| 49 Technology improving waste reduction Autex is an award-winning global design company and leader in the development and manufacturing of non-woven architectural textiles. Autex Industries T T Kelly Deeks REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT New Zealand manufacturing success story Autex is furthering its journey towards zero carbon emissions, having recently taken a couple more pioneering steps on the way to achieving the goal. The first of these is with SpinFix, which transforms waste PET from manufacturing off-cuts into RePET mounting clips for acoustic panels, and the second is the new GreenStuf® Takeback Programme, where GreenStuf Insulation, off-cuts, and packaging no longer needed for projects are reused to form the next generation of insulation products. Autex is an award-winning global design company and leader in the development and manufacturing of non-woven architectural textiles. Supplying an increasingly sophisticated range of products to the building industry, Autex has grown to serve more than 18 export markets, with manufacturing and finishing networks in four countries. While Autex products keep people comfortable in the built environment, the company has also taken the reins on its responsibility as part of the building industry to keep the environment protected so it can be enjoyed for generations to come. “We have worked for many decades to reduce the amount of waste we create, and with the help of those who use our products, we want to protect our environment by diverting as much material from landfill as possible,” says Autex New Zealand managing director Rob Woolner. “That’s why we’ve started the GreenStuf® Takeback Programme. We are making our new ReForm acoustic panel from 100% reclaimed textile material, a truly circular product that closes the loop on our product waste. Our products already have a 50-year life cycle. With our GreenStuf® Takeback Programme, they can go for 50 more.” Meanwhile the SpinFix mounting system is also improving the end-of-life journey for Autex Acoustic’s materials with another avenue to explore applications of the RePET processes and give acoustic panels yet another life. Friction-welding technology binds the 100% PET clips to the panels without the use of glue, meaning everything remains 100% polyester and can be recycled again at the end of its life. With no compromise to performance or usability, Autex has come up with an extremely versatile technology, and will continue to explore and develop this even further. With its eye on the future, and having worked on doing polyester right for nearly 60 years, Autex is now looking at incorporating natural fibres into its products. “People love the idea of it and are very interested,” Rob says. “Like every building product, its viability will come down to price, performance, and availability. We need to be able to provide a natural fibre product that performs as well as other products, can be attractively priced, and make it available for the market. It’s a very interesting space we’re involved in.” Autex is no stranger to innovation. Starting out in the carpet industry in 1967, and seeing architects trying to specify carpets on classroom walls for acoustics, Autex’s first product was its composition acoustics wall lining that is still found in most New Zealand schools today. Autex Acoustic Interior products took off on a global scale, and from the Facebook offices in the UK and the US, to schools in Egypt and a casino in Angola, and even the Empire State Building in New York, Rob says it’s amazing just where these products manufactured in Avondale by a family-owned New Zealand business have ended up. “We laugh about it all the time! It’s unbelievable.” -Education -Commercial -Hospitality -Carpet Tiles -Vinyl -Autex 0800 867 028
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