"LCA - LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT"
CONFIRMS THE COMPANY'S GREEN VOCATION AND THE VALUE OF ITS ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
"Today more than ever, a company's competitiveness is measured by its "reputation", a complex mix of different factors, in which ethical considerations, such as environmental sustainability, play an increasingly important role. The contemporary consumer is aware and informed. They want to orient their buying decisions around products that are deemed "clean" in every aspect of their life cycle."
FULGAR ACHIEVES A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY GOAL
Through the impact assessment (LCA - Life Cycle Impact Assessment), it is possible to determine the scale of the impact generated as a result of releases into the environment and the extent of the consumption of resources resulting from production activity.
In particular, for Fulgar, the production stages of three specific products were examined: the Fulgar Nylon 6,6 yarn, a fibre obtained though the standard production cycle and two yarns that represent Fulgar's innovation and textile research more than any other: Q-NOVA® and EVO®. Subjecting these three types of polyamide fibers to the Analysis of the Lifecycle (from the production of raw materials to the texturing stage), means obtaining an overall assessment of the entire "Fulgar system", which takes all the variables, such as technologies, materials and processes, into account.
The data examined in the LCA report refers to annual production and considers "inflows" such as the consumption of water, electricity and renewable energy sources and "outflows" such as products and coproducts, waste water, air emissions, waste production and transport.
All the process stages for which it was possible to carry out data collection relate to the production of 1 kg of PA 6.6 textured yarn. The results obtained from the analysis of the three Fulgar products have made it possible to compare the polyamide fibers Nylon 6,6, EVO® and QNOVA® with other categories of fibers and yarns, highlighting the real advantage in terms of reduced environmental impact.
From the study*, it emerges that cotton is highly polluting – with percentages of impact between 60% and 80% higher compared to other categories of fiber and yarn – due to very high water consumption during the cultivation stage. This is followed by polyester, viscose and acrylic fiber. In fact, one of the fibers with the least environmental impact proves to be polyamide, which can be defined as among the most eco-friendly.
The study confirms that QNOVA®, whose production is characterized by a mechanical, non-chemical recycling system with a zero kilometer supply chain, has a very low environmental impact in terms of C02 emissions. EVO®, though it is based on a natural material, reveals impact levels that are well below average. Finally, polyamide 6.6, which represents Fulgar's production standard, is shown to have an environmental impact that is lower than other yarns.
To give an immediate example that makes it easier to understand the real meaning of the findings from the LCA study and from the comparison of the data, we can consider the production of a t-shirt. For the creation of a t-shirt, an estimated 250 g of material is required. If it were produced, as a raw material without considering the downstream stages, in virgin Nylon 6.6 produced by Fulgar, at the level of raw material it would have an impact of around 2.49 kg CO2 eq; the same t-shirt made from EVO® yarn would have an impact of 1.84 Kg CO2 eq (-26% emissions), while the Q-NOVA® fiber would have an impact of only 0.44 Kg CO2 eq. (-82% emissions).
One very topical and extremely important aspect is water resources.
The water consumption involved in cotton production is truly staggering: to produce 1 kg of cotton*, one of the most commonly used materials in the clothing industry, it takes a minimum of 7000 L of water and a maximum of 29,000 L, with an average of around 18,000 L of water per kg of cotton.
The solutions developed by Fulgar, the eco-innovations EVO® and Q-NOVA® as well as nylon 6.6, greatly reduce water consumption by introducing a substantial difference to the market. Producing the same amount of bio-based EVO® fiber can save up to 52% L of water per kg produced, while with nylon 6.6, the total water saving is even greater, equal to approximately 99% L less water per kg produced. Finally, the Q-NOVA® yarn, which is derived from a mechanical recycling system, saves almost the entirety – 99.9% with a value equal to approximately 17,983 L water per kg produced.
A BETTER WAY TO THE FUTURE