Argar’s Project 2.0 fabrics offer safety, comfort, quality and environmental safeguarding
Protective fabrics producer Argar Srl has launched a new line of knitted fabrics made from 100% recycled polyester yarns. The Italian company’s Project 2.0 fabrics are constructed from locally sourced recycled raw materials.
Project 2.0 is the answer to the Green Procurement Policy adopted by Italy’s public administrations and private companies, which requires a large percentage of purchased product with certified origin from post-consumption recycled raw materials.
100% recycled polyester
“The first requests were for fabrics produced with a partial percentage of recycled raw materials, but we immediately considered it was better to answer the market with the most sharp attitude,” explains Umberto Negri, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Argar.
“Therefore Argar Technology planned to produce its fabrics Project 2.0 using exclusively recycled raw materials, wherever possible. Our Project 2.0 knitted fabrics are presently produced using 100% recycled polyester yarn.”
Locally sourced
Umberto Negri says that the basic point of the project Project 2.0 is the limited origin area of raw materials. “The main advantage to use recycled raw materials is the reduced consumption of natural resources and the reduction of environmental impact caused by long distance transportations,” he explains.
“It would be a nonsense to use recycled raw materials coming from far origin areas, or send them to be processed in far plants with uneasy efficiency control, which require long-distance transportation, causing additional emission of polluting gases.”
“The complete production cycle of Argar Technology’s Project 2.0 knitted fabrics
takes place in the same limited area, thus reducing environmental impact of the project. Argar Srl guarantees that the recycled raw materials used are of 100% Italian origin.”
Made in Italy
The collection of plastic waste materials, their quality evaluation and selection, plus all the subsequent steps such as washing, drying, grinding and granulation, right up to PET chip melting and spinning are completely carried out in Italy.
Umberto Negri is keen point out the benefits of Project 2.0 fabrics saying: “Analysis recommended by LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) allow the evaluation of the environmental impact of a certain production cycle, its effects on human health, on the ecosystem and on the consumption of natural resources, next to its economic and social impact.”
Benefits of post consumption POY
“Specifically, if you compare a traditional POY (partially oriented yarn) to a post-consumption POY, you can find the following amazing data,” he continues:
- “31% reduction of impact on Global Warming, that is the global increase of temperature due to greenhouse gas emission
- 57% reduction of abiotic resources consumption, which means natural resources like metals, minerals and fossil fuels
- 61% reduction of non-renewable resources consumption
- 26% reduction of renewable resources consumption
- 60% total reduction of energy resources consumption”
In its Project 2.0 Argar Srl utilised its most powerful resources to reach the requirements for environmental safeguarding whilst assuring complete traceability of the production cycle from the differentiated collection of waste materials to final production.
At the same time, the company guarantees the usual unchanged physical and chemical characteristics of its Protective Knitted Fabrics and Accessories in its Project 2.0 line of fabrics.
TES-FIR ESD-HV Knitted Fabrics – high visibility, antistatic, flame retardant, arc flash protection
Also new from Argar is Tes-firESD®-HV, a new range of protective knitted fabrics featuring intrinsic flame retardant, antistatic, arc flash protection functional specification, now with addition of high visibility properties.
The antistatic, flame retardant, arc flash protection and high visibility features of Tes-firESD®-HV Knitted Fabrics fully comply with the specifications of EN1149, EN11612, EN61482, EN20471 and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class II Certifications rules.
Umberto Negri explains: “The antistatic, flame retardant and arc flash protection functions are guaranteed by intrinsic properties of fabrics, assuring, in this way, the best performance and durability.”
“Argar Technology guarantees that all Tes-firESD-HV Knitted Fabrics and Accessories are manufactured and ennobled in Italy.”
Fabrics available are HV Yellow Piquet in 210gsm weight and Fleece HV Yellow in 250gsm weight. Accessories such as polo collar, short sleeve polo sleeve lists, long sleeve polo cuffs and other custom accessories.
According to Argar, Tes-firESD-HV Knitted Fabrics are ideally used everywhere extreme protection performance is necessary, either in case of intrinsic risks originated by work environment or for protection against particularly uncomfortable climatic and environmental conditions, with the addition of High Visibility function.
Argar joins TF-Traceability & Fashion
More good news from Argar Technology is that the company has joined the voluntary system TF-Traceability & Fashion, obtaining the Certificate of Conformity for its Protective Knitted Fabrics for technical and safety workwear, in the several production lines and certifications.
The TF-Traceability & Fashion system was developed by the Italian Chambers of Commerce in cooperation with Centro Tessile e Cotoniero in Busto Arsizio and enables the final customer to verify clearly where raw materials come from and to check the transparency of the whole production chain.
“Consumers can choose and purchase a product of which they know the whole story, as it is clearly written on its label, where they can find the origin of raw materials and the localization of the production steps,” Umberto Negri states, concluding:
“Quality guarantee, safety, comfort, respect for the environment and consumer protection are the main goals which push and characterize the activity of Argar Srl, always ahead in the state-of-the-art textile technology.”
