Driven by ethics, increasingly stringent regulations and demand by customers, marine fabricators continue to fine-tune their raw materials, products and practices to be gentler on the environment. Some industry trends include more biodegradable textiles, use of recycling catalysts to manage textile pollutants, better polyester recycling and chemical-free alternatives to flame-resistant textiles.

According to Harvard Business Review, research shows that sustainability is a key driver for customers in developing trust for a given brand. And that’s especially true of Gen Z and millennial customers, who are 27 percent more likely than older generations to make a purchase if they believe a brand cares about its impact on people and the planet.

This topic is increasingly of interest amongst marine textiles clientele—and as such, efforts toward sustainability are worth advertising.

“We get more questions on sustainability from our hospitality business and interior designers, but the buzzword is picking up in other markets,” notes Brooke Kahn, SVP-marketing of Keyston Bros. in Roswell, Ga. “We promote it on the products themselves.”

Charlie Withers, director of sales for shade and marine at Sunbrella in Burlington, N.C., says clients value Sunbrella’s engineering of durable, easy-to-clean, fade-resistant fabrics that last as long as possible, so they need replacement less frequently.

“Interest in sustainable solutions in the marine space is growing,” Withers adds. “While we’ve made progress as an industry, there’s continued opportunity to think about sustainability from sourcing to manufacturing to boatbuilding and maintenance. Sustainability is a collective effort.”

Given these trends, how does the marine fabrication industry incorporate greener practices?

Prioritizing preferred products

Creating or choosing the most environmentally friendly fabrics possible is a priority for some businesses. For example, Kahn points out that the company is careful to develop products free of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) that can’t easily break down within the environment or human body. To help achieve that standard, its fabrics are evaluated by MindClick, a research organization that uses a set of nine key metrics to objectively rate products and their lifecycles on environmental health performance.

Five years ago, Keyston began a partnership with a domestic weaving mill in producing SEAQUAL yarns out of plastic marine pollution byproducts. The Spain-based Seaqual Initiative gathers the litter from across the world and extrudes it into usable filaments that can then become yarn.

“It’s ultimately woven into beautiful fabrics,” Kahn explains. “When we first explored designs and end-use fabrics woven with SEAQUAL yarns, I thought the costs would be too much of a premium for our markets, or the aesthetic/hand wouldn’t be comfortable or useable. But I was wrong.”

To date, Keyston offers five durable SEAQUAL fabrics it refers to as Hi-Line, Outline, Plush and Boulevard (all chenilles) and Scroll (a textured cloth). They’re described as durable, fade-resistant and cleanable, and all but Hi-Line can be used outdoors.

Mark Peterson, upholstery manager/product designer at SugarHouse Industries in Midvale, Utah, notes that SugarHouse has switched to powder-coated finishes for the metal awning frames it manufactures in-house. That method is considered more eco-friendly than traditional paint as it omits solvents, releases few—if any—volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and allows for collection and re-use of extra coating. Many of SugarHouse’s fabric suppliers have also been proactive by meeting environmental standards (such as omitting chemicals such as PFAS) before being legally required to do so.

Sunbrella began investing in non-PFAS solutions in 2015 and by 2023 had converted all its marine fabrics to non-PFAS formulations. Withers says that the company was one of the first marine fabric manufacturers to take that step.

“[It] required investment and innovation,” Withers says. “The shift took nearly a decade of research, but we saw the need for our marine fabrics to continue to provide best-in-class performance while also minimizing our environmental impact. Our marine upholstery fabrics have been verified in an independent laboratory and tested for harmful substances according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX^®.”

Top-notch tools

Peterson says SugarHouse has also gone greener by adopting different production tools and equipment. The shop switched to water-based ink for its digital printing and invested in a digital cutting table that helps eliminate fabric waste that may otherwise go to landfills.

“It was a more than $100,000 investment,” Peterson says. “Using software, we’re able to nest pieces closer together while cutting a whole job, deciding which pieces to cut first because they fit into nooks and crannies.”

