Toray nominated for ispo award for 'hybrid engineering' project
Japanese industrial group Toray has been nominated for an ispo award in the category 'Best product in eco responsibility ingredients' for its 'hybrid engineering' project. The polyamide fibre, which can be produced from renewable resources, is being launched at ispo 2012 (29 Jan-1 Feb, 2012).
"Organic production is not always synonymous with sustainability and conservation of natural resources," says a statement from Toray. "This is not the case with hybrid engineering - here the used biomass for the new functional fibre is is made from the castor plant, which grows in India."
The castor plant is very robust, growing in dry farming areas and requiring fewer pesticides than other crops. "The polymer for the new hybrid polyamide materials obtain a high percentage of sebabic acid," continues the statement from Toray. "With hybrid engineering Toray can also create coatings and membranes made from biomass."
Steffen Meiler, brand communication manager Europe at Toray, said: "We are very proud of this significant step forward in the field of sustainability. With our biomass products, we protect the fossil sources while still offering maximum performance. Our program hybrid engineering sets entirely new standards to combine innovation and sustainability. The first step will be the highly functional hybrid shells. But we will go even further: the researchers in Kyoto are already working on realising the vision of the 100% sustainable 'ecoShell'. In the heart of Kyoto, we are continuously working on developing materials for high-end sports apparel which has a minimal impact on the environment and contributes to sustainability."
