The People's Republic of China is still the largest manufacturer of textiles in the world. This notwithstanding, an awareness of environmental protection, health and better working conditions is currently emerging in China.
The demands placed on the textiles are also rising – not least due to the strong growth in domestic demand for high-quality textiles.
Chinese yarn manufacturer Zhejiang Huafu Melange Yarn Co., Ltd. identified this trend early on and has for many years been focusing on the highest production quality with sustainable production conditions.
In 2010, the company was the first spinning mill and dyeworks in China to be certified as an environmentally friendly and socially acceptable production facility in line with the requirements of the OEKO-TEX Standard 1000, and since then has also been permitted to attach the OEKO-TEX Standard 100plus label to its products.
Following its foundation in 1993, the company rapidly developed into a world-leading manufacturer of high-quality yarns. Located in the industrial development zone of the city of Shangyu in Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Huafu focuses primarily on the manufacture and further development of melange yarns, as well as the production of raw and dyed yarns. Melange yarn is created by combining yarns of different colours in the spinning process.
A melange pattern can also be created by combining two or more different textile raw materials with different dye affinities. The comprehensive yarn range includes yarns of several qualities such as pure cotton and a wide variety of different quality and colour combinations. The company's number one speciality is the regular launch of new colour creations. As a result, customers around the world now have an extensive range of more than 5,000 products.
With state-of-the-art equipment in five production facilities located only in China, and an annual output of more than 132,000 tons, the company is a world-leader in yarn production. Its customers include renowned clothing manufacturers and brands such as H&M, Zara, Nike, Semir, Adidas, Polo, GAP, and Uniqlo.
Zhejiang Huafu Melange Yarn Co., Ltd.'s yarn range meets the highest requirements not only where product quality is concerned, but also in terms of production ecology. For this, all the processes in spinning and dyeing are constantly subject to an efficient quality and environment management system in accordance with the specifications of international standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
The company has been communicating the human ecology optimisation of practically all of its yarns in accordance with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 to the public since 2008. In 2009, the company was also certified in accordance with OEKO-TEX Standard 1000, which certifies environmentally friendly and socially responsible production conditions.
Since 2010, the OEKO-TEX Standard 100plus product label has enabled the company to advertise both quality criteria to its customers with just one certification mark.
As a result of the in-house development of innovative processes in the spinning mill and dyeworks aimed at reducing water consumption, Zhejiang Huafu has been able to make savings of more than 50% for this precious resource, compared to conventional methods.
To improve documentation of its measures relating to sustainability, the company is currently planning to analyse the carbon footprints of its products. The carbon footprint mainly provides information on the volume of greenhouse gas emissions along the entire life cycle of a product and thus its effect on the global climate.
As part of location positioning, Zhejiang Huafu is currently occupied with the requirements of OEKO-TEX Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) certification.
For the STeP certification, all parts of the company which are relevant for environmentally friendly production processes and social working conditions are being analysed by means of web-based assessment. The persons responsible for OEKO-TEX certification at the company are sure that the implementation will not be difficult thanks to the basis of the preparations for OEKO-TEX Standard 1000.
