The Sustainable Journey
Paul Bennotti is the Director of Marketing for the Victor Group, a leading North American textile manufacturer in the commercial, residential and apparel industries. Prior to joining Victor, Paul was the marketing and business development manager for G3 Technology Innovations, a nanotechnology company and manufacturer of GreenShield®, a water and stain repellant finish for textiles that greatly reduces the use of fluorocarbons that are persistent in the environment and harmful to human health. For fourteen years, Paul worked for Interface Fabrics as the Director of Strategic Marketing. Paul is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and an Associates Degree in Textile Technology.
Different Shades of Green
The growing awareness of environmental and sustainability concerns has prompted a surge in companies making green statements, increasing questions of transparency and greenwashing. On a recent Amtrak ride, I noticed the message on my plastic cup that said – Made 100% From Plants. When opening my 2010 Day Planner, there is a sustainability statement with three bullet points: Environmental Stewards... Read More
Comments (0)Environment Concern is Ageless
Common knowledge says that it’s the young people today who care the most about the environment. I hear this from many people who I speak with when I mention my involvement in the “greening” of the interiors industry. This may be true, but my research has resulted in a broader explanation. One of the primary drivers of knowledge over the past 15 years has been the Internet. The information now ava... Read More
Comments (0)Closing the Loop
Definition: Production system in which the waste or byproduct of one process or product is used in making another product. The textile industry (fabrics) has been talking about closing the loop for many years and in fact the technology exists to take back fabric, break it down and repolymerize into new fibers. Sounds easy – but the technology is not the problem. The problem is more related to th... Read More
Comments (0)Keeping Up with Change
For many years the terminology used for referencing recycled content was post-consumer and post-industrial. Recently a change has been made and many people are still unaware of the new terminology. There are many environmental standards being worked on within the interiors industry and SCS (Scientific Certification Systems) a third party certification organization, issued their Recycled Content S... Read More
Comments (5)A New Normal
As I write my first blog on sustainability for Casual Living, it’s important to be clear on the purpose and scope and what you the “reader” can expect over the coming months. I was first introduced to sustainability in the textile industry – primarily commercial interiors beginning in the mid 90’s. At that time, recycled polyester was big news and anyone talking about sustainability was categorize... Read More
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