By: Edward C. Gregor
      Edward C. Gregor & Associates, LLC

The idea of producing and selling green fiber to the industrial textile market has seen considerable media coverage. Green products are also called sustainable. The word sustainable has a number of definitions, but one of the most accepted definitions, loosely translated, is reducing or eliminating the environmental footprint, atmospheric pollution, waste and residual materials, which would otherwise endure and cause a negative impact on the environment and society. Sustainability implies a legacy and has been described, by some, as an alternative course to imposing a pollution tax on future generations.

Peeking Under the Tent
What does being green really mean? It’s not the easiest of answers and often depends on your perspective. First, it’s fair to say, sustainability does not necessarily involve organic materials or products that totally degrade and absorb harmlessly into the soil or environment. In fact, they generally do not. Examples include conservation, recycling or alternative choices that leave less of a footprint to contend with than a process or material they replace. Although sustainable objectives may be somewhat different for each company, it’s the common denominator for conducting business in a more responsible manner with regard to the environment.

So what is the real-world definition of sustainability, and how does a company become green? To purists, green products come from nature and are converted without being processed into a final form without technologies that would be contrary to the concept of harming the environment, no matter how limited. Although a worthy objective, technically it’s impossible assuming you considered the need for electrical energy to transform raw materials into a product or to transport them to a customer. Energy requires coal, oil or gas somewhere along the way; all hard to define as green. Therefore, in the strict sense, a green product is the ultimate goal but is rarely obtainable without some amount of negative impact, no matter how small. Therefore, businesses that want to lead the parade and offer sustainable products are taking the approach that modifying processes and products to reduce the overall impact on the environment compared to existing methods can be called sustainable. This may not be a perfect solution but there are various shades of green in an interim process toward ultimately developing an ideal balance.

Market Leaders Step Forward
Industry progress leading to greener products includes the use of recycled polymer, fiber and textiles, which save resources and minimize waste. It can also provide both a competitive and strategic advantage. One example is Wellman’s Eco-Spun® which begins with polymer manufactured from recycled soda bottles. Eco-Spun fibers are used by progressive companies like Interface, Nike and Patagonia® for weaving and knitting into upholstery, athletic wear and other uses. Is this solution pure green? Of course not, but the effect is the reduction of and a major step in the right direction, amounting to a net reduction of waste and resources. Another interesting fiber uses polylactic acid (PLA) polymer created from a fermentation process using corn feedstock supplied by NatureWorks, LLC. It’s the closest synthetic fiber offering in the market toward a perfect green solution. Even cotton fibers are going green, which may surprise many. For years, farmers have been criticized for excessive use of pesticides and herbicides, yet they have made meaningful strides to reduce their use while generating acceptable yields per acre.

There are few perfect solutions when considering the entire environmental lifecycle of a material or process to produce a final product. Thus, companies focus on incremental improvements over existing processes and products as a core sustainable market strategy.  As an example and to make the point, Toyota hybrid vehicles were developed to extend gasoline use and mileage. Ethanol is an alternative to gasoline. Neither option represents utopia, but both are beneficial, steps in the right direction and fully acceptable to many customers who seek sustainable solutions. Recently, ExxonMobil Chemical announced a new process technology which enables the company to meaningfully increase its butyl rubber production capacity on existing equipment to save energy. Is this a sustainable advance? It sure is! Is it perfect? No, but it represents important progress, which is what sustainability is all about.

Underpinning sustainable products, and the ultimate goal of green, is wise leadership which supports internal funding and a process for continuous improvement. As a first step, companies can begin with waste reduction, which almost always yields cost savings.  Waste reduction isn’t only about reprocessing scrap, but to a larger degree can be achieved though alternative product design or manufacturing technology which yields improved product performance in a more sustainable fashion. Bear in mind that if green and sustainable claims are over played, it ultimately leads to disappointment in the market. Therefore, until independent organizations certify green or sustainable processes and products, buyers and users may become skeptical because of excessive claims or less-than-full disclosure by some. Creating the right solution for customer expectations requires always communicating up front and honestly, accompanied by disclosure and substantiation of sustainable claims. 

Constantly Evolving
Many customers are predisposed toward sustainable developments and will migrate toward ecological solutions, assuming price and performance are in balance. Thus, sustainable solutions can become a competitive sales tool. Toyota’s hybrid vehicles extended gasoline mileage compared to the traditional combustion engine. If they were not first to commercialize others would have gained the strategic advantage. So, like forward thinking Toyota and Interface Fabrics, along with Wellman, NatureWorks PLA and cotton fibers, you might contemplate whether sustainability could play a role in your business. If so, it’s critical to be candid with the shade of green being offered, otherwise your company’s credibility, and that of your product, is at stake. Rarely are there perfect green solutions; a series of incremental steps will lead to increased sustainability.

Edward C. Gregor & Associates, LLC specializes in creating growth for companies with new or under-exploited technologies in the polymer, fiber, textile and filtration industries.  Edward C. Gregor can be reached at 704-442-1940 or by visiting www.egregor.com

 
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