Fibertex earns Sustainable Origin Certification

Fibertex, a global leader in technical nonwovens, is the first company in its industry to earn the Sustainable Origin Certification – a program created in 2013 for the footwear sector – valid for all its product ranges.

“This acknowledgement is the end result of several sustainable initiatives and of a consistent investment program in technology and innovation in the past few years, from lower impact levels in manufacturing processes to a traceability program of recyclable raw materials”, emphasizes Carlos Benatto, Fibertex´s President.

Relevance to the footwear industry

Brazil ranks highly in the global footwear industry and the Sustainable Origin Program seeks to guide companies in the sector towards a high ESG performance level, following the best international practices based on economic, environmental, social and cultural indexes, and on sustainability management.

Nonwovens are especially significant to the footwear industry.  In addition to their durability and versatility they offer regular gramatures, surfaces and thicknesses (allowing for higher manufacturing control), superior finishing (with non-fraying, cleaner and more precise cutting) and full utilization of materials with lower waste generation.

Fibertex has also excelled in the industry by developing FiberReset, a high-performance nonwoven extracted from PET bottle fibers, thus responding to the challenge of creating a 100% recycled product that combines superior performance and an endless range of finishing possibilities, which is a staple of footwear manufacturing, both in fashion and in sports.

“Due to our longstanding experience in the industry, we have developed an effective and reliable choice to the manufacturers so that they are able to achieve their goals of a higher use of recyclable materials in shoe compositions”, adds Nivea Furlan, Fibertex´s Sales and Marketing Director.

Fibertex has been perfecting nonwovens solutions for over 50 years towards a wide range of uses and business areas, incorporating and disseminating sustainable practices in its manufacturing processes.  Here are a few of our own initiatives, collaborations in global events and earned certifications along this journey:

• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) Certification since 2008
• Internal traceability program in order to certify the origin of 100% recycled raw materials
• Participation in UN´s Climate Change Panel in the COP26 Brazilian pavilion by introducing FiberReset, a product developed 100% out of PET waste
• Water reuse and energy consumption from 100% renewable sources in our manufacturing processes

Further details on the certification can be found on our program web page:
https://www.origemsustentavel.org.br/fibertex