The new fabric network streamlines access to sustainable Sorona® fabrics between brands and mills
One year after the debut of its Common Thread Fabric Certification Program, Sorona® introduced the Preferred Mill Network, a global catalogue of mills offering the full collection of sustainable Sorona® subbranded fabrics – Agile, Aura, Luxe, Profile, and Revive. The network of certified mills is available to any apparel brand in need of samples and sourcing of fabrics scientifically tested to meet the performance and sustainability standards set by the Sorona® team. Sign up for access to the portal by visiting Sorona.com/customer-portal.
“The impacts of sustainability efforts are best at scale,” says DuPont Global Brand & Communications Leader Alexa Raab. “Through the recent COP26 Climate Change Summit we’ve seen how much work there is to do in all corners of industry. We’re taking this step with the Preferred Mill Network and Common Thread Fabric Certification Program to further our commitment to transparency and ease of access to sustainable fabrics throughout the value chain.”
Since the debut of the Common Thread Fabric Certification Program, Sorona® has certified 350 fabric mills worldwide and shipped hangtags for more than 43.7 million garments. Among the certified fabrics, the most certified option is Sorona® Agile, the comfort stretch fabric used for spandex replacement in activewear and athleisure garments.
To qualify for certification, fabric mills must submit fabric swatches to the DuPont (or DuPont approved) lab for testing. Each sample is rigorously analyzed for a minimum content level of Sorona®, as well as for quality and performance characteristics.
Certified fabric types include:
Sorona® Agile – an alternative for any garment where spandex-free stretch is needed
Sorona® Aura – lightweight insulation fill with unparalleled softness, outstanding fill power, and a higher level of thermal insulation
Sorona® Luxe – natural fiber blends are enhanced with softness, dimensional stability, and reduced pilling
Sorona® Profile – a replacement for 100 percent nylon or PET fabrics that offers improved crease recovery and a rich, soft handfeel
Sorona® Revive – shape retention and dimensional stability without sagging and bagging
Made from 37 per cent plant-based materials, Sorona® is a high-performance fiber that offers unparalleled softness, stretch recovery, crease recovery, and resistance to UV and chlorine damage. From harvesting to production, the process for making Sorona uses 30-40% less energy and releases 56-63% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the production of nylon. Fabrics made from Sorona® polymer can also be dyed and heat-set at much lower temperatures compared to polyester furthering the energy efficiency down the value chain.
“Fundamentally, making Bio-PDO is the same as the fermentation process for making beer,” says DuPont Biomaterials Product & Global Application Development Principle Investigator Samit Chevli. “The use of Bio-PDO to make Sorona® PTT polymer gives the polymer some unique properties. At a molecular level the polymer has a zig zag orientation which gives fibers produced from Sorona® polymer a spring-like property. This provides much better resiliency (bounce) and stretch than other types of polyesters.”
Sorona® is a key ingredient in clothing from some of the world’s most popular and most sustainable brands. To learn more about the Preferred Mill Network and Common Thread Fabric Certification Program, visit Sorona.com/certification.