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From Home Furnishing Business
Milliken Earns ACT Facts Certification
August 14,
2019 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
Textile producer Milliken & Company’s Specialty Interiors business has earned the Association for Contract Textiles (ACT) Facts® certification. The Facts certification process analyzes eight core areas—fiber sourcing, safety of materials, water conservation and water quality, energy, recycling practices, air quality in manufacturing and social accountability—to determine whether a textile has met NSF/ANSI 336, a multi-attribute sustainability standard that evaluates products for environmental, economic and social attributes.
This certification gives purchasers and specifiers confidence in the sustainability of and responsible practices involved in the manufacture of textile products.
The NSF/ANSI 336 standard was created to address the environmental, economic and social aspects of commercial furnishings fabric used in commercial spaces to assist interior designers with sourcing. The standard considers criteria from a product’s lifecycle - from supply chain and raw materials to chemistry and finishing - to get a complete picture of the inputs, outputs and environmental impacts of a textile product’s lifespan, putting sustainability into a common language that is widely accepted and recognized.
In an era of increasing demand for environmentally friendly products and processes, the standard offers specifiers and the A&D community the ability to easily differentiate products and manufacturers that are truly sustainable to help meet their company’s goals.
More than 50 Milliken commercial grade fabric styles, including jacquards, dobbies and circular knits, have earned the certification to date. This initiative will be continued as new products are developed.
While Milliken is widely recognized for its environmentally-friendly sourcing and responsible production processes, this new certification brings an additional degree of clarity and transparency to the company’s existing and future contract market products.
“It’s important to Milliken to bring the highest levels of sustainability and focus on materiality and responsible manufacturing in each new market we serve,” said Ron Swindle, development manager, Milliken’s Specialty Interiors business. “As we continue to grow, we continue to invest heavily in the technology and processes needed to ensure and demonstrate our environmental stewardship. We believe in not only making beautiful, durable and high-quality products, but in making a difference.”