Questions about our materials

Organic Cotton, Cork, TENCEL®, Hemp, Linen, Recycled Polyester, Jacroki®, Kapok, ECONYL®

This cannot be said in general terms. We work together with several yarn suppliers, who obtain their cotton from a variety of sources. However, these cotton yarns all have one thing in common. They are all GOTS certified. This means that their origin is controlled and certified under GOTS standards, from seed, through plant cultivation, to fibre extraction. The cultivated GOTS cotton is eventually collected together at a central point before being sent finally to the yarn manufacturers. The majority of this cotton comes from Turkey and Africa.

We also work together with small family-run businesses. Certification is not just a question of attitude but also a question of money. Unfortunately, small companies often cannot afford certification. Nevertheless, they manufacture to the highest environmental and social standards, and use GOTS-certified cotton and dyestuffs in production. However, a product may only be certified if absolutely every single stage of production is certified. Since the only link in the chain that is missing is the ready-made garment, then this cannot be certified. We know these firms personally, we have agreed our own contracts with them that ensure our specifications are met, and we inspect the products and working conditions ourselves several times a year. These businesses are growing together with us and are aiming for certification.

The polyester we use is 100% recycled. Recycled textiles from Asia can be traced back to the manufacture of their chips and/or their yarn using GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certificates. GRS ensures traceability of materials, as well as environmentally friendly and socially acceptable production.

On average, our jackets require 2.5 metres of fabric. Approx. 9 bottles are needed per linear metre. So that is 22 bottles per jacket.

As an innovative company, we work with completely different materials for different applications. Every material has its advantages and disadvantages in use. Due to the current debate around micro plastics, polyester is often much maligned. Of course, attention does need to be paid to this aspect. Nevertheless, we are keeping hold of this material because it also offers important advantages compared to other materials. Polyester is very hard-wearing and easy to care for. Products that are well-made can last a very long time. When used in pure form, the products can also be recycled again after use. Compared to cotton, where up to 11,000 litres of water is used to make one kg of textile, the production of polyester yarns saves up to 90% of water consumption. Furthermore, the use of recycled materials contributes to waste reduction. Textile and plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental problems generated by man. The production of recycled materials reduces waste and saves on so-called virgin materials (raw materials). Energy savings are also comparable to cotton production and then significantly higher than the production of new polyester. However, there is still the problem of micro plastic, of course. Although we can minimise fibre migration by selecting very high quality fabrics, fine fibres still come loose and get into groundwater, especially when textiles are washed. To avoid this, we recommend using the Guppybag. This washing bag is made with such a fine mesh that these fibres cannot get through. After washing, they can be easily removed and disposed of with plastic waste. You can find Guppybags here.