Gore Offers GORE-TEX Laminates With “Bluesign Fabric” Certification
OutdoorHub 02.01.12
A more sustainable lifestyle is an important topic for many consumers and thus the demand for reliable and environmental friendly clothing has been growing. In 1996, W. L. Gore & Associates implemented the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 for its GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER products. In 2010 the bluesign standard implementation in Gore’s manufacturing processes led to the next level. The bluesign standard is a widely-accepted, reliable and proactive tool certifying the eco-friendliness of the entire textile production chain. Now, for the first time Gore offers a range of 2-layer GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER laminates that are bluesign certified to its customers, among them the bluesign members Burton, Haglöfs, Mammut, Mountain Equipment, Patagonia, Salewa, and The North Face, for their collections of AW’12. This bluesign certification means that the textiles that Gore purchases from its suppliers to make its laminates need also to fully comply with both the strict criteria of the bluesign standard as well as Gore’s rigorous quality parameters.
Today, the initial offer of bluesign approved laminates available in AW’12 represents about 20 percent of the GORE-TEX laminate volume supplied for making consumer garments. For AW’13, this offer could increase to 50% percent – depending on the success of Gore’s textile suppliers to achieve bluesign certification for their products. Achieving agreement with a supplier to sign up with bluesign technologies and fully implementing the standard in its manufacturing can easily take two years. “The environmental performance of our products is not only driven by their outstanding durability of waterproofness and breathability allowing garments to last longer – but also by responsible manufacturing practices”, states Bernhard Kiehl, Fabrics Division Sustainability Leader at W.L. Gore & Associates.
Bluesign approved fabrics – the future of responsible textile manufacturing
The bluesign certification indicates that Gore fabrics made with ePTFE membranes are made responsibly in respect to the environment and the safety of workers, while providing an even higher level of consumer safety.
Offering bluesign approved fabrics not only means that Gore has implemented the bluesign standard in its own production process but also the suppliers of textiles to Gore have to deliver bluesign certified products. “We are actively promoting this approach to our supply partners all over the world. I am very confident that more and more garment manufacturers will implement the bluesign standard in their product portfolio as soon as our range of laminates with bluesign certification increases”, states Bernhard Kiehl. “Our goal is to have the vast majority of the volume of our GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER laminates for consumer garments bluesign approved within the next 3 years.”
