To address the growing consumer and legislative demand for lower carbon footprint and more sustainable feedstock, the sports and apparel value chain is integrating more bio-based materials into designs. In line with these demands, DSM Engineering Materials is taking the next step on its sustainability journey, enabling its customers to make more sustainable choices.
Just this February at the virtual ISPO Munich fair, DSM and membrane manufacturer Sympatex Technologies introduced bio-based mass-balanced Arnitel®, a thermoplastic elastomer, which is manufactured with bio-based feedstock using a mass-balance approach—the end product contains more than 25% bio-based content by weight.
DSM and Sympatex have a long-lasting partnership in which we work together to reduce carbon footprint and use more sustainable feedstock sources for the Sympatex grade. This dedicated grade will now be replaced by the Arnitel B-MB version.
With this brand new range of mass-balanced bio-based Arnitel®, we are enabling Sympatex Technologies to make more sustainable choices for their new range of waterproof, windproof and breathable membranes for their outdoor sports apparel. Without having to requalify materials as the functionality and performance is exactly the same as the 100% fossil based grade, Sympatex is lowering their carbon footprint by using a more sustainable material.
The first Sympatex customer to use Arnitel B-MB is Mammut, and its outdoor clothing collection Sympatex (B-MB) will be available September 2021.
What is the mass balance approach?
Mass balance accounting is a well-known approach that has been designed to trace the flow of materials through a complex value chain. The mass balance approach provides a set of rules for how to allocate the bio-based and/or recycled content to different products to be able to claim and market the content as ‘bio’-based or ‘recycled’-based. Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (Mass Balance White Paper).
Global Business Manager Arnitel®
Product Manager for Arnitel EMEA
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Global Business Manager Arnitel®
Chris Urlings is Global Business Manager of Arnitel® at DSM Engineering Materials. Chris holds Master Degrees in International Economics and in Finance & Controlling, obtained at universities in the Netherlands. Chris has more than 10 years of experience in financial and commercial roles in materials sciences. He has been with DSM since 2008 and has worked at locations in Switzerland, the United States and the Netherlands.
Product Manager for Arnitel EMEA
Armand Duijsens is Product Manager for Arnitel EMEA. Armand holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Plastics Technology. He has more than 30 years of experience in R&D, process engineering, technical service, application development and market development. Armand has been with DSM Engineering Materials since November 2008.
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