03 Issue - A Soft Focus | RawAssembly's Responsible & Sustainable Sourcing Magazine

THE R E SPO N SI B L E & SU STA I NA B L E T EXT ILE

SO U RC IN G

Nº 03

PUBLISHED AFTER BREAKFAST • MAY 2021

A SOFT FOCUS

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CONTEN UPFRONT 04-08 04 06 08

MO N DAY MORNING M EETI NG - ED I TO R S NO TE CO N TRIBUTORS CO N SCIOUS FA S HIO N C A M P A I GN

A CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE - MATTRESSES 12-60 12 14 18

A CATEGORICA L IMP ER A TI V E - M attre s s e s MAT TRE S S ES - Ingre d i e nts & i m p ac ts & g ui d e s SDG 11 - SUS TAINA B L E C I TI ES

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O U T OF SIGHT OUT O F M I ND T h e ethica l dilem m a of d i sp o sal .

T h e wast e we ge ner a te i s a b y - p r o d u ct o f m o d e r n h uma n l i f e a nd c a n elicit s ome power ful e m o ti o n s, b u t h o w o fte n d o w e s t o p a nd t h in k ab out the e thica l im p l i cati o n s o f d i sp o sal – o r i s i t s i mp l y o ut o f sig h t , out of mind?

28 32 34 38 42 44 46 50 52 54

NATURA L MA TE RIAL S Pillows , duve ts & wa d d i n g V ERSATILITY OF COI R CU LT URA L NESTS H O W NA TURAL ORGA NI C L A TEX I S M A D E LAT EX BA LLOONS REPURPOSING PPE F A C TO R Y W A S TE SDG 1 - NO POVERT Y FRO M WE ED TO WOND ER F UL PLANT-BA S ED MATER I A L S CI RCULAR STORIE S - S TR UC TUR A L P A P ER

CIRCULAR STORIES 56-63 58

SLEEPING SOUNDL Y, S LOW A N D CI R CULA R B ED L I NE N

T h e su sta ina bility s potlig h t h as b e e n fi r m l y fi xe d o n fash ion in ter m s of r e thi n ki n g h o w w e cr e ate , co n su m e a nd v a lu e our clothing. Howe v e r , th e w ay i n w h i ch w e su s t a i na b l y a nd ethica lly dr e s s our be d s h as r e m ai n e d v e r y m u ch i n t he l i nen-close t.

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A Soft Focus

60 62

C OYU C H I T H E RE N E W AL W OR K S H OP

MATERIAL STORIES 64-111 66

S H IL O/ L YD IA C OL L ABOR AT ION

Bri s b a ne b a s e d S hi l o / L yd i a t a l k w i t h us a bo ut c r eat ing he i rl o o m ga rme nt s t ha t e ns ure ma x i mum l o nge vi t y a nd c o nne c t i o n.

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M AD ABOU T T H E T U L L E

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AT E L IE R T AM M AM - T U L L E & ON E D R E SS

L o nd o n b a s e d L uc y T a mma m t a l k s w i t h us abo ut her o wn j o urne y o f c o ns c i o us i nno va t i o n a nd a d vo c ac y.

82 P E AC E S IL K 86 R E S IL K 88 L OT U S S IL K 94 ORG AN IC C OT T ON L AC E 96 R E S P ON S IBL E L AC E 102 RE S P ON S IBL E E L AS T IC 104 F ABRIC , M IL L S , RE S E ARC H 108 C E RT IF IC AT ION S

L ABS AN D SU PPLI E R S

RETHINKING MATERIALS 116-139

D OW N , W OOL , IN S U L AT ION AL T E R NA T I VE S

118 120 122 122 126 128 130 132 134 136

F L W R -D W N K AP OK S AL T Y C O. F OR E S T F IBR E S H D IN S U L AT ION G RU E Z I RAE BU RN - IN F L AT ABL E OU T W E AR P U FFA S T U C K AT H OM E M AS QU E RAD E C E RT IF IC AT ION S - R D S & T D S RE S P ON S IBL E D OW N AL T E RN AT IV E S

NTS FORGOTTEN FIBRES 140-151 142

W E GA NWOOL

We spoke with Sha nk ar an d h i s p ar tn e r E l e n Tso p p , f o und e rs o f F ab org, to le a r n m or e ab o u t th e i r p l an t- b ase d W e ga no o l f i b re d erived fr om milkwee d .

150 151

LIFE SA VING MIL KW EED MILKWE ED & MO NA R C H

REIMAGINING BLANKETS & QUILTS 152-170 154

THE UTOPIAN F UTUR E I S C I R C UL A R

Values, va lue a nd the ci r cu l ar e co n o m y i n cl o th i n g us e .

D o y ou wonder , if the ci r cu l ar e co n o m y co n ce p t i s a n a s p i ra t i o na l one or in fa ct it is r e al i sab l e ?

154 156 157 157 158

THE NEW LUXU R Y - O NE O F A KI ND E ILE EN FIS HE R HUL LE KES MASHA MARIA LONGING FOR S L EEP

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JINKS MELBOUR NE

Lisa B a r ty ex pla ins h e r m o ti v ati o n fo r b e i n g a resp ons ible fa s hion de si g n e r i n Au str al i a an d w h at s he ho p e s t o ac hieve in the futur e .

166 168 170 172 176

UNSUNG WEAVE R S RAVE REVIEW BOD E UPCYCLING D E S I GN C O NS I D ER A TI O NS CERTIFICATIONS - R W S & GR S

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RE FERE NCE S

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THE MONDAY MORNING MEETING Ed ito r ’s me ssa g e

W hen cr ea ting the d i re c ti o n f o r thi s e d i ti o n w e w a n t e d t o a n c h o r o u r s e l v e s t o a n o b j e c t t h a t m o s t of us ha ve in o ur liv e s , o ne that p ro vi d e s c o m f o rt , r e s t a n d r e c o v e r y . S o m e t h i n g w e d r e s s w i t h b e a u t i f u l t e x t iles and a ccentua te w i th the s e as o ns c o l o urs to c r e a t e a w e l c o m i n g r e t r e a t .

Yet this is so me thi ng w e tak e f o r g rante d an d r a r e l y c o n s i d e r h o w i t w a s m a d e , w h a t i t i s m a d e f r o m a nd where it ma y end up at the e nd o f i ts l i f e . D es p i t e a l l t h e s e q u e s t i o n s , w e v a l u e t h i s t e x t i l e p r o d u c t e n ough to spend an av e rag e o f 2 6 ye ars o f o ur l i v e s c o n t i n u o u s l y u s i n g i t , y e s y o u ’ v e g u e s s e d c o r r e c t l y , we’ve cho sen to fo cus o n the c o m m o n m attre s s .

W e fo rget that te xti l e s are no t j us t f o und i n f a s h i o n a n d o n e o f t h e k e y r e f l e c t i o n s h a s b e e n a r e a l i s a t ion that the ma ttre s s i nd us try i s ad o p ti ng the s a m e p r i n c i p l e s o f o u r f o r t u n a t e l y d w i n d l i n g ‘ f a s t f a s h ion’ i ndustry, where yo u c an p urc has e a m attre s s i n a b o x f o r u n d e r $300. W h i l e t h i s m i g h t b e c o n s i d e r ed a n oppo rtunity for ac c e s s , w he n w e c o ns i d e r t h a t 20% o f t h e w o r l d ’ s p o p u l a t i o n l a c k s a d e q u a t e h o u sing, these textile pr o d uc ts are tak i ng the i r p l ac e i n t h e t h e t a k e -m a k e -d i s c a r d v a l u e c h a i n , p l a c i n g a s i g n i f ica nt i mpact o n the e nvi ro nm e nt.

The jo ur ney o f thi s e d i ti o n has o p e ne d ou r e y e s t o n o t o n l y t h e c h a l l e n g e s a n d p o t e n t i a l s o l u t ions to cr ea ting sus tai nab l e m attre s s e s , b ut to e x p l o r e a v a r i e t y o f h o m e w a r e a n d f a s h i o n r e l a t e d t ext ile applica tio ns that c hal l e nge the c o nc e p t o f w h a t w e v a l u e a n d h o w w e c a n e v o l v e o u r v a l u e p r o p o s i t ion.

W e hav e disco v e re d a w i d e vari e ty o f m ate r i a l i n n o v a t i o n s t h a t f o c u s o n r e d u c i n g a n d r e u s i n g w a s t e , a nd s uppo r t the us e o f unre f i ne d m o no - m ate ri a l s t h a t i n c r e a s e t h e i r v a l u e , b y d e c r e a s i n g t h e i r c o m p l e x it y.

This editio n see s us e xp l o re the val ue o f s to r y a s a w a y t o i n c r e a s e t h e l i f e a n d v a l u e o f p r o d u c t a n d d e s ign.

This go es far b e yo nd the s i m p l e no ti o n o f b u y i n g v i n t a g e , b u t u s i n g v i n t a g e m e m o r i e s a n d m a t e r i a ls t o crea te mo dern p ro d uc ts that d e f i ne an e vo l v i n g s e n s e o f v a l u e .

So o ur fo cus is val ue , and ho w w e c an f i nd , h a r n e s s a n d e v o l v e t h e v a l u e t h a t e x i s t s i n t h i n g s w e t a k e f or gr anted, things w e b e l i e ve are w as te o r thi n g s t h a t s e e m t o l i v e o n l y i n o u r m e m o r i e s .

As a lwa ys, I ho p e yo u are i ns p i re d , i nf o rm e d a n d e n a b l e d b y w h a t y o u r e a d .

Thea S peechley

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A Soft Focus

Cover Story

Issue 03 | A soft Touch On the Cover Photographed by Louro Justino who lives and works in Brazil. Justino’s images have been a key part of issue 03 as we take a look at objects in our lives and materials that are all around us that we take for granted.

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Contributors Cont ribu ti n g Wr i ter s O u t o f si g ht, Out of min d – T h e et hic a l dilemma o f d i s p o s al b y T ara St ringer T a r a St ringer is a PhD ca nd i d ate and s e s s i o nal ac ad e m i c a t Qu een sla nd Univer sity o f Te c hno l o g y ( Q UT) w i th a b a c kg r ou n d in mar keting, co ns um e r b e havi o ur and f as hi o n .

H e r research fo cuses o n e thi c al c o ns um p ti o n and s us t a i na b ilit y along the fa shio n s up p l y c hai n and the i m p ac t o f f a st fash io n o n co nsumer b e havi o ur. W i th a f o c us o n c o ns u m er p e r ceptio n to war d s m o d e rn s l ave ry, he r c urre n t r es e arc h aims to under sta nd b arri e rs to p ro - s o c i al c o ns u me r beh avio ur . p a ge 22-27 Sl ee pin g s ound ly, slow a nd ci rcul a r bedl i nen b y Em m a Peterso n E m m a Pe t ers is a n Asso ci ate L e c ture r and P hD c and i d a t e a t U NSW, resea rching ne w c i rc ul ar p athw ays f o r p o s t -c o ns u m er t e x tile waste fo r the A us tral i an b e d l i ne n i nd us t r y . e m m a.pet ers@ unsw.edu.au h t tp ://w w w.emma peter s .c o m .au h t tp s://w ww.instagr am.c o m /e m m a_p e te rs _te xti l e s / P a ge 58-59 Sh ilo / L ydia | b y Lyd ia Pea rs on & Shi l o E ngl ebrecht L y dia Pearso n ha s had a 3 5 - ye ar c are e r as a f as hi o n d es i g ner, as o ne ha lf o f the i c o ni c A us tral i an b rand East o n P e arson. The br and dev e l o p e d a d e vo te d l o c al and i n t e rn a tion al c lientele a nd ha s b e e n s to c k e d i n m any o f th e most pre stigio us independ e nt s to re s w o rld w ide.

W orkin g with a rtisans in I nd i a and V i e tnam to m arry a modern w ester n fa shio n s e ns i b i l i ty w i th trad i ti o nal cr a f t te ch n iq ues in new a nd in ve nti ve w ays has gi ve n he r a w e alt h of k no wledge a nd e xp e ri e nc e and g ave the b ra n d i t s elf a c u lt type fo llo wing.

T h e ext en sive E asto n Pea rs o n arc hi ve has re c e ntl y b ee n d o n at ed t o the Museum o f B ri s b ane , w he re i t w i l l f o r m a n e d uc at ional and exhibitio n re s o urc e , w i th o ng o i ng i n p u t f r o m t he designers.

I n 2016 Lydia tr ansitio ne d f ro m d e s i gne r and e ntre p r en e ur t o a design lecturer at Q UT, b ri ngi ng he r i nd us t r y b a c kgrou nd into the cla s s ro o m .

S h e is re sea rching new v i ab l e w ays o f m arryi ng trad i t i o n a n d t e c h n o lo gy and 21C o p p o rtuni ti e s f o r i nd e p e nd en t d es i g ners, e specia lly in reg i o nal c e ntre s .

S h ilo Englebr echt gradua te d f ro m Q ue e ns l and Uni ve r s i t y o f Te c h n ol o gy with a fa s hi o n d e gre e i n 2 0 0 6 .

I n 2007 she wo n the Merc e d e s B e nz f as hi o n s tartup a n d s h owed at the epo nymo us F as hi o n w e e k 2 0 0 7 . I n 2 0 08 s h e moved t o Amsterda m work i ng w i th a the atri c al c o s tu m e 6

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c o l l e c t i o n , t h e n i n 2010 m o v e d t o t h e U K , a n d a f t er int erni n g f o r 6 m o n t h s w i t h a c u t t i n g e d g e d i g i t a l p r i n t compan y , s h e u s e d h e r s k i l l s a n d c r e d i t t o p r i n t t h e f i rst sa mples of her paintings on upholstery fabrics.

S h i l o s u b s e q u e n t l y s t a r t e d a b u s i n e s s i n t h e U K, produci n g a r a n g e o f h o m e w a r e s f r o m h e r p r i n t e d a r t . She quickl y f o u n d f a n s f r o m a m o n g s t t h e Il l u m i n a t i o f t h e design w o r l d , i n c l u d i n g t h e M i s s o n i f a m i l y , An t h r o p o l ogy a nd Kit Kemp ( of London Hotels fame).

Ba s e d i n Br i s b a n e , Au s t r a l i a , S h i l o ’ s v i b r a n t i n dependent a e s t h e t i c h a s b e e n f e a t u r e d i n m a g a zi n e s f r o m E lle Décor U K t o V o g u e Au s t r a l i a .

P a g e 66-69 Fr o m w e e d t o w o n d e r f u l | P a g e 50 Fo r g o t t o n F ib r e s | P a g e 142-151 b y K i r r a l y An t c l i f f K i r r a l y An t c l i f f i s a n i n d e p e n d e n t F a s h i o n & T e xt ile profess i o n a l b a s e d i n S y d n e y , w i t h a p a s s i o n f o r t h e i nt ersect ion b e t w e e n e n v i r o n m e n t a l s c i e n c e a n d t h e f a s h i o n indust ry.

K i r r a l y i s a g r a d u a t e o f RM IT a n d i s a r e g u l a r c ont ribut or t o R a w As s e m b l y .

Th e u t o p ia n f u t u r e is c ir c u la r !!

by Lydia Manieson L y d i a M a n i e s o n i s c u r r e n t l y a P h D s t u d e n t a n d a sessiona l a c a d e m i c i n t h e S c h o o l o f D e s i g n , Qu e e n s l a n d University of T e c h n o l o g y . H e r r e s e a r c h e x p l o r e s f a s h i o n ’ s c i r cula r econo m y m o d e l s t h r o u g h u n d e r s t a n d i n g h o w w e a r ers a scribe v a l u e t o t h e c l o t h e s t h e y o w n a n d t h e i m p a c t o f t hese v a l u e s o n t h e w e a r e r ’ s d e c i s i o n -m a k i n g p r o c e s s. She holds a m a s t e r ’ s d e g r e e i n F a s h i o n Bu s i n e s s C r e a t i o n from G la sg o w C a l e d o n i a n U n i v e r s i t y , U K . L y d i a w o r k e d a s a f a shion d e s i g n e r i n G h a n a , W e s t Af r i c a . S h e a l s o w o r k e d brief ly in t h e U K w i t h t h e M a r k s a n d S p e n c e r , P L AN A t e am. She ha s f i r s t h a n d k n o w l e d g e o f t h e i m p a c t s o f c o n s u m erism in t he W e s t o n u n d e r d e v e l o p e d a n d d e v e l o p i n g c o u n t ries a nd has explored this in her research. p a g e 154-155 Fr o n t C o v e r I ma g e : L a u r o Ju s t i n o | Br a zi l P h o t o g r a p h e d b y L o u r o Ju s t i n o w h o l i v e s a n d works in Br a zi l . Ju s t i n o ’ s i m a g e s h a v e b e e n a k e y p a r t o f issue 03 a s w e t a k e a l o o k a t o b j e c t s i n o u r l i v e s a n d m at eria ls t ha t are all around us that we take for granted.

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C O N S C IOUS FASHI ON A N D L I F ESTY L E N E TWOR K Given its global reach, the fashion and lifestyle industries are uniquely positioned to collaborate and engage on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular on confronting the climate crisis and ensuring a resilient postpandemic recovery.

The Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network is an online platform for industry stakeholders, Governments and NGOs to showcase actions, report progress and share solutions accelerating the sector's contribution to advance the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030. The collaborative community of practice aims to inspire innovative ideas, connect industry leaders, enable new partnerships, and enact sustainable change.

Registered initiatives will be published publicly and form the basis of periodic analysis and evaluation of how the fashion and lifestyle sectors are driving change and implementation of the SDGs. The network is managed by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DSDG/DESA), the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Conscious Fashion Campaign. It is a dedicated space for the fashion and lifestyle industries on the “Partnerships for SDGs” – the United Nations’ global registry of voluntary commitments and multi-stakeholder partnerships contributing to the advancement of the SDGs. Registered initiatives should show a concrete contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the network, respect the principles of the United Nations and follow the SMART criteria - being Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resource-based with Timebased deliverables.

J O I N TO DAY

https:/ / susta i n ab le d e v e lop m e n t .u n .o r g/p a r tn e r sh i ps/ F as h ion Ne t w or k

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About Conscious Fashion Campaign The Conscious Fashion Campaign, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, creates high-visibility fashion event partnerships to accelerate global industry engagement to advance the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The campaign educates and mobilizes the fashion sector to action solutions for social, economic, and environmental change.

www.consciousfashioncampaign.com Rawassembly is proud to partner and combine forces with the Conscious Fashion Campaign in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and help both our partnering companies and our industry audience to find ways to accelerate the systematic change needed within the industry.

In the Decade of Action towards the Sustainable Development Goals, our industry needs to collaborate more towards solutions and systemic change that we can all be part of. Our pace of change needs to accelerate, and RawAssembly believes that partnerships and sharing knowledge are the keys to this.

Discover the SDGs - To Make Peace With Nature: The latest digital learning hub that features informational tools and resources from United Nations agencies, environmental organizations and fashion initiatives confronting the global climate crisis.

We are proud to be a part of the Discover the SDG hubs & partner with the Australian Fashion Council - AFC for this next edition.

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A Soft Focus

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W

A Categorical Imperative

hen it c omes to buy i ng a ne w matt re ss , we have b e e n c ond it i one d to t h i n k ab out c om for t , p o s it i on , ve nt i l at i on and t he d e s i re d qu a l it y of sl e e p, w h ich a lw ay s l e a ds to t he i mp or t ant qu e st i on of c o st . Af te r a l l t he s e c onsid er at ions, it 's u nd erst and abl e t hat we rarely c ons i d e r t he mate r i a ls , che mi c a ls , manu f a c tu r ing pro cess es and t he ove ra l l i mp a c t ou r pu rchas e mi g ht have on t he e nv ironment , eit her in it s manu f a c tu r i ng or at t he e nd of it s l i fe.

If you t h in k ab out it , che ap matt re ss e s are just l i ke che ap cl ot he s ; t he y are ma d e of qu est ionabl e mater i a ls, c ont ai n u n k now n c onte nt s , are ma d e p o orly, d on ' t l ast and are l i kely to end up in t he l and f i l l. As t he sl e e p e c onomy g rows , on l i ne c omp an i e s are s el l ing us t he 'f ast f ash i on ' of matt re ss e s , w it h e nt i c i ng of fe rs of e ve r- i nc re asing mone y -b a ck retu r ns, c re at i ng a mou nt ai n of waste ne ve r s e e n b e fore. O n t he one hand, we are t r y ing to c u rb t he ove r pro du c t i on and c onsu mpt i on of ou r cl ot h i ng .

St i l l, on t he ot her hand, we are b e i ng t au g ht by matt re ss c omp an i e s t hat we c ou l d b e buy ing a ne w and innov at ive matt re ss more f re qu e nt ly du e to t he i r a d opt i on of market ing t r ait s, sim i l ar to t ho s e of t he mo st re prehe ns ibl e ' f ast f ash i on ' l ab els .

Matt ress re c ycl ing is a d i r t y but nobl e e nte r pr is e. S of t l and i ng Aust ra l i a is one of on ly a fe w t r y ing to t a ck l e Aust ra l i a ' s e ve r- g row i ng matt re ss probl e m. T he y c oll e c t u nw ante d matt ress e s f rom home ow ne rs and on l i ne re t ai l e rs t hat are no l onge r w ante d and re c ycl e as many as p o ss ibl e. Aust ra l i a t h row away more t han 1 . 6 to 1 . 8 m i l l ion matt ress es e a ch ye ar [ 1 6 ] ; t he v ast maj or it y we nt st rai g ht to l and f i l l. In 2 0 1 7 t he UK and S c ot l and t h re w away more t han 7 . 6 mi l l i on matt re ss e s , w h i ch wou l d st retch over ⅓ of t he w ay arou nd t he e ar t h i f pl a c e d e nd - to - e nd. If we t he n a d d e d t hat t he 18.2 m i l l ion matt re ss e s t h row n away i n t he U S , t he d ist anc e wou l d b e ove r t he ent ire d ist ance arou nd t he e ar t h .

Il l eg a l du mping is anot he r hu ge probl e m; Vi c tor i an C ou nc i ls re p or t t hat 8 . 3 % of t he matt ress es t he y re c over we re i l l e ga l ly du mp e d. Af te r f a c tor i ng i n t ho s e matt re ss es not re c overe d by c ou nc i l (i. e. d isp o s e d of by a c omme rc i a l op e rat i on at an ab and one d indust r i a l prem is e s , by an op shop or re mai n i ng i n an u n i d e nt i f i e d du mp ) it is l i kely t hat more t han 1 i n 1 0 matt re ss e s e nd t he i r l i fe by b e i ng i l l e ga l ly du mp e d [ 1 6 ] Gre ater Melb ou r ne a l one sp e nt $ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 [ 1 5 ] b a ck i n 2 0 1 4 on cl e ar i ng t h is up and af ter c ol l e c t ion, on ly 42 % of t he s e matt re ss e s are e st i mate d to b e re c ycl e d du e to cont am inate d matt ress e s , d i f f i c u lt i e s of s e p arat i ng me t a l spr i ngs , fo am and ot he r mater i a ls. In just one we eke nd, t he l o c a l du mp ne ar ou r s ma l l, re g i ona l Aust ra l i an tow n re c eive d 25 matt re ss e s i n v ar i ous st ate s of re j e c t i on .

C hang ing consu mer b ehav i ou r and st rate g i c marke t i ng are b eh i nd t he e ve r- g row i ng matt ress issu e. In t he p ast , we wou l d change ou r matt re ss e s e ve r y e i g ht , te n or e ve n f if te en ye ars. But w it h on l i ne re t ai l e rs of fe r i ng more choi c e s and c onve n i e nc e pu rchasing , t he y have ma d e us re t h i n k how l ong we ow n a matt re ss for and i n d oi ng s o, cre ate d d esire and a p erc e ive d ne e d for t he ne x t mo d el or t he l ate st i n nov at i on t hat s olves ou r a ches, p ains and he a lt hy sl e e pi ng c onc e r ns .

The int ro du c t ion of 'matt re ss - i n - a - b ox , w h i ch v a c uu m p a cks a matt re ss onc e pu rchas e d into manage abl e and e as i ly sh ipp abl e b oxe s , has l e d to a ne w ge ne rat i on of matt ress st ar t -ups. You mi g ht t h i n k t h is is g re at and t hat it ' s ab out t i me s ome one f ig u re d out how to ma ke it more c onve n i e nt to pu rchas e s ome t h i ng s o l arge, but t h is convenience has enabl e d many of t he s e st ar t - up s to of fe r 1 0 0 - 2 0 0 d ay mon e y -b a ck retu r ns. C onsu me rs are abl e to t r y and re tu r n for a f u l l re f u nd i f t he y are not happy w it h t he pro du c t , just t he s ame as ' f ast f ash i on , w it h l itt l e to no s e ns e of l i abi l it y or com m it ment .

As many of us k now, w he n cl ot h i ng is re tu r ne d to a brand, it d o e s n ' t ge t put b a ck onto t he r ai l for res a l e and more of te n t han not , it ge t s s e nt to a l and f i l l, is i nc i n er ate d or is simply store d as mou nt ai ns of waste. In s ome c as e s , it is s e nt to t h i rd p ar t ies w ho remove a l l t he l ab el l i ng and s el l it to t he publ i c or ot he r re t ai l e rs ove r-

T H E VA LU E O F OU R M AT T R E S SE S 12

A Soft Focus

In s ome c as e s , matt re ss e s cl ai mi ng to b e organ i c on ly cont aine d 5% organ i c mate r i a ls . O t he r pro du c t s us i ng natu ra l l ate x cl aim to b e che mi c a l and tox i n - f re e, ma k i ng t he m e c o - f r i e nd ly ; howe ve r, t he ir natu ra l l ate x is c ombi ne d w it h s y nt he t i c l ate x , c re at i ng a misle a di ng and p ote nt i a l ly har mf u l pro du c t . O t he rs us e natu ra l r aw mate r ia ls su ch as b amb o o for t he i r oute r c as i ng but f ai l to l e t t he ir c ustome rs k now ab out t he e nv i ron me nt a l i mp a c t t he pro c e ss ing of b amb o o has on ou r e nv i ron me nt , cho o s i ng on ly to c el ebrate t he re ge ne r at ive and f ast - g row i ng prop e r t i e s of t he g rass it s el f. Not one of t he comp a n i e s we re v i e we d ha d any t ransp are nc y ab out w he re or how t he ir ma te r i a ls we re g row n , and on ly a fe w d is cl o s e d w hat wou l d happ e n to a matt re ss re tu r ne d w it h i n t he i r t r i a l p e r i o d.

As usu a l, we e nc ou rage you to i g nore marke t i ng words li ke e co and natu ra l, but Inste a d, s e ek out c omp an i e s t hat e x pl ai n t heir ing re die nts cl e arly and p oi nt to w he re mate r i a ls are s ou rc e d. T he non - ne got i able t h i rd - p ar t y c e r t i f i c at i on we shou l d l o ok for is O eko - Te x St and ard 100, w h i ch is t he mo st e x te ns ive volu nt ar y t h i rd - p ar t y c e r t if ic at ion for te x t i l e s , f re e of har mf u l subst anc e s . Gl ob a l O rgan i c Te xt i le St and ard ( GOTs ) a ls o c e r t i f i e s t hat a natu ra l f ibre was g row n organ ic a l ly and pro c e ss e d sust ai nably, and p ar t i c u l arly w he n c ons i d e r i ng purchasing an organ i c natu ra l l ate x matt re ss , GOT S shou l d b e a c c omp an ie d by t he Gl ob a l O rgan i c L ate x St and ard ( GOL s ) . Ask i ng t he s e que st ions mig ht i nc re as e t he c ompl e x it y and i nc onve n i e nc e of you r pu rchas e but may l e a d you to a s afe r pro du c t for b ot h you rs el f and t he pl ane t.

We hop e t he s e qu e st i ons cha l l e nge you to re t h i n k t he t yp e of matt re ss you buy and f u r t he r c ons i d e r how ot he r pi e c e s of f u r n iture in your home are ma d e. We have e nte re d an e ra w he re t he re is a r a ce to cre ate he a lt hy home s w it h s afe and c i rc u l ar pro du c t s , ye t we a ls o s e e an inc re as e i n ' g re e nwash i ng' , ma k i ng it hard e r t han e ve r to s e ek re sp onsi bl e pro du c e and s afe pro du c t s .

s e as. S ome brands p ar t ne r w it h char it abl e org anis at ions, w h i ch help f ind a lter nat ive st re ams for t hes e pro du c t s.

Howe ve r, w hen it comes to matt ress es, w h i l e s ome c om p an i e s have est ablishe d p ar t nersh ips w it h char it ies and w i l l e ve n manage t he retu r ns if t he matt ress es are s ent b ack w it h e ven t he s ma l l est of st ains or mark s, t he y c an not accept t hem. The maj or it y of t he t ime, t he y are s e nt to l andf i l l inste ad. C oupl e d w it h t he f a c t t hat many of t he s e 'compress e d-for-t r ansp or t ' convenienc e mat t re ss e s ar r ive d amage d and are avai l abl e for as l itt l e as AU $ 2 0 0, it's not sur pr ising t hat t he va lu e prop osit ion is su ch t hat p e ople are happy to d is c ard t hem . In 2019 a Wa l l St re et j our na list c a l c u l ate d t hat if t he y to ok a dvant age of a l l of t he of fers avai l abl e f rom matt ress comp an i e s, t he y wou ld b e able to sl e ep on a f re e matt ress for e i g ht ye ars , hig h lig ht ing how t he matt ress indust r y has b e come s o s imi l ar to 'f ast f ash ion.

T he re sp ons ibi l it y has to l i e b ot h i n t he hands of t he pro duce r and t he c onsu me r, we b ot h have a p ar t to pl ay. C onsu me rs shou ld ma ke t he b e st choi c e t he y c an , and pro du c e rs shou l d ma ke t he b e st pro duc t t he y c an , w h i ch i n t he e ye s of t he l ate 1 8 t h - c e ntu r y ph i l o s ophe r Immanuel Kant , wou l d b e a c ate gor i c a l i mp e rat ive.

O n t h is ex plorator y j our ne y, we have d is covere d a re a l l ack of regu l at ion regard ing w hat is b eing s ol d and t he p e rce ive d 's afeness' of t he mater i a ls b eing us e d and t heir e co - cre dent i a ls. We have l e ar ne d t hat t he matt ress in dust r y is at r isk of b eing hel d a cc ou nt abl e for a d opt ing t he s ame 'g re enwashing t a c t ic s' we have s e en in ot her s e c tors, esp e ci a l ly w hen it has come to cl aims rel at ing to t he us e of organic mater i a ls.

Many pro ducers in t he market cl aim t heir pro du c t s are made f rom regenerat ive, natu r a l or org anic pro du c t s. Yet by st at i ng t he pres ence of resp onsibl e mater i a ls w it h in a pro du c t, a brand may not ne c ess ar i ly re ve a l t he tot a l p e rce nt age of t his resp onsibl e mater i a l w it h in you r pu rchas e.

www.rawassembly.c o m

13

.RA.

.R AWASSEMBLY.

MATTRESS INGREDIENTS Whi l e th ere i s no s et d e si g n or c onst r u c t i on of a mattre ss in gener a l t h e v ari ou s p ar t s t y pi c a l l y i n clu d e : 1. Ti ck i ng is t he matt ress cover ma d e f rom a l argely s y nt he t i c qui lte d (2 l ayers of cl ot h stu f fe d w it h a sy nt het i c mate r i a l. Most (p ar t ic u l arly in t he l ow to me d iu m -pr ic e d matt re ss es ) t ick ing is ma d e f rom a bl end of p olyester, p oly propy lene and v is cos e r ayon p oly mers and is t re ate d w it h a f l ame ret ard ant.

A lte r nat ive mater i a ls are a ls o avai l abl e on t he market to d ay, rang i ng f rom: • Te ncel™ • O rg an ic C otton • B amb o o 2. Fo am Padding ‐ A l ayer of eit her p oly u ret hane fo am or sy nt het ic l atex genera l ly ma d e f rom st y rene‐but a d iene r ubb e r or a der iv at ive of t he s ame.

