The Italian company has attracted interest from cutting edge brands in Northern Europe and the USA. The main factors behind its success are a well-planned green programme, strictly-regulated certification and the development of specialities that combine performance and sustainability, especially Q-NOVA® yarn, made from regenerated raw materials
In recent years the Nordic style has influenced the way we furnish our interiors, how we think and even our way of being. Everyone looks towards Northern Europe and its qualities of balance, clean lines and an intense commitment to green issues. This orientation is also reflected by lifestyles in all areas, from food to clothing. More and more consumers are seeking clothing that is not only fashionable and high-performance but also ethical and, above all, eco-sustainable. This trend is growing in strength and cannot be ignored by companies who wish to stake a claim to future success. It is increasingly important that companies can ensure full traceability for their garments and collaborate with reliable partners who are environmentally aware and open to innovation and environmental matters.
These factors have led a growing number of northern European, Anglo-Saxon and North American to choose specialities from FULGAR’s portfolio like Q-NOVA® and EVO®, and then launch collaborations with the company. For a number of years now Fulgar, Italian leader in the production of man-made yarn, has been pursuing a wide-ranging green programme involving the production process and the product offer.
This environmentally-aware model earned FULGAR a special mention in the annual report published by Green Italy 2017, produced by Symbola and Unioncamere with the patronage of the Environment Ministry. Fulgar’s commitment in this area has led to the development of eco-sustainable products that are fast becoming best-sellers. Two examples are EVO®, a bio-based yarn made from castor oil, and Q-NOVA®, a yarn developed exclusively from regenerated raw materials.
Launched five years ago, Q-NOVA® was the first speciality to be developed by Fulgar in this field. This eco-sustainable yarn also makes the company’s production processes more sustainable, leading to lower CO2 emissions and water consumption. Q-NOVA is made exclusively from regenerated raw materials through a mechanical process that uses no chemical materials that could compromise the sustainability of the end product.
To give an idea of the importance of this product in the context of sustainability, in 2017 alone the Q-NOVA recycling system enabled savings of over eleven million litres of water. If the growth in demand for Q-NOVA yarn reaches +30% in 2018, more than 15 million litres of water will be saved.
The yarn also offers functional and aesthetic advantages – lightness, good moisture management, keeping the skin cool and dry, and resistance and bright colours. The excellent dye colour yield achieves the same solidity levels as those achieved with virgin polyamide.
As early as 2013 this exceptional product was granted European Ecolabel EU and international Global Recycled Standard certification in recognition of the recycling system and the amount of water recycled.
In 2017 Fulgar submitted its entire production process to an environmental impact assessment using the scientific LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) method conducted according to PEF methodology. The Q-NOVA® yarn was included on the Higg Index, an instrument developed by the SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition) to evaluate the environmental impact of a garment’s entire lifecycle.
Thanks to its environmental sustainability performance, supply chain and zero-kilometre philosophy Q-NOVA® has been supported and adopted by many companies, especially in the circular knit, legwear and woven material sector for the clothing, intimate wear and sportswear industry.
These unique features have led Q-Nova® to be selected for an extensive range of uses in high-end capsules and collections in the sport-technical field, and as a leading product for many top commercial and research brands in northern Europe, the UK and North America.
One of the latest brands to have adopted Q-NOVA® in its products is ARKET, a brand owned by Swedish H&M Group, promoting the democratisation of quality through accessible, well-made, long-lasting and unfussy products. For example, the Recycled Melange version of Q-NOVA® with recycled polyester from bottles is used in the brand’s seamless yoga collection.
ARKET has an intense commitment to R&D, with the aim of ensuring its products have a long life. Sustainability is also a fundamental element in the brand’s creations and especially its processes, choice of suppliers and materials, with a special focus on monitoring the entire supply chain.
A demonstration of how Fulgar’s green programme is gaining greater and greater market approval.
