Gore Fabrics Presents GORE-TEX Products With a PFCEC Free DWR at OutDoor Show

FELDKIRCHEN-WESTERHAM, Germany, June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• Key milestone achieved in delivering against ambitious PFC goals
• Increased use of recycled and solution-dyed textiles in garments portfolio contributes to water savings and reduces CO2 emissions

The Fabrics Division of W. L. Gore & Associates is proud to announce that it reached a first key milestone on its journey towards the goal of eliminating PFCs of Environmental Concern (PFCEC) from the life cycle of the large majority of its consumer fabrics portfolio by 2020. This ambitious goal was announced in February 2017 (http://www.gore-tex.com/pfcgoal ).

At its booth at the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen (A1, 302), Gore Fabrics presents a range of GORE-TEX 2-Layer jackets that utilize - for the first time - a DWR treatment (Durable Water Repellent) free of PFCEC while keeping Gore´s GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY™ brand promise. The jackets are manufactured by customers such as Berghaus, Haglöfs and Marmot, amongst others.

In addition, the outdoor jackets shown at the booth reflect a second big step forward in Gore Fabrics´ efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its products: They all are manufactured with Gore laminates utilizing face-textiles made from recycled materials - another key initiative within Gore Fabrics´ strategy.

Using recycled materials helps reduce the amount of plastic waste that otherwise would end up in landfills or incineration. Gore's recycled nylon is currently sourced from pre-consumer waste while its recycled polyester stems from used PET bottles.

Bernhard Kiehl, Gore Fabrics´ Sustainability Leader: "The GORE-TEX jackets shown at our booth have a PFCEC free DWR treatment and face-textiles made from recycled materials. They represent our strong intent to offer environmentally improved products. The positive feedback we have received from customers and consumers on our innovations motivates us to work even harder on developing further advanced material solutions. We continue our efforts to deliver fit-for-use products that provide the best possible combination of high performance, durability and a low environmental footprint."

While Gore Fabrics´ current product collection for the Autumn/Winter season 2018 offers more than a dozen GORE-TEX laminates that are manufactured with face-textiles made from recycled materials, this number is expected to almost triple by A/W 2019.

Also ready to be rolled-out by customers for the A/W season 2019 is another innovation: solution-dyed face-textiles. Solution dyeing is a yarn-dyeing technology that - compared to conventional dyeing processes - saves up to 60% in water usage and significantly reduces CO2 emissions. During the solution-dyeing process, dyestuffs are mixed with the nylon or polyester pellets prior to spinning into yarn. The resulting yarn is permanently, deeply colored and ready to be woven into fabrics.

Gore Fabrics has also developed a new textile backer that combines the advantages of solution dyeing and recycled content resulting in an offering of an additional range of 18 laminates with solution dyed content to GORE -TEX brand partners from 2019 onwards.

Thomas Kiebler, Gore Fabrics' Application Engineer Leader, explains: "We seek to expand our share of solution-dyed textiles due to two compelling advantages: solution-dyeing helps reduce our environmental footprint and offers a performance benefit of superior color-fastness to light - which will allow consumers to enjoy the brilliance of colors for longer than usual. And, as we know from our Life Cycle Assessment studies, using durable outerwear for a long time is the best thing you can do to reduce its impact on the environment."

- Cross reference: Picture is available via epa european pressphoto agency (http://www.epa.eu) -

About Gore´s Fabrics Division 

Gore's Fabrics Division revolutionized the outerwear industry with waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX fabric 40 years ago and remains a leading innovator of performance apparel. Gore fabrics products provide comfort and protection in challenging environments and in everyday life, enabling wearers to safely and confidently achieve and experience more. From hiking in downpours to military operations and fighting fires, Gore's deep understanding of consumer and industry needs drives development of products with meaningful performance advantages. http://www.goretex.com

About Gore 

W. L. Gore & Associates is a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Founded in 1958, Gore has built a reputation for solving complex technical challenges in the most demanding environments - from revolutionizing the outerwear industry with GORE-TEX fabric to creating medical devices that improve and save lives to enabling new levels of performance in the aerospace, pharmaceutical and mobile electronics markets, among other industries. The company is also known for its strong, team-oriented culture and continued recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute. Headquartered in Newark, Del., Gore employs approximately 9,500 Associates and generates annual revenues that exceed $3 billion.

http://www.gore.com
Media Contact
Dr. Anja Herberg
W. L. Gore & Associates GmbH
Herman-Oberth-Strasse 24
85639 Putzbrunn, Germany
Phone: +49-89-4612-2774
Mobile: +49-172-135-9374
Email: aherberg@wlgore.com