Anti-odor technology that does not wash out.

Today a lot of the sports brand offer products with “anti-odor technology”. The benefits of not building up a sweat smell (caused by bacteria) during your sport activities is obviously a great unique selling point, but currently this comes at an environmental cost. These garments are prepared using silver in the manufacturing process and at the right humidity conditions this silver will release particles or silver ions which are very effective in disrupting and killing bacteria. Silver is an effective and widely used solution, however by disregarding the toxicity of silver and silver ions. This is a large problem as the silver leaches out during the use, but foremost while washing the clothing. That is to say, the silver “breaks free”, meaning that it ends up in wastewater and finally in the water cycle.

The Swedish Water & Wastewater Association published a report with the name “Silver Leaching - A Report on Silver in Sportswear” ¹ in November 2018 stating:

“Silver is used in items such as sportswear because of its antibacterial properties. What many of us do not know is that silver is classified as a biocide; that is to say, a toxin. In the long run the silver found in the water cycle can pose a significant threat to the wealth of life in the sediments of our lakes and seas. Sediment-dwelling creatures and organisms play a crucial role in the biological networks created by nature.”

Furthermore the reports highlight:

“Another effect of the use of silver in society is the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A study by Susanne Sütterlin, a researcher and specialist doctor in clinical microbiology at Uppsala University, showed that silver seemed able to reduce the level of sensitivity/resistance to antibiotics.”

¹ “Silver Leaching - A Report on Silver in Sportswear” by the Swedish Water & Wastewater Association

Anti-odor technology in socks also resolving skin condition.
Socks have been produced with the addition of Saniconcentrate™ in the manufacturing process. The socks have been fabricated with a mix of PP and PET yarns. Both the PP yarns as well as the PET yarns are fabricated with 3% Saniconcentrate™ in the material blend. The PP yarns are made with the specification: 55D/48F and the PET yarns are made with specification: 1.65D,38mm. The socks show to be very effective in preventing bad smell and as an additional and unexpected outcome: patients with a skin condition called beriberi report a significant improvement of their skin.

Efficacy and no-migration established by SGS.

The world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company SGS had been assigned for the verification of the knitwear in compliance FZ/T73023-2006. Compliancy to this norm is required for merchandise sold in China claiming to be antibacterial. This standard references the US and Japanese standards on the basis of relevant criteria.

NO MIGRATION

SGS performed migration tests with the produced socks with three different organisms and at specific incubation times, being: E.coli for 18 hours, Staphylococcus aureus for 18 hours and Candida albicans for 48 hours. The test is done by measurement of the ‘halo’ width, also referred to as the ‘zone of inhibition’. All three organisms show no ‘halo’; no area around the product without bacteria growth. This means that there is no leaching/migration of any antimicrobial substance and the antimicrobial characteristics are only present on the surface of the material.

AAA-CLASS RANKING ANTIBACTERIAL KNITWEAR

After as many as 50 washing cycles of the product all three the organisms (E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans) were also used to identify the efficacy of the technology against these germs. The 18-hour incubation time shows antimicrobial performances far above the set minimums and this performance granted the product a class “AAA” status and allows the labeling of the product in China as a certified “AAA class Antimicrobial Knitwear”.