PFAEFFIKON SZ, SWITZERLAND: The environmental impact of textiles arising from microfibre shedding has increased dramatically over the past years as the use of synthetic fibres in the apparel industry continues to grow and fast fashion business models continue to gain share. Fibre fragmentation and resulting microplastic and chemical pollution affects waterways, the air and soil.
Livinguard Better Fresh combines a functional and an environmental benefit in a single solution. On the one hand, the technology provides leading odour control which is a valuable functional benefit for consumers. On the other hand, the solution reduces fibre fragmentation by up to 80% and extends the product’s useful life - resulting in a superior safety, environmental, and cost profile for apparel brands. Both claims have been extensively validated in the course of several in-house trials and testing conducted with independent laboratories.
This new product is the result of a long development journey with deep global collaboration. Livinguard leveraged extensive R&D investments over the past 15 years to develop a proprietary blend of chemistry that has then been thoroughly tested for performance, safety, environmental impact, and compliance with the highest industry standards in mind (e.g. bluesign). Furthermore, Livinguard Technologies used the company’s extensive knowhow in textile finishing to optimise and streamline the application of the technology in a real-world environment, ensuring the innovation can be deployed seamlessly on existing equipment and in established processes.
Recognising that awareness for the environmental impact of textile microfibre shedding is still emerging among consumers and that demand for solutions addressing this issue alone may be consequently limited, Livinguard Technologies have chosen to integrate odour control functionality, a well-understood and valued benefit, with this innovative fibre protection technology. This two-in-one solution allows brands and manufacturers alike to fund most costs for the chemical solution itself and for managing the complexity associated with its implementation by substituting their existing odour control technologies with Livinguard Better Fresh. Many established odour control solutions are prone to leach out over time and consequently increase chemical pollution arising from textiles. Livinguard’s new technology binds permanently to the treated fibres and strongly holds them together to ensure the least possible chemical and microfibre discharge.
The Livinguard Better Fresh technology is officially launched during the Functional Fabric Fair in NYC and Functional Textiles in Shanghai while further validation activities are carried out with partners from academia, external laboratories as well as pilot customers (apparel brands & textile mills) worldwide.
This new technology can substantially contribute to various established solution pathways for microfibre pollution as it allows for the development or further improvement of low-shedding fabrics with minimal impact on established production equipment and supply chains. Furthermore, due to its built-in odour control functionality, it enables consumers to use their clothes longer and adopt more sustainable laundry practices (e.g. washing at lower temperatures). Finally, it enhances product longevity without any negative impact on recycling / circularity of the treated clothes. Overall, Livinguard Better Fresh provides a cost-effective solution to make tangible and substantial progress in the fight against plastic pollution quickly.
Environmental pollution caused by microfibres from textiles has reached absurd proportions. There is an urgent need for action, and we cannot wait any longer and hope that the problem will solve itself. It is time to act quickly and decisively to prevent irreparable environmental damage. Our innovative technology can make a meaningful contribution to solving this global problem.
— Sanjeev Swamy, CEO & Founder of Livinguard Technologies AG
No solution is perfect – neither is this one. But this technology provides meaningful impact and it can be implemented today to complement ongoing efforts to mitigate microfibre shedding that are already ongoing. As a society we must act today and stop the bleeding.
— Dr. Alok Goel, R&D Manager at Livinguard Technologies AG
Everybody talks about sustainability – however nobody is willing to pay for solutions that help to mitigate the environmental impact of the clothes we wear every day. The entire industry runs on nickels and dimes. I believe that with this combined solution that offers both a functional as well as an environmental benefit, we have a commercially viable approach available that allows actors to do better without breaking the bank.
— Jan Hilger, Head of Textiles at Livinguard Technologies AG
ABOUT TEXTILE MICROFIBRE SHEDDING: Textiles have been identified as a key driver of chemical and microplastic pollution. During every home laundry, up to 700k microfibre fragments can get released in wastewater. Over 30% of microplastics released into the oceans every year stem from synthetic textiles and up to 500k tonnes of microplastic fibres from textiles enter the oceans annually. While the long-term health impact of microplastics exposure is still vastly unknown, it has unfortunately become an integral part of modern life.
- Commonly known mitigation strategies for textile brands include better materials selection, more sustainable manufacturing practices and pre-washing/brushing treatments during production. However, they all increase material and processing costs significantly and it has proven challenging for brands to enforce compliance of these best practices across globally decentralised supply chains.
- Various stakeholders in the textile industry work on solutions to mitigate fibre fragmentation and shedding due to these alarming facts. Commonly known mitigation pathways include designing better materials and production processes, promoting consumer awareness and more sustainable laundry processes, and finally implementing of microfibre filter mandates for home laundry machines.
ABOUT LIVINGUARD BETTER FRESH: Livinguard Better Fresh is a groundbreaking new textile finishing chemistry that combines a biocide-free odour control solution with a mechanism to reduce the shedding of microfibres. The water-based chemistry is applied during the manufacturing process of the fabric during the finishing step after dyeing. The application of the Livinguard Better Fresh technology can be combined with other textile effects and finishings and is conducted either via padding or exhaust.
ABOUT LIVINGUARD TECHNOLOGIES AG: Livinguard Technologies AG is a Swiss material science company with a broad solutions portfolio targeting the textile industry as well as other applications in personal hygiene, air filtration and medical. The company has developed a sustainable technology platform based on various proprietary polycationic polymers that enable the functionalisation of surfaces to deliver performance and function that is safer for consumers and the environment.
- Livinguard is headquartered in Switzerland and operates an applications and microbiology laboratory in Mumbai, India for safety and performance testing. Livinguard Technologies has built a global network of sales & distribution partners and works in close collaboration with development partners in academia and materials research.
