For more than 50 years, the R&D 100 Awards have served as one of the most prestigious honors for innovations that are moving the needle within their respective industries. Milliken is humbled to have received a number of R&D 100 Awards over the past several years for revolutionary protective textiles to improved wound-care dressings. This year, we are honored once more to receive a Special Recognition R&D 100 Merit Award for innovation in green technology for Breathe by Milliken™ – the first plant-based, fluorine-free natural and polyester fiber performance fabrics for the home.
According to the R&D 100 Awards, “From an engineering and societal perspective, efficiency and environmental factors play an increasingly important role in the world today in both their impact on engineering and manufacturing and society as a whole. R&D Magazine wants to recognize those innovations that help make our environment greener and our goal towards energy reduction closer.” The Green Tech award category does just this, spanning all product categories for their overall impact in moving truly sustainable innovation forward.
Breathe by Milliken fabrics redefine what performance fabrics can be by taking a holistic view of the fabrics entire lifecycle. Every product component was engineered to improve its impact both the greater outdoor environment, with natural and recycled REPREVE fibers made from reclaimed water bottles, and the immediate indoor environment, with novel, proprietary plant-based stain and soil release characteristics. Moreover, Breathe fabrics do not emit any volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for a healthier indoor air quality. The ground-breaking result allows consumers to have easily cleanable and durable performance fabrics that are at once kid, pet and environmentally friendly.
“As today’s textile industry rapidly evolves, our work helps bring forward-thinking technologies to market that support healthy spaces for people to live and work in,” shared LeAnne Flack, marketing manager of Milliken Specialty Interiors. “It is very exciting for Breathe textiles to be recognized for their incredible sustainable breakthroughs.”
Breathe fabrics uniquely repel water and stains, a result of more than a year of research.
Breathe fabrics for the home, which can be found in Pottery Barn, are only the beginning. “We look forward to exploring how we can continue to develop the Breathe by Milliken™ brand for use in new applications and new markets for even more sustainable impact,” LeAnne continued.
Click here to see how Milliken continues to revolutionize innovation to improve the environments within which we live and work.
