SPONSORED CONTENT – ERCA, Patagonia® and YKK team up to deploy circularity with the chem-tech innovation REVECOL®
ERCA SPA, Patagonia® and YKK announce the successful implementation of ERCA’s REVECOL®, a sustainable, innovative chemical agent, in YKK’s dyeing processes at their Vietnam production sites.
ERCA transforms common waste material, such as exhausted vegetable cooking oil, into an upcycled, certified high performance, safe textile chemical.
Driven by the goal to utilize non-extractive chemistry in their supply chain wherever possible, Patagonia® teamed up with ERCA, and trim supplier YKK to deploy REVECOL®. REVECOL® LV-TS has a carbon footprint that is 72% lower* than the more conventional chemical auxiliaries produced by ERCA, is ZDHC and bluesign® approved, and GRS certified. ERCA is the first company in the world to have GRS certified chemical products opening the door to circular chemical products.
Matt Swartz , Patagonia® Color and Material Quality Manager, who introduced the ERCA REVECOL® technology to YKK, says: “We saw an opportunity to build a partnership with an innovator, ERCA, who was pushing the boundaries of sustainability and match them with an existing partner, YKK, that consistently delivers high caliber, quality goods and services. This has proven to be a dream team. Through thoughtful consideration we designed our approach and conversion to REVECOL® LV‐TS to have an outsized impact from the start. The real success is seeing this go beyond Patagonia® products and spread across supply chain partners, brands, and consumers. This is one domino to fall in how we do business to save our home planet.”
Fabio Locatelli, Head of ERCA Textile Specialties Business Unit says: “One of the most rewarding achievements is not only to see that REVECOL® can really make a difference but that leading companies are teaming up with us to utilize it in products that bring the message of sustainability to the end consumer”.
Mike Maekawa, Sales and Business Development Manager of YKK Vietnam, says: “We are thrilled to be part of this unique 3‐way collaboration, exemplifying how true upcycling on a mass‐production scale is made possible at the center of garment manufacturing. We look forward to the expansion of REVECOL® across the entire textile industry”.
As part of its Sustainability Vision 2050 YKK is constantly working to deploy more sustainable chemical processes in its production. REVECOL® is not only more sustainable it is also more efficient, reducing the use of the dyeing auxiliary by 20% to 30%, helping to lower YKK’s overall chemical usage.
* Bluesign® Product Carbon Footprint Report
