Fulgar, a leading Italian company in the manufacturing of nylon and coated yarns, has completed the environmental impact assessment of the whole process of its product production to the accredited scientific method LCA - LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT.

Informed environmental conduct, focused on the conservation and enhancement of the ecosystem, is one of the cardinal principles that defines the philosophy of Fulgar, the company explains. Over the years, the company has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to eco-efficiency with the technological renewal of its production facilities, the construction of new areas and the search for new materials and new processing solutions.

According to the manufacturer, this approach is clearly reflected by the company’s recent decision to evaluate its individual finished products and the entire production cycle through the rigorous LCA Life Cycle Assessment, an accredited process that is internationally standardized by the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards.

Reputation and sustainability

“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,” explained Alan Garosi, Fulgar’s Marketing Manager.

“The data collection and analysis of all the life stages of the product, a process which characterizes the LCA – Life Cycle Assessment study, allows us to consider and improve our strategy, both in terms of the environment and production performance, and also offers us the possibility to give a clear and precise vision of the environmental impact of our yarns to the final brands and large distribution chains.”

Environmental impact

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. These included 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 fibres 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.

Results

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 fibres Nylon 6,6, EVO and QNOVA with other categories of fibres and yarns, highlighting the real advantage in terms of reduced environmental impact.

From the study, it emerged that cotton is highly polluting – with percentages of impact between 60% and 80% higher compared to other categories of fibre and yarn – due to very high water consumption during the cultivation stage. This is followed by polyester, viscose and acrylic fibre. In fact, one of the fibres with the least environmental impact proves to be polyamide, which can be defined as among the most eco-friendly.

The analysis of the lifecycle of Fulgar Nylon 6,6, EVO and QNOVA showed that the polymer with the lowest environmental impact is Q-NOVA in all impact categories and in terms of consumption of the resources considered.

Eco-innovations

The study confirms that QNOVA, whose production is characterized by a mechanical, non-chemical recycling system with a zero-kilometre 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.

The solutions developed by Fulgar, the eco-innovations EVO and Q-NOVA as well as nylon 6.6, are said to greatly reduce water consumption, according to the results. Producing the same amount of bio-based EVO fibre 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, the manufacturer reports.

www.fulgar.com