Carrington, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of workwear fabrics, has been awarded bluesign accreditation. The company’s Tomboy fabric will be the first bluesign approved product to leave its Lancashire factory. The accolade is awarded to organisations that can prove their compliance to the bluesign criteria, their commitment to continuously improving environmental performance and building a sustainable future. Carrington is one of only two workwear fabric manufacturers in Europe to achieve this status.

Originating from Switzerland, the bluesign system is designed to unite the textile supply chain to reduce its impact on people and the environment as well as increase resource productivity. In achieving accreditation, Carrington has been recognised as using bluesign approved chemical products and raw materials in every step of its manufacturing process in a responsible way. The company is also able to guarantee that substances posing risks to people and the environment have been eliminated.

Companies bearing the bluesign label can also demonstrate that their fabrics have the highest level of consumer safety in mind. Carrington will be subject to continuous on-site inspections and all new fabrics must under-go the same rigorous certification procedures.

“The bluesign process has taken more than a year to complete, with all aspects of our production being put through a thorough audit process, across all fabrics”, explains Chris Schoonjans, Export Sales Director at Carrington. “Carrington already has a reputation for innovation and for producing fabrics and finishes with extremely high performance in some of the most demanding workplace environments. Gaining bluesign accreditation proves that we are producing workwear fabrics that don’t just benefit the people wearing them, but the environment and work place safety as well.”

Based in Lancashire, where the British textiles industry was born, Carrington has over 125 years’ experience of textile processing and finishing, and makes a significant contribution to workwear fabric exports worldwide. The company is the largest producer of workwear fabrics in the UK, exporting to more than 75 countries, with over 60% of its products going to new markets. Carrington produces over 35 m metres of fabric annually and millions of people, from nurses to the military, go about their tasks in workwear made from its fabrics.