Valley Forge creates eco-friendly fabrics program

Collection debuted at HD Expo

Susan M. Andrews -- Casual Living, 5/29/2007 6:52:00 AM

Fabric supplier Valley Forge Fabrics has developed a comprehensive program called FRESH, which stands for Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards for Hospitality, designed to create a benchmark for upscale design in environmentally friendly fabrics.
       In addition to being made with synthetic yarns derived from post-industrial and post-consumer recycled products, FRESH fabrics are recyclable when their useful days are over. In fact, Valley Forge is offering its customers a pick-up and delivery service that will take the fabrics to a recycling facility at the end of their lifecycle as an alternative to traditional disposal in landfills.
       Another added value is based in the more stringent requirements in contract fabrics. They must pass high abrasion standards, strict fire codes and lightfastness – not to mention the delivery requirements driven by large financial investments.
       “Residential fabrics don’t share this litany of requirements,” said Ken Koneck, a member of the FRESH initiative team. “That’s what makes FRESH fabrics so special and unique – they meet all these requirements and they are beautiful and they are well-priced and most of all – they are moving us toward leaving no footprint on our planet.”
       Diana Dobin, vice president of design and sales, said the fabrics “are all high-end designs in colors that make it easy … to incorporate a green alternative. Users can have a positive impact on our quality of life without any adverse impact to their bottom line.”
       The FRESH collection debuted at the Hospitality Design Expo & Conference last month in Las Vegas and a second launch is currently being created by such designers as Celerie Kemble, well known in residential furnishings for her products at Laneventure and the faux leathers she designed for Valtekz, a division of Valley Forge.