3. A felt p ad t hat ac ts as an insu l ator. Tr a d it iona l ly felt or w ad ding was made f rom natu r a l f abr ic s c r aps ( cotton , wo ol, hors ehair or coir etc.) but to d ay is gener a l ly a m ix of natu ra l and s y nt he t i c text i le s crap, inclu d ing a cr y l ic and p olyet hene.

4. A l ayer of non‐woven f abr ic gener a l ly c ompr ising r ayon (i n olde r matt ress es), p olyet heneterepht ha l ate ( PET) and / or p olypro py le ne.

5. Spr i ng supp or t made f rom h ig h -d ensit y p oly u ret hane fo am.

6. Me t a l spr ings for supp or t . The ste el in a matt ress re pre s e nt s arou nd 40% of t he tot a l weig ht .

7. Me t a l w ire us e d to t ie t he spr ing u nit s toget her 8. Pl ast ic Air Vent i l ators are sma l l pie ces of r ig id pl ast ic us e d to a l low ai r circ u l at ion t hrou g h t he matt ress 9. Pro duc t l ab els are t ypic a l ly s at in or r ayon text i l es 10 . Th re ad in t he qui lte d t ick ing is t y pic a l ly he av y -dut y c otton or o cc asi ona l ly p olyester.

How could we redesign mattresses to fit the circular economy?

14

A Soft Focus

MATTR ESS I M PACTS E a ch ye ar in Aust r a l i a , arou nd 1 . 6 to 1 . 8 mi l l i on matt re ss e s are s e nt to l and f i l l ; e a ch matt re ss t a ke s up 0 . 7 5 c ubi c me t re s of sp a c e – repre s e nt i ng approx . 5 1 , 0 0 0 ton ne s [ 1 5 ] Wh i l e t h is repres ent s just 0 . 1 % of t he tot a l waste st re am, matt re sses are a sig nif ic ant asp e c t of t he sp e c i a l ist are as of waste and re c ycl i ng t hat d e a l w it h t he d is mant l i ng of pro du c t s i nto i nd iv i du a l mate r i a ls for a c tu a l re c ycl ing ; su ch as e ‐ waste ( c ompute rs and T Vs ) , ge ne ra l el e ct ronic s, mobi l e phone s re f r i ge rators and ai r c ond it i one rs , w h ite go o ds , automot ive, t y re s , b atte r i e s , e tc .

The re c ycl ing of ass embl e d pro du c t s c re ate s s i g n i f i c ant re s i du a ls w h i ch are of ten not s ol d as re c ycl ate, and a c c ord i ng ly, t he st ate d re c ycl i ng rate is of ten exag ger ate d. In a 2 0 1 6 re p or t c ondu c te d by B o ome rang A l l iance, it w as st ate d t hat ; In t he c as e of matt re ss re c ove r y, it is app are nt t hat w h i l e op er ators cl ai m as mu ch as 7 5 % of a l l matt re ss e s are re c overe d for repro c essing , t he ove ra l l amou nt of matt re ss mate r i a l re c ycl e d may b e l e ss t han 4 0 % .

E N V I RON M E N TA L I M PAC T S Asid e f rom a d d ing to a g l ob a l waste probl e m and c ont r ibut i ng to cl imate change t h rou g h t he waste d e ne rg y and re s ou rc e s t hat we re put i nto pro du c ing t hem , matt re ss e s c an c aus e s e r i ous e nv i ron me nt a l har m w he n t he y bre a k d ow n i n l and f i l l.

The natu re of matt re ss e s c onst r u c t i on me ans t hat arou nd 4 2 % ( by weig ht – 80+ % by volu me ) of e a ch matt re ss is ma d e up of s y nt he tic l atex, text i l es and fo am, w h i ch b e c ome br itt l e du r i ng t he i r l i fe and bre a k up into m i c ro s c opi c f ibre s and nano pl ast i c dust du r i ng d is ass embly and sh re d d i ng . S ome matt re ss e s a ls o c ont ai n tox i c che mi c a ls l i ke f l ame ret ard ant s , for ma l d ehyd e, and pht ha l ate s d e spite b e i ng b anne d i n mo st c ou nt r i e s arou nd t he worl d.

When u nc ont rol l e d, t he s e mate r i a ls are s i g n i f i c ant he a lt h and env ironment a l ha zards and re du c e t he amou nt of mate r i a l a c tu a l ly rec ycl e d. When t he y end up i n l and f i l ls , t he s e che mi c a ls c an e as i ly l e a ch f rom t he matt ress es and c ont ami nate su r rou nd i ng s oi l and g rou ndwate r.

Henc e w hy we shou l d a lways k now w hat s i n ou r pro du c t s .

B o omer ang 's init i a l te st i ng i nd i c ate d t hat pro du c t i on l o ss e s c ou l d b e as mu ch as 20% of it s c onte nt s (by we i g ht ) du r i ng d is mant l i ng and sh re d d ing , resu lt ing in sig n i f i c ant ove r‐ e st i mat i ons re gard i ng re c ycl i ng rate s .

It a ls o ind ic ate d a hi g h p ote nt i a l for matt re ss re c ycl i ng to b e a p ote nt i a l ly maj or p ol lut ion p oi nt ( mai n ly w he n d is ass e mbly and sh re d d i ng o c c u r outd o ors ).

•

DI SP O S A L 1 in 10 matt ress es e nd t he i r l i fe v i a an u n l aw f u l me t ho d of d isp o s a l ; howe ver, it is p ossibl e t hat t he amou nt of i l l e ga l du mpi ng c ou l d b e f ar h i g he r.

Th is l e vel of i l l eg a l du mpi ng is one of t he h i g he st a c ro ss t he e nt i re w aste st re am he re i n Aust ra l i a . It is l i kely t hat t h is l e vel of du mping a ls o extends to c omme rc i a l re c ove r y op e rat i ons a d opt i ng a du mpi ng st rate g y [ 1 5 ]

www.rawassembly.com

.R AWASSEMBLY.

CONCER NED ABOUT C H E MICALS IN YOUR MATTRE SS? MANUFACTURERS OF PRODUCTS ARE

ORGAN IC MATTRESSES

SAF ER , AND THIS PRODUCT CATEGORY—THOUGH STILL N IC H E — IS

BUT

SUGGEST THAT THEI R

G ROW I NG .

DETERMINING WHETHER THESE MATTR E SSE S

ARE

PA RTIALLY OR COMPLETELY C HEMICA L- FR E E CAN BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DI FF E RE NT LABELS THAT MAKE VA RI OUS - C L A I M S MAKING EVERYTHING WE PURCHASE TODAY

HARDER TH A N EVER

16

A Soft Focus

MATTRESS PURCHASING CERTIFICATION GUIDE I ts no lo n ge r ju st about buy i ng a m attre s s f o r i ts c omfor t at a fai r a n d reason ab le pr i c e. As we b ec ome mo re

aware o f h ow p roducts a re b e i ng m ade, f ro m th e r aw mater i al s, th e dyes, to th e ch emi c al fi n i sh es, we start to re al i se th at i ts not ju st c lothi ng that we n eed to b e awa re of, i ts al l products th at su r rou n d u s in our ho mes a n d dai ly l ives.

We sp e n d on ave rage 8 hou r s s le epi ng o n ou r mattresses a n d a n aver age of 5 h ou r s a day si tti n g on our s o fas - th at’s 13 hou r s out o f 24 that we a re i n c lose proxi mi ty to potenti al ly h a r mfu l ch emi c al s.

Non- Negot i abl e C er t i f i c at i ons Top ( Non-negot i abl e) C er ti f i c ati ons On ly t wo matt ress l ab els pre c is ely me et t he most st r ingent qu a l if i c at i ons. C ombine t hos e w it h O eko-tex to k now you r pro du c t is s afe for b ot h you and t he env ironment .

• G l ob a l Organ i c Texti l e Stand ard ( G OT S ) GOT S re quires t hat at le ast 95 p ercent of t he mater i a ls in t he matt re ss b e cer t if ie d organic , and it proh ibit s out r ig ht t he us e of c e r t ai n sub st ances e ven for t he ot her 5 p erc ent , su ch as che mic a l f l ame ret ard ants and p oly u ret hane, t he ch ief ing re d ie nt of me mor y fo am.

• G l ob a l Organ i c L atex Stand ard ( G OL S ), for matt ress es t hat cont ain l atex.

GOLS is t he gold st and ard ensu r ing t hat a matt ress w it h l ate x is made of 95 p ercent organ ic l atex, w it h rest r ic t ions on t he ot he r 5 p e rce nt of t he matt ress’s comp onent s. It is b est to s e ek b ot h GOT S & GOLS l ab els w hen buy ing a Natu r a l -l atex matt re ss ; t h is ensu re s t hat no chemic a l fer t i l is ers have b e en us e d in t he are a of g rowt h for at le ast four ye ars, and it c omes f rom an F S C manage d forest, amongst ot he r f a c tors.

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O eko -Tex Stan d ard 100

Wh i le O eko-Tex St and ard 100 d o esn’t ensu re t hat a matt re ss’s f ibre is pro duce d organic a l ly, it d o es s et l im it s for t he emiss i on of har m f u l chemic a ls such as for ma l d ehyd e and ot her vol at i l e org an i c comp ounds (VO Cs) , w h ich are l in ke d to ozone, s mo g , re spi rator y i l lness es, and memor y imp air ment . It a ls o b ans t he us e of cer t ain chemic a l f l ame ret ard ant s, c ol ou r ant s, and a l l e rge n i c dyes .

O eko -Te x C l ass 1 is t he h ig hest r an k and c er t if ies t hat t he organ i c l atex matt ress is 10 0% s afe to sl e ep on, e ven for s ens it ive in fant s.

Ad diti ona l Va lu e C er tif i c ati ons The fol l ow ing four ad diti ona l cer tif i c ati ons are on ly s ome w hat me aning fu l b e c aus e most are more limite d than the l ab els ab ove and g ive you l ess prote c ti on. Sti l l, you may f ind a cer tif i c ate that ad dress es a p ar ti c u l ar concern, su ch as us e the of chemi c a l f l ame retard ants. None of thes e, howe ver, ad d ress the s ourcing of r aw materi a ls.

• C er t i P U R- U S Appl i e s on ly to t he p olyu re t hane fo am i n a matt re ss. Whi le ot he r st and ards , su ch as GOL S , b ar t h is fo am a lto ge t he r, C e rt i PU R- U S proh ibit s c e r t ai n subst anc e s t hat are i n many fo ams (su ch as p oly bromi nate d d iphe ny l e t he r, or PDBE , f l ame re t ard ant s ) and re qu i re s te st i ng for for ma l d ehyd e and ot he r che mi c a ls .

• Gre eng u ard R e qu i re s te st i ng of a f i n ishe d matt re ss for sp e c i f i c e mission l i mit s of for ma l d ehyd e and ot he r vol at i l e organ i c comp ounds.

(VO C s ) • Gre eng u ard G ol d Is e ve n more st r i nge nt i n re gards to e miss i on l i mits on t he ab ove VO C s .

• e c o- I N ST I T U T gu arante e s e ve r y matt re ss b e ar i ng t he i r l ab el c omplie s w it h t he st r i c te st re qu i re me nt s on p ol lut ant s and e miss i ons going f ar b e yond l e ga l st and ards as t he matt re ss f u l f i ls t he cr ite r i a of e c o - I NST I T U T- L ab el.

C auti on i s n e e d e d w h en purch asi ng .

T he D e p ar t me nt of Ag r i c u ltu re a l l ows t he te r m “organ ic” on matt re ss e s ( for i nst anc e, “ma d e w it h organ i c c otton” ) if on ly a p or t i on of t he c omp one nt s is c e r t i f i e d organ i c . O t he r c omp one nt s , i n f a c t , not on ly d on’t ne e d to b e organ ic but a ls o c an b e pro c e ss e d us i ng p ote nt i a l ly har mf u l che mi c a ls. It is e s s e nt i a l to ask qu e st i ons and buy GOT S , GOL S and O eko- Te x c e r t i f i e d pro du c t s and not organ i c w it h on ly t he b elow ce r t if i c at i on .

•

O rg an i c C ontent St an d ard 10 0

R e fe rs on ly to t he p e rc e nt age of c e r t i f i e d - organ i c mate r i a ls, not to t he pre s e nc e of f l ame re t ard ant s , VO C s , c ol ou rants, or dye s.

T h is a ls o me ans on ly a s ma l l p e rc e nt age of t he matt re ss mig ht b e ma d e of organ i c c onte nt : t he re fore, i f you are l o ok ing for organ i c c onte nt a lways , i ns ist on t he pro du c t b e i ng GOT S c e r t i f i e d.

Whi che ver mattress you buy, to re du ce your exp osure to p otenti a l ly harmfu l chemi c a ls, it is adv is e d to air it out for at l e ast 48 hours b efore using it; if you c an d o it for an extend e d p eri o d that’s e ven b etter. That prob ably me ans you’ l l have to disp os e of your ol d mattress yours elf (r ather than l etting the retai l er ta ke it away) un l ess you have a sp are b e dro om to us e in the me antime. You w i l l than k yours elf in th e l ong r un for d oing this. www.rawassembly.c o m 17

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Goal 11 Targets 11. 1 By 2030, ensure a cc ess for a l l to a d e qu ate, s afe and af ford able housing and b as ic s er v ices and upg r a d e slu ms 11. 2 By 2030, prov ide a cc ess to s afe, af ford abl e, a c cess ibl e and sust ainable t ransp or t sy stems for a l l, improv ing ro a d s afe t y, no t ably by ex p anding publ ic t r ansp or t , w it h sp e ci a l attent i on to t he ne e ds of t hos e in v u l ner abl e situ at ions, women, chi l d re n , p e rs ons w it h dis abi lit i es and ol d er p ers ons 11. 3 By 2030, en hance inclusive and sust ainabl e u r b an i z at i on and c ap acit y for p ar t icip ator y, integ r ate d and sust ainabl e hu man s e tt le ment pl anning and management in a l l cou nt r ies 11. 4 St rengt hen ef for t s to prote c t and s afeg u ard t he worl d’s c u l tu r a l and natura l her it age 11. 5 By 2030, sig nif ic ant ly re du c e t he nu mb er of d e at hs and t he numb er of p e ople af fe c te d and sub st ant i a l ly d e c re as e t he di re c t e conomic loss es rel at ive to g l ob a l g ross d omest i c pro du c t c aus e d by dis asters, inclu d ing w ater-rel ate d d is aste rs , w it h a fo c us on prote c t ing t he p o or and p e opl e in vu l ner abl e s itu at i ons 11. 6 By 2030, re duce t he a dvers e p er c apit a env ironme nt a l i mp ac t of cit ies , includ ing by p ay ing sp e c i a l attent ion to ai r qu a lit y and municip a l and ot her w aste management 11. 7 By 2030, prov ide u nivers a l a cc ess to s afe, inclusive and a cce ssible, g re en and publ ic sp a ces, in p ar t ic u l ar for wome n and ch i ld ren, older p ers ons and p ers ons w it h d is abi l it ies 11. A Supp or t p os it ive e conom ic , s o ci a l and env ironme nt a l l i n ks b e t we en urb an, p er i-ur b an and r u r a l are as by st reng t he n i ng nat i ona l and reg iona l de vel opment pl anning 11. B By 2020, sub st ant i a l ly inc re as e t he nu mb er of c it i e s and hu man s ett lements adopt ing and impl ement ing integ r ate d p ol ici e s and pl ans towards inclusion, res ou rc e ef f icienc y, m it i gat i on and ad apt at ion to climate change, resi l ience to d is asters , and de velop and implement , in l ine w it h t he S end ai Fr ame work for Dis aster R isk R e duc t ion 2015-2030, hol ist ic d is aster r isk man age ment at a l l le vels 11. C Supp or t le ast de vel op e d c ou nt r ies, inclu d ing t h rou g h f inanci a l and te chnic a l assist ance, in bu i l d ing sust ainabl e and resi li e nt bui ldings ut i lizing l o c a l mater i a ls 20

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Fact & Figures • Ha l f of hu man it y – 3 . 5 bi l l i on p e opl e – l ive s i n c it ie s to d ay and 5 bi l l i on p e opl e are proj e c te d to l ive i n c it i e s by 2030.

• 9 5 p e r c e nt of u rb an e x p ans i on i n t he ne x t d e c a d e s w i l l t a ke pl a c e i n d e vel opi ng worl d • 8 2 8 mi l l i on p e opl e l ive i n slu ms to d ay and mo st t he m are fou nd i n E aste r n and S out h - E aste r n As i a .

• T he worl d’s c it i e s o c c upy just 3 p e r c e nt of t he E ar t h’s l and, but a c c ou nt for 6 0 - 8 0 p e r c e nt of e ne rg y c onsu mpt i on and 75 p e r c e nt of c arb on e miss i ons .

• R api d u rb an i z at i on is e xe r t i ng pre ssu re on f re sh w ate r suppl i e s , s e wage, t he l iv i ng e nv i ron me nt , and publ i c he a lt h.

• C it i e s a c c ou nt for b e t we e n 6 0 and 8 0 p e r c e nt of e ne rg y consu mpt i on and ge ne rate as mu ch as 7 0 p e r c e nt of hu man - induce d g re e n hous e gas e miss i ons • 9 0 p e r c e nt of u rb an g rowt h is fore c aste d to happ en in Asi a and Af r i c a i n t he ne x t 3 0 ye ars .

• By 2 0 5 0 7 0 p e r c e nt of t he worl d p opu l at i on is pre dic te d to l ive i n u rb an s e tt l e me nt s .

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OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF MIND – the ethical dilemma of disposal.

By Tara Stringer

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Waste – discarded, unwanted or unusable materials of minor economic value.

There is nothing more freeing than decluttering a messy room, bringing cleanliness and order to disarray – and what better way to bring closure to a relationship than to dispose of all signs of that person from your home? The waste we generate is a by-product of modern human life and can elicit some powerful emotions, but how often do we stop and think about the ethical implications of disposal – or is it simply out of sight, out of mind?

As I write this, I’m preparing to relocate my family across the country to Western Australia. While I spend most of the time buzzing with excitement at the idea of a new adventure, the logistics required to get us there tends to quickly overshadow the enthusiasm. Sorting through our ‘take’ and ‘leave’ piles is overwhelming to say the least.

But what does it mean for the items we leave behind? As someone who actively works to minimise their environmental footprint, the thought of simply throwing items away that are clearly ‘loved’ but still have life in them isn’t a preferred option. And where exactly is away, anyway?

When we place items we no longer deem valuable into our bins or send them to charity with little thought, what happens once the item has left our hands (and is no longer our responsibility) is a complicated global process. From local landfill sites to offshore recycling locations, the waste created in Australia may find its way on a global 24

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tour via Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand.

Many factors impact the potential adventure our waste will embark on.

For example, the composition of the item will determine its final resting place. Plastics are challenging to reuse, as the infrastructure required to recycle them is not largely available, and even if they are recycled, there may not be a market for the processed material. Materials that can’t be processed onshore are often directed to landfill or sent abroard, to be out of sight, out of mind. With consumer scepticism towards recycling a growing issue, and strained geopolitical relations with our previous “away” locations, challenges with waste disposal are something governments, industry and consumers need to tackle collectively.

Population and economic growth coupled with unsustainable consumer behaviour means our waste production is growing exponentially.

Each year, the waste we generate is growing at twice the rate of the population. In Australia during 2018-19 we generated 76 million tonnes of waste, a 10% increase since 2016-17, with Australian households creating 12.4 million tonnes. We are buying more and, therefore, creating more waste. And that’s even before we take into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting from an enforced return to single-use packaging, increase in disposable PPE and shifts in behavioural patterns.

The idea of waste tends to elicit negative connotations. From wasting money to wasting time, the very idea of waste is generally not desirable, and the definition of waste highlights its lack of inherent value in society. So how do we change the perception of something society deems as valueless? The premise of the circular economy revolves around the concept of finding value in waste products and finding new ways to use old products, which extends their life and keeps them in the sys-

tem for longer – breaking the ‘buy, use, dispose’ cycle that feeds the capitalist beast we are all invested in. How do we shift the negative connotations we have of waste as being valueless, and create a new relationship with the items we dispose of?

You don’t need to drive too far to see a lonely mattress carelessly disposed of by the roadside or charity bin by its previous bed buddy, a once intimate relationship grown tired. Or bags of clothes, some unworn, piled high outside your local charity shop. With our own move looming, I’m facing an ever-larger leave pile with more questions than answers regarding the ethical implications of my disposal options.

When the Marie Kondo trend reached fever pitch and minimalism was in vogue, households worldwide ridded their lives of items that no longer ‘sparked joy’. But this trend of ‘living with less’ created a logistical nightmare for charities, resulting in a waste crisis and multiple calls to bring a stop to illegal dumping. A 2016 report by UnitingCare for the Queensland Government, revealed that charitable organisations in Australia spent over $13 million disposing of unusable donated items to landfill that year. And with the spike in donations during the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of people spending a lot more time at home, this cost to charities is sure to have grown.

So what can we do to reassess our relationship with waste? I recently conducted a study investigating consumer perceptions towards modern slavery and an interesting theme came to light: distance. The study focused on worker welfare concerns, touching on sustainability and the broader impact of consumption, but regardless of the topic, the issue was distance – the perceived distance between consumer and producer, from society to supply chain, from home to wherever is ‘away’ when we put our things in the bin. Waste management largely occurs out of sight and out of mind, therefore there is a perceived

distance between us and the waste we generate, a largely invisible system. It’s not only the materiality of the items we dispose of that we can distance ourselves from, it’s also the individual responsibility of our role in waste creation: “I put it in the bin, so I did my part”. Studies show we tend to favour or have higher levels of concern towards things we perceive as being close: think closely related, close friends, issues occurring close to our hearts. The old ‘not in my backyard’ trope very much applies in these circumstances!

Indigenous Australians lived waste free for over 60,000 years due to their deep and intimate connection to land and its resources – a relationship based on connectivity and closeness with nature and those who inhabit it. Like many of the solutions to modern problems we’ve created that we find ourselves seeking, maybe the answer is to go back and re-evaluate the relationship we have with the land and its resources. A 2017 study into the impact of negative emotions and food waste revealed that the participants experiencing higher negative emotions created a higher volume of food waste. These findings are relevant in a fashion context too, as studies reveal that clothing items with positive associations – clothes that are loved – are more likely to be cared for, therefore extending their life. When we view waste in a negative light and lacking in any inherent value, we fail to see any material value that may remain.

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There are some circumstances when we are unable to distance ourselves from the waste we are generating, when simply throwing it away isn’t the easy (or available) option. As an added complication of our move to Western Australia, my partner has been in compulsory quarantine, twice! Living in hotel quarantine, with no systems to sort recycling from rubbish or compost food scraps, combined with an increasing reliance on convenience, he has become increasingly aware of the volume of waste he has created during his two-week stay. He has been forced to face it and, in doing so, has become acutely aware of the impact his actions are having. Our relationship with waste shifts when we are no longer able to distance ourselves from our personal responsibility.

While there is no perfect solution (yet), reducing overall consumption is a good start. Additionally, there are many countries and local enterprises taking some great steps in the right direction. As someone who has a keen interest in waste, when travelling I’ve actively investigated how other countries manage theirs. When living in Switzerland, I noticed waste management systems are an interesting combination of national policies and citizen action. Efforts largely lie in discouraging the use of non-recyclable items through a taxed bag system – all non-recyclables can only be disposed of in locally issued bags at a relatively high price, while recycling is free (trust me when I say if you don’t use the correct bag they will stick a note on your rubbish and leave it at the entry to your home, if your neighbour doesn’t mention something first).

A great example closer to home is Netwaste, a voluntary regional waste group in New South Wales. They recently ran an advertising campaign bringing the issue closer to home by putting a face to the people who sort the recycling, and having them ask the local Mudgee community to consider what goes into their recycling bin, reminding them that someone from their area will be sorting it by hand. Tackling the mountain of disposed mattresses is Soft 26

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Landing, a social enterprise turning old mattresses into underlay, mulch and metal roofing, and let’s not forget the joy of finding a special treasure during the council curb side clean-up, a perfect example of seeing value where others see waste.

Maybe the solution lies in onshore waste management; maybe it’s a levy that takes into account the true cost of the items businesses create, including the ease of disposal; or maybe we need some gentle reminders at the cash register of the true impact of the item we are about to purchase, from cradle to grave. Regardless of how we decide to tackle the waste issue we face, regardless of the solutions we propose, it all starts with acknowledging we have an issue and challenging ourselves to see value in the items that we own – material and emotional – because at the end of the day, ‘away’ doesn’t really exist.

"Indigenous Australians lived waste free for over 60,000 years due to their deep and intimate connection to land and its resources"

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LATEX natural rubber is a renewable and biodegradable resource. it is used to make bedding and pillows.

Rubber trees can provide rubber serum for up to 30 years and the resulting latex is firm and bouncy, which will eventually biodegrade without releasing toxins into the environment at the end of the product life.

FSC certified natural latex is produced with materials from responsibly managed forests and provides the opportunity for complete transparency and traceability throughout the whole process.

Natural latex offers several outstanding advantages, being highly elastic and flexible. According to sleep specialists, latex pillows provide appropriate support during sleep and ensure excellent ventilation of surplus moisture. Latex is naturally antimicrobial, resists mildew, and doesn't harbour dust mites, so it's suitable for people with asthma or non-latex allergies.

Please note however that natural latex is frequently combined with synethtic latex to create the final product. So when purchasing always look for 'Organic Natural Latex'. See our mattress buying guide on page 17 and feature on natural latex - page 38 Expected Life-cycle: 10 years

SEIDE N TRA U M P EA T F I B R E S S e i n d t rau m ha s been r efi ni ng p e at f i b re s an d t urnin g them into lightw e i ght, w arm an d m oisture abso r bing b e d d i ng . The i n n e r wadding is ma de f ro m the p e at f ib r es, an d the o uter shel l i s p e ac e s i l k cr e at ing a new lux ur y in b e d d i ng.

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C OCO HAIR R OPE Coconut fibre is very tough yet also elastic. The fibre hardly deteriorates at all over time and naturally adapts to the human body. The fibre is collected from both the co c o n u t h u s k s a n d h o r s e h a i r a n d i s u s e d b y t o p -q u a li t y b e d d i n g m a n u f a c t u r e r s a n d u p h o l s t e r e r s t o p r ovide their products with greater durability and comfort.

T h e s e m a n u f a c t u r e r s u s e h a i r i n b o t h d i v a n s a n d m a tt r e s s e s w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l ‘ h a n d -m a d e ’ p r o d u c t i o n t e c hniques. CocoHair combines the two.

Use: Mattresses

P E AT P e at i s an a c c u m u l a t i o n o f p a r t i a l l y d e c a y e d v e g e t a b l e m a t t e r and re s ul t s i n a s o f t b r o w n m a s s w i t h a 50% c a r b o n c o n t e n t . P e a t f o rm s i n we t l a n d s c a l l e d p e a t l a n d s . P e a t d e p o s i t s a r e t h e f i r s t s tag e i n th e f o r m a t i o n o f c o a l d e p o s i t s . U p o n d r y i n g , p e a t c a n b e us e d as a f u e l a n d i s t r a d i t i o n a l l y u s e d f o r c o o k i n g a n d d o m e s t i c he ati ng i n m a n y c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g Ir e l a n d a n d S c o t l a n d , w h e r e s tac k s o f d r y i n g p e a t d u g f r o m t h e b o g s c a n s t i l l b e s e e n i n s o m e rural are a s . P e a t i s a l s o d u g i n t o t h e s o i l t o i n c r e a s e t h e m a t t e r ’ s c ap ac i ty to r e t a i n m o i s t u r e a n d a d d n u t r i e n t s .

P e at f i re s a l s o d r y m a l t e d b a r l e y f o r u s e i n S c o t c h w h i s k y d i s t i l l ati o n; Thi s g i v e s S c o t c h i t s d i s t i n c t i v e s m o k y f l a v o u r , o f t e n r e f e r r e d to as “p e a t i n e s s ” b y S c o t c h a f i c i o n a d o s . P e a t c a n a l s o b e u s e d t o p uri f y the a i r a n d r e m o v e o d o u r s , a n d t o d a y i s b e i n g u s e d i n t e xti l e s , i nc l u d i n g w a d d i n g .

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Natural Fill Materials Pillows, Duvets & Wadding H O R SE HA I R Horsehair has been used in bedding since the early 1800s. The inclusion of horsehair in a mattress helps to get moisture out of the mattress. Unlike other materials which can soak up water like a sponge.

Part of this is thanks to the hollow strands of the hair which help with the ventilation of the mattress

BUCKWHEAT PILLOWS pillows are filled with buckwheat hulls, which feel very different to standard pillow stuffing. Buckwheat pillows offer excellent air circulation, helping to keep your head cool and offer flexibility in terms of pillow thickness, as the hulls can be added or removed as desired. They have proved to be a big hit with people with neck and back problems as they provide moulded support.

Buckwheat hulls are a bi-product of milling, and the hulls are naturally pesticide-free and hypoallergenic. These hulls do not flatten or hide dust mites, meaning that these pillows can last a decade or more and are excellent for allergy sufferers.

Pillows that are filled with hulls can be a little 'crunchy', so most pillow manufacturers add and organic wool or cotton outer layer to muffle the sound. At the end of a pillow's natural lifecycle, the hulls can be used as fill for other household items such as chairs or footstools or as mulch, especially for roses, making sure nothing goes to waste.

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MILLET PILLOWS pillows are similar to buckwheat; only the hulls are smaller and circular. This means that millet pillows tend to be a little smoother, softer, and less noisy than buckwheat pillows.

As with buckwheat, to care for a millet pillow, you can empty the hulls onto a baking tray to air them out while you wash the casing.

COIR OR COCONUT FIBRE is fibre from the husk of coconuts. Among other uses, it is used as a natural bedding material. Generally, coir is used in the middle and upper layers of mattresses to provide support or responsive softness by adding more or less material density.

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WOOL naturally wicks moisture away from your skin, so wool pillows are excellent for maintaining a constant temperature. A fluffy, breathable, organic wool pillow will help you stay cool on summer nights while keeping you warm and cosy in winter.

TEXEL SHE windy and duce a uni high crinkl lanolin con Texel wool and longer harvested without de mal. Each s producing wool. The s on land tha agriculture from chem pesticides.

Wool is also naturally resistant to mould, and mildew has natural flame-retardant and antimicrobial qualities, and is resistant to dust mites, making it a great option for allergy sufferers.

Wool is also being used within mattresses as wadding/ fill, pillow fill and bedding itself.

THE RED SILK COTTON TREE OR SIMAL, Salmalia malabarica, is a huge ornamental tree. It supplies reddish floss known as Indian Kapok that has been important as a stuffing in India for centuries. A large percentage of Indian tufted mattresses are filled with Kapok, making them 100% natural and biodegradable at the end of their life-cycles

KAPOK If you haven’t yet heard of kapok, you’re in for a treat. This silky fibre harvested from the seed pods of tropical trees called Ceiba pentandra. Also known as Java cotton, Kava kapok, silk-cotton, Samauma, or ceiba, kapok is significantly lighter than cotton, feels very similar to down, and is wonderfully sustainable.

Natural Fi Pillows, D

In the right conditions, the kapok tree can grow up to 13 feet in a year, and some trees reach over 160 feet high, forming the canopy of a rainforest. Kapok fibres are harvested from seed pods once the rainy season finishes. This means that the trees do not need to be chopped down or harmed in any way to get the fibres. They are then dried naturally in the sun, and then the fibres themselves are harvested and cleaned using only compressed air. The kapok fibres are ready to be used in homewares and bedding immediately – thanks to their non-toxic and untreated nature, kapok is ideal for allergy sufferers and those who wish to enjoy a healthier and more sustainable sleep.

Kapok cultivation does not require pesticides and may help maintain important ecosystems while providing good jobs for workers in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, tropical West Africa and Asia.

