Hospitality textile maker Bokser has launched a new bedding collection that aims to benefit the environment by reducing carbon emissions and microplastic fiber pollution.
The new Vermillion sheeting collection is made with 52 percent polyester infused with CiClo technology and 48 percent modal. CiClo works to reduce microplastic pollution by attracting microbes to synthetic microfibers that have been shed into the environment, allowing those microbes to digest the microfiber molecules as they do biodegradable materials.
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“Our partnership with Bokser brings CiClo technology’s innovation to scale,” said Cheryl Smyre, vice president of Parkdale Advanced Materials, which co-owns CiClo maker Intrinsic Advanced Materials. “Integrating best-in-class responsible manufacturing with CiClo technology accelerates the environmental impact achievable, allowing hotels to now make a more meaningful difference at scale.”
CiClo has grown significantly in recent years, counting more than 55 global brand partners and more than 120 million pounds of fibers sold into the global supply chain as of this past July. And in September, the company announced an expansion of its global infrastructure with new manufacturing partners in Colombia, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Turkey.
The Vermillion collection is finished in certified carbon neutral facilities, verified by Climate Impact Partners. For roughly every million sheets produced, the facilities reduce an estimated 528 tons of carbon emissions. And the facilities also work to reduce water waste through a zero-liquid discharge system that prevents industrial wastewater from entering the environment, saving nearly 1.9 million gallons per year.
Bokser created the Vermillion collection to address the need for eco-friendly textiles in hospitality settings. With the high volume of use and washing of sheets in hotel and resort settings, the contribution of microplastics from hospitality establishments can be significant—ranging from 500 to 367,000 microfibers per liter of wastewater, according to the Ocean Diagnostics and Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Bokser CEO Ed Guzek said the Vermillion collection offers hotels a better option that will allow them to mitigate that environmental impact.
“This launch is a blueprint for the hospitality industry,” he said. “With CiClo technology and our certified carbon-neutral facilities, our customers with carbon and plastic reduction goals now have sheeting options that help achieve both.”
Bokser said it plans to introduce additional seating collections finished in their carbon-neutral facilities.
