Recycled polyester (rPET) is obtained by melting down existing plastic and re-spinning it into new polyester yarn, with 99% made from PET plastic bottles and the remaining 1% made up of ocean waste and polyester textile scraps. Recycled polyester does have a significantly lower carbon footprint than PET reduction of 70% However, the main reasons we do not use recycled polyester include: Recycled polyester is a synthetic fibre which is non-biodegradable and a contributor to microfibre pollution – recent studies highlight that recycled polyester knitted fabrics release almost 2.3 times more microfibres than virgin polyester fabrics The high-temperature plastic recycling process can release carcinogenic antimony compounds into the atmosphere Turning PET into rPET takes away from feedstock from the bottling an industry that has come close to closing the loop of bottle-to-bottle recycling, hence a more efficient and sustainable process The base colour of plastic chips from recycled plastics can make dyeing more difficult so more dyes and water are required Recycled polyester is made from PET bottles mechanically, turned into yarn for knitting/weaving textiles, a process which degrades it (big decline in quality), making it very hard to recycle another time Information sourced from Forum for Future public report

On average, the carbon footprint of one cotton t-shirt is roughly equal to the carbon footprint of driving a passenger car for 10 miles 2015 report showed that cotton cultivation accounted for 22 million tonnes of CO2 per annum. The global water footprint of cotton is around 8.2 trillion cubic feet a year – some major cotton-producing countries like China and India are already experiencing high levels of water stress and scarcity. Cotton cultivation uses around 4% of all world pesticides and around 10% of all insecticides – such chemicals can pollute local ecosystems and drinking water. * Note on organic cotton which is better as 80% of land used is rain-fed, however, we believe there are much better alternatives to this on the fabric market. Information sourced from Forum for Future public report

Sourcing

Everything our supply chain touches and produces has an impact.

We aim to source the lowest-impact, regenerative fabrics available on the market and convert them into performance products.

Our five-point sourcing strategy aims to address the key issues when we carry out our sourcing: Social, Environmental, Quality, Circularity and Data.

Read more here

Our current materials

Chemicals

Our apparel is certified under OEKO-TEX® 100 and R.E.A.C.H.

This means every thread, button and other accessory has been tested for harmful substances under European and global standards and that the article, therefore, is harmless for human health and the environment.

Analysing the current problem on the market

The current solutions

We often see claims from brands about the sustainability and ethical credentials of their products. We want to clear a few things up; these current solutions are not good enough.

Recycled Polyester

Recycled polyester (rPET) is obtained by melting down existing plastic and re-spinning it into new polyester yarn, with 99% made from PET plastic bottles and the remaining 1% made up of ocean waste and polyester textile scraps.

Recycled polyester does have a significantly lower carbon footprint than PET reduction of 70%

However, the main reasons we do not use recycled polyester include:

Recycled polyester is a synthetic fibre which is non-biodegradable and a contributor to microfibre pollution – recent studies highlight that recycled polyester knitted fabrics release almost 2.3 times more microfibres than virgin polyester fabrics
The high-temperature plastic recycling process can release carcinogenic antimony compounds into the atmosphere
Turning PET into rPET takes away from feedstock from the bottling an industry that has come close to closing the loop of bottle-to-bottle recycling, hence a more efficient and sustainable process
The base colour of plastic chips from recycled plastics can make dyeing more difficult so more dyes and water are required
Recycled polyester is made from PET bottles mechanically, turned into yarn for knitting/weaving textiles, a process which degrades it (big decline in quality), making it very hard to recycle another time

Information sourced from Forum for Future public report

Cotton

On average, the carbon footprint of one cotton t-shirt is roughly equal to the carbon footprint of driving a passenger car for 10 miles

2015 report showed that cotton cultivation accounted for 22 million tonnes of CO2 per annum.

The global water footprint of cotton is around 8.2 trillion cubic feet a year – some major cotton-producing countries like China and India are already experiencing high levels of water stress and scarcity.

Cotton cultivation uses around 4% of all world pesticides and around 10% of all insecticides – such chemicals can pollute local ecosystems and drinking water.

* Note on organic cotton which is better as 80% of land used is rain-fed, however, we believe there are much better alternatives to this on the fabric market.

Information sourced from Forum for Future public report

Bamboo

Whilst a bio-based material and a plant that grows extremely quickly with little impact.

The chemicals required to dissolve bamboo include carbon disulphide and caustic soda, which are highly toxic and harmful to human health.

Hormone disrupting BPA in Activewear

Center for Environmental Health is suing 7 major brands of sports bras, and a further 5 brands of athletic shirts showing clothing could expose individuals up to 22 times the safe limit of BPA.

The investigation found BPA in polyester-based clothing with spandex.

BPA, a well-studied hormone-disrupting chemical, mimics estrogen and can disrupt the body's normal functioning, including metabolism, growth and development and reproduction.