Freudenberg Introduces New Green Filter Made with PCR Polyester for Pools and Spas

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky., Nov. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Freudenberg North America continues to lead the development of green innovations. Freudenberg Filtration Technologies has introduced its new Viledon® Hydrotexx ECO, a green filtration media made with Post-Consumer Recycle (PCR) polyester.

Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership, the North American holding company for Freudenberg & Co. of Weinheim, Germany, owns a family of companies, which operate 15 unique businesses. Together, these companies provide innovative products and solutions to customers in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace and medical to chemical, oil and gas, and construction. Freudenberg is aggressively pursuing recyclable product innovations that include materials used in everything from mattresses, wallpaper and brooms to building materials, filters, landscaping and automotive interiors.

"The Freudenberg family of companies in North America is dedicated to providing customers with sustainable product choices that help meet environmental and customer standards," said Leesa Smith, president of Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership and a member of the company's Global Executive Team. "This latest innovation is another example of how the Freudenberg companies are working to introduce green technologies into critical arenas like air and water filtration."

"Hydrotexx ECO was designed to respond to the green-minded consumers in the pool and spa marketplace," concurred Chris Murray, general manager, liquid filtration for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies NA. "Incorporation of recycled products, improvement in energy efficiency, reuse of expended energy and landfill avoidance are all areas of focus for Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, the Freudenberg family of companies and our customers."

Freudenberg Filtration Technologies worked with its customer Meissner Manufacturing, who manufactures the Unicel® brand and is one of the largest North American producers of replacement cartridges for the pool and spa market. The Unicel® team initiated its concept for a recycled filter cartridge with the design of end caps and filter cores made of recycled materials. Freudenberg approached Unicel® with the concept of Hydrotexx ECO and the Unicel® green cartridge line was born.

Hydrotexx ECO is produced in Freudenberg's Durham, N.C., plant. The Durham plant has been manufacturing with postindustrial recycled (PIR) material for several years and has just recently transitioned to processing 100 percent PCR material. PCR means extending the lifecycle of an original product for reuse into another application. PCR comes from converting used polyester bottles into a raw material that can be fed into the manufacturing process. About 23 percent of all polyester bottles in the U.S. are recovered through recycling and reprocessing. 

The process begins with the collection, bundling, shredding and cleaning of discarded beverage bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Freudenberg then uses proprietary spunlaid manufacturing technology to make nonwoven polyester media from the shredded plastic. Every square yard of Hydrotexx ECO media produced keeps at least six 16-fluid-ounce plastic bottles out of a landfill.

"By incorporating recycled ECO products into filtration systems and applications, we are helping our customers achieve their own recycle targets and together becoming better stewards to the environment by promoting the use of PCR products," said Murray.

Unicel® launched the green Hydrotexx ECO product at the U.S. National Pool & Spa exposition in November of 2010 and immediately received orders for the new ecologically friendly cartridges. Meissner has since expanded the line and featured the Unicel® green cartridge line this year at the January East Coast show and earlier this month at the National Pool exposition.

About Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership.

Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership, the North American holding company for Freudenberg & Co. of Weinheim, Germany, owns a family of companies that operate 15 unique businesses. Together, these companies provide innovative products and solutions to customers in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace and medical to chemical, oil and gas and construction. Freudenberg North America companies develop and manufacture custom-engineered seals, vibration control technology, filters, nonwovens, release agents, lubricants, expansion joints, household products, and IT software and services.

SOURCE Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership