Carnegie Fabrics has launched one of the first and only plant-based, commercial-grade outdoor performance textiles, Outdoor Biobased Xorel.
The company says this line is the only indoor/outdoor textile to achieve Cradle to Cradle Gold and Living Product Challenge certifications.
While textiles can be labeled as “bio-based” for containing 25% of non-fossil-fuel-derived material, Outdoor Biobased Xorel yarn contains 85% bio-based PE content.
Sourced from rapidly renewable sugarcane, the yarn has a significantly lower environmental footprint than any fossil-fuel-derived product. For each ton of sugarcane used to produce Biobased Xorel, 2.5 tons of carbon is captured and sequestered, making it a carbon-positive product.
The fabric is breathable, non-absorbent, fast-drying and weather-proof, according to the company, with no added finishes, coatings or chemistry required to perform. It is inherently wear- and stain-resistant, colorfast and antibacterial, and it can be wiped, hosed, scrubbed and aggressively cleaned.
“To ensure the utmost quality and striking beauty that our clients have come to expect from the Xorel brand, Outdoor Biobased Xorel has undergone thousands of hours of laboratory and field testing,” says Carnegie’s Chief Creative Officer Heather Bush. “We’re delighted with the result.”
The new Outdoor Biobased Xorel already has garnered several industry awards, including the 2022 Architectural Record Product of the Year, textiles and upholstery category; Best of NeoCon 2022, Sustainability and Silver Award winner in outdoor fabrics category; and 2022 Interior Design HiP Award honoree in outdoor products category.
“Carnegie Fabrics was founded upon the promise that it would be forever PVC-free,” says Carnegie Fabrics CEO Gordon Boggis. “Outdoor Biobased Xorel not only meets this commitment but is also free of other harmful materials such as plasticizers, heavy metals and toxic dyes.”