Kapok is a natural alternative to down feather. It is hypoallergenic, resistant to mould, and dries quickly.

FLAX FIBRES are amongst the oldest fibre crops in the world. Flax fibre is extracted from the bast or skin of the stem of the flax plant. Flax fibre is natural, soft, lustrous, flexible and biodegradable. Flax, also known as common flax or linseed (Binomial name: Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae and has also been used for centuries in the production of mattresses and Upholstery.

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EEP have adapted to a very harsh environment to proique, long wool fibre with a le factor and high natural ntent. Products made from are softer, thicker, warmer, r-lasting. Dutch Texel wool is from a sustainable source etriment or harm to the anisheep is shorn every spring, about 11lbs of high-quality sheep are raised organically at has never been used for e and has been protected micals such as fertilizers and

CASHMERE WOOL, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fibre obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and other breeds of goat.

Common usage defines the fibre as wool, but it is finer, stronger, lighter, softer and approximately three times more insulating than sheeps wool.

Kashmir goats are primarily raised in Mongolia, but many are bred in Iran, Tibet, India and China.

Cashmere is being used in luxury Mattresses and in upholstery

ill Materials Duvets & Wadding

CAMEL FIBRE is obtained from the two-humped Bactrian Camel often found in Eastern Europe and Asia; the luxurious soft camel wool fibre is collected from the soft underbelly of the camel during the warm summer months. Naturally, as a material designed by nature to protect camels from extremes of heat and cold in a wild environment, camel wool offers outstanding insulating properties, is soft and very comfortable to the skin.

SISAL Traditionally, sisal has been the leading material for agricultural twine because of its strength, durability, ability to stretch, an affinity for certain dyestuffs, and resistance to deterioration in saltwater. Today, sisal can be found in the speciality paper, filters, geotextiles, mattresses, carpets, wall coverings and dartboards.

Sisal fibre is obtained from Agave sisalana, a native of Mexico. The hardy plant grows well in various hot climates, including dry areas unsuitable for other crops.

Today It is also used in Mattresses and Upholstery wadding.

IXTLE, also known as Tampico, is a very resistant material with a very fine, delicate and smooth texture. It has abrasive qualities, which make it ideal for polishing, and it retains its qualities and smoothness over time while other fibres become rigid and lose their quality.

Tampico fibre is made from a plant unique to the semi-desert areas of northern Mexico, the "Agave Lechugilla". It has been exported for centuries all over the world to manufacture cords and ropes or to create a filler in brushes, scrubs and brooms for industrial and personal use. It's also used in Mattresses and Upholstery.

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Versatility of Coir C oi r is co conut f ibre, a natu r a l sub st anc e ext r a c te d f rom t he husk of c o c onut s . B e t we e n t he hard c ove r i ng and t he i nter na l st r uc ture of t he shel l is t h is f ibrous mater i a l t hat c an b e us e d for a v ar i e t y of pro du c t s onc e har veste d.

D e p ending on t he age and r ip eness of t he co c onut , di f fe re nt st y l e s of c oi r for m. Brow n c oi r is us e d i n matt i ng and is har veste d f rom r ip e c o c onut s, w h i l e w h ite C oi r c ome s f rom u n r ip e c o c onut s and is l e ss st rong t han brow n C oir. White C oir is usu a l ly spu n into y ar n, w h i ch c an t he n b e wove n i nto mat s or t w iste d i nto t w i ne or rop e s.

Si nce ancient t imes , C oir has b e en us e d to ma ke rop es and c ords . T he i r wate r pro of natu re a l l owe d t he m to b e us e d for ships , esp e ci a l ly sinc e it is one of t he fe w f ibre s re s ist ant to s a lt wate r. As t i me pro g re ss e d, C oi r was shap e d and ad apte d to b e us e d for f l o or ing , br ushes, upholste r y and matt re ss p a d d i ng , s a cks and t he pre ve n t i on of s oi l erosion by using C oir d er ive d ge otext i l es.

As C oir is pl ant-b as e d, it ma kes an exc el l ent matt re ss mate r i a l for anyone l o ok i ng for a non - s y nt he t i c or non -anima l-hair pro du c t t hat c an help cre ate f ir m supp or t and re s i l i e nc e i n a matt re ss . Howe ve r, mo st p e opl e have n't e ven he ard of it .

It has b e en us e d in matt ress es since 1859 w hen James D ar rag h , an Ir ish b or n Ame r i c an nat i ona l f i rst s e t up a C oi r manuf ac tur ing indust r y in A l l epp e y, Ker a l a , Ind i a . T h is s aw t he st ar t of a pi one e r i ng e f for t for c oi r matt re ss es in Indi a and t he rest of t he worl d.

To d ay, in Europ e and Asi a , brow n coir mat s are f re que nt ly spraye d or i n f us e d w it h l ate x r ubb e r ( r ubb e r is e d C oi r) for p adding in matt ress es or automobi l e upholste r y. T h is help s t he f ibre s b ond to ge t he r and ma ke t he matt ress more st r uc tu r a l and resi l ient . In most c as es, e sp e c i a l ly i n matt re ss p a d d i ng , natu ra l organ i c D u n l op l ate x is us e d to ensure t hat t he pro du c t s are s afe for hu mans and t he e nv i ron me nt .

Wit h t he r is e of vegan ism a cross t he worl d, t he issu e w it h t he maj or it y of Ve gan matt re ss e s is re t ai l e rs are p assi ng of f che ap er sy nt het ic mo d els as Veg an-f r iend ly as t he y are e nt i rely hu man - ma d e. Howe ve r, just b e c aus e you are Vegan, you shou l d n't have to s ett l e for che ap e r s y nt he t i c upholste r y t hat c an b e tox i c and non - e nv iron ment a l ly f r iend ly.

Wit h t he r is e of p e opl e l o ok ing for pl ant -b as e d a lter nat ive s to an i ma l f ibre s or s y nt he t i c fo ams , C oi r c an b e an e xcel lent a lter nat ive, esp e c i a l ly w hen consid er ing w hat w i l l happ e n to you r matt re ss w he n you no l onge r ne e d it.

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O ther us es for co conut w a ste : Wit h ne w te chnolog y and f ibre innovat ion, we are s e e i ng c omp a n i e s su ch as Nanol los e de vel oping ne w cel lu l os e f ibres f rom c o c onut w aste, prov iding us w it h u niqu e a lter nat ives to wo o d -d er ive d mate r i a ls. Par t ner ing w it h Birl a, b as e d in Ind i a , Nanol l os e has a c c e ss to v ast amou nt s of co conut waste to us e as t heir fe e dsto ck for t he i r f utu re text i le st re am.

The y are st i l l in t heir de vel opment st age but hop e to b e pro du c i ng f ibre s at s c a le w it hin t he next fe w ye ars.

O t he r i n nov at ions worldw id e inclu d e a lter nat ive p a ck ag ing s olut i ons to si ng le -us e pl ast ics t hrou g h to c omp anies using C oir to c re ate st rong ye t bi o de g rad able shipping p a l ettes.

C o cop a lette has des ig ne d and c re ate d a sust ainabl e s olut i on to us e w aste co conut shel ls to ma ke sh ipping p a l ettes. The D utch c omp a ny de ci d e d to ma ke bio deg r a d abl e p a l l et s t hat are st ronge r, che ape r and more sust ainable t han wo o de n or pl ast ic p a l lets. More ove r, t he y b elie ve t hat t he proj e c t is e noug h to stop t he fel l ing of a lmo st 200 mi l lion t re es p er ye ar. Un li ke t radit iona l wo o d en p a l le t s, co co p a l lets don't have sy nt he t i c binders adde d, ma k ing t he m f u l ly bio deg rad able at t he e nd of t heir us ef u l life. C o co p a l le t s c an t hen b e mi l le d d ow n as mu lch , w hich c an b e us e d as hors e b e dding mu lch or us e d as a subst itute for hig h qu a lit y and natu ra l s oi l improver.

The p a lettes are a ls o natu r a l ly ter m ite, moisture and f i re -re sist ant.

The comp any pu rchas e s t he waste husks d i re c t ly f rom t he co conut f ar me rs, cre at ing addit iona l i ncome and s olv ing t he massive w aste issu e s co conut f ar mers ne e d to ove rcome.

C o conut s cle arly pl ay a v it a l role i n t he f uture of resi l ient and bi o d eg rad able pro duc t s.

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Cultu ral Nests What can we learn from other cultures?

Jap an If you’ve e ver st aye d in a t rad it iona l Jap anes e b e d ro om on you r t ravels , you’ l l b e f ami li ar w it h t he c ustom of sl e eping on t he f l o or, on top of a pre cis ely ar range d c ombinat ion of c ush ions and mat s .

For many generat ions , Jap anes e p e opl e have sl ept on t he f l o or rat he r t han i n Wester n-st y le b e ds. Th is is a prou d p ar t of Jap ane s e c u ltu re and t r adit ion t hat has su r v ive d into mo d er n t imes and w i l l not change any t ime s o on.

At t he b ottom is a t at ami mat , fol l owe d by a Sh i k if uton ( f uton or matt re ss) and a ka kebuton ( t he duvet ) , and topp e d of f w it h a bu ckw he at hu l l pi l low.

Tat amis are s of t mats mad e f rom r ic e st r aw f i l l and a r ush g rass c ove r. The y were t radit iona l ly us e d as f l o or ing t h rou g hout Jap ane s e home s, but to d ay t he y’re pr imar i ly fou nd in a d esig nate d t at ami ro om , w h i ch is most of ten us e d for sl e eping . Tat am i mat s c an a ls o b e rol le d up dur ing t he d ay w hen not in us e and rol l e d b a ck out at n i g ht , a l low ing t he ro om to b e us e d as anot her f u nc t ion du r i ng t he d ay. May b e s omet hing we w i l l a l l embr a ce in t he f utu re as home s b e come sma l ler?

T he s e cond comp onent in t he Jap anes e sl e ep sy stem is t he Sh i k i f uton ( or sh i k ibuton). T hes e are t h in matt ress es ( t y pic a l ly t h re e or fou r i nche s t h i ck) made f rom l ayers of c otton f i l l tu cke d insid e a c otton c ove r. A Jap anes e f uton is mu ch t h inner t han it s Wester n c ou nte rp ar t – it te nds to b e ab out t h re e or fou r inches t h ick , as opp o s e d to “matt re ss” t hick ness .

A ka ke f uton (or ka kebuton) is a t r a d it iona l Jap anes e duvet . It’s t ypic a l ly f i l le d w it h s i l k f ibres , w h ich help ret ain and spre a d he at e ve n ly, and are a ls o hyp o-a l lergenic and in hospit abl e to dust m ites.

T he f i na l comp onent of t he t r a d it iona l Jap anes e sl e ep sy ste m is t he buckw he at (s ob a kawa) hu l l pi l l ow. Thes e pi l l ow s are mad e f rom an i n ne r c as e f i l le d w it h t horou g h ly w ashe d ( and usu a l ly organ i c ) buckw he at hu l ls and an outer sl e e ve. The inner c omp ar t me nt has a h id d e n zipp er t hat ma kes it e asy to a d d or remove bu ckw he at hu l ls to a djust t he f ir mness and com for t l e vel of t he pi l l ow. Buckw he at hu l ls a ls o a l low air to circ u l ate t h rou g hout t he pi l l ow, ke epi ng t he sur face co ol.

T he Jap ane s e sle eping s ystem is k now n to prov id e b etter circ u l at i on , re du ce d b ack and mus cle p ain, and b etter spina l a l ig nment . T he mater i a ls us e d are natura l, non -toxic, bio d eg r a d abl e and c ome f rom rene wable s ources. Jap an, t he refore, d o es not f a c e t he s ame matt re ss w aste cr is e s of t he West. At t he end of a pro du c t l ife c ycl e, w hat is no longe r ne e de d and has not b e en reus e d or re c ycl e d into ot he r pro d u c t s w i l l bi o deg rade natura l ly, l e av ing no t r a ce.

In re ce nt ye ars , we have s e en a t r ansit ion to l iv ing a m inima l l i fest y l e. Pe rhaps ret hin k ing w hat we pu rchas e t he next t ime we have to change ou r matt ress es is t he next big t h ing .

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Ind i a The char p ai or manji a is a t r a d it iona l Ind i an b e d and is mai n ly us e d i n war m are as and c ons ist s of a wo o den f rame b order ing a s et of k notte d rop es.

It s ne t is made out of cotton, natu r a l f ibres and d ate l e ave s . It is a s i mpl e d e s i g n t hat is e as y to const r u c t. T here are many inter pret at ions of t he t r a d it iona l d e s i g n , and ove r t he ye ars c raf t sp e ople have innov ate d w it h t he we ave p atter ns and mater i a ls us e d.

The we ave is cre ate d in a var iet y of w ay s, e.g . a d i agona l c ro ss - we ave w it h one e nd l e f t for adjust ments as line ar st r ing s, w h ich helps c ont rol t he s ag g i ng of t he b e d as it age s w it h us e.

Tr ad it i ona l ly char p ai were ma d e out of a wo o d en f r ame and c otton rop e s , but mo d e r n char p ais may have met a l f rames and are s a d ly ma d e w it h pl ast ic t ap e s .

S out h Ame r i c a In S out h and C ent ra l Amer ic a , p e opl e sl e ep in ham mo ck s ma d e of t w i ne, rop e, or cl ot h .

The hammo ck was de velop e d in S out h Amer ic a du r ing t he Pre - C ol ombi an E ra ; now, it’s st i l l us e d by many nat ive Mexic an and Vene zu el an p opu l at ions to sl e e p. Usu a l ly, t he hammo cks are handmade, and you c an f ind t hem in a mu lt itu d e of f abr ic s and shap e s and are l ove d t he worl d over.

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How Natural Organic Latex is Made Natura l l atex c omes f rom t he m i l ky s ap har veste d f rom t he r ubb e r t re e (He ve a Bras i l i e ns is ) . Rubb e r t re e s are b e lie ve d to or ig inate f rom Br a zi l but were pl ante d worl dw i d e and are now mai n ly fou nd i n t he t ropi c s of S out h E ast Asi a and Af r ic a . Cu r rent ly t he maj or it y of natu ra l l ate x c ome s f rom Sr i L an ka .

Natura l l atex c onsist s of r ubb er p ar t icl es, w ater and a s ma l l qu ant it y of re s i ns , su gar and ash . D u e to it s h i g h el ast icit y, it’s us e d to ma ke r ubb er and ot her rel ate d pro du c t s su ch as sho e s , b a l l o ons , g l ove s , matt re ss e s and many more. L atex is one of t he b est natu r a l mater i a ls to ma ke matt re ss e s b e c aus e of it s i nt r i ns i c chara c te r ist i c s of b e i ng el ast ic, ant i-mic robi a l and mou l d resist ant .

I m age : N at ur al L at e x b e i ng har v e st e d

In an env ironment a l ly c ons cious worl d, it a lw ays s e e ms to b e a go o d i d e a to buy e ve r yt h i ng natu ra l. S o i f you are eit her in t he matt ress business, pl anning to b e, or hu nt i ng for a ne w matt re ss , e ve r yt h i ng we have d is c ove re d in res e arching t his e d it ion p oint s tow ards Natu r a l O rgan i c L ate x matt re ss e s as t he b e st opt i on , e sp e c i a l ly i f you are vegan or t r y ing to avoid anima l pro du c t s. Un li ke c onve nt i ona l spr i ng matt re ss e s on t he marke t , natu ra l organic l atex matt ress es are bio d eg r a d abl e at t he end of t he i r l i fe c ycl e.

DI RT Y SE C R E T S B efore you dive into org anic l atex, l i ke a l l indust r i e s , we have d is c ove re d t hat t he natu ra l l ate x matt re ss worl d has a s e cret. Organ ic natu r a l l atex matt ress es are t he re a l d e a l for ma x i mu m e c o - f r i e nd l i ne ss and t he b e st g re e n opt i on w hen buy ing l atex pro du c t s. O rg anic l atex matt re ss e s are 1 0 0 % natu ra l and c e r t i f i e d t hat t he l ate x has c ome f rom an FSC forest and is s afe f rom toxic chem ic a ls - but not e ve r y natu ra l l ate x matt re ss is organ i c .

Organic l atex matt ress es have a g u ar ante e d s e a l of e nv i ron me nt a l approv a l s o you c an b e su re t hat you r b e d is f re e of human-ma d e pro du c t s and chem ic a ls. Natu ra l l ate x matt re ss e s are a ls o av ai l abl e on t he marke t , w h i ch is manipu l ate d w it h sy nt het ic l atex to cre ate a w i d e r v ar i e t y of f i r mne ss , w h i ch is u n for tu nately w he re g re e nwashing in t he matt ress indust r y o c c u rs.

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HOW I T S M A DE St ar t i ng in FSC manage d r ubb er t re e pl ant at ions, r ubb er t app e rs st r ip a t h in l ayer of b ark of f ha l f w ay arou nd t he t re e, ab out 0 . 8 4 c m d e e p, to rele as e t he l atex and c ol l e c t it in c ups, t a k ing arou nd 6 hou rs.

A l arge amount of l atex is ne e d e d to ma ke a k ing matt ress . It requ i re s at le ast one d ay’s output of 12 a cres of r ubb er t re es. It’s i mp or t ant to note here t hat har vest ing t he s ap d o es not har m t he t re e and af te r t he s ap is col le c te d, t he t re e b ark he a ls qu ick ly.

The t re e s c an y ield l atex m i l k for up to 25-30 ye ars and l ive up to 1 0 0 ye ars. Af ter t heir l atex pro du cing ye ars, t he t re es are fel l e d to b e us e d for ot her pur p os e s su ch as f u r nitu re and ne w t re es are repl ante d 1 . Har ve st ing - The l atex m i l k har veste d by t apping t he s ap 2 . Tr ansp or te d f rom t he pl ant at ions to t he matt ress f a c tor y 3 . C ol le c t ion - The s ap is c ombine d b efore pro c essing 4 . Mi xi ng - T he l atex mi l k for mu l at ion is w h ipp e d w it h air to for m t he fo am .

5 . For m - l atex is adde d to a for m .

6 . B a ke - The fo am for ms are p ou re d into sp e c i a l ly d esig ne d ove ns to b e vu lc anis e d or s imply b a ke d to s ol id if y t he fo am .

The re are t wo f amous pro du c t ion pro cess es for ma k ing l ate x fo am for matt ress es ; D un lop and Ta l a l ay. B ot h involve w h ippi ng up r ubb e r s ap into f rot h and ste am b a k ing it .

The Ta l a l ay pro cess us es t h re e st ages, cl os e d -mou l d pre - v a c u u m mou lding , fol lowe d by f re e zing using c ar b on d ioxid e to c re ate u n i for m bubble ge omet r y and l ast ly, vu l c anis at ion, w hereby t he fo am is l o cke d into a unifor m bubbl e d ist r ibut ion. Th is pro c e ss us e s a lot more energ y w it h w hat s ome s ay is l itt l e g ain, w h i ch is s ome t h i ng to consider w hen cho osing an env ironment a l ly f r i e nd ly matt re ss.

The D u n lop pro duc t ion pro cess a l l ow s d if ferent sizes of mou l d ne e d e d to cre ate t he des ire d d imensions and shap es, w here as Ta l a l ay ’s mou ld sizes tend to b e l im ite d. Wit h t he Ta l a l ay met ho d, sp e ci f i c matt ress s izes ne e d to b e manu f a c tu re d out of sma l l e r bl o cks g lu e d to get her. D un lop matt ress es are gener a l ly d ens er t han Ta l a -

l ay, w h i ch ma ke s t he m a bit f i r me r, he av i e r and more dur able and is t he more c ommon ly us e d pro c e ss .

7 . Wash - T he pro du c t s are t a ke n out f rom t he ove n and washe d 8 . D r y i ng - T he pro du c t s are d r i e d to re move t he e xce ss wate r.

9 . Te st - pro du c t s are t he n te ste d for qu a l it y 1 0 . - Fi n ish - T he f i n ishe d pro du c t s are re a dy to b e s e nt to store s, c ustome rs and home s .

C arb on Fo otprint E a ch of us pro du c e s ab out 2 4 tons of C arb on D i oxide (C O² ) p e r ye ar by d r iv i ng , us i ng e ne rg y at home or buy i ng oi l- b as e d pro du c t s , t he reby c ont r ibut i ng to g l ob a l war mi ng . O ne way of re duci ng ou r c arb on fo otpr i nt is by pl ant i ng t re e s . Tre es ab s or b C O² f rom t he ai r. S ome t re e s abs orb more t han ot he rs .

He ve a Bras i l i e ns is , t he t re e w h i ch pro du c e s natur a l l ate x , is among t he mo st e c ol o g i c a l t re e s i n t he worl d. A s i ng le He ve a t re e abs orbs ab out 1 . 8 tons of C O ² i n it s l i fe t i me, s i mi l ar to a r ain fore st t re e. Gl ob a l ly, a l l l ate x pl ant at i ons to ge t he r of fs e t 90 mi l lion tons of C O ² p e r ye ar, w h i ch is g re at for ou r pl ane t .

O t h er L atex Matt re ss e s.

O t he r l ate x and fo am matt re ss e s on t he marke t are made of nat u ra l and s y nt he t i c bl e nds . Sy nt he t i c l ate x is c re ate d f rom t he p o ly me r is at i on of p e t rol e u m, w h i ch us e s f i n ite re s ource s and rel e as e s che mi c a ls and tox i ns i nto t he ai r, w he n i n ha le d by t he matt re ss pro du c e rs and ow ne rs . T he s e matt re ss e s c an not bio deg ra d e and are not re c ycl e d, re su lt i ng i n t he m s itt i ng in our l and f i l ls for ye ars and c ont r ibut i ng to g l ob a l war mi ng and p ol lut ion of t he bi o - sphe re.

Bu y C aref u l l y : A lways ask que st i ons and ma ke sure you s e e t he ce r t i f i c at i ons you ne e d, not w hat t he s a lesp ers on wants to tel l you.

If you de ci de to buy an organic l atex matt re ss, it is go o d to ma ke sure it is f rom a re co g nis e d brand or supplier.

It shou l d b e ce r t i f i e d to conf ir m t hat t he l ate x i n your matt re ss w as not f rom a pl ant at i on g row n on a de fore ste d rai nfore st.

Anot he r t h i ng to l o ok out for is t he O eko -Te x ce r t i f i c at i on. O eko- Tex C l ass 1 is t he h i g he st ran k and ce r t i f i e s t hat t he org ani c l atex matt re ss is 1 0 0 % s afe to sle ep on, e ve n for s e nsit ive i nf ants.

Howe ve r, s ome p e opl e are a l lerg ic to natura l l ate x , s o it’s b e st to k now if you are b e fore purchasi ng a organicnatura l l ate x matt re ss.

We a l l have to l o ok af te r t he world we l ive i n.

If you are buy i ng a l ate x matt ress, buy a 'org ani c natura l l atex' matt ress i nste ad of a natura l l ate x on ly or sy nt he t i c one. Th is helps supp or t t hat re sp onsibi l it y.

Image: Natur al L at e x b e i ng har v e st e d & c ol l e c t e d

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SIG N I F IC A N C E TO H UM A N S Fi rst dis c overe d by t h e an c i ent Ol m e c , May a, an d Az te c , the l atex s ap f rom the r ubb er t re e wa s on c e u s e d to m a ke r ubb er b a l l s , to water pro of cl othe s , and e ven form h om em ad e sh o e s . To d ay, t h e l atex s ap f rom the r ubb er tre e is st i l l u s e d i n t h e mo d er n pro c e ssi ng of r ubb er and is of ten a substanti a l s ource of i nc om e for in d i gen ou s p opu l at i ons .

DI D YOU K N OW ?

Hi stori c a l ly, c att l e r an ch er s an d r ubb er t app er s h ave dis ag re e d over the r i g ht s to cl e ar forest l an d. Cutt i ng d ow n t h e fore st is d e trim enta l to the sp e ci es t h at d ep end on t h at l an d an d d am ag i ng to the p e opl e w ho e arn a l i v ing by su st ai nably h ar ve st i ng w h at t h e fore st prov i d e s . Many indigenou s p e opl e rely on t h es e s ou rc e s of i n c om e to prov i d e for their f am i l i e s and commun it i es .

C hi co Mend es , a Br a zi l i an r ubb er t app er, b e c am e fam ou s w hen he org aniz e d t h e Nat i ona l C ou n c i l of Rubb er Tapp er s i n Br a z i l to help prote st agai nst t h e cl e ar-c utt i ng of l an d for c att l e g r az i ng. T han k s to his ef for ts , the uni on g ai ne d t h e supp or t of t h e Br az i l i an governm ent and s e t a si d e cr u ci a l “ext r a c t i ve res er ve s” w it h i n Br az i l. T h e s e re s er ve s a l l ow for the sust ai nabl e h ar vest of go o ds , su ch as r ubb er or nuts , and prote c t ag ainst the cl e ar-c utt i ng of t re e s . In 1988, C h i c o Men d e s wa s mu rd ere d for his work to c re ate ext r a c t ive re s er ve s an d prote c t t h e r ainfore st . His ef for ts h ave b e en c arri e d on by h i s c owor ker s an d supp or ters a cross the worl d. [12]

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Y

ou might be asking what balloons have to do with mattresses! -the answer is not much! but whilst we're on the subject of latex, we thought it was a good deviation to take as balloons are often seen as fun, harmless decorations. But they become deadly litter as soon as they are released into the air and forgotten.

Plastic pollution is one of today’s biggest environmental challenges. Microplastics have been found in our drinking water, food and even the air we breathe. While many people are trying to reduce their use of single-use plastic bags, bottles, utensils, and straws; use of it in our celebratory balloons is often overlooked.

To help bring attention to the environmental dangers of released balloons, organisations worldwide have been mapping and tracking balloon debris, enabling these organisations to raise awareness about the dangers of balloons while also gathering data to help influence policies regulating celebratory balloon releases.

Balloon damage Deliberate releases of tens, hundreds or sometimes thousands of balloons are familiar sights at weddings, graduations, memorials, sporting events and other celebrations worldwide. However, these fleeting feel-good acts inflict long-lasting and potentially deadly consequences on the environment and wildlife.

Balloons filled with helium are produced using a by-product from the helium produced for the medical industry, which helps to keep the price of helium lower. However it is a finite and rapidly dwindling resource, which we need to protect and use wisely. Helium balloons travel hundreds or even thousands of miles. They land as litter on beaches, rivers, lakes, oceans, forests and other natural areas.

The two most common types of balloons are mylar and latex. Mylar balloons, also called foil balloons, are made from plastic nylon sheets with a metallic coating and will never biodegrade - They will be with us forever. These are sold by the hundreds of thousands every week for birthday parties and can be found on most high streets.

They also cause thousands of power outages every year when they come into contact with power lines or circuit breakers.

While some manufacturers claim that natural latex balloons made from liquid rubber are biodegradable, they still take years to break down because they are mixed with plasticisers and other chemical additives that hinder

the biodegradation process. These chemicals include antioxidants and anti-fogging (to counteract that cloudy look balloons can get), plasticisers (to make it more flexible), preservatives (to enable the balloon to sit in warehouses and store shelves for months), flame retardants, fragrance and, of course, dyes and pigments.

Other latex balloons are synthetic, made from a petroleum derivative called neoprene; the same material used to make traditional wetsuits and medical devices. Some people are allergic to natural latex, hence why it’s not used in medical products and synthetic latex is used instead. When disposed of, these products will remain in the environment indefinitely, breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces over time.

Both Mylar and latex balloons are a significant threat to wildlife, livestock and pets, which can be injured or killed from eating balloon fragments, getting tangled in long balloon ribbons or strings, or being spooked by the falling debris.

Latex Balloons - Why is it wrong to release balloons Unlike Mylar balloons, latex balloons burst in the atmosphere, shredding into small pieces that resemble jellyfish or squid when floating on the surface of the water.

Plastic debris in the ocean can also become coated with algae and other marine microbes that produce a chemical scent, which sea turtles, sea birds, fish, and other marine life associate with food. Due to their soft and malleable structure, latex balloons easily conform to an animal’s stomach cavity or digestive tract and can cause obstruction, starvation and death.

As a result, latex balloons are the deadliest form of marine debris for sea birds.

They are 32 times more likely to kill than hard plastics when ingested. Balloons tied with ribbons and strings also rank just behind discarded fishing gear and plastic bags and utensils due to the high risk of entanglement and death that they pose to marine life.

Organisations such as Balloons Blow, the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the NOAA Marine Debris Program, state that awareness of balloon pollution is growing in the USA. More people choose to use alternatives and are urging schools, 42

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B E T H E C HA N G E PE BA was for me d i n Aust ra l i a i n Ju ly 2 0 1 7 to b e an a dvo c a c y b o dy to promote p o s it ive change s in b a l l o on i ndust r y pra c t i c e s , c ommu n it y e duc at ion , c or p orate gove r nanc e and to b e a c onsu lt at ive b o dy for l e g isl at ive p ol i c y rel at i ng to b a l lo ons.

T he y are c ommitte d to s el f - re gu l at i on and dr ivi ng pro a c t ive, e nv i ron me nt a l ly re sp ons ibl e change w it h i n t he i ndust r y. PE BA’s me ss age is g rowi ng i nte r nat i ona l ly w it h PE BA U S A and PEBA UK now e st abl ishe d and me mb e rs i n ove r 4 3 c ount r ie s arou nd t he worl d.

T he i r me mb e rs are b a l l o on i ndust r y professiona ls w ho d o NOT supp or t , c ond one or f a c i l it ate t he organ is e d rel e as e of b a l l o ons .

PE BA ass ist s me mb e rs to e du c ate t he i r cl ie nts, ve nu e manage rs and t he publ i c i n t he re sp onsible us e and c or re c t d isp o s a l of b a l l o ons t h roug h our “D on’t L e t it G o, Pi n it & Bi n it !” c amp ai g ns.

PE BA AU ST R AL IA’S AI M I S TO M AKE AU ST R AL IA T H E FI RST C ONT I N E NT I N THE WORL D TO BAN T H E DE L I BE R AT E RE LE ASE OF BAL LO ON S W W W. P E BA . C OM . AU /

Image: Balloon Pr od uc t i on

businesses and other organisations to stop balloon releases.

A growing movement across the U.S. calls for more policies and laws restricting or eliminating single-use plastics, including balloons.

California, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia have all passed laws prohibiting the deliberate release of balloons to protect the environment and wildlife.

Here in Australia, the Pro Environment Balloon Alliance (PEBA) supports the continued use of balloons responsibly as they want to protect the industry and the people that work within it. They aim to make Australia the first continent in the world to ban the deliberate release of balloons to help reduce waste and damage to the environment.

However, as noted above, balloons are not made of only natural latex. The balloon industry in the region promotes balloons as 100% biodegradable and made from natural materials due to them being made from natural latex. Still, with plasticisers and other chemicals, this is not wholly truthful and needs to be addressed. A latex balloon can take up to 6 years to biodegrade and can wreak havoc before it disappears.

The balloon industry is in urgent need of redevelopment and redesign. Sustainability should not mean we cannot enjoy the little pleasures in life.... but maybe bubbles are a much better celebratory solution here.

w w w. e cow atch. com/b a l l o ons -p ol luti on www.rawassembly.c o m

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REPURPOSING PPE FACTORY WASTE TO MAKE MATTRESSES Laksh mi Me n on Fash i on desig ner L a kshm i Menon us es her br and Shay y a , w h i ch me ans ‘ b e d’ i n Sansk r it to repur p os e p ers ona l prote c t ive e qu ipment ( PPE ) s c rap s and waste fabr i c to cre ate che ap, hy g ienic b e d rol ls to re du ce w aste and prov i d e re s ou rc e s and comfor t to p e ople a l l a c ross Ind i a .