Of SugarHouse’s fleet of 11 vehicles, five are now hybrid Toyota Priuses. Fuel costs are now lower since the Priuses get about 40 mpg instead of the 10 to 25 logged by company trucks, but the change also required logistical changes—including the installation of folding extensions into the vehicles’ rear compartments.

“It was expensive, since we had to outfit them so we wouldn’t lose our ability to [transport] products,” Peterson says. “They’re smaller—not like pickups where you can throw everything in the back. But I think when someone sees a Prius, they’re aware someone’s making a conscious effort to not use fossil fuels in their driving. We realize fuel resources are going to run out, so we’re being more responsible.”

Improving on procedures

SugarHouse has also converted its 30,000-square-foot shop to all-LED lighting, with lights, heating and air conditioning automatically controlled or remotely controlled by app—according to need and times of usage.

For the past few years, the company has been vigilant about recycling extraneous materials, including unwanted metal from awning frames and drink cans, cardboard from shipments, tubes from fabric supplies and paper patterns. In-house recycling bins are regularly picked up by a firm that pays a small cash benefit. Wooden shipping pallets are kept and re-used for outgoing freight.

Sunbrella partners with organizations like Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, a nonprofit focusing on the southeastern U.S., Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, to actively support ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries.

“Sunbrella has long prioritized sustainable practices, from manufacturing to recycling,” adds Withers. “In conjunction with our parent company Glen Raven, our facilities are working toward being 100 percent powered by certified renewable electricity and carbon neutral for Scope 1 and 2 emissions.”

The company also offers partners access to its Recycle My Sunbrella program, which provides an alternative outlet for disposal of scraps or fabrics at the ends of their lifecycles. Withers says the program has thus far kept at least a million pounds of upholstery and marine fabric out of landfills.

One step leads to another

Kahn recommends auditing company practices, followed by identifying small steps.

“Sustainability doesn’t necessarily just mean products are made with materials that are sustainable. It’s about how it’s made,” Kahn says. “Is the manufacturing process harmful, or does the mill not practice proper/clean standards in regard to chemicals, water, electricity? Are they using harmful fossil fuels and emitting a ton of CO₂ gases?

“Next, [look at] standards for treating employees or working environments, using recycled materials for packaging or standardizing shipping, or methods to work as efficiently and environmentally friendly as possible. [Then] pick something you can achieve towards sustainability.”

She also advises asking suppliers for input.

“Ask questions that are important to you in regards to sustainability and the environment. You might already be achieving some without knowing it. Suppliers also help find solutions for your criteria and can ask their mills how to achieve better sustainable practices.”

Going green can be especially challenging for small businesses and comes with a cost, but it’s not impossible.

“You can just start small, and once you get going look for other areas you can be more responsible,” says Peterson. “The little things you can do can amount to big things.” 

Michelle Miron is a freelance writer based in Hugo, Minn.

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SIDEBAR: Deflating the impact of shrink wrap

Recycle Run in Michigan encourages marine businesses to recycle the non-biodegradable polyethylene shrink wrap used each year to protect boats from winter weather. That’s key, since boat shrink wrap isn’t accepted into curbside recycling programs.

In a joint effort between the Michigan Recycling Coalition, the Bay Area Recycling for Community and shrink wrap supplier Dr. Shrink Inc. in Manistee, Mich., the program has enabled the recycling of more than 170 tons of shrink wrap since its 2011 inception.

How does it work? Each year, participating businesses buy empty recycling bags for $12 each (typically 15 to 75 bags annually) and use them to collect up to 800 square feet of wrap per bag—with straps, vents and buckles removed. The filled bags are collected each summer (individuals conduct drop-offs) and hauled to Michigan-based recycling plants, which bale the plastic and turn it into products such as composite decking or structural construction components.

Previously supplemented by a state grant, the program is now financially self-sustaining. More than a hundred companies, individual profits and nonprofits participated in Recycling Run in 2024, including one Ontario firm.

“We’re constantly trying to expand this program in hopes that other states will come on board and follow our Michigan program model,” says Angela Jolly, Dr. Shrink’s marketing manager. “Many marinas want to provide their customers with the reassurance they’re invested in sustainability, [and] shrink wrap recycling is an attractive offering to potential customers that value the health and cleanliness of their lakes.”