MOUNT HOLLY, NC (June 1, 2017) – American & Efird (A&E), one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread, and technical textiles, announced today it is releasing its 2016-2017 Corporate Sustainability Report. This year’s report reflects the three concepts that drive A&E’s industry-leading sustainability program: Transparency, Traceability and Trust, while highlighting A&E’s accomplishments in the areas of safety, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
A&E’s continued improvements, specifically in global water reduction and Zero-Waste-to-Landfill efforts, serve as an example of leadership and good stewardship throughout the textile industry.
“A core part of our business strategy is to operate all of our global facilities in a sustainable manner,” said Les Miller, CEO, A&E. “It is not only a good business practice to do so, but it is the right thing to do for all of our stakeholders.”
A&E continues to abide by its pledge to create a better world through responsible corporate actions, environmentally protective efforts, and numerous contributions to the communities in which it operates.
Since 2011, A&E has invested over $10 Million USD into state-of-the-art wastewater recycling systems across the world, and these investments have paid off through significant reductions in water use. A&E continues to focus on energy conservation and has increased its use of biofuels and clean fuels, resulting in reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, A&E has grown its number of global operations and support facilities to 16 in achieving Zero-Waste-to-Landfill status.
A&E regularly evaluates all of the global yarn spinning, dyeing and finishing facilities in which the company has ownership to provide the information contained in its annual sustainability report. Categories measured in this report include: Water Stewardship, Solid Waste, Carbon Footprint and Energy Conservation, Product Stewardship, Social Responsibility, Employee Health and Safety, Sustainable Products, and Areas of Improvement.
This year’s notable Sustainability Highlights include:
Water Conservation
- Over 1.1 billion liters of wastewater has been recycled and reused since 2013
- Nearly 1 million liters of wastewater are recycled and reused each day of operation
- 41% reduction in global water consumption (liters per kg of thread) since 2006
Solid Waste
- Zero-Waste-to-Landfill status has grown to 16 global manufacturing operations and support facilities in 2017, with 5 other operations over the 91 percentile mark. A&E’s global goal is to achieve this sustainability designation in every manufacturing operation worldwide.
Carbon Footprint and Energy Conservation*
- 6% reduction of global carbon footprint (CO2e in kg per kg of thread) since 2006
- 44% of the fuels used to create steam at A&E dyeing operations were renewable and carbon neutral in 2016
- 10% reduction in global power consumption (kwh per kg of thread) since 2006
In 2016, A&E developed and implemented its Product RSL Environmental Profile (PREP) form in order to collect Restricted Substance List and environmental data on all dyes and chemicals used by our operations. A&E is on track to comply with the chemical restrictions contained in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Compounds (ZDHC) program by the end of 2018.
View/Download the 2016-2017 Corporate Sustainability Report FY 16/17 
Media: Materials and Images are Available via Download
For more information, please contact Jacob Blackburn at jacob.blackburn@amefird.com or (704) 951-2645.
ABOUT AMERICAN & EFIRD
A&E is the largest U.S. manufacturer and the world’s second-largest manufacturer and distributor of premium quality industrial and consumer sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles. Producers of apparel, automotive components, home furnishings, medical supplies, footwear and a diverse range of industrial products rely on A&E industrial sewing thread to manufacture their products. Customers select A&E as the preferred choice for industrial sewing thread, embroidery thread and technical textiles because of A&E’s dedication to providing its customers with the finest products and services, at the highest quality, delivered globally. Through its global network, A&E’s products are manufactured in 23 countries, distributed in 50 countries and sold in over 100 countries. In addition to A&E’s steadfast commitment to superior quality and customer service, A&E is a recognized industry leader in environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility, and operates its global facilities with the utmost regard for the safety and health of its associates employed worldwide. A&E owns or operates 27 manufacturing facilities and employs over 10,000 associates around the world directly or in partnership with joint venture partners.
For more information, please visit www.amefird.com.
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*A&E uses the definitions and calculation methodologies found in Greenhouse Gas Protocol to determine our GHG emissions as developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. A&E tracks Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions.
