference can be significant.
For example, not only are polyester bedspreads 36% less costly to create and last 3.3 times as long compared with equivalent flame-retardant treated cotton spreads, they also require significantly less energy and detergents to wash and dry.
What Goes Out Of Our Chimney?
What goes out of our chimney? Clean air! All fume outputs, whilst non-toxic, are still captured in our filtration system to ensure that the only thing leaving our facility is clean air.
Certification & Testing
Many of our fabrics have been third-party tested for sustainability properties.
From GREENGUARD GOLD to Oeko-Tex certified yarn we have compiled a glossary of certification and testing methods which add depth to the sustainable properties highlighted in individual product specifications.
Material Disposal – Recycling & Upcycling
This has plagued the textile industry for decades. The amount of product, both furnishing and fashion, that ends as landfill worldwide is terrible.
Regarding the re-purposing of such things as hotel drapery and upholstery, this is a tougher matter. There are several organisations that shred and create insulation felts. Others ship to third world countries. We are constantly on the lookout for options here and have developed a take-back program for our Australian Made BLOX product.
We have a policy of never sending our remnants to landfill. Remnants, discontinued patterns and obsolete samples are donated to charities, schools, prisons and craft groups. Our preference is to help organisations that, in addition to making some article of use, train unemployed youth and assist with employable skills. We also now partner with Coritex and send polyester offcuts to them, which is then repurposed into mattresses at the Sealy shoddy factory.
Head to our Waste Warriors page for indepth information and charity partners.
Sustainable Products
For information about our sustainable products, please visit our sustainable products page.
