Fashion is fast, but might soon run out of oil

Petroleum - like natural gas – is a very important raw material for fuels and for the petrochemical industry. Almost all consumer goods require crude oil as part of the manufacturing process. However, petroleum forms over millions of years and is a finite resource. “It is very urgent for all players in the textile supply chain to start thinking of alternative, renewable raw materials” says Alberto De Conti Head of Marketing and Fashion Division at RUDOLF GROUP. He continues: “From this perspective, chemical companies that are often perceived as a problem, are in fact a big part of a possible solution”.

RUDOLF HUB1922 unveils the OFFUEL product series, a progressive array of chemical auxiliaries for denim finishing consisting, by at least 90%, of alternatives to crude oil and/or components based on recycled materials.

The RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL range is made of 11 finishing auxiliaries. All the 11 chemical agents are either existing, selected solutions, or brand new RUDOLF’s technologies.

Available, renewable raw materials are the common denominator throughout the RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL range and those renewable sources do not compete with human and/or animal nutrition, nor they compete with the production of any fuel. The renewable raw materials being used can be grouped into 5 different families:

1. Substances of botanical origin;

2. Substances of biological origin, or produced through biotechnologies;

3. Salts, water, basic acids and alkalis;

4. Substances recycled from waste of biological origin;

5. Substances recycled from plastics – either post-consumer, or industrial waste.

RUCOGEN® UPCYCLE RNB is the crown jewel within group #5. It’s a dispersing agent, specific for denim washing, based on chemically recycled, PET plastic waste. It’s about the upcycling of post-consumer, disposable PET plastic bottles into valuable textile chemistry.

The RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL range is a complete toolbox of chemical auxiliaries for wet denim processing. The range is first to market and it is: 

• An instrument for wide creativity: a large array of looks is possible (from dark to light)

• Reassuring: all products were cleared by bluesign® -which makes them also ZDHC Gateway Level 3 - and all are compliant with the Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®.

• Progressive as the chemistry comes from renewable alternatives to crude oil

“Our vision is for RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL to be verified by us during garment manufacturing” states De Conti. In fact, RUDOLF extends to the RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL range the very same verification process they successfully apply for the assessment of performance chemicals and which is based on volumes being treated, recipes being applied and amounts of our auxiliaries being purchased. “Through the verification certificate that we release, manufacturers can be recognized for their efforts and brand and retailers can be reassured that their garments are finished only with RUDOLF HUB1922 OFFUEL products”.