Jonas Rylander, CEO
Sporda Nonwoven closes the circle with Airlay technology
Press release | Sporda, Sweden | 06-10-2021
Klimatklivet is a governmental grant program that’s intended for measures that reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Grants are awarded by Naturvårdsverket, in collaboration with Länsstyrelserna (the County Administrative Boards).
Sporda Nonwoven closes the circle with Airlay technology
With its application to Klimatklivet Klimatklivet (Climate Leap) , Sporda Nonwoven has been awarded a grant for an investment in Airlay technology.
Jonas Rylander, partner and CEO of Sporda Nonwoven explains:
”This is the first Airlay process of its kind in Sweden, and it’s a technological advancement that has been very much sought after in the sustainability discussions going on right now in our sector. Thanks to Naturvårdsverket and its Klimatklivet initiative, we have been able to make this investment. This is exactly the kind of financial support that’s needed in order for industry to make the green transformation through investment.”
What is Airlay technology?
Put simply, Airlay technology uses air to form webs from the fibres in fabrics, rather than traditional mechanical processing. The new technique means that the size of the fibres no longer matters and that thicker, recycled fabrics can also be used. All in all, this means that the level of use increases by 100%, and that the technology promotes maximum sustainability. The new production technology is extremely flexible, and opens up opportunities to use waste fabrics from the post-consumer flow.
It’s this production characteristic that appeals the most to Klimatklivet. Because the invested funds are supposed to give as much reduced emissions per invested krona as possible.
How important is the new investment in terms of sustainability?
The road to the small town of Sporda winds through farmland and forest. When you visit Sporda Nonwoven, you have beech woods, meadows and lakes on the doorstep.
Jonas Rylander explains:
”Today, 80% of our production is of recycled fibres or natural fibres, and we recycle 10 tonnes of fibre every month. But this is nothing new for us. When we started in 1939, we manufactured cotton stuffing for bed production, and mattress covers. The fabric was created using recycled fibre even then.
Out of interest, I can tell you that many of the customers that have been buying natural materials from us for their bed manufacturing for decades, still do! It feels amazing to be able to offer them this type of modernisation.
With that said, new connections have shown us that there is a huge need for recycling in manufacturing – recycling for which we can now offer practical solutions. The Airlay investment also means that we’re able to take another important step: we will be able to recycle unsorted fabrics from the post-consumer flow. Materials that are currently disposed of as combustible waste. So yes, the investment is really important in terms of sustainability.”
With Airlay technology, we can increase the utilization rate of recycled material
Sporda Nonwoven is one of Scandinavia’s leading manufacturers of textile materials and leads the development of sustainable nonwoven products. For more than 80 years, the company has been located in the tiny village of Sporda. An area
characterized by rich agricultural landscapes, hardwood and coniferous forests, lakes and Smålander obstinance. Countless stones have been ploughed up from the ground to build the numerous stone walls that surround our
pastures. All production takes place at the factory in Sporda. The products signify the core values sustainable, flexible and reliable.
