Fall - InsideOutdoor Magazine

Optimer, 180’s Settle
Infringement Case
Optimer Performance Fibers has settled with 180’s
concerning a patent and trademark infringement upon
its Dri-release with FreshGuard product. The original
complaint identified work wear shirts sold online by
180’s under its Gorgonz label as far back as 2005 that,
although marked with the Dri-release with FreshGuard
patent number, did not contain Dri-release yarn. It also
identified 180’s ear warmers also not made of Drirelease
that were sold bearing the Dri-release with
FreshGuard logo.
“Dri-release is well known in many markets as a
highly effective moisture management technology
brand. This action is critical to protect our patent
as well as the integrity of Dri-release products sold
to trusting consumers,” says Beth Moore, Optimer
director of operations.
Green Springs across
the Supply Chain
As most would expect, the recent OR Summer
Market was awash in new eco-friendly offerings and
sustainability stories, with news and new materials
generated from up and down the supply chain.
Among the bigger stories, buyers of nylon 6.6 now
have a new alternative, as both Toray Industries and
Unifi separately announced nylon yarns made from
recycled material.
Both options utilize pre-consumer nylon fiber
waste, or “off-spec” yarn, that is collected during
the production of traditional virgin nylon fiber and
converted to the recycled nylon. While this process
doesn’t take plastic bottles out of landfills, as Unifi’s
Repreve recycled polyester does, Repreve Nylon
conserves the equivalent of 6 million gallons of
Making Virgin Nylon Versus Making Repreve
Virgin Nylon 6.6 Process
Crude oil wellhead
Crude oil refinery
Benzene
Cyclohexane
Hexamethylene & adipic acid
Nylon salt
Polymerization
Extrusion
Texturing
Source: Unifi
Repreve Nylon 6.6 Process
Process eliminated
Process eliminated
Process eliminated
Process eliminated
Process eliminated
Process eliminated
Repreve chip production
Extrusion
Texturing
gasoline annually compared to the production of
virgin nylon or polyester, says the company. In other
words, for every pound of Repreve nylon yarn, 77,000
BTUs are conserved, or the equivalent of 0.6 gallons
of gasoline.
Meanwhile, Toray’s new ecodream requires only
15 percent of the energy consumption required to
produce virgin nylon, say Toray sources, while the
greenhouse gas emissions are only 20 percent of
virgin nylon production.
Unifi has partnered with Burlington Worldwide and
United Knitting in the development of new woven and
knit fabrics using Repreve nylon. Burlington will feature
Repreve nylon under the Generations Collection,
targeting technical sportswear. United Knitting will
introduce Repreve nylon in a series of new eco-friendly
knit fabrics for activewear.
And speaking of Unifi, Polartec has fully embraced
Repreve recycled polyester for many of its offerings.
The company says it will save 38 million pounds of
CO2 annually by using recycled yarns, and by 2009
expects 20 percent of all Polartec products to contain
at least 50 percent recycled material.
Fall 2008 | InsideOutdoor | 41