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Fibres/​Yarns/​Fabrics

Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles for office furniture sector

Intersection is co-created by Duvaltex and Steelcase, in partnership with the Seaqual initiative, which turns marine plastic waste into recycled products with full traceability.

3rd November 2020

Innovation in Textiles
 |  Quebec City, QC, Canada

Interiors, Sustainable

Duvaltex, a global leader in contract textiles, and Steelcase, a leader in office furniture, are introducing Intersection, an exclusive Steelcase screen and panel fabric. Co-created by Duvaltex and Steelcase, in partnership with the Seaqual initiative, which turns marine plastic waste into recycled products with full traceability, Intersection is the first Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles, says Duvaltex.

Offered in 17 colours, Intersection is available throughout the Steelcase surface materials distribution network and applicable on over 50 Steelcase screen and panel product lines.

Every year, several million metric tons of plastics enter our oceans, Duvaltex points out. By partnering with Seaqual initiative, Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles transform ocean waste into amazing textiles, contributing to the collective effort to clean our oceans and reduce plastic pollution worldwide, the Quebec based company adds.

All Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles are made with post-consumer recycled polyester that include Seaqual Yarn made from plastic ocean waste. Seaqual initiative collaborates with fishermen, NGO’s, and several other stakeholders to collect waste and clean the oceans. The waste collected is subsequently categorized, separated, and cleaned. Plastics are processed and upcycled into polymer to be used as yarn, which is then transformed to create Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles. For every pound of textile produced, up to half a pound of waste is removed from our oceans, according to Duvaltex.

Clean Impact Textiles

Duvaltex has honed extensive expertise to become a leading manufacturer of sustainable textiles for over 20 years and has achieved several industry firsts in terms of sustainability, the company says. “As a sustainability pioneer, we have a responsibility to inspire our industry to preserve our planet for future generations,” says Alain Duval, CEO of Duvaltex.

Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles is the second advanced technology released under Duvaltex’s Clean Impact Textiles sustainability brand umbrella, following the award-winning NeoCon 100%, fully biodegradable textile in 2019."

© Duvaltex.

Our aim with Clean Impact Textiles is to reduce the environmental impact of textile manufacturing as much as possible by innovating the way products are sourced, manufactured and disposed of at the end of their useful life. Every action with Clean Impact Textiles is designed with sustainability in mind,” concludes Mr. Duval.

Presenting Intersection

Intersection is the first Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles product to be launched and is the result of a collaboration between Duvaltex and Steelcase. Partnering with Seaqual initiative, Duvaltex and Steelcase worked together to transform ocean waste plastics into beautiful textiles. “When Duvaltex came to us, they had this incredibly beautiful fabric that not only met all of our technical needs as it relates to application and screen design, but also had this incredibly important environmental story,” says Kari Miller, Product Manager for Global Surface Materials at Steelcase.

Like every Ocean Waste Clean Impact Textiles developed, Intersection is designed and manufactured for recyclability, allowing designers to design without compromise, Duvaltex explains. Beyond its positive environmental impact, Intersection is designed with a small crisscross pattern woven alongside a subtle pucker, providing a unique three dimensional visual. Boasting a fresh and contemporary colour palette, Intersection comes in 17 colours. Now available in North America, it can be applied to a wide range of screens and panels, including VIA, Mackinac and Steelcase Flex.

Rich history of collaboration

Duvaltex and Steelcase share a strong commitment to sustainability and environmentally consciousness, Duvaltex says. This has led Duvaltex and Steelcase to forge a rich history of collaboration over a span of 25 years. This includes a Cradle to Cradle product in 2005 and a Closed Loop program in 2011, as well as the more recent New Black textile collection, created entirely from Steelcase scrap fabric.

Duvaltex Clean Impact Textiles

Duvaltex Clean Impact Steelcase

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