By brai ding toget her f abr ic s cr aps and w aste PPE, Shay ya c re ate s l i g ht we i g ht matt re ss es , w hich des ig ner Menon w as inspire d to d e vel op af te r s e e i ng ch i l d re n sle e pi ng on t he ro ads ide on a t r ip to Ko ch i in Febr u ar y 2 0 2 1 . A fe w d ays l ate r, she v isite d a f r iend w ho r u ns a f ash ion hous e and s aw how mu ch te x t i l e waste w as b e i ng pro duce d. At t hat p oint , she t hou g ht she c ou l d us e t he waste te x t i l e by br ai ding it to ma ke matt ress es for t he homel ess. Br ai d i ng a l l ows you to us e e ve r y sing le pie ce of f abr ic of a l l d if ferent sizes, s o not h i ng is waste d. Eve n t he t i n i e st pie ce c an b e incor p or ate d into a ne w matt ress.

In March, she made 20 matt ress es and hand e d t hem out to homel e ss f ami l i e s , t he n lo ckdow n happ ene d. Her f r iends r u nning t he f ash ion hous e s l o st bus i ne ss ove r n i g ht, and workers were l aid -of f a l l over t he cou nt r y. Wit h no ne w te x t i l e s b e i ng pro duce d, Menon forgot ab out t he f abr ic matt ress e s u nt i l she v is ite d a f r i e nd’s t ai lor ing unit in Ju ly and s aw t hat he ha d st ar te d ma k i ng PPE l i ke many ot he r fac tor ies , t ai lors, and s ampl e ro oms a cross t he g l ob e.

In t he c or ner l ay a mount ain of w aste mater i a l. He ar ing f rom he r f r i e nd t hat h is fac tor y and ot hers in Ind i a were st r u g g l ing to get r id of t he i r PPE waste, as t he y cou ld not af ford t he cost of hav ing it remove d and re c ycl e d, t he y ha d no choi c e but to bur n it. Menon t hou g ht of t he id e a of ma k ing s i mi l ar b e d rol ls us i ng a mi xtu re of clot h and PPE s cr ap t hat c ou l d help e ver yone at a t i me of c r is is . Tai lors i n Kera l a were re ceiv ing ord ers for 20,000 gow ns e ve r y d ay and a c c u mu l at i ng vast amounts of waste.

Matt re ss es were a ls o in s er iously shor t supply in Ker a l a, as 5 0 ne w c ov i d t re atme nt cent res were ordere d to b e s et up and prov id e b e ds to hand l e s e r i ously i l l p at i e nt s. Howe ver, e ver y t ime a p at ient w as d is charge d, t he matt re ss ha d to b e t horou g h ly cle ane d or more c om mon ly, inc iner ate d.

Me non was concer ne d w it h t he volu me of matt ress es b ei ng i nc i ne rate d and felt t hat t he s olut ion was to br aid t he PPE w aste mater i a l into matt re ss e s w it h t he help of lo c a l women f rom her neig hb ou rho o d w ho ha d a ls o l o st t he i r j obs du r i ng t he lo ckdow n.

The Women braide d t he s c r aps into rop e-l i ke pl ait s 6f t l ong . T he brai ds are t he n l ai d out in a zigzag and t hen woven toget her. The resu lt is a l i g ht , s of t , wash able, hyg ienic matt ress for just 300 Rup e es ( £3) ,w h ich is ha l f t he pr i c e of a nor ma l one.

Me non has s ent Shay ya b e d rol ls to C ov id -19 t re at ment c e nt re s a c ro ss Ind i a and homele ss indiv idu a ls and shelter homes. Ap ar t f rom t he C ov i d c e nt re s t hat have b ou g ht t hem, Menon is work ing w it h NG Os to prov id e Shay yas to homel e ss shelte rs and roug h sle ep ers on t he pr inc ipl e t hat “e ver yone d e s e r ve s a go o d n i g ht’s sle e p”. Indi a’s 1.7 mi l lion homel ess p e opl e nor ma l ly sl e ep on t he g rou nd, usu a l ly on a t hin mat.[13]

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Ac cord ing to The Gu ard i an, as Ind i a is t he worl d’s s e c ond - l arge st PPE manu f a c tu re r, PPE waste is a sig n if ic ant e nv ironment a l concer n for t he cou nt r y. Us i ng PPE s c rap s help s el e v ate t he i mme d i ate waste issu e by t r ansfor ming it into ot her mu ch ne e d e d and v a lu abl e pro du c t s .

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Goal 1 Targets 1. 1 By 2030, eradic ate ext reme p over t y for a l l p e opl e e ve r yw he re, c ur rent ly me asure d as p e opl e l iv ing on l ess t han $ 1 . 2 5 a d ay 1. 2 By 2030, re duce at le ast by ha l f t he prop or t ion of men , wome n and chi ldren of a l l ages l iv ing in p over t y in a l l it s d ime nsi ons according to nat iona l d ef init ions 1. 3 Impl ement nat iona l ly appropr i ate s o c i a l prote c t ion sy ste ms and me asures for a l l, inclu d ing f l o ors, and by 2030 a ch ie ve subst ant i a l coverage of t he p o or and t he vu l ner abl e 1. 4 By 2030, ensure t hat a l l men and women, in p ar t ic u l ar t he p o or and t he vu lnerable, have e qu a l r ig ht s to e c onom ic re s ou rce s, as wel l as access to b asic s er v ices, ow nersh ip and c ont rol ove r l and and ot her for ms of prop er t y, in her it anc e, natu ra l re s ou rce s, appropr i ate ne w te ch nol og y and f inanci a l s er v ic e s , i nclu d i ng microf inance 1. 5 By 2030, bui ld t he re si l ience of t he p o or and t hos e in v u lne rable s itu at ions and re du c e t heir exp osu re and vu l ner abi l it y to cli mate-rel ate d ext reme e vent s and ot her e conom ic, s o c i a l and e nv ironment a l sho cks and d is asters 1. A Ensure sig nif ic ant mobi l izat ion of res ou rc es f rom a v ar i e t y of s ources, including t h rou g h en hance d d e vel opment c o op e rat i on , in order to prov id e a d e qu ate and pre d ic t abl e me ans for de veloping count r ies, in p ar t ic u l ar l e ast d e vel op e d c ou nt r i e s , to i mple ment prog rammes and p ol icies to end p over t y in a l l it s d ime nsi ons 1. B Cre ate s ound p olic y f r ame work s at t he nat iona l, reg iona l and i nter nat iona l le vels, b as e d on pro-p o or and gend e r- s e nsit ive de velopment st rate g ies, to supp or t a cc el er ate d inve st me nt i n p ove r t y eradic at ion ac t ions

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Fact & Figures • Ac c ord i ng to t he mo st re c e nt e st i mate s , i n 2 0 1 5 , 1 0 p e rce nt of t he worl d’s p opu l at i on or 7 3 4 mi l l i on p e opl e l ive d on le ss t han $ 1 . 9 0 a d ay.

• S out he r n As i a and sub- S a haran Af r i c a are e x p e c te d to s e e t he l arge st i nc re as e s i n e x t re me p ove r t y, w it h an a d d it i ona l 32 mi l l i on and 2 6 mi l l i on p e opl e, re sp e c t ively, l iv i ng b el ow t he inte rnat i ona l p ove r t y l i ne as a re su lt of t he p and e mi c .

• T he share of t he worl d’s worke rs l iv i ng i n e x t re me p ove r t y fel l by ha l f ove r t he l ast d e c a d e : f rom 1 4 . 3 p e r c e nt i n 2 0 1 0 to 7. 1 p e r c e nt i n 2 0 1 9 .

• Eve n b e fore C OVI D - 1 9 , b as el i ne proj e c t i ons su g ge ste d t hat 6 p e r c e nt of t he g l ob a l p opu l at i on wou l d st i l l b e l iv i ng in e xt re me p ove r t y i n 2 0 3 0 , miss i ng t he t arge t of e nd i ng p ove r t y.

T he f a l l out f rom t he p and e mi c t h re ate ns to push ove r 70 mi l lion p e opl e i nto e x t re me p ove r t y.

• O ne out of f ive ch i l d re n l ive i n e x t re me p ove r t y, and t he ne g at ive e f fe c t s of p ove r t y and d e pr iv at i on i n t he e arly ye ars have rami f i c at i ons t hat c an l ast a l i fe t i me.

• In 2 0 1 6 , 5 5 p e r c e nt of t he worl d’s p opu l at i on – ab out 4 bi l lion p e opl e – d i d not b e ne f it f rom any for m of s o c i a l prote c t ion

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n e w material inspiratio n fro m bedding t o pac kaging

from we e d to wonder ful M ed ulla is a n inspiring grad uate p ro j e c t b y D utch d e signer D o n Ya w Kwani ng that e xp l o re s d i ve rs e mat erial fo r ms suitable f o r p ac k ag i ng and f urni tur e a ll cre at ed fr o m so ft rus h. I n m o s t c o untri e s aro un d th e world so ft r ush – al s o k no w n as c o m m o n rus h i s con sid er ed a weed. Pervas i ve and f as t gro w i ng, th e d e nse gras s-like flo werin g p l ant s p re ad s and f l o uri s he s i n wet lan ds, mar shes and g ras s l and s .

D ue t o it s o ver po wering nature and p o te nti al i m p ac t o n b iod iver sity, tho usa nd s o f k i l o s o f s o f t rus h ar e r e m oved by co nser vatio n gro up s i n the Ne the rl ands a n nu ally. The co llected s o f t rus h w i l l e i the r b e f e rm en t e d a nd turned i nto b i o gas o r uti l i s e d t o r e cond it io n sa ndy so il o n ag ri c ul tural l and – w hi c h h e l p s im pr o ve wa ter and nutri e nt re te nti o n. W hi l s t i n J a p an soft rush ha s been c ul ti vate d f o r m any ye ars , u se fu lly wo v en into tradi ti o nal J ap ane s e tatam i m ats.

T a kin g in spiratio n fr o m t hi s ab und antl y g ro w i ng p l an t , K w an in g resea rched the m ate ri al c ap ab i l i ti e s of s o ft ru sh whilst in his f i nal ye ar at D e s i g n A c ad e my E ind hoven.

M ed ulla a nd pith refer to the i nne r s p o nge - l i k e ti s s u e f o un d in the stems o f p l ants , and thro ugh d e tac hi n g th e p it h fro m the pla nt f i b re varyi ng m ate ri al s w e r e r e alised . ‘ B y s eparating the pith f ro m th e f ibre s n e w ap p lic ation p o ss i bil it ies a re c reated. T he f ibre s c an b e de v e lo p e d int o m at er i al s like paper, c orrugate d c ardbo ard , ro pe , n o n wo vens and textiles.’

Image - Don Yaw Kwaning, left front; foam packaging box, left back; corrugated cardboard containing foamy packaging strings, right front; packaging paper, right back; boxes for storage that can double as a side table

F oam p ac kaging and fo am no o d l e s tri ng s w hi c h o f f er a solut ion a lterna tiv e to f o s s i l - f ue l b as e d p o l ys tyre n e w e re develo ped fr o m th e f o am p i th o f the s o f t rus h .

D e monst rating beneficia l p ac k ag i ng p ro p e rti e s s uc h a s s h oc k-resista nce and ins ul ati o n.

By com p ressing the pith i nto vari o us d e ns i ti e s w i tho u t th e n eed fo r a dding a bi nd e r, a l i g htw e i g ht c o m p act mat erial can also be fo r m e d w hi c h w as s ho w c as e d i n M ed ulla as sto rage bo xes w hi c h d o ub l e as a s i d e tab l e .

K w an in g’s ma ter ia l re s e arc h p ro j e c t M e d ul l a c on st ru c t i v ely sho wcase s the l o gi c al c ap ab i l i ti e s of d e signin g with r enewa b l e , b i o l o gi c al m ate ri al s an d th e w ide ra nge o f po ssib i l i ti e s ac hi e vab l e f ro m a p l an t c om m only v iewed as jus t a w e e d . w ww .donya wkwaning.co m Image - Don Yaw Kwaning, Research Materials Presentation

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FROM WEED TO WON DER FU L

PL AN T-B A SED F I BR E S - R E T H I N K I NG O U R R E S O U R C E S .

01

0 1 P a l m T ree F ibre |

Palm f ib re is the plant ve r s i on o f h ors e ha i r a n d is a l eaf f ib re gathere d from the l e ave s o f dwa r f p a l m. Th e s e l e ave s are f ibrous and c a n b e p ro c e s s e d to c re ate a ha ir-like strand. This ‘ ve g e t a bl e h or s e ha i r ’ has g re at e lastic i t y and is sui table for us e i n mattre s s e s . It is , howe ve r, qui te a rare and u n de rus e d f i bre . It ’s p roba b l y a natura l plant f ibre to watc h ou t for i n th e fu tu re .

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04

02

03

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0 2 M ek eka D es ign |

0 3 Vin + Om i| Me rce rise d Ne ttle fa brics

0 4 D i an a Sch erer | I n t erw o v en

0 5 D o gb an e | I n d i gen o u s f i b re

H a n d -m a d e In d ig en o u s t ext iles from Uganda Ea c h p i e c e is ma d e u s in g t ec hniques p a s s e d d o w n fr o m g en er a t io n to gener a ti on . T heir ma t er ia ls in c lude plaited p a l m l eaf fr o m t h e en kin dukind u t r e e , b ar k c lo t h an d o t h er natural w ov e n f i b r es d er ived fr o m i n d i g e n o u s p la n t s .

G r e a t p ot en t ia l a s b eau t ifu l woven h e a d b oa r ds

British fashion designers Vi n + O m i created a ten- piece sustain ab l e f ashion line using 3 ,0 0 0 nettles f r om Prince Charles's Highgrove Roy al Gardens in their SS2 0 colle c t i on. V i n + Omi harvested the nettle s d i r e c tly from Prince Charles's ba c k gar d e n, known as Highgrove Royal G ar d e ns and transf ormed them into m at erials.

Di ana d om e st i c at e s nat ur al p l ant r oot sy st e m s t o gr ow i nt o i nt r i c at e l y p at t e r ne d m at e r i al s.

C oul d I nt e r wov e n r oot sy st e m s b e t he f ut ur e of c l ot hi ng, b e d d i ng and i nt e r i or s i n t om or r ows wor l d ?

w w w . m e k ekad es ig n s .c o m/#o fferings

https://www.vinandomi.co m /

Dogb ane gr ows i n mo i s t, o p e n h a bi t at s t hr oughout N orth A me r i c a , and i t has se r v e d as a ma j o r f i b r e p l ant f or N at i v e A m e r i c a n p e o p l e s f or t housand s of y e a r s . D o g b a n e p l ay s c ul t ur al l y si gni f i c a n t r o l e s f o r l oc al i nd i ge nous gr o u p s . T h e p l a n t p r od uc e s st r ong f i b r e s f o r s tr i n g , t hr e ad , r op e , b ask e t s , s n a r e s , n e tt i ng, and c l ot hi ng. C o r d a g e f r o m th e p l ant has al so b e e n u s e d to ma k e st r ap s, b e l t s, ne t t e d b a g s , h a i r n e ts , and c e r e m oni al r e ga l i a . T h e p l a n t has m any m e d i c i nal u s e s a s w e l l .

ht t p : / / d i anasc he r e r . nl / @d i ana_ sc he r e r

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CI RCU L AR STOR I E S

I N TER IO R C OM P OSI TE M ATE R I AL S | STRU C T U R AL PAPER C ou l d o u r b e d frame s , furni ture a nd wall p an e llin g b e mad e ou t o f p ap e r an d a g ri cul tu ral waste stre a ms in the fu ture?

07

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06

08

09

0 6 H o nex t |

0 7 Room in a Box | Be d 2 .0

B a r c e l o n a -b as ed s t ar t u p H o n ext has de v e l o p e d a h ig h -en d s u s t a in able const r u c ti on b oa r d ma d e fr o m r eclaimed cel l u l os e w as t e ma t er ia l d es igned for ci r c u l a r l i v i n g . T h eir p r o d u c t s are a co m b i n a ti on o f en zymes a n d cellulo s e t a k e n fr o m t h e w as t e s t r eams of pa p e r p r od u c t io n an d t r an s fo rmed in to b u i l d i n g m a t er ia ls o f t h e future.

Room in a box f urniture is m ad e from corrugated cardboard - c onsisting of at least 7 0 % certi f i e d r e c ycled material and 3 0 % certi f i e d v i r gi n fibres. The virgin f ibres prov i d e st ability required f or furniture c onst r uction. The cardboard f urnit ur e c an b e 1 0 0 % recycled and reused. T he ad hesive used is starch glue ma d e f r om potato, maize or wheat sta r c h. S i nc e January 2 0 2 0 , a tree has b e e n p l anted by their partner Eden R e f or e st ation Projects f or every prod uc t sol d .

w w w . h o n e xt m a t er ia l.c o m

www.roominabox.de

0 8 P ap erf act o r | P ap er t ab l e set s

0 9 EC O R ® | B i o B ased C o m p o si te pa n e l - C 2C

Mad e f r om F S C m i c r o p ap e r and nat ur al p i gm e nt s, Pap e r F ac t or ar e c r e at i ng m od e r n-d ay p ap e r i nl ay s f or i nt e r i or d e si gn ap p l i c at i ons Pe r f e c t i nl ay s f or b e d he ad b oar d s, p ane l l i ng, & f ur ni t ur e N YC b ase d .

EC O R c om p osi t e p an e l s a r e ma d e f r om f i b r e s sour c e d f r o m Ur b a n , F ar m and F or e st m at e r i a l s . I n c l u d i n g of f i c e s wast e , c or r ug a te d c a r d b o a r d and ne wsp r i nt . EC O R p a n e l s a r e p r od uc e d wi t h wat e r , hea t a n d p r e s s u r e and ab sol ut e l y no ad d i ti v e s . T h e y ar e e xt r e m e l y r i gi d a n d r o b u s t, c o mp l e t e l y non-t oxi c , r e cy c l e d a n d r e c yc l ab l e . T he y c an b e u s e d f o r i n te r i o r d e c or at i v e wal l ap p l i c a ti o n s , n o v e l ty i t e m s, si gnage and m u c h mo r e .

www. p ap e r f ac t or . c om @p ap e r f ac t or

@e c or gl ob al www.e c or gl ob al . c om /

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C I R C U LA S T ORI ES DESIG N IN G NE W V ALUE CHAI NS ; C IR C U L AR PATH W AYS FOR T H E EV ER EV O LV I NG AP PAR E L AN D TE X TIL E IN DU STRIES FOCU S POI NTS : RE NE WAL

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AR S

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Sleeping Soundly

Slow and Circular Bedlinen

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The sustainabil i ty sp o tl i gh t h a s b e e n f i r m l y f i x e d o n f a sh i on in terms of rethi n k i n g h o w w e c r e a te , c o n su m e a n d v a l u e ou r c lothing. Ho wev e r , th e w a y i n w h i c h w e su sta i n a b l y a n d e th i c ally dress o ur b e d s h a s r e m a i n e d v e r y m u c h i n th e linen- c loset.

B e d l inen is a maj or s e c tor of t he g l ob a l te x t i l e marke t (2 8 % ) and is s e t to d oubl e i n marke t va lu e by 2025. L i ke f ash i on , t he b e d l i ne n i ndust r y is work i ng at a mu ch f aste r d e s i g n and manu f a c tu r ing c ycl e t han i n t he p ast . A g row i ng c onsu me r d isp o s abl e i nc ome, i mprove d st and ards of l iv ing , and an a d opt i on of We ste r n l i fe st y l e a c ro ss t he As i a Pa c i f i c re g i on are prop el l ing t h is g row t h. Ad d it i ona l ly, an aware ne ss and i nte re st i n home t re nds and c omfor t , su ch as t hos e promote d by i nte r i or fore c ast i ng age nc i e s , d e s i g n maga z i ne s and lifest y l e prog r am mes, cont r ibute to a hyp e ra c t ive c onsu me r d e s i re to re gu l arly re d e c orate and ref resh p ers ona l sp a c e s w it h t he l ate st c ol ou rs and f abr i c s .

More re c ent ly, C ov id l o ck- d ow ns and t he ‘ home b o dy e c onomy’ has s e e n a s i z e abl e spi ke in on l ine home w are s a l e s . Many of us are Z o om- i ng i nto me e t i ngs f rom ou r du a l pu r p os e sl e ep/ work sp a ces, re ve a l i ng t he way i n w h i ch we st y l e ou r b e d ro oms more publ i cly. Sudd en ly ‘ma k ing t he b e d’ has b e c ome as s i g n i f i c ant as s el e c t i ng w hat to we ar e a ch d ay. O ur p ers ona l st y l e, w het he r it b e cl ot h i ng or b e d l i ne n , shou l d and c an b e a re f l e c t i on of our a est het ics and va lu es, but not at t he c o st of t he e nv i ron me nt .

As The E l l en Ma c ar t hu r Fou nd at i on e x pl ai ns , t he te x t i l e i ndust r y as a w hol e is notor i ous for intensive us e of non - re ne wabl e re s ou rc e s , i ndust r i a l wate r c ont ami nat i on , g re e n - hous e g as em issions, and m i c rof ibre p ol lut i on . It is t he f ast - c ycl e us age of pro du c t s and c re at ion of l and f i l l fo d d er t hat is a maj or c onc e r n , w it h s i g n i f i c ant volu me s of d is c ard e d b e d l i ne n pro du c t s enter ing w aste st re ams an nu a l ly.

O f t he p ossibl e sust ainabl e i nte r ve nt i ons av ai l abl e, t he c i rc u l ar e c onomy appro a ch is most prom ising as it sy nt he s is e s sust ai nabl e mo d els of t hou g ht for l ong- te r m re s i l i e nc e, e conom ic opp or tu nit ies, and e nv i ron me nt a l and s o c i e t a l b e ne f it s . T he re are many p oi nt s in t he b e d l inen l ife-c ycle t hat d e s i g ne rs , manu f a c tu re rs and c onsu me rs c an d is r upt for t he b etter – f rom s el e c t ing l ow- i mp a c t and l ong- l i fe f ibre s , c ar i ng and re p ai r i ng for b e d l i ne n du r ing t he us e-phas e, and e st abl ish i ng t a ke - b a ck s che me s t hat re tu r n t he pro du c t to a s im i l ar or h ig her va lu e r at he r t han b e c omi ng waste.

In an id e a l worl d, we wou l d have l e g isl at i on w he re home ware brands wou l d b e re qu i re d to t a ke resp onsibi l it y for t he i r pro du c t s onc e t he y c ycl e t h rou g h it s us e - l i fe. We are s e e ing t a ke-b a ck prog r am me s b e i ng i n it i ate d by f ash i on and home ware brands , w it h v ar y ing l e vels of t r ansp arenc y i n re gards to w hat happ e ns i n t he ne x t l i fe of t he te x t i l e s we re tur n .

Ne ver t hel ess, br ands are re a l is i ng t hat t he re is b ot h e nv i ron me nt a l and e c onomi c b e ne f it to re va lu ing t heir pro du c t s b e yond t he f i rst s a l e.

To ensu re t hat ou r b e d l i ne n c an su c c e ss f u l ly and e nd l e ssly rot ate t h rou g h a c i rc u l ar sy stem , we ne e d to est abl ish and e mb e d st rate g i e s at t he ve r y b e g i n n i ng of t he d e s i g n proc ess. Hav ing a cl e ar u nd e rst and i ng of t he re manu f a c tu r i ng pro c e ss , w h i ch i nclu d e st age s of insp e c t ion, d is ass embly, p ar t re pl a c e me nt , cl e an i ng , and c re at ive mo d e s of re ass e mbly, w i l l u nd oubte d ly improve t he way we d e s i g n and re d e s i g n , t hus re du c i ng waste ge ne rate d by text i l es. L i ke w is e, a sl owe r and more c i rc u l ar e ngage me nt w it h ou r b e d l i ne n wou l d gu arante e a s ou nd er sl e ep k now i ng t hat we are a l l e v i at i ng ou r i mp a c t up on t he env ironment t h rou g h more sust ai nabl e b ehav i ou r.

Wr ittem by Em ma Pete rs

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COYUC HI S AN F R AN CISCO

Eve r y ye ar, t he US gener ates 10.5 m i l l ion tons. of p ost c onsu me r te x t i l e waste. C oyu ch i are c re at i ng i n nov at ive c i rc u l ar in it i at ive s t hat d isr upt t his dest r uc t ive c ycl e and tu r ning a cc ou nt abi l it y i nto a c t i on by re du c i ng t he ne e d for raw mate r i a ls and c re at ing line ns d e si g ne d to l ast a lifet ime. The te am at C oy u ch i are cl o s i ng t he l o op on te x t i l e c re at i on and s ay i ng “no” to waste. B e c aus e t he y b eli e ve, “e ar t h isn’t disp o s abl e, ou r l inens shou l d n’t b e eit he r”.

Si nce 1991 t he y have b e en e va lu at ing t he f u l l l ife of a pro du c t - f rom t he f ar m or ranch w he re t he f ibre is pro du c e d to w he re t hat pro du c t ends up. That’s w hy t he y us e on ly org anic cotton and ot he r natu ra l f ibre s and a c t ively work w it h i ndust r y p ar t ners to e nsure e nv i ronment a l p er for mance at t heir pro du c t ion f a ci l it ie s .

Eve ntu a l ly a l l go o ds — e ven t he pu rest org anic text i l es — re a ch t he e nd of t he i r l i fe c ycl e s , w h i ch is w hy t he te am at C oyuchi int rodu ce d t heir innov at ive t a keb a ck prog r am , 2nd Home. Now i n it s fou r t h ye ar, t h is pro g ramme ke e p s f re sh l i ne ns i n t he home and f inishe d l inens out of l andf i l ls.

The i r f irst-of -its -k ind rene w ing and re c ycl ing prog r am is not just s i mpl e for t he i r c ustome rs , it’s a ls o e as y on t he E ar t h . The y b e g in w it h 100% organic f ibres and a t r a c e abl e supply chain, s o f i nd i ng a 2 nd Home for t he i r c ustome rs ‘us e d’ C oyu ch i l i ne ns is sust ain able and st ress -f re e.

I NG RE D I E NTS C oyuchi’s text i les are ma d e f rom s of t , st rong , natu r a l f ibre s .

The y us e 100% organic c otton, l inen, and natu r a l l atex, re sp onsibly pro duce d dow n, and org anic wo ol. You w i l l ne ve r f i nd t he i r pro duc ts blende d w it h sy nt het ic mater i a ls l i ke p olye ste r b e c aus e C oyuchi is, and a lw ay s has b e en, org ani c .

The pur it y of t he natur a l f ibres t he y us e and l a ck of ar t i f i c i a l addit ives a l lows t hem to ma ke su re t heir pro du c t s c an bre a k d ow n and retur n to t he s oi l w it hout r isk to t he env iron me nt and b e e as i ly re c ycle d - t h is helps re du c e w aste and cl o s e s t he lo op on t heir l inens.

The y do not comprom is e or a cc ept sub st itut ions .

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2ND H OME TA K E BACK ™ What happens to the retired linens?

The C oyuchi 2nd Home Ta ke B a ck ™ prog r am me re c ycl es and re ne ws t he i r c ustomers old C oyu ch i l inens. Customers just s end t he m b a ck v i a a prep aid shipping l ab el, w h ich t hen prov id es t hem w it h a 1 5 % of f t he ir next order, and t he p e a c e of m ind t hat t heir l i ne ns won’t e nd up in a l andf i l l. - It’s as simpl e as t hat !

Once t he y re ceive ret ire d l inens, t he y s end t hem a l ong to t he i r p ar t ne rs at The R ene wa l Work shop — a zero w aste f a ci l it y i n t he U. S . w he re us e d C oyuchi linens go to b e up c ycl e d, re c ycl e d, and rene we d.

The R e ne wa l Workshop us es env ironment a l ly c ons cious me t ho ds to ke e p te xt i les out of t he t r ash , and put t hem b a ck in c irc u l at i on .

Fi rst , t he y deter mine if t he pro du c t shou l d b e rene we d, up c ycl e d, or re c ycle d. If it’s rene wabl e, t he l inens are s ent to b e cl e ane d i n t he le ast wastef u l and most ef fe c t ive w ay : w it h l iqu id C O 2 to re move oi ls, p ar t ic u l ates , and o d ou r t hat d eg r a d e t he pro du c t .

At t h is p oint, more t han 85% of pro du c t s l o ok as go o d as ne w and c an b e res old.

If t he y c annot rene w t he pro du c t , t he mater i a l is up c ycl e d i nto s ome t h ing ne w by t he R ene w a l te am . If t he mater i a l is to o d amage d to b e us e d again, it is ag g reg ate d for re c ycl ing , as t he mo st e co -f r i end ly and sust ainabl e appro a ch we have to d ay is to us e ma te r i a ls t hat a lre ady ex ist inste a d of pro du c ing more ne w pro du c t s .

Te xt i le re c ycling is ne w to t he U.S . market , s o C oy u ch i c ont r ibute s re s e arch to a pi lot prog ram t hat a d d ress es t h is g row ing ne e d.

C oyu ch i has sp ent ye ars tu r ning t h is v ision into re a l it y, and i n 2 0 2 0 t he y we re able to l aunch t heir f irst re c ycl e d bl an ket . By us i ng re c ycle d cotton, and accord ing to C oy u ch i’s l ife c ycl e ass ess me nt , t h is bl an ke t s aves t he e quiv a l ent of 3,366 d ay s’ wor t h of w ate r, 2 2 mi l e s of dr iv ing emiss ions , and 147 s qu are fe et of p est ic id es, c omp are d to a t radit iona l cotton bl an ket .

To d ay on ly 15% of pro du c t s t hat ar r ive at The R ene w a l Workshop c an’t b e res old b e c aus e t here are hol es t hat t he y c an’t re p ai r or st ai ns t hat t he y c an’t f i x. Thes e pro du c t s are me chanic a l ly sh re d de d, t hen respun into ne w y ar n by t he Eu rop e an b as e d c omp any c a l le d Re cover tex, a l low ing C oy u ch i to l au nch t heir f irst Fu l l C i rcl e R e c ycle d C otton Bl an ke t and Th row e arly 2020.

The bl an ket lo oks and fe els l i ke any ot her bl an ket in t he C oyu ch i natu r a l col le c t ion, w it h a he at her g re y col ou r t hat matche s t he brand’s natura l aest het ic —but u n l i ke ot her bl an ket s on t he marke t , t he y are made f rom 52% re c ycl e d cotton t hat C oy u ch i has re cl ai me d f rom it s c ustomers, a long w it h 48% org anic a l ly g row n c otton . None of t he i r re c ycle d bl an ket s cont ain sy nt het ic f ibres ( p olye ste rs ), u n li ke ot her re c ycle d bl an ket s on t he market to d ay.

Myth : S ome mi l ls cl aim t hat t he y ne e d to a d d p olyester f ibre s to help st re ng t hen d amage d natu r a l f ibres su ch as wo ols or cotton af te r t he me chanic a l shre dding pro c ess; howe ver, t h is is not t r u e. Ye s , f ibre s are d amage d and shor tene d e a ch t ime t he y are sh re d d e d, but w it h t he r i g ht te chnici ans , ex p er ience and k now -how, re c ycl e d f ibre s c an b e combine d w it h ne w natu r a l f ibres to cre ate t he st rengt h ne e d e d.

Th is ma kes sure t hes e pro du c t s st ay natu r a l and are genu i nely c i rc u l ar. The y c an a ls o b e re c ycl e d for a d d it iona l c ycl es w it hout hav i ng to b e d ow n-c ycle d and d e va lu e d into f u r nitu re stu f f ing or s e nt to l andf i l l. By adding p olyesters to re c ycl e d natu r a l f ibres , we re tu r n t he m to a line ar system, not a circ u l ar sy stem .

C oyu ch i is p ar t i c u l arly c ommitte d to re c ycling its ow n pro du c t s , p ar t ly b e c aus e t he y are s o c are f u l to us e organ ic, non - tox i c mate r i a ls . If it we re to us e ot he r s ource s of re c y cl e d c otton , t he y c ou l d n’t gu arante e w hat che mic a ls or dye s we re us e d to ma ke t he m.

