Are you looking for a sustainable solution in the textile industry?
Our Commitment to a sustainable environment
As the leading manufacturer of textile solutions in Europe and as the world market leader in knitted polyester materials for digital printing, we have a special responsibility in environmental and social issues. For this reason, we do not only focus on the highest possible quality, but also on the highest possible environmental standards. For many years, we have been pioneering the processing of recycled yarns. Since 2018, we have been increasing our contribution as part of a self-commitment initiative: With GOING GREEN by Friedrich, we have created a concept that contains five environmental aspects of our value added chain and ensures sustainable action.
Self-commitment initiative for the environment and resources
Self-commitment initiative for
the environment and resources
- purchase of raw materials from countries with high ecological and social standards, primarily within the EU
- 85% off all PES-yarns are produced in the EU
- preferred purchase of biodegradable auxiliaries
- ISO-certified or GOF-audited suppliers
- priority on ISO 14001 certified suppliers
- short delivery routes (CO2 footprint)
- most modern state of the art knitting and finishing-plant
- continuously monitored production and usage of resources
- very low wastage rates due to automated error monitoring and correction
- all permits correspond to the current state of the legislation
- optimization of production processes for lowest environmental impact and highest energy efficiency
- regular auditing with certification according to ISO 9001, ISO 50002
- continuous exhaust air and wastewater monitoring
- exclusive use of auxiliaries class WKS I (can be safely disposed in the municipal wastewater system)
- following the regulations of the ILO-Convention including No. 182 (Child-labour)
- halogen-free finishing and coating line (already meeting future standards)
- prioritising environmental aspects in the design and planning stage of all new sites and machinery
- 100% of production (warp knitting, finishing and coating) takes place in Germany
- textiles for digital printing are made from recyclable polyester yarns
- acetate and viscose articles, based on renewable raw materials
- 100% PVC-free
- textiles are REACH compliant and certified according to Ökotex Class I (Baby) or Class II (skin contact)
- certified according to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) by Textile Exchange (certificate number CERES-1149)
- own test laboratory for safety, quality and environmental testing
- CO2 footprint available for many products
- textiles made of recycled post-consumer PET available
- RETeX+ RC product line
- textiles made of SEAQUAL® Yarn
- operate system to improve energy efficiency according to §3 SpaEfV
- certification according to EN16247-1 / ISO 50002
- use of high efficiency heat exchanger systems in finishing plant (energy recovery of 45%)
- build to Up to Date energy and environmental requirements and regulations
- up to 60% of electricity produced by own photovoltaic plant (2459 Kw/p installed capacity) which is equivalent to the consumption of 800 households
- certification of finishing plant as „Energy Conscious Company“ according to the German “Spitzenausgleich-Effizienzsystemverordnung”
- CO2 savings of 2,282 to/pa (equivalent to a distance of approx. 15,737.931km for cars)
- usage of post-consumer PET (EU-origin-only, collection within 150 km of recycling plant)
- CO2 compensation by supporting afforestation projects with PLANT-MY-TREE®
- post-consumer recycled yarn certified according to GLOBAL RECYCLED STANDARD (GRS) - Version 4.0:2017
- recycling of production waste
- non-recyclable waste is fed into the energy cycle as secondary fuels
- reuse of packaging material
- use of reusable transport skids
- member of the SEAQUAL® Initiative for cleaning the Oceans of marine litter
- overview sheet Recycling vs. Greenwashing (statement GOF)
- overview sheet Local vs. Global - There can be no discussion when it comes to recycled polyester
Warp knitted textiles made from recycled PET
Get to know our RETeX+ product line, whose products are made from warp knitted textiles made from recycled PET.
We know how important it is for you to make responsible choices, and that’s why we make it easy for you to choose environmentally friendly.
Why is recycled PET so valuable? PET is made from valuable and limited resources such as oil or gas, but it is 100 per cent recyclable. Although the recycling process is challenging, it brings significant environmental benefits.
With every purchase of our RETeX+ products, you actively contribute to climate protection. Every tonne of recycled PET reduces CO₂ emissions by three tonnes. That is comparable to the annual emissions of an average car! In addition, around 50 per cent less energy is consumed in the production of items made from recycled PET.
Look out for the suffix “RC” – this is how we label all our items made from recycled polyester.
Your contribution counts: Discover our sustainable RETeX+ and RC items in the product finder now and make the difference with Georg+Otto Friedrich!
Planting trees for the earth
Since December 2019, we have been cooperating with the certified environmental protection partner PLANT-MY-TREE®, which implements reforestation projects to offset CO₂ throughout Germany.
We are already saving up to 29% CO₂ in the production of fabrics made from re-PET compared to virgin PET. In addition, for every roll of recycled polyester fabric sold, an area of approx. 2.5 square metres of forest is reforested.
With your help, over 6,624 trees have already been planted. Continue to support this environmental project with Retex+ fabrics, and perhaps we will soon be able to walk through our forest together.
And we are continuing our commitment to the environment. Another 1,246 GOF trees will soon be taking root!
Upcycling marine plastic
Cooperation forclean oceans
Did you know that it is estimated that 12 million tonnes of litter end up in the sea every year? A large proportion of this is plastic, which takes centuries to decompose. It poses a huge threat to marine life. So it’s time to take effective countermeasures!
Our environmental partner SEAQUAL® INITIATIVE is a community of NGOs, fishermen, authorities, organizations, and companies that are working to combat plastic pollution.
The aim is to rid the Mediterranean Sea of plastic waste and convert this plastic into new, environmentally friendly polyester fibres through upcycling.
Through clean-up programmes, marine litter is collected from our beaches, the seabed and the sea surface, rivers, and estuaries. The marine litter is then sorted into different types of material, the plastic content is cleaned and converted into Upcycled Marine Plastic™. This new, fully traceable raw material is then processed into impressive, sustainable products.
Therefore we have developed two highly sustainable textile: DecoTex Blue and FrameTex Blue.
- DecoTex Blue | 7058RCO6GFS consists of more than 60% SEAQUAL® polyester fibres, which are made from recycled marine plastic. More information.
- FrameTex Blue | 7188RCOGFS – consists of 100 % SEAQUAL®polyester. Discover in the product finder now.
Each processed role supports marine fauna and provides cleaner ocean and beaches. Become a SEAQUAL® licensee and help us to clean the oceans!
Ensuring sustainable action means to take ecological responsibility
