Charlotte, N.C. – The new SafeCover insect repelling blanket was launched at the Sustainable Brands ’10 Conference held this week in Monterey, California by Polymer Group, Inc. along with Duro Industries Inc., Cognis, Industries for the Blind, That’s Nice, SB Media and Green Magazine.
SafeCover helps to repel mosquitoes and other nuisance insects through the impregnation of an encapsulated synthetic chemical widely used as an insecticide and insect repellent into the fabric of PGI’s Chicopee Disaster Relief Blanket that has won INDA’s Vision Product of the Year award.
The 100 percent DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) free cover reduces the level of insect exposure to the wearer by as much as six times. The lightweight blanket protects people in sun, water and wind, making it ideal for use in tropical climates where malaria risk is high.
PGI partnered with specialty chemicals company Cognis, which developed the Skintex MRIII insect control technology that allows for the insecticide chemical to be contained within a micro-capsule and later released; and textiles finisher Duro to add the chemical and colors to the blankets. Duro will market the product globally.
Industries for the Blind, the largest employer of persons who are blind or visually impaired, is cutting, sewing and packaging the blankets and printing the brand logo, which was developed by That’s Nice along with collateral materials. SB Media sponsored the launch event and Green Magazine will broadcast the product on its shows.
“All the companies involved in this CSR project donated personnel, technical expertise, material, and time and service to bring this greatly needed product to the global market,” said John Heironimus, Chief Sustainability Officer of PGI. “This initiative very much supports PGI’s corporate sustainability goals of developing sustainable innovations and aiding the communities where we operate. We are proud to be part of this important effort.”
Polymer Group, Inc., one of the world’s leading producers of non-wovens, is a global, technology-driven developer, producer and marketer of engineered materials. With the broadest range of process technologies in the non-wovens industry, PGI is a global supplier to leading consumer and industrial product manufacturers. The company operates 15 manufacturing and converting facilities in nine countries throughout the world.
