SCS Global Services (SCS), a leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, has certified the high level recycled content claim of Lutradur products manufactured by the Freudenberg Spunweb Company, LP. Three specific styles of polyester spunlaid products made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and marketed under the Lutradur brand were certified. Lutradur polyester spunlaids have many industrial applications, including construction substrates, landscaping materials, residential and commercial wallpaper, carpet backings, automotive floor mats and carpeting nd specialized filtration devices.

The SCS certification confirms the following high levels of recycled PET:

• Lutradur® Type 94: Minimum 82% pre-consumer
• Lutradur® Type 62 and 63: Minimum of 89% recycled (with at least 9% Post-Consumer Recycled Content and the Balance 80% Pre-Consumer)

“The independent audit by SCS confirms our commitment to the environment by diverting PET from the waste stream, incorporating this recycled material into our products, and making accurate claims to our customers,” says John McNabb, general manager of Freudenberg Spunweb Company, LP. “The certified claims will inform our downstream manufacturers and help them achieve greater benefits in the marketplace by selecting our products over other materials with lower recycled content.”

Lutradur products are produced in Freudenberg’s Durham, NC plant using proprietary manufacturing technology to make rolls of nonwoven polyester fabric by mechanically or thermally bonding recycled PET without the use of chemical bonding agents. Recycled PET feedstock is derived from yarn manufacturing waste, trimmings from other Freudenberg products and plastic bottles collected via curbside and deposit programs.

“Freudenberg Spunweb Company is diverting a substantial amount of PET waste to produce a high recycled content polyester which will help downstream manufacturers meet their overall sustainability goals,” says Alicia Godlove, Materials Manager for SCS Global Services. “The use of recycled PET has many environmental benefits including conserving natural resources, reducing energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and keeping plastics out of the landfill.”

To conduct the certification, SCS auditors reviewed the manufacturing process and data from the Durham plant, examined records of raw material inputs, and calculated recycled content. Over 4500 tons of PET was diverted from the waste stream in 2013 for production of the certified Lutradur® products.