Crop Traditionally Grown in the U.S. to
Produce Grain Will Supply Fiber as the Foundation for the First
Sustainable Complement to Cotton
PORTLAND, OR, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ - With cotton prices
skyrocketing and demand for the fiber exceeding current supplies,
textile and garment manufacturers are rushing to find ways to cut
costs by reducing their dependence on "the fabric of our lives" —
including blending synthetics into the mix.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc., (OTCBB: NADVF, TSXV:
NAT), the developers of the proprietary CRAiLAR® process, announced
today it has a potential solution: a new, natural fiber derived
from flax that can be blended with cotton to decrease production
costs without the use of synthetics.
"Everyone in these industries is aware of the negative impact
high cotton prices is having, and will most likely continue to
have, on their bottom line and on their consumers" said
Ken Barker, CEO of Naturally
Advanced Technologies. "There's a problem, and people are
speculating about how to solve it. A logical response is to blend
cotton with other fibers to bring costs down. CRAiLAR flax is a
cost-effective choice that won't force consumers to sacrifice
cotton's desirable qualities."
Like cotton, CRAiLAR flax is soft, breathable and comfortable to
wear and is well-suited for knit garments like T-shirts, sweaters,
hosiery, denim jeans and work wear. Flax is a sustainable,
Earth-friendly crop that requires no irrigation and little or no
chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It's also cost-effective and
commercially viable, costing less per pound to produce than
cotton.
The all-natural, 100%-organic CRAiLAR process — the first to
successfully remove the binding agents from flax that contribute to
its stiff texture — bathes flax fibers in a proprietary enzyme wash
that transforms them into soft, yet strong and durable textile
fibers that can be used in both fashion and industrial
applications. Fibers made through the CRAiLAR process are plush and
have most desirable virtues of cotton, combined with the strength,
moisture-wicking properties and shrink-resistance of sturdy bast
fibers like flax. NAT's recent trials have proven that CRAiLAR flax
can be spun on existing machinery to produce a yarn that can be
used alone or blended with cotton and other fibers.
"Flax grown in the U.S. and Canada is currently limited to producing grain
for human consumption and for use in industrial oils, livestock
feed and personal-care products," Barker said. "We predict that
these crops will soon be overshadowed by a new fiber-producing flax
crop poised to revolutionize the garment and textile industries.
Naturally Advanced Technologies is behind that strategic
shift."
NAT has secured a 40,000-square-foot facility in Kingstree, S.C. to use for an initial,
scale-up facility in which to produce CRAiLAR flax. The property is
housed near 300 acres of flax crops, enabling the company to
oversee the entire process, from cultivation to the finished
product. Flax is a winter crop in South
Carolina that rotates well with cotton, soybeans and
tobacco, allowing farmers there to double-crop their land and
increase their revenues exponentially.
NAT has already successfully transformed hemp fibers into yarns
and fabrics with the sought-after qualities of cotton using the
CRAiLAR process. The company's new strategic shift to use flax
fibers is expected to change the face of the garment and textile
industries as they find ways to cope with this challenging
phase.
"The benefits of cultivating flax for fiber are enormous in
terms of sustainability, revenue-earning opportunities,
cost-effectiveness and the high quality of the end-result," Barker
said. "CRAiLAR flax is the perfect complement to cotton. We see it
as the potential solution to this global crisis — one that will
allow these industries to reduce costs without compromising the
quality of their products."
For more information on the patented CRAiLAR process and
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc., visit
www.naturallyadvanced.com.
About Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc. is committed to unlocking
the potential of renewable and environmentally sustainable biomass
resources from hemp and other bast fibers. The Company, through its
wholly owned subsidiary, CRAiLAR® Fiber Technologies
Inc., is developing proprietary technologies for production of bast
fibers, cellulose pulp, and their resulting by-products, in
collaboration with Canada's
National Research Council and the
Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures (formerly the Alberta Research Council). CRAiLAR®
technology offers cost-effective and environmentally sustainable
processing and production of natural, bast fibers such as hemp and
flax, resulting in increased performance characteristics for use in
textile, industrial, energy, medical and composite material
applications. The Company was founded in 1998 as a provider of
environmentally friendly, socially responsible clothing and adheres
to a "triple bottom line" philosophy, respecting the human rights
of employees, the environmental impact of the Company's operations
and fiscal responsibility to its shareholders. See
www.naturallyadvanced.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the
TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements". All statements in this news release,
other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements or information are
subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause
actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the
forward-looking statements or information and including, without
limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to: any market
interruptions that may delay the trading of the Company's shares,
technological and operational challenges, needs for additional
capital, changes in consumer preferences, market acceptance and
technological changes, dependence on manufacturing and material
supplies providers, international operations, competition,
regulatory restrictions and the loss of key employees. In addition,
the Company's business and operations are subject to the risks set
forth in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and other
SEC filings which are available through EDGAR at www.sec.gov. These
are among the primary risks we foresee at the present time. The
Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking
statements.
SOURCE Naturally Advanced Technologies Inc.
Copyright . 18 PR Newswire