T h is is w he re R e sp ons ibl e manu f a c tu r i ng p ays of f. C oyuchi c an gu arante e to t he i r c ustome rs t hat t he i r re c ycle d bl an ke t is just as re sp ons ibly s ou rc e d as any ne w pro duc t.

C oyu ch i’s re ne we d pro du c t s are av ai l abl e on t he ir ne w ly unve i l e d S e c ond Home R e ne we d webs ite, and t he Fu l l Circle R e c ycl e d C otton Bl an ke t is av ai l abl e on t he main C oyuchi webs ite.

“ I T TAKES A LOT OF RES O URCES TO MAKE A SIN G LE PRO DUCT, S O W E WAN T IT TO STAY I N CI RCUL ATI O N UN TIL I T CANNOT POS S I B LY BE USE D ANY LON G E R .”

M A RG OT LYO NS , C OY U C H I ’S PRO DU CTIO N AN D SUSTA I NA B I L I TY M ANAGER.

The C oyuchi re c ycle d yar ns are c ombine d w it h br and - ne w c otton y ar ns to cre ate t he f ina l bl an ket , w h ich is not dye d. C oy u ch i ma d e t he sp e cif ic choice not to re dye t he bl an ket but to ret ain it s natu ra l colou r f rom t he re c ycling pro cess. It has a sp e ck l e d l o ok , w it h f l e cks of g re y and cre am in it, ref l e c t ing t he c ol ou r of t he or ig i na l mate r ia ls t hat were re c ycle d.

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The Renewal Workshop R ene wa l w as st ar te d to s olve hard probl e ms and c re ate ne w s yste ms t hat d o w hat is go o d and r i g ht for p e opl e and for t he pl anet by l e a d ing c i rc u l ar p at hways for e volv i ng app arel and te x t i l e bus i ne ss f rom a l ine ar to a circ u l ar mo d el.

The R ene w a l Sy stem is t he pro cess d e vel op e d to br i d ge gap s , c on ne c t s yste ms , and mobi l i z e l e a d e rship to ma ke exist ing l ine ar manu f a c tu r i ng pra c t i c e s c i rc u l ar. At it s he ar t , it is a c ol l ab orat ive process t hat rel ies on prog ressive br and p ar t ne rs c ommitte d to sust ai nabi l it y.

Cur rent ly, br ands and ret ai l ers l a ck sy ste ms to re c ove r v a lu e f rom u ns el l abl e i nve ntor y. For pro du c t s t hat have b e en pro du c e d but c annot b e s ol d, t he c re at ive, phys i c a l, natu ra l and f i nanc i a l re s ou rc e s investe d in t hem are l ost . Th is l e a ds to mass ive waste probl e ms w it h ne gat ive e nv i ron me nt a l i mp a c t s , sig nif ic ant f inanci a l l oss es for br ands and miss e d opp or tu n it i e s for c onsu me rs .

The R ene w a l Sy stem t a kes d is c ard e d app arel and te x t i l e s and tu r ns t he m i nto R e ne we d pro du c t s , up c ycle d mater i a ls or re c ycl ing fe e dsto ck . D at a is c ol l e c te d on e ve r yt h i ng t hat f l ows t h rou g h t he s yste m and is g iven b a ck to br and p ar t ners to help t he m i mprove t he pro du c t i on and d e s i g n of f utu re pro duc ts. It is a zero-w aste sy stem t hat re cove rs t he f u l l v a lu e out of w hat has a l re a dy b e e n c re ate d as a way of s er v ing c ustomers, p ar t ners and t he pl ane t .

O p ening t heir f irst f a c tor y in C as c a d e L o cks , O re gon i n 2 0 1 6 , and t he i r s e c ond i n Amste rd am i n 2019, t he te am is g row ing e ver y d ay w it h ne w p e opl e w ho are i nspi re d by a share d s e ns e of pu r p o s e and com m itte d to C ore Va lu es t hat d r ive a l l t he d e c is i ons ma d e at R e ne wa l.

“C oyuchi l ea d s th e i ndu str y in c ircul a r i n n ov atio n a n d busi n ess m o del s. Our p a rtn e rshi p exte nd s the in c red ibl e sust ai n abil ity w o rk th at th e b ra n d do es with Fai r Tra d e a nd o rga nic c ot to n to t ake f ul l resp o n sibil ity fo r e v e r ythi n g th e b ra n d m akes th rou ghout the pro duct’s life -c ycl e . I a m co n st a ntly i n spi red by th e i n n ov atio n o f the c o m p a ny to pu sh th e i n dustr y to l o ok at own e rshi p m o del s fo r h ome go o d s throu gh the C oyuchi 2n d Ho m e p ro gra m . Coyuchi sh ows th e w o rl d th at p roduct s ca n be c ircul a r a n d th e f uture o f busi n ess ca n b e ze ro w a ste .”

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HO W REN EWAL WO RKS Cur rent ly, t he rene w a l work shop s el l R e store d L i ne s i n home go o ds , app arel and b ags . T h is is t heir h ig hest qu a l it y l ine. It me ans t hat e ve r yt h i ng t he y s el l has b e e n re store d and cer t i f i e d to L i ke - Ne w c ond it i on .

CLE ANE D

RE P A I RE D

The y have p ar t nere d w it h Tersus s olu t ions, t he worl d’s most a dvance d w ate rl e ss cle an ing te ch nol og y to cl e an most ite ms .

Thing s t hat c annot b e cl e ane d in t he Te rsus are w ashe d in com merci a l g r a d e wash i ng machines. Ever y sing l e pie c e of R e ne we d pro du c t is w ashe d to a cl e an as ne w st and ard.

Ab out 5 0 % of R e ne we d Pro du c t has b e e n profe ss i ona l ly re p ai re d i n s ome way. T h is c ou l d b e as s i mpl e as st itch i ng up a s e am or as c ompl e x as re pl a c i ng a z ipp e r.

A l l re p ai rs re sp e c t t he or i g i na l d e s i g n and qu a l it y st and ards .

CE R T I F I E D

C O -B RA N D E D

A l l R ene we d pro du c t - w het her or not it re qu ire d rep air - is c er t if ie d to ensure t hat e ver y t h ing work s ( ex. buttons, zipp e rs , snaps, cl osu res, l ining s, w ater resist ant co at ing ) and t here is no pi l l ing , fa d i ng , f abr ic f at ig u e or over a l l sig ns of ex ter ior we ar. O nc e pro du c t s are re v i e we d and approve d, t he y are of f ici a l ly ce r t i f i e d as R ene we d.

T he R e ne wa l Workshop l ab el l e t s e ve r yone k now t hat t he pro du c t is of f i c i a l ly R e ne we d. T h is me ans it has me t b ot h t he i r st and ards and t he or i g i na l brand st and ards .

SCO R E D

H A P P I L Y RE C E I V E D

The y t r a ck w aste re du c t ion and wate r, c ar b on, toxic chem ic a l and energ y of f s et s for e ver y pro du c t and rep or t out on t he tot a l imp a c t t w ice a ye ar. As of June 2020, t he y have d iver te d a l most 2 8 5 K p ou nds of text i l es f rom l and f i l l.

R e ne we d pro du c t s are n’t f u l ly re ne we d u nt i l a c ustome r is happi ly us i ng t he m. If for any re as on , t he pro du c t d o e s n’t me e t e x p e c t at i ons , t he y w i l l t a ke it b a ck and re f u nd t he s a l e.

W W W. R E N E WA LWOR K SHOP. C OM

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M A TERIA S T ORI ES FROM EMB RO I DE RED TABLE LI NE N S , R E PU R POS E D N E T CU RTA IN S TO TULLE V E I LS , O UR TE X TIL E S E VOKE F E E LIN G S OF CO NNE CTI O N, S TO RYTE L L IN G AN D APPR E C IATION FOR THE JO URNE Y THE Y HAVE TAKE N .

A S T H E VA L UE AND M ATE RI AL S TOR IE S TAKE H OL D, DESIG N ERS F RO M AUS TRALI A TO L ON DON S H AR E TH E IR MEMORIES .

TEX T ILE FO CUS P O I NTS : TULLE, PE AC E & L OTU S S IL K, LA CE & ELAS TI CS

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AL S

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SHIL O/ LYDI A C O L L ECT I ON

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B ris bane bas ed Shilo/ Ly dia t alk wit h us about c reat ing heirloom garment s t hat ens ure maximum longev it y and c onnec t ion.

Image: Shilo/ Lydia

T

Writ t en by : L y dia Pears on & Shilo Englebrec ht

he b as is of t he Sh i l o /Lyd i a c ol l ab orat i on and nas ce nt br and is t h re e fol d, t he fou nd at i on of w h i ch was a st rong sy mbiosis b e t we e n b ot h ou r ph i l o s oph i e s and sk i l l s e t s .

T he f a c t t hat b ot h of us ha d sp e nt t i me i n s e p arate i nd e p e nde nt fashion and home ware s bus i ne ss e s , t he re was a mutu a l d e s i re for a ne w t yp e of c ol l ab orat ive c re at iv it y.

L ast ly, we wante d to mar r y ou r p ass i on for d e c orat ive ar t s w it h mo de r n d e s i g n i n a n i che, l o c a l ly fo c uss e d and i nt i mate ma k i ng mo del.

T he re su lt i ng c ol l e c t i on fo c us e s nar row ly on t wo opp o s i ng de sig n t rop e s , a l l re pu r p o s e d. S e c ond - hand or u nwante d f i ne me n’s busine ss sh i r t s prov i d e t he st r u c tu re arou nd i ns e r te d he i rl o om hand- e mbroide re d t abl e l i ne n . Sh i l o’s pr i nte d te x t i l e s a d d a u n i qu e ar t el e me nt.

T he i nd iv i du a l prop e r t i e s of e a ch el e me nt and t he way t he y inte r ac t for m t he c onst rai nt s for t he gar me nt d e s i g ns .

T he pro c e ss is a mi x of i nd iv i du a l d rap e d d e s i g ns , of te n worke d on by b ot h d e s i g ne rs , e it he r at onc e w it h fou r hands to ge t he r, or s ome t ime s one af te r t he ot he r, mov i ng l i ke a d anc e.

T he f i rst ite rat i on of t he Sh i l o /Lyd i a c ol l ab orat i on was a s e r ie s of garme nt s us i ng on ly Sh i l o’s l i ne n pr i nt and t he me n’s sh i r t i ng . The s e we re ma d e as sp e c u l at ive i nve ntor y, a lt hou g h i n ve r y l i mite d and numb e re d e d it i ons .

Image: Shilo/ Lydia

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‘Ancestor Worsh ip’ The manifesto de velop e d over t he e volut ion of t he proj e c t : • A combinat ion of uniqu e and for matt abl e g ar ment s, w it h a for mu l a for s ome, but an ind iv idu a l resp ons e to fabr i c or client for ot hers.

• R aw mater i a ls a l l to b e repu r p os e d, w it h t he exc ep t i on of pr inte d linen for Sh i l o’s ar t work and cotton t ap e for ass embling .

• Te xt i le elements to b e us e d as f r u g a l ly as p ossibl e, w it h d e sig n for minor wast age, esp e c i a l ly of d e cor at e d pi e ces .

• Gar ment des ig n to b e mu lt i-size, u ngend ere d and mu lt i -f unc t iona l.

Once we adde d in t he embroid ere d t abl e l inen, t he mate r i a ls were s o sp e ci a l we d e c id e d to ma ke - to-order for e ach pie ce. C l ient s qu ick ly b eg an to br i ng t heir ow n f ami ly l inen, and s omet imes sh ir t s, to b e t ransfor me d into a u niqu e g ar ment w it h st rong e mb e d de d me aning . This d esig n pro c ess for me d t he b asis for t he p ers ona l com m issions, now dubb e d ‘Ance stor Worship’.

For t h is proj e c t, t he p arameters of ou r manifesto e xp and e d: • The c ommission includ es at l e ast one consu lt at ion pr i or to commencing work , and one f itt ing and con su lt at i on af ter mo ck ing up, and usu a l ly b efore c utt ing t he d e corat ive elements .

• Pr i ci ng of f s ets t he cost of ext r a t ime for c onsu lt a t i ons against t he s av ing s ma d e by us not prov id ing s ome or a l l elements .

A l l t he gar ments have e voke d a fe el ing of conne c t ion and appre ci at ion for t he el ement s us e d. C l ient s in a w i de age bracket and of d ivers e gend er are excite d by : • The b e aut y of t he l ace or embroid er y • It s’ h istor y as women’s work • The fac t t hat it is b eing brou g ht to l ife and ma d e v isibly • The jux t ap osit ion of t his ag ainst t he sup er-r ig id de t ai li ng of men’s shir ts • An e nt irely repur p os e d g ar ment using prem iu m mate r i a ls • The t r u ly unique asp e c t of e a ch pie c e The Anc est ra l pie ces e voke a st rong resp ons e, e sp e ci a l ly due to t he f ami ly c onne c t ion to s ome or a l l of t he elements.

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Th is asp e c t of ou r pra c t i c e is on ly 2 mont hs ol d and b e gan af te r a s e r i e s of cl i e nts c om mente d t he y ha d b e aut i f u l cl ot he s t hat t he y felt gu i lt y ke e pi ng i n a c upb o ard or dr awe r.

The exc itement for b ot h t he cl i e nt s and ou rs elve s of c ol l ab orat i ng on a pi e c e s o e mb e dde d w it h me aning and e mot i on has b e e n e x t re mely s at is f y i ng and f u l f i l l i ng for b ot h side s.

The g ar ment s w i l l b e c ome he i rl o oms i n t he i r ow n r i g ht , e nsu r i ng ma x i mu m longe v it y and c onne c t ion.

The y are u nique, sust ai nabl e, e t h i c a l, natu ra l, l o c a l… . In shor t , t he p e r fe c t 2 1 C pro duc t!

“ The ga r me nts will b e co me he irloo ms in the ir own right , e nsuring ma x imum lo nge v ity and conne ction.”

w w w. sh i l o engelbre cht . c om @ sh i l olyd i a

Image: Shilo/ Lydia

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MAD ABOUT

THE TULLE We take a look at Tulle, its history and how it grew to become such a large industry

As most people know it, tulle or net is one fabric that neither the industry as a whole or us as citizens give much thought to when it comes to sustainability. Most of us have at some point owned something made of tulle, whether it was from our childhood days of going to saturday morning ballet classes, childhood party dresses, dressing up for fifties inspired parties as teenagers or adults, wearing a fascinator to Ascot races, or Melbourne cup day here in Australia, within our lingerie, in fancy dress wigs or in a wedding veil or dress - at some point most of us have encountered tulle, but potentially not given it a second thought.

In creating this section, we talked with designers, producers and creatives who all work with this material in very different ways. It became clear very quickly to the impact that this one fabric must have worldwide based on the scale of what is produced, the fibres used, and its limited use phase, plus what we have seen ourselves in overseas factories, but it's not all doom and gloom. During this same journey, we met one incredible woman who has spent four years developing a responsible version of tulle for her high-end bespoke couture business and at the same time, helping to transform the industry - page 82 Tulle or net is often associated with bridal wear and ballerina's tutu's, and rarely given much thought to its sustainability credentials. Its ethereal, transparent, and lightweight qualities have become a romanticized fabric and a catwalk staple in recent years, from Alexander Mcqueen, Oscar de la Renta through to Molly Goddard and Giambattista Valli's H&M fast fashion collaboration, all of which use it in vast quantities.

Sadly, in the case of Giambattista Valli's and H&M's collection, vast amounts of plastic polyester tulle [4] was used for the main fabric, and in the case of designers like Molly Goddard nylon tulle is used.

Both polyester and nylon are derived from the fossil fuel industry and neither are biodegradable, so once a garment is no longer needed or is damaged beyond repair, it will sit in a landfill for hundreds of years.

In addition to supporting two of the world’s dirtiest industries, the manufacture of polyester and nylon have several other direct environmental impacts from high water usage during production, energy intensive processes and the release of greenhouse gases, and not forgetting the health implications for both factory workers and the citizens that wear these products.

To give you some perspective on how much tulle can be used in one dress, it takes around 13m of fabric, to be exact and one-and-a-half days to make one of Goddard's monumental signature gowns. Goddard's rule of thumb is typically, the bigger the dress, especially in tulle, the more she enjoys the process[2]. But hopefully this is all about to change. Designers like Goddard, Mcqueen through to H&M will now be able to source a responsibly produced alternative made from cotton linter using a closed-loop system. We are sure there will be other great alternatives emerging onto the market in coming months and years, as once one alternative has been created, others will follow.

History of Bobbinet tulle Modern-day tulle, also known as Bobbinet tulle, or 'genuine tulle', is a specific type of tulle that has been made in the United Kingdom since the invention of the Old Loughborough machine, or bobbinet machine as it was known today, by John Heathcoat in 1808.[1] Heathcoate coined the term 'bobbinet' from two words, 'bobbin' and 'net', because it is a lace type net fabric and distinguishes this machine-made tulle from the handmade "pillow lace", called so because of the small pillow used to produce handmade bobbin lace. Heathcoate’s machine was designed for use with cotton.

Modern lace today is made on similar machines, and these days, the design for bobbinet Bobbinet "scenic gauze", or sometimes referred to as 'Cinenet" is widely used for giving painted backdrops increased depth of field and more realism. In film making, the unique structure of single or double bobbinet fabric is ideal when used as screens or butterflies during film making where the control of light is crucial as it evenly reduces the intensity of harsh sun or artificial light.

Bobbinet can be produced in incredible widths, hence its suitability for both theatre and film. It is usually made from cotton or synthetic yarns today and always comes with a non-durable flame retardant finish for the film industry, which is not great when it comes to the environment, but important for the safety of the actors and crew. In the 1800s, indoor lighting came only from candles or gas lights, which created a dangerous scenario for ballet dancers who wore voluminous tulle skirts. They were particularly susceptible since they were moving around the flickering stage lights, and numerous dancers fell victim to flames throughout the 1800s [3] Luckily today we don't have those same issues, however the issues we face today are environmental ones created by the sheer www.rawassembly.c o m

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MARKET PROJECTIONS Tulle, net and mesh fabrics volume of raw materials, water and energy needed to meet the global demand and no end of life solutions in place.

Machines, like many Victorian inventions, is essentially unchanged from the original Heathcoate design.

Bobbinet tulle is constructed from warp and weft yarns. Unlike regular woven fabrics and nets, the horizontal weft yarn is looped diagonally around the vertical warp yarn to form a regular and distinctive hexagonal mesh that is completely stable, has minimal stretch, is durable, sheer and incredibly strong in comparison to its weight. Once an exceptionally expensive and luxurious textile made from silk and cotton, tulle eventually became widely available at scale with the introduction of cheap synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester.

Tulle has been favoured by designers since the early 20th century and gained popularity in high-quality haute couture gowns, bridal wear and lingerie, especially after Grace Kelly wore a beautiful voluminous tulle skirt in the 1954 film "rear window'. Since then, designers worldwide have been romanticizing ballerinas' uniforms that represent grace and beauty and have become a sign of perfected femininity in their collections.

Today, Tulle fabrics are used across a wide range of industries and products, some of which include the performing arts, such as ballet and theatre companies, military, medical patches, cryogenic insulation, electromagnetic shielding, flexible electronics, and fishing nets. It's also used as base cloth for both embroidery and high-quality wigs due to its fine, strong and almost invisible nature. Tulle is also used extensively in the film and theatre industry in overheads, plus creating visual effects within both of these industries. So when we consider how much each of these industries must require in themselves it becomes even clearer to the impact us humans are having on the planet. ​

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The global netted fabrics market size was valued at USD 262.3 million in 2018 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2019 to 2025.[5] or a CAGR of 5.3% from 2015 to 2025 [6]

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Netted fabrics are among the most trending material in the world, either processed from natural fibres such as silk and cotton or synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon. The global market is expanding rapidly, even in the unorganized sectors, due to factors such as a growing preference for durable and cosy apparel across the globe for field sports and changing trends in the fashion industry. [5]

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Based on material, polyester held the maximum share of 37.9% in 2018. The booming automotive industry across all regions is helping the global market to grow as the polyester mesh is popularly used to manufacture seat covers[5]

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Nylon is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period due to the wide availability of fabric and extensive usage in the production of backpacks, tents, and mosquito and fishing nets as the material carry high tensile strength and durability.

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Nylon is also utilized to manufacture apparels such as tights and running shorts for athletes due to its high elasticity and low-moisture absorbing attributes. Widespread application of this material across clothing and utility categories is expected to augment the segment's growth in the global market.

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Other materials are expected to account for a share of 28.6% till the end of 2025. They include natural fabrics such as silk and cotton, along with dacron.

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Netted fabrics include mesh fabrics that are loosely knitted or woven fibres allowing breathability and stretch and hence are used to manufacture sports clothing having a fast-drying property. [5]

PRODUCT INSIGHTS Tulle emerged as a leading product category in 2018, accounting for a share of 38.1%. It is the most prominent knitted material made of very fine net fabric, having a vast application in the clothing sector. It is exclusively used to make soft net fabric for ruffles, dresses, overskirts, and trims, including wedding veils. [5] Other products include bobbinet and filet net usually manufactured in European countries such as the UK and France. A good quality bobbinet is often expensive as it is a thin net fabric made in the form of lace. Curtains, bridal wear, lingerie, and haute couture fashion all use bobbinet.

The net fabric is also used as a base cloth on which intricate detailing and embroidery are applied all around the world.

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AT

telier ammam

L o n don bas ed Luc y Tammam talks w ith u s a bout her ow n journey of conscious innovation and advocacy.

Can you introduce yourself and your company?

Atelier Tammam is a couture fashion studio based in the heart of Bloomsbury, London. Initially launched as an ethical ready to wear label in 2007 by 2012 the business converted to bespoke only, in an effort to reduce waste and overconsumption in the fashion industry. Atelier Tammam is the main point of contact with our customers - a traditional bijoux showroom with attached couture studio where all the magic happens. Our customers are invited to experience an old fashioned clothes buying process, but with modern ideals, sustainable innovative materials and a high fashion design aesthetic. Taking a step back from the modern fashion world, to a time when sewing was a valued skill, and dresses were aspirational investment pieces Tammam helps rekindle this way of framing fashion.

Image: Atelier Tammam, London

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Can you tell us about the fabrics you chose to use in the dresses you make and your latest sustainable textile innovation that you have launched in your 2021 collection?

Image: Lucy Tammam, London

Couture bridal wear is a key product for the Tammam label we have been innovating traditional bridal materials with sustainable supply chains (for example our peace silk satins and hand crafted laces) for many years. It takes time and has not been without its challenges over the years.

One of the fabrics we had really struggled to source in a sustainable way is tulle. With a small amount of funding from a government innovation grant and collaborating with Swisstulle, the only bobbinet manufacturer in the UK we worked together to develop a new sustainable tulle, initially starting with Peace silk as we were already using this in our collections, however after a few trials we discovered that the yarn was simply not fine enough and was not giving us the handle and drape we needed.

I researched other suppliers and their fibres to see what alternatives might be possible. We had used some Bemberg fabrics in previous collections and I wondered if Asahi Kasei’s closed-loop sustainable viscose (Bemberg yarns) might be the perfect solution. The developments took a few years, with supply issues and initial trials in different

yarns not working, but finally last year we hit the sweet spot - creating 3 weights of incredible luxurious, high quality tulle fabric - ideal for haute couture, high end fashion and bridal wear.

How do you hope this innovation can help both the textile and fashion industries become more responsible?

We hope this fabric will help phase out unsustainable tulle on the market today by providing a responsibly produced alternative to designers who are looking to use net or tulle material for their designs. The manufacturers have capacity to produce this in large quantities and now the supply chain is created this product can be recreated and developed easily.

Our sustainable tulle is a testament to our unwillingness to compromise and the dedication and determination we have invested as a brand to ensure EVERY part of our process is kind to people and the planet. We keep working towards perfection but this material feels like a big, wonderful step in the right direction and we want to make sure this is shared with others.

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telier AT ammam

Image: Steve Best | Atelier Tammam

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Image: Michael Redina | Atelier Tammam, London

“As an independent brand with sustainability at its core from its inception Tammam has been “saving the world in style” for a long time.

Without brands like Tammam trailblazing the idea and potential of sustainability, the industry would not be where it is today. Without external investment, we have slowly and organically grown the business over the last decade, attracting more and more clients over the years who find us because of our passion for craftsmanship, design and sustainability and return because they adore the products we create.

We work tirelessly to ensure we are considering people and the planet with every decision we make and encourage our customers to think sustainably in other aspects of their lives too.” www.rawassembly.c o m

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One Dress

Can you tell us about your ‘One Dress’ project and how it started ?

For years we have been working towards creating zero waste collections and only selling what is needed, but conscious that the lives of many crafts people within the industry depend on consumers buying fashion, we know buying nothing at all doesn’t work for people or economies. The last few years have highlighted to us further that this is truly the right direction as the world cannot sustain the practices that the global fashion industry have become custom to. Our approach offers opportunity to slow down and appreciate quality over quantity, exactly what we need to survive and thrive in the coming months and years.

Image: Atelier Tammam, London

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Made up of over 1,000 words that define feminism and women's empowerment, One Dress was developed to support female crafts people while creating very little physical product - in order to ensure work for artisans. Instead of a dress or garment, customers

Image: Atelier Tammam, London

could buy a word or words which were then embroidered onto the dress. The dress is now full but there are still a few words that aren’t yet dedicated and can still be bought. One dress tells the story of the women who have contributed skills, words and materials to the dress. By dedicating a word on the dress you are supporting women, crafts and , quality - its a piece of women’s history.

One Dress is an experiment - in collective couture, sustainability & exploring the idea of the value of fashion emotion.

Can you tell us about the reclaimed, vintage violet threads used in the embroidery?

I wanted to keep all aspects of sustainability in mind when creating the dress, I used stock fabric (peace silk and organic cotton) for the dress itself, but I wanted to use the colour violet - a symbolic suffragette colour and V for “voices”- the voices of women that cover the dress, for the words. I didn’t have enough for the whole dress so I put a call out for donations, I had women from around the world raiding their sewing boxes, I had vintage threads belonging to

grannies, aunties, mothers sent to me, I had random envelopes through the door of the Atelier with bobbins of purple thread or a small wind of violet yarn wrapped round a piece of card. I love that the dress, as well as connecting cultures now, connects generations of women too. Also the quality of vintage yarns is so much better!

Can you tell us about the dedicated female artisans who have worked on the One Dress with you and how you came to work with these particular groups in India, Kenya, Brazil and the UK? There is a fair trade unit I work with in India called Jacobs Well, we started our journeys pretty much together, in 2004 - when I set up my first ethical fashion label. With the conversion of the Tammam label to bespoke I had less opportunity to work with them so it made perfect sense to give them the One Dress project. I worked with all the women there who stitched on the dress to show them how to do the embroidery. The Dress went to JW 3 times.

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Image: Atelier Tammam, London

Also, at the start of my sustainable fashion journey, I met an incredible woman called Joanna Maiden -she runs an amazing factory in Kenya called SOKO. I’d been trying to find a way to work with her for years, and One Dress was the perfect opportunity.

In 2018 I was lucky enough to be sent to Brazil by the British Council on behalf of FiLiA - the feminist charity that very much inspired the female theme of the Dress. Our first apprentice Nivea is from Brazil, and she moved back there not long after her apprenticeship with us. I asked her to stitch some words on the Dress, which felt like a lovely way to reconnect with her.

In the UK, I have lots of interns coming and going through the Atelier; most of them over the last few years had a chance to stitch on the Dress and during the lockdown, I put a call out for local embroiderers who would easily be able to come to the Atelier and work (alone & safely!) on the Dress - I found two wonderful women who did this.

Every single word and embroiderer is listed on the One Dress register.

Each individual who has worked on the dress has been treated as an artist in their own right. I really want to connect consumers to creators and I

“I was in a dilemma...I need to keep creating, but I hate waste. I’d had enough of seeing vast sample collections left unworn...It's just so unsustainable. So, I vowed I would make only One Dress that needs as much effort, (wo)man power and time to create as a whole collection.”

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think the first step in that is knowing who made our products. I hope being able to know a little about the artisans who stitched each word will highlight the value of this work, created with love by human hands.

How has the one dress impacted their lives over the past few years?

One Dress is a relatively small scale project, but I think it has really touched all the women who have worked on it. Everyone appreciates being treated with equality and having their work valued properly, and I hope this project has empowered the women who have been part of it to fight for their rights as women and skilled artisans.

Can you share with us a few of your most inspiring moments that have come from this project over the years?

I feel incredibly lucky to be the conduit for this project, to have met all the amazing women who have stitched on the Dress and to know how much this work has meant to them.

The dress silhouette itself is inspired by the Dress worn by Christabel Pankhurst in her portrait by Ethel Wright, which is displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in London. We were asked to showcase the Dress, as a work in progress, alongside the portrait for a couple of events there (when events were happening). It was such an honour to have my work on display at such a prestigious institution, and I loved seeing the dresses - a hundred years apart with so much symbolism and hope for women attached to them. Fashion can be really powerful when created in a good way.

The Dress has been given press coverage globally, which means the idea has appeal around the world, from Australia to Lithuania to home in the UK; we're managing to get the word out about this new concept and a new way to buy fashion. It's exciting and motivates me to keep going with the project.

For International Women's Day this year, I did an Instagram live to celebrate the completion of the Dress; we had hundreds of people tuning in (exciting for me as a total tech-phobe with no idea what Instagram live was until a few weeks before!) - we had people watching from across the world, connected in that moment - similar to how the Dress connects people. I love how the modern world can do that!

Now that you have reached completion of the One dress, what is next for the dress?

The Dress is now complete and will be worn by a selection of inspirational women and photographed by female photographers. The Dress, photographs and register will be displayed over the next year in locations all around the world, including hopefully its return to Australia, where we have been invited to show it as part of SCCI, Gene Sherman's centre for culture and ideas. The register which will travel with the Dress is a record of this historical Dress, crediting and naming all the contributors, an integral part of the story; the register will be kept with the Dress, allowing anyone who sees it to better understand the history of its making, valuing the creators who have put so much love and dedication into making this unique piece of couture art.

What are your hopes for the impact this project will have? And can you see more projects like this on the horizon?

I think my main hope for One Dress is to inspire more sustainability within the fashion industry - that's what I've always strived for, and this project encapsulates my work to date. I see collaborative couture as a new way to buy fashion - with no waste while still supporting artisans. It needs development as an idea, but I have One Dress 2 in the planning stages!

Image: Atelier Tammam, London

tammam.co.uk/onedress

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[Fib-r]+[Fab-c]+[Sil-k]

PEACE SILK

Cocccon & Seidentraum

The quest for luxury silk fabrics coupled with the demand for social and responsible entrepreneurship led to the founding of the COCCCON project. The development of ecologically produced silk, which does not disrupt the metamorphosis of silkworms, has a major impact on the biodiversity of the Jharkhand region of India. Cocccon is an example of how fashion and nature can go hand in hand.

Today Cocccon is the fastest growing biological production of non-violent silk in India and is led by Chandra Prakash Jha. The Indo-German project Cocccon + Seidtraum was founded in 2011 in the East Indian state of Jharkhand to create an economic opportunity for poor people in rural areas. A modern form of cooperation, which leaves much of the production in the hands of local villagers. Currently, more than 300 people are employed and enjoy economic independence through this collaboration.

Ecological aspects A particular challenge was to avoid the use of toxins. Excessive use of gene chemicals in silkworm breeding has destroyed or threatened many species of plants, animals and insects. The lack of pollination of many fruits and flowers in the silk-growing areas leads to lower agricultural yields.

When Cocccon took over the conventional silk farm in 2011 the soil was barren, resulting from a lack of microorganisms due to the excessive and unnecessary use of chemicals.

The project has stopped using all of these so-called high yielding silk sprays and banned them on its land. A liquid solution has been developed from plants with medicinal properties, which produces 80% similar results to chemical fungicides and pesticides without toxic side effects to the ecosystem.

Sericulture Peace Silk rearing (non-violent silk) The motto "Creativity Can Care", which are the three c's in Cocccon, describes the philosophy of how to design a product. Cocccon cares about the effects on both humans and nature and seeks to promote creativity that does not affect the environment.

