an interview with Valérie Bouckaert & Gerlinde Verherbrugghen - Sustainable Yarns
The future is green, sustainable and circular; that much is certain. Not just certain, but necessary. Our world and industries are undergoing a green revolution. “Sustainable Yarns” by Beaulieu International Group, is a sustainable pioneer in the Belgian and international textile industry. We had the pleasure of speaking with Valérie Bouckaert (Marketing Responsible Engineered Solutions - Beaulieu) and Gerlinde Verherbrugghen (Responsible Market Development – B.I.G. Yarns) about Sustainable Yarns, drawing from their decades of experience and perspectives on sustainability.
Our mission is to inform people that the makers’ industry in Europe has a future in innovation and sustainability (Gerlinde Verherbrugghen)
“Our mission with Sustainable Yarns is to spread the message of sustainability among our stakeholders, knowledge we already had a lot of intrinsically, but are continuing to learn more about and grow in”, Gerlinde begins. “And by stakeholders, I mean our customers, but also people and companies who aren’t customers, like architects, schools and young people”.
Without partnerships, the circle will not be complete, and the wheel won’t turn (Gerlinde Verherbrugghen)
“The future resembles a circle, connections between different points: partnerships”, Gerlinde continues. “The future will only materialise if we construct it together. That’s its beauty, but it also poses a significant challenge for our industry, as we’re not inherently inclined to think in terms of partnerships. We’ll need to reprogram ourselves”.
The future lies in the proximity of sustainable production and products (Valérie Bouckaert)
“I believe it’s about generating added value. Providing solutions that are more sustainable than what we currently have”, Valérie adds. “Sustainability is a given, but when finally choosing sustainability, there’s a lot of noise in the channel. The future lies in the proximity of sustainable production and products. This aspect will become increasingly critical, because, presently, production often occurs far from where products are consumed, and here in Belgium and across Europe, we face substantial competition from other regions of the world. We believe that these challenges represent a pivotal turning point”.
Gerlinde adds, “The solutions are already inherently present, that’s the beauty of it all! The future appears promising, but it doesn’t solely rely on us, as industry and consumers. Governments and legislation will play a crucial role in ensuring a sustainable future. Legislation will make or break a greener future”.
At Beaulieu, we set our own targets regarding our sustainable production; we won’t wait for legislation. We aim to be frontrunners and take proactive actions (Valérie Bouckaert)
Valérie: “At Beaulieu, we set ambitious targets that compel us to engage all parties involved in our production process, both internal and external. We’re driven to address pivotal questions such as reducing energy and water usage, as well as repurposing what is currently considered ‘waste’ by reintegrating it into the production cycle as a primary material. We reassess the composition of our products, from raw materials to packaging. Everything must undergo scrutiny and be open to discussion. Presently, we have three companies within our division that recycle waste generated in our factories and transform it into new raw materials”.
“Within Beaulieu, we have multiple task forces and centres of excellence that collaborate with our suppliers and maintain pressure to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s a partnership on all fronts”, Valérie says.
She adds: “It’s our ambition, with Sustainable Yarns, to be and remain a frontrunner within the Beaulieu International Group. When Sustainable Yarns first emerged from the bottom up within the Beaulieu organisation, it has grown exponentially and is embraced by the entire company. We’re well on our way to being a sustainable frontrunner; of course, we’re still learning and improving, but we’re on the right track”.
Valérie: “At Beaulieu we say ‘the time is now’! We’ve established a list of KPIs we need to meet internally. Every quarter, every division undergoes an evaluation so we keep up the pace in the direction of a green evolution”.
We’d like to be a guide and inspiration within the markets we work in (Valérie Bouckaert)
“We aim to introduce a new concept that communicates the expertise we have within our yarn factories to a broader audience, reaching people we may not have engaged with in the past,” Valérie says. “We educate and provide more comprehensive information about the added value we offer with Sustainable Yarns, both within the Beaulieu International Group and the industry as a whole”.
“We want to emphasize that standing still is no longer an option; we need to change as soon as possible. We achieve this through education, communication and our expanding sustainable offer”, Valérie adds. “In our workshops, we delve into these topics and inform participants about what we do, why we do it, and how they can contribute to creating a greener future. To determine who can be a trustworthy and sustainable partner, one must consider the entirety of an organization; we educate about the important parameters in this process.”
