Green Articles

Outdoor Fabrics Our Planet Can Appreciate

These days it's utterly impossible to not hear the concern for our planet's future. Global warming was never heard of until the twenty first century, or was it just ignored before then? Almost all markets globally have been affected by the "Big Green Monster" called the Environment. Finding unique ways of being environmentally friendly has proven to be a challenge for most, but just like getting a child to eat his or her vegetables, it's really for our own good.

Irwin Gasner, President and CEO of Wearbest Sil-Tex Mills, has been doing his best to make outdoor fabrics safe for the environment without compromising the beauty and designer look of his fabrics. Irwin is the maker of Bella-Dura fabrics. For the last 28 years Irwin has seen a change in outdoor living design. Beautiful woven and velvety soft fabrics are not just for the interior of your home.

What makes the difference? Solution dyed yarn. This is the key to long lasting durable fabrics. Many fabrics are coated with Teflon, which over time loses strength and resistance to the outside elements. Gasner thought the resistant properties should be built into the fabric. This would allow strength and color sustainability throughout the fibers. They also have a state-of-the art water repellant feature called Green Shield that is safe for the environment during recycling. Bella-Dura fabrics have been environmentally conscious since before "Going Green" was a concern. Gasner says "We developed Bella-Dura to be kind to the environment, from the beginning to the end of its life cycle."[1] During the making of the fabrics there is little water used, low amounts of energy used to manufacture the products and best of all, produces no harmful industrial waste to the environment.

In 2007, Bella-Dura began recycling old fabrics into resin pellets which became another helpful solution to our Earth's plight. Consumers and retailers can now recycle old fabrics that will in turn become car parts, plant containers and even truck bed liners. What a difference an outdoor fabric can make! Not only does it highlight your outdoor living space but it's true to its surroundings. There is nothing like "natural" beauty.

Article by Anita Winter

Source:[1]Patio&Hearth Product Report Sept 2008