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The silk crop is managed as it was in the pre-industrial era and takes place in the wild. The trees where the silkworms grow are not treated with sprays, and in order to protect the caterpillars and leaves from other insects or birds, the entire tree is covered with a net, similar to a mosquito net.

Once the caterpillars spin their cocoons, they are placed in huts on bamboo trays or hung from the ceiling with jute straps.

This process can take 2 to 4 weeks, after which the silk butterflies hatch. This particular method slows production but is fundamental to the philosophy of producing silk non-violently. Occasionally, cocoons must be pierced by well-trained personnel to ensure safe hatching. The partnership makes sure that every silk moth survives—That's why the silk is known as "Peace Silk" or non-violent silk.

Once the butterflies have left their cocoons, the cocoons are degummed. The silk glue, or Sericin, and other impurities are removed from the silk cocoons, which is done by adding natural soap to boiling water. Occasionally, hydrogen peroxide is used to balance the different shades of the silk yarn, which is approved as an environmentally friendly process by both REACH & GOTS. However, the process does not use any toxic heavy metals to increase the weight of the silk yarns.

Innovative Technology.

As far as possible, Cocccon uses renewable energy sources. The spinning, winding and plying of the yarns is powered by solar, and some looms have been upgraded to also use solar; thus, 70% of the spinning and weaving processes are carbon neutral.

Thanks to intelligent water management, water consumption in their production process is minimised by their Bio-ETP (Effluent treatment plant) system, which allows the recovery of wastewater for reuse.

The unique business model adopted by Cocccon and Seidentraum has created an abundacne of employment opportunities in rural India, raising the standards of living and education for silk rearers, weavers and their children. The project has also enabled women in the group to use their skills to create their own economic self-dependency.

The goal of Cocccon and Seidentraum is to create awareness of sustainable clothing and show that we can dress fashionably and care for the environment and our planet at the same time.

Seidentraum's silks can be found on display at RawAssembly's responsble sourcing events and can be purchased from them directly using their online portal.

This project is also known as Fashion4biodiversity.

www.seidentraum.biz/ www.rawassembly.c o m

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RESPONSIBLE M AT E R I A L S For tho se se ek i n g to p ur c ha s e P e a c e S i l k , t hen Seident r au m, in p ar t ne r s hi p wi t h C O C C C O N h ave yo u cover ed. Visi t th ei r o nl i ne s t o r e h e r e

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION: WE IG HT :

S AMAT OA S EID ENT R AUM 100% o rgan ic Pe ac e S i l k 100 g/m 2 www.seiden t r au m . bi z /

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION: WE IG HT :

RINARA S EID ENT R AUM 100% Pe a ce Silk kbT 80 gm/ 2 www.seiden t r au m . bi z /

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION:

B OURET TE S EID ENT R AUM 100% Pe a ce Silk S l ub Je rsey www.seiden t r au m . bi z /

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A RT ICL E: B ANAN A MIL L : SEI D EN T RA U M C OMP OSI T IO N : 6 3 % O r g a ni c B a na na 3 5 % o r gan i c p e a c e s i l k WE IGH T : 7 0 gm/ 2 w w w . s ei d e ntr a um . b i z/

A RT ICL E: MIL L : C O MP OSI T IO N : W EIG H T :

JER SE Y RI P P SEI D E N T RA U M 1 0 0 % o r g a ni c P e a c e S i l k 130 g/m2 w w w . se i de ntr a um . b i z/

A RT ICL E: M IL L : C OMP OSIT IO N : W EIGH T :

TU SHI T A SEI D E N T RA U M 1 0 0 % o r g a ni c P e a c e S i l k 8 0 g/ m 2 w w w . se i d e ntr a um . b i z/

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Image: Mantero | Resilk®

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Image: Mantero | Resilk®

[Fib-r]+[Fab-c]+[Sil-k]

RESILK® DISCOVER

Mantero 1902

Reassessing what is truly valuable Mantero is a family-owned textile company founded in 1902, in Como, Italy, by Riccardo Mantero.

For more than a century, Mantero has been creating, producing, and distributing men and women's luxury silk textile fabrics and accessories. Some of their clients include luxury fashion houses such as Salvadore Ferragamo and Valentino. Mantero has a craft history that has been handed down for four generations enabling them to produce some of the best silk products on the market today.

After the Second World War, it became apparent that Italy was not going to be able to continue to spin silk onshore as it became cheaper and cheaper to import spun yarns from China.

Unable to compete with more competitive pricing, Italian mills were forced to shut down, yet the industry in some parts of Como endured. To this day, Mantero no longer produce their silk yarn in Italy, they import this instead, but the rest of the production process continues to be completed in Como. The silk they have uses traditional silk production, instead of peace silk methodology, so their newly produced products are not suited for the growing vegan fashion sector.

Introducing ReSilk® For designers and brands looking for alternative silk solutions that align with their own sustainable and responsible consumption goals, Mantero has launched a relatively new product called ReSilk®. Since 2015 Mantero have been developing and producing their GRS certified, transparent, traceable and Made in Italy material, which is regenerated silk made from silk textile production waste. Resilk® has allowed them to recover large amounts of waste, generated by the silk production processes, rejected fabrics and surplus production, and transform it into a Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified regenerated pure silk yarn that has a similar handle to cashmere.

To produce Resilk® Mantero has partnered with Ecotec© by Marchi & Fildi, allowing them to carefully select which pure silk excess production material, seconds, scraps, branded fabrics, and obsolete stock are suitable for the process. Marchi & Fildi then take the waste silk materials and cut and shred them to create silk flakes and spin them into regenerated pure silk yarns ready to start their next cycle. Resilk® offers a wide range of weaves, light and enveloping fabrics, yarn-dyed jacquards, screen printed and digitally printed materials.

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Image: Neosiam

[Plan-t]+[Silk]+[Veg-an]

LOTUS SILK

Samatoa Lotus Textiles

Lotus, the national flower of India, is more than just its beauty. A flower of religious and cultural importance that blooms out of the mud. The flower holds great symbolic weight in many eastern cultures and is considered one of the most sacred plants in the world.

The lotus has a life cycle, unlike any other plant. Its roots anchored in mud, it submerges every night into its surrounding water to magnificently re-bloom the following morning. In many cultures, this process associates the flower with rebirth and spiritual enlightenment. Its daily life consists of life, death and re-emergence, so it's no surprise that the lotus holds such symbolism in the East.

Lotus flowers are an unlikely source for textiles, yet lotus silk fabrics have been being produced since the early 1900s.

Made from delicate thin strands of fibres that are extracted from the lotus stem using slow, traditional practices by a few skilled craftspeople across the world, the strands are then woven into soft, naturally biodegradable, breathable and wrinkle resistant fabrics with silk-like properties; hence why its called "Lotus Silk."

Lotus silk is extracted and woven in Myanmar, Vietnam, some parts of Manipur and Cambodia, where Samatoa Lotus Textiles operate.

Samatoa Lotus Textile has spent the last ten years reviving the production of lotus silk. Thousands of years ago, the art of creating lotus fabric was known but then lost. Today Samatoa works with around 30 expert spinners, weavers, seamstresses, and designers from their eco-textile mill in Cambodia to produce fabrics using traditional techniques to ensure the continuity and sustainability of these traditions and skills.

To give you an idea of how luxurious lotus silk is, extracting enough lotus silk for one scarf can take two months, requires one weaver and 25 thread makers. The final product can cost ten times as much as regular silk. Today it remains one of the most expensive and rarest fabrics in the world.

Samatoa works to preserve the environment, paying people fairly, and treating each person with respect and dignity are their prerequisites for a sustainable fashion business. All of their workers are paid a living wage, have trade union rights, paid leave, and health insurance, not to mention a safe working environment.

https://samatoa.lotus-flower-fabric.com/

Image: RawAssembly | Samatoa Lotus Silk

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PROCESS OF LOTUS SILK MANUFACTURING

01: Lotus Harvesting Once the lotus flowers have been harvested, the remaining stems are collected during the rainy season of June – November. The threads need to be processed within 24 hours while still wet; otherwise, they'll break.

So, harvesting has to be done each day.

02: Lotus Fibre Extraction: Young women in the mornings gather the stems of the lotus flowers. These are then cut, snapped, and twisted to expose their fibres. These stems are cut with a shallow knife, and 5-6 stems are snapped at one time, revealing 20-30 fine white filaments of fibre. These filaments are pulled gently out of the stem onto a purpose-built wooden stool, allowing the craftspersons to draw the fibres and roll them gently into one fibre simultaneously.

They are then hung to dry and rolled into single threads of 100-yards in length. It is a slow and time-consuming process. To keep one weaver busy, around 25 thread makers are required.

03: Preparation of the Lotus Yarn Fibres extracted from the lotus stem are gently spun into yarn as, at this point, they are still very delicate. Extracted fibres are placed in the skeins on a bamboo spinning frame to prepare yarns and transfer the thread into winders for warping. Threads are made; up to 40 meters long to avoid entanglement. The threads are then taken from the warping posts and are coiled. Yarns for the weft are wound into bamboo bobbins.

04: Weaving of Lotus fabric Fabrics are woven in the traditional looms. The woven fabric has a width of approximately 24 inches. During weaving, threads are frequently moistened with water, as lotus fibres need to be kept cool. The material is woven in 100-yard batches, and it takes about a month and a half to complete one batch. It's estimated that around 32,000 lotus stems are required to make just 1.09 yards of fabric, and 120,000 stems are required for one outfit, making the textile extremely exclusive and luxurious. After weaving, the fabric is dyed with natural dyes, and every part of the precious material is utilized in some way; nothing goes to waste.

05: Dyeing of Lotus Fabric, Fibre and Yarns Only natural dyes are used on lotus fibre, which is made from tree bark, flower petals, leaves, and fruits. Yarns are dyed in skein forms in different dye baths. After dyeing, fabric and skeins are dried outside in the sunlight.

The Lotus fabric is probably the most ecological in the world.

Because of the time-consuming nature of the thread-making process, pure lotus cloth is rare and expensive, retailing at up to 400 USD per piece. For this reason, it is often blended with cotton, silk, or peace silks.[9]

Natural Properties of Lotus Fibre: It is a cellulosic fibre and the finest aquatic fibre. (Waterproof fibre) • It is cool, breathable & durable • It has good elasticity.

• It is crease/ wrinkle-resistant fibre • It absorbs moisture but dries fast • It doesn't contain any chemical or toxic products, so it produces ecological fabric.

• The manufacturing process doesn't require any gas, petrol, electricity or additional water.

• The lotus flower is a phytosanitary plant that cleans the water in which it grows and preserves the ecosystem while protecting fish and insects.

• The whole process takes place within the framework of sustainable development.

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Discover More HERE

THE AWAKENING OF LOTUS FIBRE PRODUCTION INDIA

Today, lotus silk fibre is also harvested in parts of Manipur, India, where lotus plants grow in abundance.

In recent years the practice of Lotus fibre extraction has also been popularized by a 27-year-old girl, Bijiyashanti Tongbram. Just a few kilometres from her home is Loktak lake, the largest freshwater lake in the Northeast region. This lake is famous for its numerous small islands known as phumdis and the thousands of lotus blooming in it.

A graduate in botany honours, and her father working as a field assistant in the Fishery Department of Manipur, Bijiyashanti's initial plan after graduation in 2014 was to establish agro-tourism in her area. However, due to a lack of resources, her plans were not able to be brought to fruition. Nevertheless, her experiment with the medicinal properties of lotus continued.

By late 2019, she had learnt the technique of extracting lotus fibres and spinning them into threads to weave fabrics and make neckties and scarves with the help of a handful of women from her locality.

Subsequently, she set up an enterprise, 'Sanajing Sana Thambal', which helps teach and employ other women in her local community. She initially spread the word around her village, resulting in seven women being taught how to extract the fibre and weave fabrics. Word soon spread to neighbouring villages, and that number grew quickly to fifteen. By the start of 2020, she had trained forty people, with twenty women continuing to make thread with her today.

Working from both home units and inside the Sanajing Sana Thambal workshop, Bijiyashanti buys back the fibre from these craftswomen enabling her to produce necktie's, scarves, and face masks. Bijiyashanti hopes to open an online store with the products she is now beginning to make and sell, and even export her products in the near future.

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Image: Quang Nguyen

Image: Samotoa Lotus Silk

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ORGANIC LACE

Modespitze

Organic lace by Modespitze, Germany, has been making embroidery and embroidered lace since 1897. They are a family-owned manufacturer with full production based in Plauen, the leading location in Germany for lace production. Modespitze is fully GOTS certified for all steps of its production, including its finishing processes and offers around 400 organic designs in all sizes, colours and fabrications. In addition, Modespitze produces fabrics for bridal, runway and luxury fashion brands, through to independent designers. Their fabrics, especially for bridal wear fabrics are available with no minimum order, making them perfect for bespoke dresses and small orders.

Modespitze is based on the rich tradition firmly founded in their roots by making the finest embroidery and lace and supporting sustained and slow fashion. They believe in making a difference by shifting towards organic textile standards and caring more for people and the planet than prosperity.

Modespitze internal environmental policy takes care of several measures regarding the reduction of waste, water and energy and is revised periodically. They work exclusively with 100% eco electricity from renewable sources with a focus on hydropower.

HTTPS://WWW.ORGANIC-LACE.DE/

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3 2 0 -6 9 9 3 2 MO DESPI TZ E Tr a n sp ar e n t Pe ace S i l k O r ga n za, w ith O r ga ni c Cotton emb r o i d er y GO TS 1 0 0 cm www.rawassembly.c o m

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RESPONSIBLE M AT E R I A L S For th o se see k in g e m b r o i d e r e d o r g a ni c c o t t o n l ac e s, tulles an d o r gan za f a b r i c s . Mo d e s p i t z e a r e a f o rth gen er atio n f ab r ic m i l l b a s e d i n e ur o p e p r o duc i ng som e o f th e mo st l uxur i o us b r i d a l a nd r e a dy-to -we ar laces in th e mar k e t t o d a y . T he y we r e t he f i rst and only to o f fer G O TS c e r t i f i e d o r g a ni c e m b r o ide ry i n the m ar ket an d th e y a r e b e a ut i f ul .

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION: WIDT H:

138-69892 MOD ESPITZE 100% Organ ic C o tto n GOTS 120c m www.organ i c -l ac e. de/

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION:

WIDT H:

320-69932 MOD ESPITZE T ransparen t Peace Silk Organz a, w ith Organ ic C o tto n embroidery GOT S 100c m www.organ i c -l ac e. de/

AR T ICL E : MIL L : COMPOS IT ION:

WIDT H:

269A-69898 MOD ESPITZE T ransparen t Peace Silk Organz a, w ith Organ ic C o tto n embroidery GOT S 100c m www.organ i c -l ac e. de/

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ART ICL E: MIL L : CO MP OSIT IO N : W ID T H :

0105-68144 M OD E S P I T ZE 1 0 0 % O r g a ni c C o t t o n G O T S 75cm w w w. or ga ni c - l a c e . de /

ART ICL E: MIL L : C O MP OSIT IO N : W ID T H :

1 5 5- 6 9 5 5 4 M O D E S P I T ZE 1 0 0% O r g a ni c C o t t o n GOT S 75cm w w w. or ga ni c - l a c e . d e /

ART ICL E: MIL L : C O MP OSIT IO N : W ID T H :

3 1 0- 6 9 3 2 2 M O D E S P I T ZE All o v e r o r g a ni c c o t t o n/ Silk - G O T S 74cm w w w. or ga ni c - l a c e . de /

A RT ICL E: MIL L : C O MP OSIT IO N : WID T H :

165-69804 M O D E S P I T ZE Co tto n T ul l e w i th Me r i no W o o l Embr o i d e r y - G O T S 120cm w w w . or ga ni c - l a c e . d e /

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0319 - 6 9 9 3 0 MOD ESP IT Z E Tran s p a re nt P e a ce S i l k O rga nza , w i th Or g a n i c Cott o n e m b ro i d er y GO T S 100c m www . o r g a n i c -l a c e . d e/ www.rawassembly.c o m

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Th is pag e 269A-698 9 8 MO DESP ITZE

T r an sp ar e n t Pe ace S i l k Or gan za, w ith O r gani c Cotton e mb r o id er y G OT S 100c m

O p posite Page: 105-6814 4 MO DESP ITZE G u ip ure Lace allo v er 100% O r ganic Co tto n G OT S 75cm w w w .or ganic-lace.de/

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RESPONSIBLE ELASTIC

Charle Berlin

C H A R L E w as f i rs t e s tab l i s he d a s a c h i l d r e n ’ s w e a r b r a n d i n Be r l i n , c r e a t i n g g arm e nts us i ng re s p o ns i b l e m a t e r i a l s a n d p r o d u c t i o n m e t h o d s t h a t r e s p e c t pe o p l e and ani m al s ’ e nvi ro nme n t . N o t b e i n g a b l e t o s o u r c e s a f e a n d sus tai nab l e e l as ti c s , the f o unde r M a n d y G e d d e r t s e t u p h e r s u p p l y c h a i n a n d de ve l o p e d a l i ne o f e l as ti c m a d e f r o m o r g a n i c c o t t o n a n d n a t u r a l r u b b e r w i t h a n A us tri an ri b b o n m anuf ac tu r e r .

The s tand ard rang e no w c o nta i n s m o r e t h a n 30 e l a s t i c a n d n o n -s t r e t c h r i b b o ns . The i r ap p l i c ati o n are a s e x t e n d f a r b e y o n d t h e w o r l d o f f a s h i o n , w i t h pro d uc t d e s i g ne rs and c o m p an i e s i n t h e s p o r t s w e a r , t o y a n d a u t o m o t i v e ind us tri e s al l c ho o s i ng thi s s u s t a i n a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e t o c o n v e n t i o n a l pe tro l e um - d e ri ve d s tre tc h ri bb o n s .

To d ay the s e e l as ti c s are b e i ng u s e d b y t w o Au s t r a l i a n b r a n d , T h e V e r y G o o d Bra and A .B C H .

If yo u are l o o k i ng f o r re s p o nsi b l e a n d n a t u r a l e l a s t i c s , a n d c o r d s , h a v e a l o o k th ro ug h the C harl e rang e vi a o u r d ig it a l s o u r c in g d ir e c t o r y, o r h e a d o v e r to C harl e B e rl i n to c o ntac t M a n d y t o d i s c u s s y o u r s a m p l e a n d p r o d u c t i o n ne e d s .

If yo u are l o c ate d i n A us tral i a o r N e w Z e a l a n d a n d a r e l o o k i n g t o p u r c h a s e C harl e B e rl i n e l as ti c s i n s m al le r q u a n t i t i e s , m a k e s u r e y o u c h e c k o u t A. BC H ’ s C i rc ul ar S o urc i ng . L aunc he d i n e a r l y 2019, C i r c u l a r S o u r c i n g i s a p l a t f o r m t o he l p s m al l to m e d i um f as hi o n b r a n d s p u r c h a s e r e s p o n s i b l e m a t e r i a l s a n d tr i m s that A .B C H us e s the m s e l v e s .

The p l atf o rm e nab l e s c o l l ab o r a t i o n . E a c h i n t e r e s t e d d e s i g n e r o r b r a n d pl e d ge s to p re - o rd e r m ate ri als a c c o r d i n g t o t h e i r n e e d s w h i l e h e l p i n g t h e col l e c ti ve re ac h hi gh M O Q tar g e t s t h a t c a n b e u n a c h i e v a b l e a l o n e .

Inc l ud e s : C harl e B e rl i n e l as ti cs , T e n c e l ™ s e w i n g t h r e a d s , a n d o r g a n i c c o t t o n inte rl i ni ng.

C i rc ul ar S o urc i ng p ro vi d e s an o p e n p l a t f o r m f o r c o l l e c t i v e a c t i o n t o s u p p o r t cons c i o us d e s i g n d e c i s i o ns , m o v i n g t h e i n d u s t r y t o w a r d s c i r c u l a r i t y a n d a r e s p o ns i b l e f uture f o r al l .

E ts y – C i rc ul ar S o urc i ng Ins tag ram – @c i rc ul ars o urc i ng Fa c e b o o k - @s us tai nab l e f as hi on s o u r c e

WWW.PREMIUM-HABERDASHERY.DE/CHARLE-BERLIN

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Image: Rawssembly | Charle Berlin Cord

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Fabric Mills, Research Labs & Suppliers KAPOK FABRICS SAMATOA

Kapok fibres deriv e f ro m the B o m b ax c e i b a’s f ru i t s g a t h e r e d f r o m a r o u n d S i e m Re a p a n d Ba t t a m b a n g . T h e Ka pok plant pro duces na tural c e l l ul o s i c f i b re s , w hi c h Sa m a t o a w e a v e i n t o b e a u t i f u l a n d l u x u r i o u s f a b r i c s . ht t p s:/ /samato a .lo tu s - f l o w e r- f ab ri c . c o m /e c o - te x t i l e -m i l l / k a p o k -f a b r i c /

PEACE SILK SEIDTRAUM & COCCCON Seid t raum sells luxu ri o us p e ac e s i l k , b anana s i l k , a n d l o t u s s i l k s d i r e c t l y t o d e s i g n e r s w o r l d w i d e f r o m t h eir online st ore, ma king it eas y to ac c e s s and he l p i ng o f f e r a d i r e c t -t o -s o u r c e s u p p l y w i t h o u t t h e n e e d o f u s i n g a g e n t s or payin g r eta il ma rk- up s . ht t p s:/ /www.seident raum .b i z /

RESPONSIBLE CELLULOSIC TULLE (Plastic-free) • Tamma n Atelier , L o nd o n - w i l l b e o f f e ri ng tul l e f a b r i c s t o t h e i r c l i e n t s i n s m a l l q u a n t i t i e s - c o m i n g s o o n • SwissTulle Bo bbine t, UK - p ro d uc e re s p o ns i b l e t u l l e m a d e f r o m Be m b e r g c o t t o n l i n t e r f o r b u l k o r d e r s .

PEAT FIBRE AND PEACE SILK FABRICS SEIDENTRAUM & DEVA Seidentraum has been developing a new product for their collection that consists of peace silk and natural peat fibres. After initial spinning tests at the German Institute for Textile + Fibre Research, Seidentraum has been able to produce a fine yarn suitable for knitting jersey fabrics, in addition to their hand-loom woven fabrics.

Seindtraum has also been refining peat fibres and turning them into lightweight, warm and moisture absorbing bedding. The inner wadding is made from the peat fibres, and the outer shell is peace silk creating a new luxury in bedding. www.seidentraum.biz/

GRADO ZERO ESPACE Pe at is an accumula ti o n o f p arti al l y d e c aye d ve g e t a b l e m a t t e r a n d r e s u l t s i n a s o f t b r o w n m a s s w i t h c a r bon cont en t of 50%. Peat fo rm s i n w e tl and s c al l e d p e at- l a n d s . P e a t d e p o s i t s a r e t h e f i r s t s t a g e i n f o r m a t i o n o f c oa l deposit s. U nder pressure, w ate r i n the p e at i s f o rc e d ou t . U p o n d r y i n g , p e a t c a n b e u s e d a s a f u e l a n d i s t r a d i t i o n a lly used for c o o king a nd do me s ti c he ati ng i n m any c o unt r i e s , i n c l u d i n g I re land a nd S co tla nd, w he re s tac k s o f d ryi ng p e a t d u g f r o m t h e b o g s , c a n s t i l l b e s e e n i n s o m e r u r a l a r e a s.

Pe at is also dug into the s o i l to i nc re as e the m a t t e r ’ s c a p a c i t y t o r e t a i n m o i s t u r e a n d a d d n u t r i e n t s . P e a t f ires a re used to dry malted barl e y f o r us e i n S c o tc h w hi s ky d i s t i l l a t i o n . T h i s g i v e s S c o t c h i t s d i s t i n c t i v e s m o k y f l a v our, oft en referred to as “p e at iness” by Sco tc h af i c i o nad o s . M o re o ve r, p e a t i s u s e d t o p u r i f y t h e a i r a n d r e m o v e o d o u r s . Ba c t e r i a incorporat ed into the pea t bre ak d o w ns o d o urs and g as es . U s i n g p e a t m a k e s i t p o s s i b l e t o a d j u s t t h e p H a n d n u t r ient s t o a suit able lev el fo r dif f e re nt b ac te ri a.

All t h ese cha racteri s ti c s , ad d e d to the hi gh e c o - c o m p a t i b l e n a t u r e o f t h i s n a t u r a l p r o d u c t , p u s h e d G r a d o Z ero E space’s tea m to dev e l o p a garm e nt that c o ul d b e n e f i t f r o m a l l t h e p e c u l i a r i t i e s o f p e a t m a t e r i a l s . T h i s p r o j ect led t o a seri es o f gar ments that i nc o rp o rate d p e at w ad d i n g i n t o t h e m . An It a l i a n f a s h i o n l a b e l u s e d t h i s i n t h e i r collect ion, allow i ng them to ble nd e c o l o gy, s tyl e and p rac ti ca l l y f o r e v e r y d a y l i f e .

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MATTRESS TICKING FABRIC SUPPLIERS • Duvalli provide high-quality fabrics for the sleep industry, made from Kapok, Linen, hemp, organic cotton & wools, to name a few.

Located in Portugal

WADDING/ BED FILL MATERIALS ENKEV’S COCOLOK

En kev’ s Co co lo k is made p ure l y f ro m natural c o c o n u t f i b r e s a n d n a t u r a l l a t e x . T h e f i b r e i s c o l l e c t e d f r o m t h e coconut hu sk, a widely a vaila bl e re s o urc e . I ts o p e n and re s i l i e n t s t r u c t u r e a l l o w s C o c o l o k t o c r e a t e a g o o d m i c r o -c l i ma t e (which is an ad va nta ge with mattre s s e s , f urni ture , c ar s e at s , f i l t e r s e t c . ) . T h e s t r u c t u r e a l s o a b s o r b s s o u n d a n d c e rt a in wa ves, m aking the materia l exc e l l e nt as a the rm al and ac o u s t i c i n s u l a t i o n p r o d u c t .

ENKEV'S COCOHAIR ROPE

Coc onu t fibre is v er y to ug h ye t al s o e l as ti c . The f i b r e h a r d l y d e t e r i o r a t e s a t a l l o v e r t i m e . C o i r i s a p r o d u c t t h at is na t ura lly adapted to the huma n b o d y. The f i b re i s c o l l e c te d f r o m t h e c o c o n u t h u s k , a w i d e l y a v a i l a b l e r e s o u r c e . T o p - qua lit y beddin g m anufa ctur er s a nd up ho l s te re rs us e ho rs e hai r t o p r o v i d e t h e i r p r o d u c t s w i t h g r e a t e r d u r a b i l i t y a n d c o mf ort . T hese m anu factur er s use ha i r i n b o th d i vans and m attre s s e s w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l ‘ h a n d -m a d e ’ p r o d u c t i o n t e c h n i q u e s .

U sed for Ma ttresses & Up ho l s te ry

HOLLY BURTON

Holly Burton is a NASAA Certified Organic Farm in the Macedon Ranges just outside Melbourne. They are producing Doonas and wadding made from their wool and other Victorian farms. *Holly Burton have confirmed their wools are non-mulesed.

Please always check certificates are valid when purchasing sample materials and bulk orders.

* As we are a plastic-free platform, we have not covered synthetic fill materials in this magazine edition. As jackets and coats are washed less frequently, they pose less of a microfibre release issue than everyday clothing, so synthetics are more suited to this clothing category than others.

We can help advise on new synthetic fills for products designed for the circular economy, but we do encourage you to look at natural or human-made cellulosic alternatives first.

Info@rawassembly.com

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Human-Made Cellulosic Fibres LENZ I N G | R EFIB R A ™

Refibra™ is a hum an- m ad e c e l l ul o s e f i b re m ade f r o m p r e -c o n s u m e r c o t t o n s c r a p s c o m b i n e d w i t h w o o d pulp, m e aning it o nly r e l i e s o n re - us i ng w hat has al r e a d y b e e n m a d e t o c r e a t e f r e s h f i b r e s f o r u s e . h t t ps:/ /www.tencel . c o m /re f i b ra

LENZ I N G | T EN C E L ™ L e nzing is a huma n- m ad e c e l l ul o s e f i b re m ad e t h a t i s u s e d i n c l o t h i n g & b e d d i n g .

T ENCEL™ Lyo cell f i b re s are e xtrac te d f ro m s u s t a i n a b l y g r o w n F S C w o o d u s i n g a u n i q u e c l o s e d -l o o p s y st em t hat r eco v er s a nd re - us e s 9 9 % o f s o l ve nts us e d , m i n i m i zi n g t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t o f p r o d u c t i o n . U nique p hysica l pro perti e s l e ad to the i r hi g h te nac i t y p r o f i l e , e f f i c i e n t m o i s t u r e m a n a g e m e n t a n d g e n t l e n e ss t o skin.

BA M B OO

If yo u ar e una ble to us e a c l o s e d - l o o p s ys te m , w e s u g g e s t y o u u s e a l t e r n a t i v e c los ed-lo o p pro du c e d f i b re s unti l b am b o o c an b e p r o d u c e d i n a c l o s e d -l o o p s y s t e m .

• • • •

Lenzing lyo cell, i n the f o rm o f Te nc e l ; and M o d a l .

B i r la Eco Visco se Re:newcell Evr nu

R E: N EWCEL L

Re:newcell tr ansfo rm s c e l l ul o s i c w as te s uc h a s c o t t o n a n d h u m a n -m a d e c e l l u l o s i c i n t o n e w f i b r e s . Their b ra nded ma ter ia l i s b e tte r k no w n as C I R C UL OS E . T h e y a l s o p a r t n e r e d w i t h T a n g s h a n S a n y o u i n 2019 a nd h elped pro duce a vi s c o s e s tap l e f i b re TA NGC E L L ™, m a d e f r o m 50% p o s t -c o n s u m e r r e c y c l e d c o t t o n t e xt iles su pplied by Re:ne w c e l l . h t t ps:/ /www.r ene w c e l l .c o m /e n/

ASA HI K A SEI BE M B E R G ,

B e mbur g is a cupro f i b re m ad e f ro m 1 0 0 % c o t t o n l i n t e r , a p r e -c o n s u m e r r e s i d u e f r o m c o t t o n p r o c e s sing.

B e mber g is super f i ne and c an b e w o ve n i nto t h e f a b r i c f o r j a c k e t & s k i r t l i n i n g s . It c a n a l s o b e w o v e n int o m id-weight fabrics , i nc l ud i ng l i g htw e i g ht tro us e r s o r e v e n d e n i m .

B e mbur g is used i n the ne w c e l l ul o s i c tul l e f e a t u r e d o n p a g e 74 h t t ps:/ /www.a sa hi - k as e i .c o .j p /f i b e rs /e n/b e m be r g /

BIR L A ,

B I RLA is pro ducin g a vi s c o s e f i b re us i ng re c yc l e d c o t t o n f a b r i c w a s t e a s w e l l a s o t h e r c ellulo se visco se, m o d al , and l yo c e l l f i b re s d e r i v e d f r o m w o o d s o u r c e d f r o m s u s t a i n a b l y m a n a g e d f o r est s and pro duced by c l o s e d - l o o p p ro c e s s e s .

B irla is also par tne ri ng w i th Nano l o s e to p ro d u c e t h e i r c o c o n u t -d e r i v e d t r e e -f r e e c e l l u l o s e f i b r e . h t t ps:/ /www.bir la c e l l ul o s e .c o m /p ro d uc ts

IONCEL L

Ioncell® is a techno l o gy that turns us e d te x t i l e s , p u l p , o r e v e n o l d n e w s p a p e r s i n t o n e w t e x t i l e f i bres su staina bly using an I o ni c no ve l s o l ve nt. The p r o c e s s c o n v e r t s c e l l u l o s e i n t o f i b r e s w h i c h i n t u r n c a n be m ade into lo ng-las ti ng f ab ri c s .

