Teijin’s new fabrics for uniforms: cool in summer, warm in winter
Fujifilm adopts the antistatic, recyclable fabrics for 50,000 work uniforms
Teijin Fibers Limited, the core company of the Teijin Group’s polyester fibers business, announced that it has developed new polyester fabrics for work uniforms with enhanced properties that enable facility operators to conserve electrical power in workplaces. The new fabrics, to be marketed by Teijin Fibers beginning this May, also have antistatic properties for enhanced safety and are environmentally friendly because they are made with recycled polyester and are recyclable through Teijin’s Eco Circle closed-loop recycling system at the end of their useful lives.
The Fujifilm Group will use the new fabrics for 50,000 uniforms to be worn by employees in Japan over the next three years, part of Fujifilm’s efforts to save power and reduce environmental load in its workplaces.
Summer-use fabrics offer improved ventilation to achieve lower temperatures inside the clothing, providing more comfort in work environments where air conditioning temperatures have been raised to conserve energy. Winter-use fabrics retain heat and are extra soft, allowing wearers to stay warm and comfortable in work environments where heating temperatures have been lowered to conserve energy.
The new fabrics satisfy international safety standards for work uniforms set by the International Electrotechnical Commission, including an antistatic standard for protecting people working with electronic components and similar products.
The uniform fabrics are made with Teijin Fibers’ chemically recycled polyester fiber, which is created through the Eco Circle closed-loop recycling system. After their useful lives, the uniforms will be collected by Chikuma & Co., Ltd., a manufacturer and trader of school and work uniforms. Chikuma will send the uniforms to Teijin Fibers’ Matsuyama plant in Japan, where they will be chemically decomposed and then converted into polyester raw material with purity comparable to polyester derived directly from petroleum. The raw material then will be processed into high-quality polyester for the manufacture of new recyclable products. The production and recycling of 50,000 sets of jackets and trousers will reduce CO2 emissions by about 255 tons compared to using polyester derived directly from petroleum.
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Fujifilm Group has been taking steps to reduce power consumption and environmental load in its workplaces. By adopting uniforms made of Teijin’s new fabrics, Fujifilm expects not only to save electrical power in workplaces, but also through reduced ironing and drying needs due to the fabrics’ easy care.
Teijin is a global technology-driven group operating in eight main fields: aramid fibers, carbon fibers & composites, polyester fibers, plastics, films, medical & pharmaceuticals, fiber products marketing and IT businesses.
