News

DuPont™ Active Layer and DuPont™ Sorona® will exhibit their products used in outerwear and activewear at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market – the tradeshow venue for the outdoor specialty industry – in Salt Lake City at the Salt Palace Convention Center, Aug. 9-12, 2007.  Visitors to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market will find DuPont at booth #39209.

More Americans are becoming conscious of their impact on the environment and are taking action to reduce their environmental footprint. DuPont is responding to this growing trend by providing options for active Americans interested in the environmental impact of their purchases with DuPont™ Active Layer, a recyclable**, waterproof, breathable film used in apparel applications and renewably sourced Sorona®*, the most recent fiber-grade polymer in a long legacy of textile/fiber innovations from DuPont.

DuPont™ Active Layer is a solution for customers who want performance from their textiles and are concerned about recyclability. DuPont™ Active Layer is designed to be recyclable when used with 100 percent polyester fabrics and is being selected by brand houses such as Patagonia because of its potential recyclability.

DuPont™ Active Layer also provides distinct performance characteristics – minimizing wind, cold and water to help people stay dry and comfortable during inclement weather conditions. Outerwear designed with DuPont™ Active Layer offers excellent durability and is lightweight while allowing excess heat and moisture to escape for warmer, more breathable comfort in all types of active apparel.

DuPont™ Active Layer can be used in a variety of activewear clothing products, such as ski gloves, winter jackets, shoes and hunting apparel as well as backpacks and sleeping bags.  "According to a recent MarketTools consumer survey, almost 70 percent surveyed said they were mor concerned about the environmental impact of their clothing purchases than they were a year ago. Additionally, once purchased, almost half surveyed said they would definitely recycle their outerwear garments," Ella Rabil, marketing manager, DuPont™ Active Layer, said.  "This information illustrates how important potential recyclability is to consumers when purchasing outerwear. Increasingly, consumers are thinking about the entire lifecycle of the product – where it comes from, how it is made and what happens to it after use – they want to know they can return the product and it will be recycled to make brand new outerwear with the same level of performance."

DuPont™ Sorona®, one of the latest high-performance polymers made with renewable resources, is derived in part from sustainable agricultural feedstocks; in this case, corn sugar. The process for developing Sorona® uses 30 percent less energy than the petrochemical-based process for making nylon – that equates to 63 percent less greenhouse gas emissions on a pound-for-pound basis. Sorona® contains 37 percent renewably sourced ingredients by weight.

In addition to its environmental benefits, Sorona® provides distinct performance characteristics to fibers, fabrics and textiles.  Fabrics made with Sorona® are versatile and adaptable to a wide range of applications and end uses. Apparel market applications for Sorona® include swimwear, activewear and outerwear. Fibers made with Sorona® can be blended with any other fiber – natural, synthetic or even spandex, creating exceptional softness, brilliant colors, color fastness, wicking, comfort stretch and recovery as well as stain and wrinkle resistance.

“DuPont™ Sorona® is proud to offer consumers a product for the apparel marketplace that is made using renewable resources that still maintains its high performance characteristics,” Pete Szanto, DuPont™ Sorona® specialty apparel segment manger, said. “We continue to see a great deal of interest from the outerwear manufacturers because consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are demanding smarter options in their life.”

Both DuPont™ Active Layer and DuPont™ Sorona® are participating in the Green Steps Program at Outdoor Retailer due to their success in substituting petrochemicals with renewable feedstocks. The Green Steps Program is a concept that calls out companies adopting green practices in their product, policies and business tactics in and around the outdoor industry. Net proceeds from the Green Steps Program will go toward purchasing wind credits that power Outdoor Retailer Shows with sustainable energy.

For more information about these innovative products visit activelayer.dupont.com or sorona.dupont.com.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company.  Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere.  Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

 

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, and Sorona® are trademarks or registered trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Media Contacts:

Maribel Rivera
DuPont™ Sorona®
302-999-3507
maribel.rivera@usa.dupont.com

Ellen Foley
DuPont™ Active Layer
302-992-4204
m-ellen.foley@usa.dupont.com

 *DuPont™ Sorona® contains 37 percent renewably sourced ingredients by weight.
** Currently, there is not a recycling program in place.