We wo n't, ho wev e r, s e e thi s e m e rge o nto the ma r k e t u n t i l 2025. h t t ps:/ /io ncell.fi/

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Yarn & Fabric from Renewed textiles E vrn u i s a USA - b a s e d c o m p a ny t ur ni ng c e l l ul o si c te xti l e waste i nto ne w man-made c e l l ul osic fibr e s ( M M CF's) . T he y a r e c ur r e nt l y no t at sc al e , so thi s i s a f uture te c hno l o gy that wi l l e merge over th e n ex t f e w y e a r s a t s c a l e . htt p s:/ / w w w .ev r nu. c o m /

RECO T ® | Gebr üd e r O t t o G m b H & C o . KG Pr o d u ce y ar n s u s i ng a b l e nd o f r e c y c l e d c o tto n and GOT S -c e rti f i e d o rgani c c o tto n. htt p s:/ / w w w .o tt o - g a r ne . c o m / ho m e - e n/ RECO V ER T EX Reco v er ® is a s us t a i na b l e t e x t i l e s y s t e m that turns te xti l e waste i nto ne w, pre mi um upc ycled yar n s. Pi o n ee r e d b y t he F e r r e f a m i l y , Re c o ve r® c o l l e c ts te xti l e waste and use d c l o thi ng f rom a r o u n d th e w o r l d , s o r t i ng i t b y c o l o ur . T he se re c o ve re d f i bre s are bl e nde d wi th o the r low imp act f ib r es to m a k e ne w t e x t i l e s t ha t can be re c yc l e d re pe ate dl y.

Reco v er te x w o r k wi t h C o y uc hi t o r e c y c l e the i r unusabl e l i ne n pro duc ts - S e e page 60 htt p s:/ / w w w .r ec o v e r t e x. c o m / BEL D A L L O R EN S Sp an i sh y ar n m a nuf a c t ur e r B e l d a L l o r e ns i s pro duc i ng re c yc l e d c o tto n and vi sc o se yarns c alled E co L ife® htt p s:/ / w w w .ec o l i f e b y b e l d a . c o m / ho m e /

THE NEW D EN I M P R O JE C T T h e N ew D e n i m P r o j e c t : i s a s us t a i na b l e te xti l e l abo rato ry, de si gn studi o , and manuf ac turin g wo r k sh o p w ith i n I r i s T e xt i l e s , a t hi r d - g e ne rati o n te xti l e mi l l that has be e n o pe rati ng si nc e 1956 in Gu atemala.

T h e y p r o d u ce u p c y c l e d c o t t o n f a b r i c s m ade f ro m the te xti l e waste f ro m the de ni m i ndustry.

T h e y h av e b e aut i f ul f a b r i c s p e r f e c t f o r b o th f ashi o n and Inte ri o rs. htt p s:/ / w w w .th e ne wd e ni m p r o j e c t . c o m / TA K I HY O, Lo cated in Jap an, l a unc he d T a k i hy o ’ s C i r c ul ar S yste m i n 2019, ai mi ng to e l i mi nate the c o nc e pt of wa ste . Th e y w o r k i n p a r t ne r s hi p wi t h T he Ne w D e ni m Pro j e c t ( T ND P) who me c hani c al l y re c y cle pr e an d p o st- co ns um e r c o t t o n m a t e r i a l s i nto upc yc l e d de ni m and c o tto n i n Guate mal a and th e No Waste p r o j e c t t ha t m e c ha ni c a l l y r e c y c l e s pre /po st-c o nsume r natural f i bre -base d mate ri als in T h ai lan d . Th ey a i m t o m i ni m i z e c a r b o n fo o tpri nt i mpac t by o f f e ri ng the se c l o se d-l o o p systems in tw o d iffer e n t r e g i o ns . htt p s:/ / w w w .tak i hy o . c o . j p / e n/ VE L ENER T EX T I L G M B H W o n th e D i sco v e r N a t ur a l F i b r e s I ni t i a t i v e ( D NFI) Inno vati o n i n Natural Fi bre s Award i n 2018 for the i r WECYCLED ® s y s t e m , whi c h a d d r e s s e s the i ssue that 30 pe rc e nt o f yarn use d i n we avin g m ills, k n ittin g m i l l s , a nd g a r m e nt m a k i ng re mai ns unuse d.

T h e p r e - co n su m e r r e c y c l e d f i b r e s a r e b l e nde d wi th vi rgi n c o tto n i nto ne w yarn.

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Certifications Raw Materials & Products T H E G L OBA L ORG A N IC T E X T I L E STA N DA R D - GOT S GLO BA L O R G AN I C TE XTI LE S TAN D AR D ( G O T S ), i s t h e g l o b a l l e a d i n g t e x t i l e p r o c e s s i n g s t a n d a r d for orga nic fibr es, in c l ud i ng e c o l o g i c al and s o c i al c r i t e r i a , s u p p o r t e d b y i n d e p e n d e n t c e r t i f i c a t i o n o f t h e w h ole t ext ile supply chai n. Thi s m e ans that GO TS o r g a n i c c o t t o n i s g r o w n f r e e f r o m p e s t i c i d e s a n d c h e m i c a ls, wit h fa ir labo ur p rac ti c e s . The c o tto n s tand ard a l s o h e l p s p r o m o t e o r g a n i c a g r i c u l t u r e a r o u n d t h e w o r l d

h ttp s:/ / www. g l o b a l - s t a nd a r d . o r g /

ORG A N IC B L E N DE D S TA N DA R D - O C S OCS - ORG ANI C B LE NDE D ST AND AR D c o v e r s t h e p r o c e s s i n g , m a n u f a c t u r i n g , p a c k a g i n g , l a b e l l i ng, t ra ding a nd distr i b uti o n o f a p ro d uc t that c o n t a i n s a t l e a s t 5 p e r c e n t c e r t i f i e d ‘ o r g a n i c ’ m a t e r i a l s . It ca n be used a s a bus i ne s s - to - b us i ne s s to o l to g i v e c o m p a n i e s t h e m e a n s t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e y a r e s e l l i n g qua lit y a nd getting w hat the y p ay f o r.

GLOBA L ORG ANIC L AT E X STANDA RD - GOL S Control Uni on Certi f i ca ti ons has p i o n e e r e d t h e f i r s t g l o b a l s t a n d a r d f o r o r g a n i c l a t e x : t h e G l o ba l O rga nic La tex S tand ard ( GO L S ) . I t i s hi ghl y re g a r d e d , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e s l e e p p r o d u c t s s e c t o r . G OL S out lines requireme nts f o r l ate x p ro d uc ts m ad e fr o m o r g a n i c r a w m a t e r i a l s , a s w e l l a s f o r m a t e r i a l f r o m non-orga nic o r igins.

The stan d ard ad d re s s e s c ri te ri a f o r n a t u r a l r u b b e r f r o m c e r t i f i e d o r g a n i c p l a n t a t i o n s ( U S D A N O P or E U ) that is pro c e s s e d at m anuf ac turi ng u n i t s . T o a c h i e v e G OL S c e r t i f i c a t i o n , a p r o d u c t m u s t c o n t a in more than 9 5 % o f c e rti f i e d o rgani c raw m a t e r i a l . T h e G OL S s t a n d a r d f e a t u r e s p e r m i s s i b l e l i m i t s f or ha rmful substa nce s , e m i s s i o n te s t re q ui re m en t s a n d p o l y m e r a n d f i l l e r p e r c e n t a g e s . R u b b e r p l a n t a t i ons a s well a s pr o ce s s i ng uni ts up to the f i nal ret a i l e r a r e c e r t i f i e d a c c o r d i n g t o t h e s t a n d a r d . By u s i n g t ra nsa ct ion certificat e s at e ve ry s al e o f a p ro d uc t i n t h e s u p p l y c h a i n , t r a c e a b i l i t y f r o m t h e p l a n t a t i o n to t he fina l r eta iler i s e ns ure d .

It is best to s e e k b o th GO TS & GO L S l a b e l s w h e n b u y i n g a N a t u r a l -l a t e x m a t t r e s s e s , t h i s e n s u res t ha t no chemica l f e rti l i s e rs have b e e n us e d in t h e a r e a o f g r o w t h f o r a t l e a s t f o u r y e a r s a n d i t c o m e s f rom a FSC managed f o re s t am o ng s t o the r f ac to r s .

OE KO - T E X ® STANDAR D 100 by O E K O - T E X ® i s o n e o f t h e w o r l d ’ s b e s t -k n o w n l a b e l s f o r t e x t i l e s t e s t e d f or ha rmf ul substa nce s . I t s tand s f o r c us to m e r c on f i d e n c e a n d h i g h p r o d u c t s a f e t y .

The Oeko - Te x S tand ard 1 0 0 , i ntro d u c e d i n 1992, i s a g l o b a l u n i f o r m t e s t i n g a n d c e r t i f i c a t i on syst em fo r tex ti l e raw m ate ri al s , i nte rm e d i a t e p r o d u c t s a n d e n d -p r o d u c t s a t a l l s t a g e s o f p r o d u c t ion. T ext ile pro ducts are c e rti f i e d ac c o rd i ng to Oe k o -T e x S t a n d a r d 100 o n l y i f a l l c o m p o n e n t s m e e t t h e required cr iteria w i tho ut e xc e p ti o n.

D isco v er o the r O e k o - Te x c e rti f i c ati o n s h e r e

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T H E R E SP ON SI B L E D OW N S TA N DA R D - R D S The R e s p o ns i b l e D o w n S tand ard ( R D S ) a i m s t o e n s u r e t h a t d o w n a n d f e a t h e r s c o m e f r o m a nima ls t ha t hav e n o t b e e n s ub j e c te d to any unnece s s ary harm . R D S i s an i nd e pe n d e n t , v o l u n t a r y , g l o b a l l y r eco g ni z e d c e rti f i c ati o n that ac k no w l e d g e s a n d r e w a r d s c o m p a n i e s f o r e t h i c a l p r a c t i c e s t h a t respect t he humane tre atm e nt o f d uc k s and g e e s e . T o q u a l i f y f o r a RD S c e r t i f i c a t i o n , f a r m e r s , b r a n d s a nd suppliers must re s p e c t the F i ve F re e d o m s o f t h e g e e s e a n d d u c k s t h a t s u p p l y t h e i r d o w n . T o e n s u r e et hica l pra ct ices, ev e ry s tage i n the s up p l y c hai n i s a u d i t e d b y a t h i r d -p a r t y p r o f e s s i o n a l .

T R AC E A B L E D OW N S TA N DA R D - T D S NSF can c e rti f y al l e l e m e nts o f the d o w n s u p p l y c h a i n t o t h e n e w Ad v a n c e d G l o b a l T r a c e a b l e Down St a nda rd ( G l o b al TD S ) . The s tand ard e n s u r e s t h a t d o w n i n g a r m e n t s a n d o t h e r h o u s e h o l d a n d commercia l pro du c ts c o m e s f ro m a re s p o ns i b l e s o u r c e t h a t r e s p e c t s a n i m a l w e l f a r e a n d c a n b e t r a n s p a rent ly t ra ced.

D o wn i s a b yp ro d uc t o f the f o o d i n d u s t r y . In t h i s d o w n s u p p l y c h a i n , b i r d s m a y b e f o r c e f e d for f oie gra s pro du c ti o n o r e ve n l i ve p l uc k e d to g e t m o r e t h a n o n e h a r v e s t o f d o w n f r o m a s i n g l e b i r d .

The G l o b al TD S i nvo l ve s a c hai n o f c u s t o d y c o m p o n e n t t h a t v e r i f i e s t r a c e a b i l i t y s y s t e m s a re in pla ce thro ug ho ut the e nti re s up p l y c hai n . F u l l t r a n s p a r e n c y i s r e q u i r e d i n o r d e r t o e v a l u a t e a l l l e v els of t he supply ch ai n i nc l ud i ng p are nt f arm s , h a t c h e r i e s , b r e e d i n g a n d i n t e r m e d i a r y r a i s i n g f a r m s , s l a u ght erhouses, co llec to rs , d o w n p ro c e s s o rs , d o w n w h o l e s a l e r s , t r a n s p o r t v e s s e l s a n d f i n i s h e d g o o d s f a c t ories. NSF will fa cilit ate the s up p l y c hai n m ap p i ng p r o c e s s p r i o r t o c e r t i f i c a t i o n . https://d 2 e vk i m vhatq av.c l o ud f ro nt . n e t / d o c u m e n t s / s u _ t r a c e b l e _ d o w n _ q _ a . p d f

e c o -I NSTITU T-L ab el A r elia b l e q ual i ty l ab e l f o r p ro d uc t s f u l f i l l i n g s t r i c t e s t r e q u i r e m e n t s o n p o l l u t a n t s a n d e m i s s i ons f ollowing the late s t s tate o f re s e arc h and s ci e n c e .

Pro du c ts b e ari ng the l ab e l are : • Relia b l y l o w i n e m i s s i o ns ( o utg as s i n g ) a n d h a za r d u o u s s u b s t a n c e s .

• Ca n b e us e d w i tho ut re s tri c ti o n i n c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d r e n o v a t i o n p r o j e c t s a n d f o r f u r n i s h i n g living a nd w o rk i ng s p ac e s .

• Fav o re d b y re s p o ns i b l e arc hi te c t s a n d p r o j e c t p l a n n e r s i n n a t i o n a l a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n s t ruct ion pro jec ts .

• The f i rs t c ho i c e f o r he al th- c o ns c i o u s c o n s u m e r s w h e n m a k i n g t h e i r p u r c h a s i n g d e c i s i o n s .

CERTIPUR-US Made without ozone depleters - Which have been banned since 2000. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, CFCs are still used to manufacture foam. The CertiPUR-US label prohibits the use of any CFCs, or other ozone depleters, in the foam manufacturing process.

Made without PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants - which have been banned since 2005.

Made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals - Though not common components of foam chemistry, heavy metals in food (mercury in fish) and in the home (lead paint in children’s toys) have made the entire heavy metal family an area of concern. CertiPUR-US laboratory testing subjects material extracted to molecular analysis capable of detecting even trace amounts of heavy metal content. CertiPUR-US verifies that registered foams are made without mercury, lead and other heavy metals.

Made without formaldehyde - Like heavy metals, formaldehyde has never been used as a raw material in foam. Formaldehyde has been labelled as a cause of poor indoor air quality. The absence of formaldehyde in foam is verified in CertiPUR-US-certified foam by a small chamber emission test.

Made without phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission Phthalates (pronounced “thal’-ātes”) is mainly used as a softening agent in the manufacture of some consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (2009) eliminated the use of eight specific phthalates for use in children’s toy and child care items. CertiPUR-US goes a step further by requiring detailed laboratory analysis of foam extractions and prohibiting the use of phthalates regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in all CertiPUR-US certified foams.

Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a major component of air pollution. VOC emissions from household products are also a concern for indoor air quality. www.rawassembly.c o m

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Certifications Raw Materials & Products OT H E R C E RT I F IC AT ION S A N D S C H E M E S T HAT YO U M IG H T WA N T TO E X P L OR E I F YO U A R E P ROD U C I N G B E DDI N G & F U R N IAT U R E

A F R DI - T h e Au st r a l asi an Fu r n i shing Re s e arch and D e vel opm ent Institute AF RD I ,The A us tral as i an Furni s hi n g Re s e a r c h a n d D e v e l o p m e n t In s t i t u t e i s a n i n d e p e n d e n t not -for-profit techni c al o rg ani s ati o n p ro vi d i ng s t a n d a r d s , t e s t i n g , p r o d u c t c e r t i f i c a t i o n a n d r e s e a r c h for buyers a nd selle rs o f f urni ture .

A FRD I GR EEN TI C K Or gani s ati o ns w o rl d - w i d e are l o o k i n g t o e n s u r e t h e i r e n v i r o n m e n t a l f o o t p r i n t i s m i n i m i s e d and o nl y p ro d uc ts w hi c h have b ee n d e s i g n e d w i t h s u s t a i n a b i l i t y i n m i n d a r e u s e d . T h e A FRD I Gre e n Ti c k c e rti f i e s s up p l i e r ’ s p r o d u c t s m e e t AF R D I’ s e x p e c t a t i o n s f o r t h e e t h i c a l so urc i ng o f m ate ri al s f re e f ro m h a r m f u l l e v e l s o f t o x i c c h e m i c a l s , a n d f e a t u r e s u s t a i n a b l e design, w hi c h m i ni m i s e s w as te an d e n c o u r a g e s t h e r e s p o n s i b l e u s e o f w a t e r a n d e n e r g y in the i r m anuf ac ture .

The AF R D I Gre e n Ti c k c e rti f i c ati o n i s a G r e e n Bu i l d i n g C o u n c i l o f Au s t r a l i a ( G BC A) recog ni s e d p ro d uc t c e rti f i c ati o n s c h e m e , a l l o w i n g t h e p r o d u c t s t o c o n t r i b u t e t o a G r e e n S tar rati ng.

A FRD I Gre e n Ti c k c o ve rs s uc h attr i b u t e s a s P r o d u c t S t e w a r d s h i p , C o m p l i a n c e w i t h L a w s and R e g ul ati o ns , F i tne s s f o r Purpo s e , M a t e r i a l s S e l e c t i o n , H a za r d o u s S u b s t a n c e s , In d o o r Envir o nm e nt Q ual i ty, D i s as s e m b ly R e c y c l i n g M o d u l a r i t y a n d P r o d u c t Re f u r b i s h m e n t . F o r the Pl ati num L e ve l A F R D I Gre e n T i c k a l s o c o v e r s Op e r a t i o n a l E n e r g y W a t e r a n d W a s t e , Co r p o rate S o c i al R e s p o ns i b i l i ty, T r a n s p o r t a n d P a c k a g i n g .

Their Gre e n Ti c k p ro g ram f e atures t h r e e l e v e l s o f a t t a i n m e n t : • A FR D I Gre e n Ti c k ‘S i l ve r’ • A FR D I Gre e n Ti c k ‘Go l d ’ • A FR D I Gre e n Ti c k ‘P l ati num ’ D o wnl o ad the i r L ate s t gui d e l i ne s h e r e

h ttp: / / www. f ur nt e c h. o r g . a u/ FUR N T E C H O RA N G E T I C K Ch ild r e n’ s p r o d uc t s l i k e c o t s a nd bunk be ds have mandate d mi ni mum saf e ty r eq u i r e m e nt s d e t a i l e d b y t he Austral i an C o mpe ti ti o n and C o nsume r C o mmi ssi o n (ACCC).

Th es e a r e c a l l e d C o ns um e r P ro te c ti o n No ti c e s ( C PNs) and are o f te n re f e rre d to as th e M an d a t o r y S t a nd a r d . T he C P Ns ge ne ral l y re f e r to o nl y part o r parts o f the Australian Stan d a r d . A F RD I a s s e s s a g a i n st the se C PN re qui re me nts and grants Furnte c h Oran ge Ti ck a s r e c o g ni t i o n o f m e e t i ng the C PN

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[ FO A-M ] + M ATTRESSES GE C A ( G o o d E nv i ron m ent a l C h oi c e Au str a l i a ) is a pur p o s e dr ive n , not for prof it t hat prov i de s s olut i ons for sust ai nabl e consumpt i on and pro duct ion. The y have de vel op e d t he i r ow n r i gorous st and ards, fol l ow i ng ISO 1 4 0 2 4 pr i ncipl e s and I SEAL f r ame work s for g l ob a l b e st pr a c t i c e i n e col ab el l i ng , w h i ch are t he n i nde p e nde nt ly ass e ss e d by t heir Assu r anc e Prov i de rs .

GE C A’s Fu r n itu re, Fitt i ngs , Fo am and Mattre ss e s (L e vel A).

Furniture , f i tti ng , f o am and m attre s s p r o d u c t s f o r m a s i g n i f i c a n t p r o p o r t i o n o f i t e m s m a n u f a ct ured fo r us e w i thi n re s i d e nti al , c o m me r c i a l a n d g o v e r n m e n t e n v i r o n m e n t s a n d f o r m a s i g n if ica nt manuf ac turi ng s e c to r i n A us tral i a.

Furniture trans f o rm s o ur ho m e s an d w o r k p l a c e s f r o m e m p t y r o o m s t o i n v i t i n g , f u n c t i o n a l s pa ces.

But ho w o f te n d o w e c o ns i d e r the e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t o f t h e p r o d u c t s t h a t h e l p u s w o r k, rest a nd pl ay?

The m anuf ac ture , us e , and d i s p o s a l o f f u r n i t u r e p r o d u c t s c a n n e g a t i v e l y i m p a c t o u r e n v i r o nment a nd he al th, d e p e nd i ng o n f ac to rs s u c h a s t h e c h o i c e o f r a w m a t e r i a l s u s e d , c o a t i n g s , t e x t i l es, a nd a dhesi ve s . M anuf ac ture rs m ay al s o u s e h a za r d o u s t r e a t m e n t s o r m a n a g e t h e i r e n e r g y a n d wa t er use poo rl y d uri ng p ro d uc ti o n.

D evelo p m e nts i n ti m b e r, al l o y and m e t a l , a n d p l a s t i c r e c y c l i n g h a v e e n c o u r a g e d i n n o v a tion in furniture and f i tti ng d e s i gn and m a n u f a c t u r e , e n c o u r a g i n g p r o d u c t s t h a t r e a d i l y i n c o r pora t e r ecycle d m ate ri al s and p ro d uc ts wi t h c o n s t i t u e n t s t h a t c a n b e r e c y c l e d i n t o n e w p r o d u c t s a t t he end o f l i f e . The s e p ro d uc ts o f te n e qu a l o r s u r p a s s t r a d i t i o n a l p r o d u c t s i n s o m e a s p e c t s o f s t r engt h, dur abi l i ty and f unc ti o n.

Ho wev e r, m anuf ac ture rs c an s ti l l s i g n i f i c a n t l y r e d u c e s u s t a i n a b i l i t y i m p a c t s a c r o s s t h e s e p r oduct s’ entire l i f e c yc l e . Thi s s tand ard re f e r s t o t h e m a n u f a c t u r e o f t h e p r o d u c t s a n d t h e i r c o n s t it uent materi al s , the p e ri o d o f ac tual us e a n d d i s p o s a l .

When a p ro d uc t i s c e rti f i e d agai n s t G E C A’ s F u r n i t u r e , F i t t i n g s , F o a m a n d M a t t r e s s e s ( L evel A ) standa rd , c o ns um e rs c an b e s ure t h a t t h e p r o d u c t h a s b e e n a s s e s s e d t o m e e t e n v i r o n ment a l, human he al th and s o c i al i m p ac t c ri t e r i a , w h i l e a l s o p r o v i n g t h a t i t p e r f o r m s a s p r o m i s e d .

GE CA c e rti f i c ati o n re m o ve s d o ub t a n d c o n f u s i o n a n d m a k e s i d e n t i f y i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y a nd so cia ll y p re f e rab l e p ro d uc ts e as i e r. P r o d u c t s c e r t i f i e d u n d e r t h i s s t a n d a r d a r e r e c o g n i s e d b y WE LL, IS CA a nd the Gre e n B ui l d i ng C o unci l o f Au s t r a l i a ’ s G r e e n S t a r P e r f o r m a n c e t o o l .

The st and ard s e ts re q ui re m e nts th a t a i m t o p r o v i d e a b e n e f i t b y : • av o idi ng the i l l e g al harve s t o f w oo d a n d f i b r e f o r r a w m a t e r i a l s • r educ i ng the us e and s ub s e q u e n t r e l e a s e o f e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y h a r m f u l s u b s t a n c e s t o t he env ir o nm e nt at al l s tage s o f the p r o d u c t ’ s l i f e c y c l e • reduc i ng the p re s e nc e and re l e as e o f s u b s t a n c e s h a r m f u l t o h u m a n h e a l t h • ensu ri ng w o rk e rs and s up p l i e rs th r o u g h t h e s u p p l y c h a i n c a n e x p e c t f a i r p a y , e q u a l o p p o r t unit y, a nd a s af e w o rk i ng e nvi ro nm e nt • encourag i ng re c o ve ry, re us e , rec y c l i n g a n d r e s p o n s i b l e d i s p o s a l o f u n w a n t e d p r o d u ct a nd packa g i ng GE CA are al s o a C e rti f i e d B C o rp o r a t i o n m e e t i n g r i g o r o u s s t a n d a r d s o f s o c i a l a n d e n v i r o n ment a l per fo rm anc e , l e gal l y e xp and i ng t h e i r c o r p o r a t e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o i n c l u d e c o n s i d e r a t i on of stakeho l d e r i nte re s ts , and b ui l d c o l l e c t i v e v o i c e t h r o u g h t h e p o w e r o f t h e u n i f y i n g B C o r p ora t ion brand.

https://geca.eco/about-us/

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Mattress Recycling

S OF T L A N DI N G S o ft L and i ng to o ve rs e e thi s s c he me b e c a u s e o f i t s e x p e r i e n c e i n m a t t r e s s r e c y c l i n g a n d i t s role a s a socia l ente rp ri s e that al s o c re ate s j o b s f o r p e o p l e w h o e x p e r i e n c e b a r r i e r s t o e m p l o y m e n t . S o f t La nding ha s a co mmi tm e nt to the b e s t s o c i al an d e n v i r o n m e n t a l o u t c o m e s f o r e a c h w a s t e s t r e a m .

Their p ro c e s s tak e s : S teel S p ri ngs - re c yc l e d the m i nto p r o d u c t s s u c h a s r o o f s h e e t i n g & r a i l w a y w h e e l s Fo am - D o w nc yc l e d i nto c arp e t un d e r l a y Husk - R e c yc l e d i nto i w e e d m atti n g a n d m u l c h Timbe r - R e c yc l e d i nto k i nd l i ng, mu l c h a n d a n i m a l b e d d i n g Fabri c - C urre nt m ate ri al s he ad to w a s t e -t o -e n e r g y a n d o t h e r u n d i s c l o s e d e n d -u s e p r o d u c t s.

https : //s o f tl and i ng.c o m .au/

Other Resources https : //re c yc l e m ym attre s s . c o m . au / t h e -r e c y c l i n g -p r o c e s s /

In the News A NS W c o unc i l that has b e e n b att l i n g t o g e t r i d o f s o m e 25, 000 d i s c a r d e d m a t t r e s s e s a y e a r ha s la unched a par tne rs hi p w hi c h i t ho p e s w i l l s a v e t h e m f r o m e n d i n g u p a s l a n d f i l l .

Mar c h 2 0 2 0 https : //w w w . go ve rnm e ntne w s . c o m . a u / c o u n c i l -f i n d s -s o l u t i o n -t o -m a t t r e s s -h e a d a c h e s /

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Certifications Raw Materials & Products T HE FO R E S T S TE W A R D S H IP C O U NCI L ® ( F SC) i s an i nte rnati o nal no n-pro f i­t o rgan isation for w o o d ce r t i f i c a t i o n.

FSC h as a g l o b a l f o r e s t c e r t i f i c a t i o n syste m to pro vi de a guarante e that f o re st pro du cts come fr o m r e s p o ns i b l y m a na g e d s o ur ce s. T he syste m has two ke y c o mpo ne nts: Fo re st Man agemen t (FM ) ce r t i f i c a t i o n s ho ws t ha t f ore st manage rs o r o wne rs are managi ng the i r f orests in a r esp o n s i b l e wa y . h ttp s:/ /a u. f s c . o r g / e n- a u/ f o r - b us i ne ss/f sc -c e rti f i c ati o n T HE PR O G R A M F O R TH E E N D O R SEMENT O F F O REST CERTI F I CA TI O N SCH EMES™ ( P E FC ) is an in t e r na t i o na l no n- p r o f i t o r g ani sati o n f o r wo o d c e rti f i c a­t i o n.

Th e Pr o g r a m m e f o r t he E nd o r s e me nt o f Fo re st C e rti f i c ati o n i s an i nte rnati o nal , n on -profit, n o n - go v e r nm e nt a l o r g a ni s a t i o n whi c h pro mo te s sustai nabl e f o re st manage me nt th rou gh in d e p en d e nt t hi r d p a r t y c e r t i f i c a ti o n. It i s c o nsi de re d the c e rti f i c ati o n syste m o f ch oice for small f o r e s t o wne r s . h ttp s:/ /www. p e f c . o r g / T HE CA N O P Y P L A N E T S O C IE TY i s a C anadi an no npro f i t o rgani sati o n that f o c uses on th e co n se r v a t i o n a nd p r o t e c t i o n o f a nc i e nt and e ndan­g e re d f o re sts.

Th e Can o p y S t y l e A ud i t G ui d e l i ne s de sc ri be ho w audi to rs wi l l ve ri f y that pro duc e rs are meetin g th e cr i te r i a a nd whe t he r a nd when the y c an be re c o gni se d as be i ng at l o w ri sk o f so u rcin g from an ci en t a nd e nd a ng e r e d f o r e s t s o r c o ntro ve rsi al so urc e s. h ttp s:/ /c a no p y p l a ne t . o r g / s o l ut i o n s/f sc /c re di bl e -c e rti f i c ati o n-j ust-o ne -part-o f -the -solu tion /

SUSTAINABLE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CERTIFIED The Ra in f o re s t A l l i anc e c e rti f i c ati o n s e a l m e a n s t h a t t h e p r o d u c t ( o r a s p e c i f i e d i n g r e d i e n t ) wa s produced by fa rm e rs , f o re s te rs , and /o r c o mp a n i e s w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r t o c r e a t e a w o r l d w h e r e p e o p l e a nd na t ure thr iv e in harm o ny.

PRODUCT C ERT I F I CAT I ONS T HE CRA D L E TO C R A D L E C E R TIF I ED™ Pro duc t S tandard gui de s de si gne rs and man u factu rers th r o u gh a c o nt i nua l i m p r o v e m e nt pro c e ss that l o o ks at a pro duc t thro ugh f i ve qual i ty categories — mate r i a l he a l t h, m a t e r i a l r e ut i l i sati o n, re ne wabl e e ne rgy and c arbo n manage men t, w ater ste w ar ds hi p , a nd s o c i a l f a i r ne s s .

U si n g the e nd - us e p r o d uc t ( wa s t e ) f o r the so urc e o f a ne w pro duc t: a c i rc ul ar e con omy . All p r o d u ct s c a n b e d e s i g ne d f o r c o n ti nuo us re c o ve ry and re -uti l i sati o n. h ttp s:/ /www. c 2 c c e r t i f i e d . o r g / EU Eco l a b e l - E s t a b l i s he d i n 1 9 9 2 and re c o gni se d ac ro ss Euro pe and wo rl dwi de , the EU Ecolabel is a l ab e l o f e nv i r o nm e nt a l e x c e ll e nc e that i s awarde d to pro duc ts and se rvi c e s meetin g h igh en v i r o n m e nt a l s t a nd a r d s t hr o ug h o ut the i r l i f e -c yc l e : f ro m raw mate ri al e xtrac ti o n to produ ction , d istr i b ut i o n a nd d i s p o s a l . h ttp s:/ /e c . e ur o p a . e u/ e nv i r o nm e nt/e c o l abe l /

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R ETHI NK M A TERIA A S N ATU RAL RES O URCES DWI ND L E , DE S IG N E R S AN D FIBRE IN N O V ATO RS ARE E XPLO R IN G TH E POTE N TIAL OF IN CREA SINGLY P LENTI F UL WAS TE S TR E AM S & FORG OT TO N F I BRE S TO BECO M E TH E R AW M ATE R IAL S OF T H E FU TURE. TH IS SECTI O N DRAWS F RO M A G L OB AL C OM M U N ITY OF DESIG N ERS & F I B RE PRO DUCE RS W H O AR E PU S H IN G BOU N DA RIES WI TH ALTE RNATI VE , N E W AN D DIS R U PTIVE A PPROA CHES TO THEI R S O URCI NG .

FOCU S POI NTS : DO WN, WO O L & AL TE R N ATIVE S

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Image: Pangaia

[Wa-st]+[Flw-r]+[Dow-n]+[Veg-n]

FLWR DWN™

Pangaia

Made with biodegradable down-fill materials sourced from wild flowers, Pangaia offers a cruelty-free alternative to duck or goose down that is responsibly sourced and responsibly made.

