Third-party test lab verified by ASTM for full transparency
Designtex, the leading designer and manufacturer of applied materials for the built environment, further evolves their biobased offerings with the debut of the brand’s first coated textile with biobased polyurethane, Ethos. A biobased material is partially or entirely made from renewable biological resources such as plants, animal fibers, algae, fungi, or agricultural and forestry byproducts. For Ethos, third-party ASTM D6866 testing verifies its 12% biobased content, with Designtex providing documentation for reporting to any sustainability program.
When it comes to material health, Ethos is free of VOCs, Antimicrobials, Flame Retardants, PFAS, and PVCs. In addition, Ethos is rewarded in the following industry programs: USGBC’s LEED rating system, WELL Building Standard, and Living Building Challenge. It’s also CFFA-Healthcare-201 certified.
“Getting these bio-fabricated materials to be formed and perform like a standard product can be a long road, but it’s one Designtex travels with optimism.” explains Carol Derby, VP of Research & Development at Designtex. “While the market’s embrace of biobased materials is encouraging, there’s work to be done to make content claims consistent and clear, and third-party verified claims are especially helpful here.”
With a surface reminiscent of pebbled leather, a soft, pliable hand, and an expansive palette of 32 colors, Ethos delivers all the high-performance attributes of coated upholstery while taking the next step in sustainability. Ethos features a recycled post-consumer woven polyester backing and a separate silicone topcoat on a face layer.
Designtex has long looked to biobased materials for opportunities to make better textiles, starting with Mohair Plus, a luxury performance upholstery launched in the 1960s that lives on in the company’s offering today. Since then, the brand’s family of biobased products has grown to include upholsteries composed of linen and recycled wool and wallcoverings composed of cellulose from sustainably forested wood.
Designtex Biobased Timeline
➔ 1965: Mohair Plus, Designtex’s first wool-based textile is introduced and remains a bestseller today.
➔ 1995: Climatex Lifecycle, a groundbreaking collection made with biobased fibers, specifically a blend of the renewable, natural fibers – wool and ramie.
➔ 2005: Designtex introduces fabrics made from polyactic acid (PLA), a biobased polymer derived from corn, into its product offering with drapery and panel fabrics. This innovation marked one of the earliest uses of PLA in commercial interior textiles.
➔ 2008: First iteration of DNA wallcovering, a biobased alternative to vinyl made from cellulose sustainably forested wood.
➔ 2024: Wool Library, a collection of three upholstery textiles that utilize discarded wool clothing waste recycled into new wool textiles.
➔ 2025: And now Ethos, a polycarbonate-based polyurethane upholstery made with a biobased polymer derived from the fermentation of industrial (non-food) corn biomass sourced from the USA.
The R&D team will continue to research, develop, and improve on Ethos as new advancements become available. Learn more about Biobased Materials, Ethos, and Designtex’s Sustainability Mission.
About Designtex
Designtex is the leading company in the development, design, and manufacturing of applied materials for the built environment. For over sixty years, Designtex has been providing innovative materials to customers around the world. Designtex is a Steelcase company, headquartered in New York City, with national and international locations. www.designtex.com