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GORE ADOPTS NEW SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK

Gore’s Global Technical Oriented Fabrics Business Unit Adopts New Sustainability Framework

The Technical Oriented Fabrics (TOF) Business Unit of W.L. Gore & Associates (Gore) has announced its decision to adopt the new Sustainability Framework of the Gore Fabrics Division. With this move, the TOF Business Unit adds another key milestone to its 30-year history of implementing social and environmental programmes, including externally recognised standards. 

The Sustainability Framework reflects the Gore Fabrics Division´s commitment to protecting people and the planet while prolonging product life and the wellbeing of people at the same time. For the TOF Business Unit, this framework particularly reflects its continued effort to maximise the societal value Gore delivers through its operations, supply chains and innovations, as well as a commitment to reduce the environmental footprint that Gore’s operations and products have on the planet.

The new Sustainability Framework is informed by global trends and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, a set of worldwide accepted goals leveraged by many global companies as a ‘blueprint’ to achieve a better world. From these UN goals, Gore identified six strategic areas as most relevant to Gore, as these represent the key global challenges in the apparel and footwear industry and correspond with sustainability challenges that are important to Gore´s customers. 

Ross MacLaine, Sustainability Team Leader of the Gore Fabrics Division, said: "With our new sustainability framework, we aim to redefine performance beyond technical product features to the benefit of both people and the planet. We will continue to focus our efforts on sustainability-led innovations. We are proud to say that our sustainability framework meets the needs of our business, our customers, our industry and ultimately society." 

The Sustainability Framework can be summarised as a simple equation: 

Gore Protect Prolong Perform

For Gore Products for Professional Use division, protecting people stands for improving societal value and ensuring a fair and safe working place. Protecting the planet stands for reducing contributions to climate change and chemical impacts, including STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX, bluesign system partner, ISO14001 and a commitment to further reduce or eliminate PFCs of environmental concern. Also important here is creating sustainable product innovations with a low environmental footprint, for example, through using solution dyed yarns and recycled materials.   

Prolonging product life means maximising product durability by applying a scientific Life Cycle approach (ISO 14044) and pursuing initiatives that help extend material life, such as implementing a new Life Cycle Costing model and supporting leasing or rental businesses. The heart of the new sustainability framework within the Gore Technical Fabrics business unit is finally characterised by its ongoing efforts to prolong the wellbeing of people. This means providing the optimised balance of comfort and protection and thus extending the time emergency services and defence service people can operate in the field, doing their jobs to support or protect others.

Dave Welch, Gore Global Business Leader for the Technical Oriented Fabrics Division, said: “Together with our customers, we are committed to provide protective fabric technology for those whose jobs are to support or protect people – often under extreme weather or even life-threatening conditions. Therefore, all our initiatives to protect the planet need to be balanced with product performance to avoid compromising the important work first responders, technical rescue, fire fighters and defence personnel do – for the benefit of all of us.”   

www.goretexprofessional.com/uk

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