Valérie: “In these workshops, we also introduce our sustainable yarns: EqoBalance, EqoCycle, EqoYarn. EqoBalance is our bio-sourced yarn with the smallest carbon footprint, derived from biomass organic waste streams such as kitchen waste. EqoCycle is yarn created from post-industrial waste, while EqoYarn is virgin-based yarn with a low carbon footprint, thanks to the efforts our suppliers. Our products are meticulously certified and come with a carbon footprint declaration. We’re proud of these yarns; they demonstrate that even today, positive and successful steps can be taken toward sustainability. We’re pleased to report that 2023 was a record year in the sales of our sustainable yarns”.
“At Beaulieu we actually started our sustainable story about 10 years ago”, Valérie tells us. “EqoBalance was our first creation, but when it first came to the market, it seemed like the market wasn’t quite ready for it yet. Now we see that, what came too early back then is something that attracts attention today, and we cannot deny it anymore”.
We like using the metaphor of the ‘sherpa’. We see ourselves as a sherpa, the one who helps the famous climber conquer the Mount Everest, but actually does most of the work and doesn’t take the credit (Valérie Bouckaert)
It’s important to create transparency and share information. Only then can the right decisions can be made. We all benefit from a greener future (Gerlinde Verherbrugghen)
Gerlinde continues: “We aim to help our stakeholders separate the wheat from the chaff and, from a well-informed position, figure out their goals, the direction they want to take, and which partners they want to collaborate with. We aim to be as genuine and authentic as possible in sharing our information. It’s not just about us, it’s a much bigger picture”.
“We strive to inform and raise awareness based on science and real facts,” Gerlinde adds.
We continually ask ourselves: How do we address and progress in addressing a challenging issue, such as achieving a greener future, where we urgently need to take significant steps forward? (Valérie Bouckaert)
“For us, part of the solution lies in providing opportunities for young people”, Valérie begins. “At Beaulieu International Group we welcome the input and knowledge of young people, which is encouraging for those interested in a career in the STEM field. From all over Belgium and Europe, we welcome students and alumni to bring their expertise and specific knowledge to become an important part of Beaulieu strategic projects. They dedicate themselves, full-time to specific and crucial projects and see them through from beginning to end”.
“We’re challenged by the questions young people from universities we have close ties with and collaborate with ask us. We learn a great deal from them”, Gerlinde adds.
Gerlinde: “Together with our young engineers, we look at how we could find solutions and make a difference in the commercial spaces of the future, such as public spaces, hotels, offices etc… based on constantly changing needs. It used to be ‘form follows function’, in architecture, nowadays we talk about ‘form follows feeling’, which is more intuitive. With Beaulieu, we help co-create the environments of the future, especially in commercial spaces, so we have to be forward-thinking, considering what the consumer needs and wants. Does he even know what he needs? How can our yarns make a difference? We look for answers that are carried by sustainable solutions”.
From young people, we can learn to have the courage to ask questions and feel free in doing so (Gerlinde Verherbrugghen)
“Once we get older, we lose a bit of our open-mindedness; we get a bit trapped in the frames we know and work in on a daily basis. Younger generations are less programmed”, Gerlinde shares.
Valérie replies: “Yes, this is true, but at the same time, I’d like to tell the younger generations: don’t forget to look at the industry. There’s so much happening already. There’s so much time and energy invested in the search for solutions, but as industries, we often don’t communicate enough about it. I’d tell young people to keep an open attitude towards the industries and encourage companies to invite youngsters to come and visit and see the solutions that are already there. Our industry already has beautiful and meaningful solutions, making an impact for a greener future”.
“Don’t you think younger generations have more courage than we do?”, Gerlinde asks Valérie, prompting laughter from both. “I don’t know”, they agree.
“The secret is in the mix”, Gerlinde laughs. “Younger and older can learn from one another. Courage learns from experience and the other way around; we need both”.
We really need a game changer on multiple levels and young people will be the engine of this change (Valérie Bouckaert)
Valérie: “In our way of thinking and what we do and produce, we can only transmit what we’re already capable of doing today, the solutions we can already offer, but the young people are the ones that will have to realise the big changes necessary for the future”.
Thank you, Valérie and Gerlinde, for this inspiring conversation and working every day to be frontrunners in the change our world needs.