Leigh Fibers and Tidal Vision have partnered to reduce toxicity in traditional textile treatments. According to this partnership, Tidal Vision will apply its Tidal-Tex water-based textile treatments, which incorporate chitosan, to products from Leigh Fibers, which is known for its textile-waste conversion.

To create Tidal-Tex, Tidal Vision processes its chitosan through crab and shrimp shells, sourced as by-products from seafood-industry waste. A nontoxic, biodegradable polymer, chitosan is a product that can be added to a textile manufacturer’s existing system.

Tidal-Tex is used by manufacturers of fiber at the top of the supply chain, such as Leigh Fibers Those fibers are turned into textiles by textile manufacturers further down the supply chain, and the treated products end up in all sorts of products from furniture, mattresses, carpet and more.“

The South Carolina location of the facility where the Bellingham, Wash.–headquartered Tidal Vision will produce its Tidal-Tex within Leigh Fibers’ 1 million-square-foot headquarters is centrally located in a hub of the United States textile industry. Tidal-Tex is applied via a simple act of dipping, spraying or coating. As a versatile product, Tidal-Tex can be applied to fibers, yarn, and woven and nonwoven fabrics. Through this partnership, the use of the facility will allow Tidal-Tex to be available at a lower cost than more-traditional treatments.