Romatex is a leading manufacturer and supplier of sustainable textiles in South Africa, including stitch-bonded non-woven material. Environmental preservation is a vital component of modern business and daily living, so sustainability is important in a number of ways – both to consumers and business partners.
Stitchbond is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) plastic, which is most commonly used in plastic beverage bottles. There are numerous end-uses for this textile, such as reusable shopping bags, waterproof membranes, vertical window blinds, footwear and eco-blocks for construction.
If sustainability is important to you or your company, then consider Romatex as a reliable supplier of eco-friendly textiles in South Africa. We have the capacity to manufacture two million square metres of stitchbond every month, which is enough to remove around 54 million plastic bottles from landfills across the country.
How do we make sustainable textiles?
Stitch-bonding is a manufacturing process where the rPET fibres of the fabric are bonded together by stitching them with a continuous filament. This creates a series of loops that hold the fibres together tightly. These fibres start out as plastic bottles, which are collected from landfills and the waste stream.
The plastic bottles are sold to recycling facilities. They are washed, dried and separated by colour before being pelletised. The colour of the final textile is determined by the rPET used – for example, green material comes from lemonade bottles, beige material comes from ginger beer bottles and white material comes from clear plastic bottles.
For stitchbond material, these plastic pellets are then extruded into the thin fibres to create the bulk of the textile. These fibres are stitched together with a polyester filament by high-tech equipment used by Romatex.
Why textiles are important for South Africa
Did you know that the South African textile industry currently accounts for 14% of employment in the overall manufacturing sector? An estimated 80 000 people work in this sector. What’s more, textiles are the 11th most exported products from the country, accounting for 8% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The fabrics industry makes use of both high-tech, modern manufacturing methods as well as traditional production processes that have been passed down through the generations. Since 1994, more than R18-billion has been invested in the textile industry, which has helped many companies, including Romatex, to upgrade, modernise and grow their facilities and output.
The South African textiles industry is still competitive on a global scale. Government-funded programmes and investments from the private sector have allowed the industry to retain its competitiveness and high standards for quality. As a labour-intensive industry, textiles have been identified as a priority sector for local industrial policies and programmes.
Romatex manufactures other textiles
Although stitchbond is a major product of ours, we also manufacture other products. These include linens, pillow cases, duvet covers and mattress protectors. These products are sold to hospitality establishments, medical facilities and individuals for their homes.
Our aim is to produce world-class textiles for South African companies and citizens that meet their sustainability requirements and quality standards. This is what makes Romatex a leading manufacturer and supplier of fabrics in South Africa. For more information about our various products and textiles, please contact us today.
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Romatex has been a leading manufacturer and supplier of stitch-bonded non-woven materials and homeware for over 50 years. Romatex is a Level 2 B-BBEE company that is owned by Deneb Investments Limited, a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI), which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
Our head office is based in Cape Town but we have branches in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State. For more information about our products, please contact info@romatex.co.za. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for our latest news and industry insights.