FLWRDWN™ is just one of the many new options entering the market for lightweight, thermal-insulating outwear. In the past, animal feather and synthetic down made up the majority share of the industry; however, this, like other areas of textile innovation, is changing and looking to nature for solutions.

Today, if a down jacket is not using animal feathers, it's filled using a synthetic alternative.

Usually, polyester, which is a plastic, non-biodegradable and made from finite petrochemical resources.

Pangaia wanted to create a fill that is not made from or reliant on using finite petrochemical resources and something that is not cruel to animals, with the belief that the future of a sustainable fashion industry lies in finding uses for what already exists. Turning to an Italian based laboratory they worked collaboratively to develop their game-changing solution, FLWRDWN™, a down insulation created from waste flower petals.

In the making of Pangaia down jacket fill, the floral waste is shredded, combined with a biopolymer made from vegetable waste and a patented Aerogel system, available through Grado Zero Espace. The Aerogel helps the microstructure of the flower-down to be water repellant and offers extraordinary thermal performances due to it being one of the most insulating materials available.

Before its use in FLWRDWN™, the Aerogel system has been used in space probes, construction and a wide array of other applications. Offering the same softness, flexibility and breathability as traditional padding with a significantly reduced thickness, making it perfect not only for the clothing industry but also automotive, home furnishing, sleeping bags and pipelines.

The FLWRDWN™solution is neither cruel to animals nor the planet; being non-toxic, ultra-warm, lightweight, fluffy, hypoallergenic, and 100% biodegradable. What potentially sets Pangaia apart from other sustainable and ethical brands is that its mission isn't to create exclusive, proprietary materials and products; instead, they plan to license their products to other companies across a wide range of industries. ** Please note** Pangaia FLWRDWN™ coats are not biodegradable in their finished form. At this time, Pangaia is still using recycled polyester for their inner lining and outer shell, trapping the biodegradable down within the two layers. We hope to see Pangaia move to use alternative materials shortly that allow the garment as a whole to be biodegradable or circular.

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Flocus™

KAPOK FIBRES

FLOCUS™, a Dutch company with offices in Shanghai, is a pioneer in developing the textile fibre, Kapok.

Kapok's cotton-like properties are commonly found in mattresses and pillows today and have been largely forgotten in clothing due to the development of synthetic materials.

FLOCUS™ is the first company to revive these forgotten fibres and bring them back to modern-day textiles.

Unlike other crops, Kapok trees grow on non-agricultural land - they grow on the sides of hills and in soils not suitable for other vegetation. The trees are self-sufficient and grow without fertilisers, irrigation or pesticides, and their production method requires very little water or energy. The tree takes around six years to grow before it starts producing kapok fibre pods from its branches. At which point the pods are picked by hand from the branches or collected from the ground after they have naturally fallen.

Hundreds of pods can be found in each fruit containing the tree's seeds. The pods are broken open to reveal the fluffy soft, and silky fibre that protects the seeds.

Kapok fibres positively impact the environment and positively impact the communities where the fibre is grown and processed. Kapok fibre farming empowers local farmers as it enables them to grow additional crops such as peppers, vanilla and corn, providing them with additional income. The fibres are separated from the seeds by hand within these communities, using a labour-intensive process, and as no chemicals are required, the environment remains unpolluted. Flocus™ is also trying to automate this, allowing them to scale the production of Kapok fibre in the future.

The harvested fibres are natural cellulose fibres and are said to be one of the most sustainable fibres in the market today. They are 100% biodegradable and 100% recyclable in every application, during the production process, and at the end of the product's life, Kapok is regenerative.

The fibre itself cannot be spun on its own; Flocus™ must blend it with other fibres such as cotton, wool or lyocell. However, it can be used in a much higher concentration as an alternative to feather down, synthetic or wool fill. Due to its low density, Kapok is five times lighter than cotton, which substantially reduces the amount of water and energy needed to process it into a yarn. It is naturally thermoregulating because of its hollow cavity, making it cool in hot temperatures and warm in cold climates. It has the potential to be a great alternative to synthetic fibres for activewear and sportswear brands with its natural antibacterial, hypoallergenic, water repellant, breathable and insulating properties.

Currently, Kapok is slightly more expensive than cotton due to the manual labour required to process it and the difference in current market demands. As more designers become aware of natural fibres such as Kapok as they seek sustainable alternatives to today's fibres, that will change.

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IN TO TH E WILD F IBR E S

Salty Co.

Students from the Royal College of Art, and the Imperial College London, have been able to produce fabrics from plants grown in seawater. Concerned by the excess use of fresh water and the realisation that humans have been pushing our planet to its limit, the students came together to seek an alternative solution.

Today, 350 million people worldwide risk losing access to fresh water. Our use of this resource is unsustainable. One major consumer is the textiles industry, where freshwater is used extensively to produce both natural and synthetic fabrics.

The team at Salty Co. have been able to grow salt-tolerant plants by irrigating them with seawater. They harvest the plants and extract their fibres before manufacturing a variety of natural textile offerings. This has enabled them to pioneer the world's first woven, non-woven and fill products completely freshwater-free.

Placing transparency and stewardship at the heart of their mission means their products are better for people and the planet.

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SALTY CO.

I MA GE S : S A L T Y C O .

By creating a new calibre of what's necessary for an environmentally friendly textile, they hope to push brands and thought leaders to turn to these new materials.

SaltyCo is developing three different textile products from their salt-tolerant plants.

There is a woven fabric, a non-woven fabric and a technical stuffing.

Their non-woven fabric has the potential to be used for accessories or as a plant-based alternative to leather & faux leather.

The woven fabric requires most development and, if done right, it would have similar properties to linen or cotton, which is exciting.

The technical stuffing is the closest to being market-ready, and SaltyCo has already showcased it as part of a jacket, making it suitable for insulating jackets.

SaltyCo is currently participating in Imperial Enterprise Lab's Venture Catalyst Challenge and hopes to launch the startup soon. www.rawassembly.c o m

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Fo re st Fi bre s

D e si g n e r Tamar a Orjola tak es a holistic a p p ro a ch t o t ra n sf o rm ing fallen pine nee dles into a w ast e-f ree f i b re.

Co u l d t his be a wool, or fill alte rnativ e for t h e f u t u re?

Wr i t t en by Kirraly Antcliff

From th e f or es t f loor t o D u tc h D e s i g n W e e k , R o t terdam based d esi gn er Tam ar a O r jol a fi rs t b e g a n re s e a rc h i n g the val ue of p in e n eed les d ur ing h e r fi n a l y e a r a t th e D e si gn A cademy E in dhove n in 2016, w i th i n th e w e l l -b e i n g p ro g ramme of the d esi gn dep ar t m ent .

“I n thi s dep ar t m ent we ta k e w e l l -b e i n g a s a s ta rti ng poi nt for an y de si g n ex p lor at ion s , fo c u s i n g o n th i n g s th a t enhance l i fe an d e nable us t o t hr iv e .”

B o rn i n Rus s ia and g r ow i n g u p i n L a tv i a , T a m a ra ’ s understandi ng an d re spe ct f or t he env i ro n me n t w a s i n s ti l l e d fro m an earl y age t hrough h er own f am ily g a rd e n a s th e y p i c k e d w i ld mushrooms, b erri es a nd m ed icinal p l a n ts . T h i s k n o w l e d g e o f nature al w ays f asci n ated Tam ar a and i n fl u e n c e d th e e a rl y c o n cept of Forest Wo ol .

“I t al l be g an wit h r es ea rc h a b o u t th e fo rg o tte n val ue of pl ants an d techniq ues . Ther e i s a l o t o f k n o w l e d g e a n d aw areness w e used to pas s f r om g ene ra ti o n to g e n e ra ti o n w h i c h got forgotten d ue to the d ev elop m e n t o f m a s s -p ro d u c ti o n . Val uabl e l ocal m ateri al a nd t echniq ue s a re l e ft b e h i n d d u e to th e unw i l l i ngness of ma ss-pr od uct ion t o a d o p t mo re s u s ta i n a b l e , b ut l ess effi ci ent sourc es o f p r od uct ion.”

Fo ll o wi n g t he f elling of p i n e tre e s - 6 0 0 m i l l i o n annual l y i n the E U - the f or es t f loor is b l a n k e te d i n d i s c a rd e d pi ne needl es.

A n e ve rgreen s p ecies , P i n e s a re a s o ft w o o d , fa s t grow i ng tree wh ich h as led t o it s wide -s p re a d u s e a s a p l a n ta tion tree for the t imber, pa p er and wood -b a s e d i n d u s try .

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Im a ge – Ta m a r a Or j ol a , Fallen Pine Needles

“ I grew up i n Jurmal a, an area ri ch w i th Pi ne f or est s. I knew that the Pi ne tree has much more to off er . I n t he ol d days, i t used to be used as food, remedi es, t o build homes, furni ture, and other purposes. N ow adays, it is onl y val uabl e for i ts ti mber.”

Pi ne needl es – w hi ch make up 20-30% of a Pine t r ees total mass has now become a by-product discar ded once the tree i s harvested for i ts ti mber. R ec ognising thi s w aste stream as a val uabl e resource Tam ar a expl ored the use of pi ne needl es through m at er ial research w hi ch resul ted i n a col l ecti on of st ools, carpets and a fi bre ti tl ed ‘ Forest W ool ’ w hich was presented at D utch D esi gn W eek 2016.

CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO HERE

The fi bre extracti on process creates no wast e and Tamara expl ai ns that duri ng the process of t ur ning pi ne needl es i nto fi bre you can al so extract nat ur al dye and essenti al oi l s. “ Pi ne needl e essent ial oil has anti bacteri al , anal gesi c, di ureti c, e ner gizing and anti septi c properti es, and can al so be used in perfumery and cosmeti cs. A l so, the l i qui d w hi ch com es after processi ng pi ne needl es contai ns extrem ely high l evel s of degraded chl orophyl l w hi ch can be used as a natural dye.”

To transform the pi ne needl es, Tamara descr ibes; “I have devel oped a few techni ques for fi bre ex t r act ion, both are based on the tradi ti onal pl ant fi bre ext r act ion methods – crushi ng, soaki ng, steami ng, car ding, bi ndi ng. I have found that w hen treated, the needles w hi ch are composed of cel l ul ose and l i gni n, can be used i n paper, texti l es and a composi te ma t er ial f or i ndustry, maki ng them a good al ternati ve for im por t ed pl ant fi bres l i ke coi r and cotton.”

Forest W ool w as aw arded the w i nner of B est of Dut ch D esi gn W eek 2016 and the B rai ns A w ard 2016, which i s a competi ti on recogni si ng i nnovati ve ideas by students of Ei ndhoven.

I m age - F or es t W o o l Pr o c ess | T ama r a O rj o l a

Fol l ow i ng graduati on Tamara accepted a j ob of f er t hat took her to London and Forest W ool w as tem por ar ily put on hol d. “ W hi l e l i vi ng and w orki ng i n London I have been approached by many mul ti nati onal companies but after travel l i ng, tal ki ng and exhi bi ti ng I have r ealised that passi ng my i dea to a bi g company and becom ing a consul tant on thi s proj ect si mpl y w on’ t wor k. The scal e of the compani es w oul d qui ckl y dest r oy t he i ni ti al sustai nabl e aspect. Thi s i nfl uenced my goal in setti ng up a start-up.”

Tamara has si nce returned to the N etherlands t o conti nue the devel opment of Forest W ool in or der to bri ng thi s new materi al to the market, which was announced earl i er i n the year as a nomi nee i n t he 2020 Green C oncept A w ards.

Throughout the chal l enges of 2020 and cur r ent ly in 2021, Tamara i s conti nui ng research and dev elopm ent w i th a focus on texti l es w hi l st bui l di ng an advisor y netw ork w i thi n the fashi on and texti l e i ndustry, as well as seeki ng l i ke-mi nded i nvestors to take Forest Wool to the next l evel . W e are l ooki ng forw ard to f ollowing Tamara’ s conti nued j ourney w i th Forest W ool. @ forest_w ool

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1 0 T a m a r a O r jo la | Fo r es t Wo ol S eries

1 1 T a m a ra Orjola | Fore st W ool Se rie s

1 2 Tam ara O rj o l a | Fo rest W o o l Seri es

1 3 Tam ara O rj o l a | Fo rest W o o l Seri es

F o r e s t W oo l s t o o ls c r eat ed b y ex t r a c ti n g p in e n eed les a n d t urning t h e m i n t o a n ew c o m p o s it e material.

Forest Wool stools created b y extracting pine needles and t ur ni ng them into a new composite m at e r i al .

F or e st W ool d i sp l ay p r e se nt i ng, p i ne ne e d l e r aw m at e r i al s, sub st r at e m at e r i al s and sp un y ar ns.

T am ar a O r j ol a wi t h h e r p i n e n e e d l e r aw m at e r i al .

A p ot e nt i al al t e r nat i v e to c o i r & w o o l p ad d i ng/ f i l l

O r i g i n a l l y s h o wc as ed at D u t c h D e s i g n W e ek 2016

A l l Im ag e s c o u r t es y o f: T a m a r a Or j ol a ,F or e st Wool S e r i e s

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HD WOOL INSULATION HD Wool Insulation HD W o o l i s a f i f th- ge ne rati o n Yo r k s h i r e w o o l m e r c h a n t .

T rad i ti o nal f am i l y val ue s o f ha r d w o r k , h o n e s t y a n d d i r e c t n e s s m i x w i t h a n i nternati o nal ‘b e s t i n c l as s ’ re p u t a t i o n f o r i n n o v a t i o n .

F o und e d i n 1 8 8 8 , H . D aw s o n W o o l i s a g l o b a l l e a d e r i n s u p p l y i n g t h e f i n e s t , t o co ars e s t w o o l f ro m 3 5 c o untr i e s . T h e i r p r o d u c t s i n c l u d e n o b l e f i b r e s , g r e a s y wo o l , s c o ure d w o o l , w o o l to p s a n d w o o l w e b t h a t a r e t r a n s f o r m e d a t c a r e f u lly s e l e c te d p ro c e s s i ng p artne r s i n s t r a t e g i c g l o b a l l o c a t i o n s .

HD W o o l i s d ri ve n b y i nno vati o n a n d i s f u l l y c u s t o m i s a b l e . Br a n d s a n d c l o t hing m anuf ac ture rs c an c ho o s e f r o m v a r i o u s l i g h t e r o r h e a v i e r i n s u l a t i o n m ateri al s , w hi c h p ro vi d e m o re y e a r -r o u n d o p t i o n s f o r d e s i g n e r s , r e t a i l e r s a n d co ns um e rs .

W o o l I ns ul ati o n i s hi g hl y b re a t h a b l e a n d a n a t u r a l f o r m o f t e m p e r a t u r e r e g ulati o n that k e e p s yo u c o o l e r i n t h e h e a t a n d w a r m i n t h e c o l d , s i m p l e t o c a r e for and o d o ur re s i s tant.

De s i g ne d w i th the l o w e s t c arb o n f o o t p r i n t i n m i n d , H D W o o l In s u l a t i o n i s m a nu f ac ture d w i th m axi m um w as t e r e c o v e r y a n d w i t h o u t t h e u s e o f p l a s t i c s o r h arm f ul c he m i c al s . A n e c o l o g i c a l a l t e r n a t i v e , g r a d e d a s 100% r e n e w a b l e a n d bi o d e grad ab l e .

Hand - s e l e c te d and c re d i b l y s o u r c e d t h r o u g h c e r t i f i e d n o n -m u l e s e d s u p p l y chai ns and e thi c al l y m anag e d w i t h l o c a l f a r m i n g c o o p e r a t i v e s . H D W o o l u s e a rang e o f c utti ng- e d ge f i ni s h i n g a n d p r o c e s s i n g t e c h n i q u e s t o d e v e l o p w o o l bl e nd s w i th o the r natural f i b r e i n s u l a t i o n s .

T o d ay, H D W o o l c an b e f o und i n t h e p r o d u c t l i n e s o f F i n i s t e r r e , N o r t h F a c e , a nd H o w i e s ,to nam e j us t a f e w.

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W W W. H DWO OL . C OM / # W H Y- H D - WO OL - I N SU L AT ION www.rawassembly.c o m

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100% NATURAL MATERIALS Grüezi Grüezi Bag is a relatively young sleeping bag brand that does something exceptional: they are the first to combine down and wool in a sleeping bag to keep you comfortable and warm at night. Winners of Outdoor Industry Awards 2018 and ISPO's 2019 product of the year award the Grüezi bag is a sleeping bag made from 100% natural and sustainable materials – from the packaging down to the last accessory!

Due to its natural materials, the final product is soft, cosy and its innovative DownWool filling, a mixture of down, cotton and wool, creates a perfect sleeping climate.

The down ensures premium insulation, the cotton keeps it soft and means there is no 'sticky plastic feeling', which also means the bag does not produce static electricity.

Unlike down, wool can withstand moisture and retains its natural insulating and thermo regulating properties, it provides natural air-conditioning. Thanks to its overlapping design, the Biopod Downwool Nature can be opened entirely and secured shut using buttons, eliminating the need for zippers, which also makes the bag more versatile DownWool is an innovative high-end filling composed of 70% RDS down and 30% wool, with down having a very high insulation capacity to low weight ratio. The characteristic of wool is that it provides insulation and absorbs moisture. The wool that Grüezi uses is European wool and is mainly sourced from farmers in Switzerland, Germany and Norway, which means the wool is naturally non-mulesed.

By combining the two fill materials, the down stays dry and keeps its high insulation capacity. With the unique mix of DownWool, they achieved optimal insulation and a perfect dry sleeping climate with a low-weight finished product, creating the first 100% natural and sustainable sleeping bag on the market today.

WWW.EN.GZ-BAG.DE/

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I m age : Mark u s

www.rawassembly.c o m

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As w e l o o k at c i rc ul a ri t y a nd s t ri ve t o ut i l i s e w ha t a l re a d y e x i s t s , w e l o o k b ack a t R Æ BU R N me n’s A W1 5 c o l l e c t i o n, w hi c h d re w i ns p ir ati o n fr o m su rvi va l , e nd ura nc e , a nd i mme rs i o n a p t l y na me d R A FT .

Th e co n ce p t e me rge d b y e x p l o ri ng t he l i ve s o f a gro up o f me n ad r i ft o n th e o p e n o c e a n, e nd e a vo uri ng t o s urvi ve t he c rue l ha rdsh i p s an d ch al l e ngi ng c o nd i t i o ns a b o a rd a l i f e ra f t . S t yl e a nd p urp o se r e m ai n e d a t t he f o re f ro nt o f t he c o l l e c t i o n a nd w a s c a re f ul l y b al an ce d w i th a p l a yf ul e x p l o ra t i o n o f f a b ri c a t i o n, t e c hni q ue a nd co l o u r .

A k e y l o o k fr o m t hi s c o l l e c t i o n w a s t he R Æ BU R N i nf l a t a b l e o ut e rw e ar p u ffe r , w h i c h ga ve t he w e a re r t he a b i l i t y t o i nf l a t e a nd d efl ate as th e y so d e s i re d .

To d ay N u D o w n, a b ra nd f o und e d o n t he b e l i e f t ha t t e c hno l o gy can i m p r o v e l i ve s a nd e l i mi na t e s uf f e ri ng f o r a ni ma l s a nd huma ns , p r o d u ce N u D o w n j a c k e t s us i ng t he i r p a t e nt e d N uT e c h i nf l a t i o n te ch n o l o g y .

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I ma g e : R a e b

bu r n A W 1 5

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Stuck-at-home

MASQUERADE

Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Santa Kupča's Stuck-at-Home Masquerade collection was created during the pandemic to express how the designer was feeling when being isolated.

Consisting of three Chapters and in her own words, ‘Hesitant to RSVP’, ‘Dolce far niente’ and ‘Public Library’ - “are collections of garments that express how I feel when being isolated in a time of pandemic. During isolation every day can seem mundane, but what if we could turn it more celebratory? Instead of feeling trapped at home, you could celebrate by being the queen or king of your castle. On what level of comfort you want to be in when going out and when staying at home, and how to create the perfect tandem?”

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Kupča's found herself, like many of us did and still do, talking on screens and in Zoom conversations as an everyday thing, which often let her feeling confused – In an interview with Dezeen, Kupča, talks about how she felt like she was in an in-between place, not entirely at home, not entirely there in the conversation.

She found herself distracted by wanting to see how she looked on the screen while talking to other people and if my background and the lights around me looked good enough. She suddenly felt like she was trying to stage everything around her, which was the starting point of the Stuck-atHome Masquerade.

The three pieces blend with certain parts in her house. They romanticise the intimate state of what home symbolises for Kupča, in a shape of soft duvet that can be quickly worn on top of the underwear or just on a naked body.

The garments dwell in an exhibitionist masquerade where the wearer is the decor piece behind the screen.

The garments were created in lock-down at home and the materials were made with a regular printer and looked to be made of cushioned pillows and tufted duvets.

‘Hesitant to RSVP’ is about dressing up while impatiently counting the days for the lockdown to be over. ‘Dolce far niente’ is about blissfully being prepared for going out while daydreaming and elevating the pure awkwardness that arises from not knowing how to act around people anymore.

‘Public Library’ exaggerates the literary background and prompts an introspective for personal Zoom conversations.

About Kupča is a Latvian born designer based in Amsterdam, who works on diverse topics and approaches: with a focus on society as a larger context. When it comes to visual communication, she believes it’s important to embody the newness in her expression to make work visually present.

She looks forward to finding the essence of certain social phenomena and culture differences in trends and what connects us all, and to expand upon it with my perception

W W W. S A N TA K U P C A . C OM / ST U C K - AT- HOM E - M A S QU E R A DE

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Responsible D ow n S t a n d a r d ( R DS ) The Responsible Down Standard (RDS) aims to ensure that down and feathers come from animals that have not been subjected to any unnecessary harm. RDS is an independent, voluntary, globally recognized certification that acknowledges and rewards companies for ethical practices that respect the humane treatment of ducks and geese. To qualify for an RDS certification, farmers, brands, and suppliers must respect the Five Freedoms of the geese and ducks that supply their down. To ensure ethical practices, each stage of the supply chain is audited by a third-party professional.

Textile Exchange believes that education – through the RDS – is a meaningful way to drive demand for strong animal welfare practices. The standard also provides companies and consumers with a tool to know what is in their products and make accurate claims.

THE STANDARD FOCUSES ON: • Protecting animal welfare • Confident communication only products containing 100% down & feathers can carry the RDS logo • Stakeholder engagement: RDS was developed with the input of farmers, animal welfare experts, land conservation experts, brands and retailers from all parts of the globe • Credible certification • No live-plucking or forced feeding • Chain of custody Certification ensures that the identity of RDS down and feathers is maintained at all times: from the farm to the final product.

The RDS standard is probably the most recognized global standard today, followed by the Global traceable down standard.

Access the RDS Documents here Learn more about RDS here, plus access Textile Exchanges other Standards in their Resources section, such as Responsible Leather, Mohair, and Wool.

How it started: RDS started through a partnership involving The North Face, Textile Exchange, and Control Union (certification body) with support from Allied Feather & Down (which supplies down for The Company Store, Feathered Friends, Lands’ End, and other sellers). Today RDS certifies both home goods, such as pillows and comforters and clothing.

www.textileexchange.org

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G l ob a l Tra c e ab l e D ow n St a n d a r d ( T DS ) Virgin down is certified to help ensure the birds that supply it are not force-fed or live-plucked.

The Advanced Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS) ensures that down in garments and other household and commercial products comes from a trustworthy source that respects animal welfare and can be transparently traced. Therefore, animal welfare is a critical issue to manage in the down production process.

Down is a byproduct of the food industry. In this down supply chain, birds may be force-fed for foie gras production or even live-plucked to get more than one harvest of down from a single bird. The Global TDS goes beyond current industry practice to include the parent farm in the auditing while other programs start at the hatchery.

Because parent farm animals live longer, they are at greater risk for live-plucking.

Animal welfare is evaluated by visually inspecting animals and verifying handling practices with veterinarians and others directly in contact with the animals.

TRACEABILITY: The Advanced Global TDS also involves a chain of custody component that verifies that traceability systems are in place throughout the entire supply chain. Full traceability provides assurance that conventional down has not been mixed with certified down.

Certification is provided not only at the product level but also to the entire supply chain feeding into the product line.

BENEFITS OF CERTIFICATION: Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable and demanding greater care of animals involved in our food & clothing systems. Certification to the Advanced Global Traceable Down Standard (Global TDS) can help organizations prove commitment to expanded animal welfare. A third-party audit and compliance program can help mitigate risk and develop market acceptance of ethically produced products. No program goes as far to ensure animal welfare and provides a manageable process and system for certification.

If your organization is part of the down supply chain, certification can help you prove your commitment to animal welfare and down traceability. At the retail level, certification informs and ensures customers that the products they purchase are made only from responsible sources of down that respect animal welfare. Research shows that informed consumers want to buy from trustworthy retailers.

HOW IT STARTED: Patagonia started the standard and uses NSF International to enforce it. GTDS certification is slightly stricter than RDS certification by GTDS requiring mandatory parent farm certification. That means that the GTDS reaches back further on the supply chain by certifying the farms where waterfowl are kept for producing eggs, regardless of whether down is harvested there. With the RDS, parent-farm certification is optional unless down is also harvested at that level.

GTDS is primarily found in clothing items today; it can also be used in other sectors such as bedding.

https://www.nsf.org/testing/sustainability

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Responsible Down Alternatives INFINITELY AVAILABLE NATURAL RESOURCES NuDOWN NuDown is a brand founded on the belief that technology can improve lives and eliminate suffering for animals and humans. And with their patented NuTech inflation technology, they have done just that.

Personalized, fully adjustable warmth, a game-changing reality.

With their signature NuTech technology, you squeeze a convenient, in-pocket pump, forcing air into the chambers surrounding your torso. The more air you pump in, the more air you trap between yourself and the garment. This “inner” air is warmed by your body and held tight to produce your ideal warmth. As conditions change, you can release air to cool down or add more air for even greater insulation. www.nudown.com/technology/

PLANT BASED DOWN ALTERNATIVES FABORG

Milkweed fibres grown, cultivated and produced in India https://www.faborg.in/

MONARK ECO FIBRE INC.

Milkweed is grown within Quebec by the Monark® Cooperative. https://coopmonark.com/#a-propos

FLOCUS

Kapok Fibre: Insulation harvested from Kapok Pods Lightweight, water-resistant and biodegradable https://www.flocus.pro/

SALTY CO

Salty Co. Takes salt-water tolerant plants, extract fibres from them and turns them into textiles. They are creating technical fill, non-woven felted and woven like fabrics.

Their materials will be vegan, fairtrade, organic and carbon neutral.

ETHICAL DOWN ICELANDIC EIDERDOWN Not all down is created (or harvested!) equal. While commercially available down often comes from controversial sources, Icelandic eiderdown is a sustainable, ethical alternative that causes no harm to its feathery owner when it’s gathered. The farmers protect the birds from natural predators, who could push the species to the brink of extinction.

In Iceland, eiderdown farmers create unique sanctuaries for the nesting birds that leave behind their down after the hatching season. This tradition is 1000+ years old, and eiderdown has been coveted around the world for its matchless qualities of insulation, temperature regulation, and durability.

The main drawback? Eiderdown’s price tag. Because the material is so rare (there’s only enough eiderdown to produce 5000 to 7000 duvets per year!), It commands a premium on the market and is reserved for the fortunate few who can afford the very best when it comes to their sleep quality.7000 duvets per year!), It commands a premium on the market and is reserved for the fortunate few who can afford the very best when it comes to their sleep quality.

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P LU UM O

The worlds first thermal packaging material made from feathers. Surplus feathers are cleaned and processed into new unique textiles before being sandwiched in a biodegradable film. The resulting packaging material has a high thermal performance for products that need it. Pluumo is an alternative to polystyrene packaging materials. https: //w w w.pluumo.com / home

NAVA R P LUM A ,

Located in Spain, Navarpluma produce their branded product NEOKDUN® from recycled down .

It is both natural and biodegradable, and originates from the recycling of bedding/apparel finished products that have reached the end of their product life cycle. The down filling has a longer life cycle than a finished product and can therefore have a second life when properly processed.

Manually extracted from finished products, the recycled down is collected in Europe and regenerated through an innovative technical process avoiding use of environmentally harmful products.

The European origin of NEOKDUN® is controlled by a Traceability Standard (NVP Traceability Standard) audited by a third party which guarantees an ethical sourcing. NEOKDUN® guarantees Top Performances in term of warmth, breathability, lightness, cleanliness and Fill Power. https://navarpluma.com/ Re:Down RE:DOWN recycle down and feathers extracted from post consumer goods so that they can be re-used as filling material in apparel, sleeping bags or bedding products.

Broken or damaged feathers and down fibers are up-cycled into a very efficient organic fertilizer, so nothing is wasted in the process. https: //w w w.re-dow n.c om /

SUSTAINABLE DOWN SOURCE

Certifications: RDS & DWR Down.

Originating in Eastern Europe, the family immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1951 with few resources but a lot of resourcefulness, and re-established the business as Midwest Feather and Down, a company and foundation that has evolved through several subsequent generations.

An offshoot of the original family business, Ohio Feather Company was founded in 1984 with a focus on service to the Cushion and Furniture industry.

Today it has evolved further and now includes a new entity in itself 'Sustainable Down Source' The Ohio based company through a very selective sourcing process acquire all of their down from farms that under go strict audit procedures that ensure that their product does not come from birds that have been forced-fed or live-plucked.

In 2014 the outdoor sectors, fashion and home textile industries has started making a clear shft towards more sustainable business practices, including greater focus on chemicals management, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. With that Sustainable Down Source (SDS) introduced their DownTex PFC-Free™ product, which is a carbon-free DWR product for the outdoor, fashion and home textile industries http://www.sustainabledown.com

RESP ONSIBL E WO OL Wool wadding continues to gain traction and be a success in fashion, performance, outdoor and skiwear brands. Brands are experimenting with different weights of wool wadding, from ultra-lightweight to heavyweight and therefore creating different product applications.

H D WO OL I N SU L AT ION S HD Wool Insulation is a highly breathable and natural form of temperature regulation that keeps you cooler in the heat and warm in the cold. Simple to care for and odour resistant.

Designed with the lowest carbon footprint in mind, HD® Wool Insulation is manufactured with maximum waste recovery and without the use of plastics or harmful chemicals. An ecological alternative, graded as 100% renewable and biodegradable.

Hand-selected and credibly sourced through certified non-mulesed supply chains and ethically managed with local farming cooperatives. HD Wool use a range of cutting-edge finishing and processing and develops wool blends with other natural fibres. https://www.hdwool.com/#why-hd-wool-insulation

I NSUL ATION GE LS G R A D O Z E RO E SPAC E Grado Zero Espace is a leading research organisation specialised in technology transfer of materials and technologies from extreme sectors such as, for example, aerospace or medical-surgical, in regular daily use. It also cares about adopting more efficient and innovative industrial assembly processes to improve the chosen materials performances. GZE arises as a connector among different industrial sectors and pure research entities (universities, testing laboratories, Space Agencies, inventors and researchers), collecting other know-hows and identifying new ways of using materials and technologies.

Grado Zero Espace is an Italian-based company and the creator of Grado VeganTech Insulation—natural insulation composed of flowers, biopolymers, and Aerogel that Pangaia uses in their FLWRDWN product. https://www.gradozero.eu/ www.rawassembly.c o m

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F O R GOT F I BR ES FORG OTTO N F I BRE S ; CO ULD THE Y B E C OM E TH E R AW MA T ERIA LS O F THE F UTURE. FO CUS P O I N T S : MI L KW E E D F I B RE S

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From a wild Flowering Shrub to a

PLANT-BASED WOOL

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Have you e ver watche d a bird bu i l d it s nest ? F ly ing sw if t ly to c ol l e c t mate r i a ls fou nd i n t he sur rounding env ironment , interl a c ing t w ig s, w it h s of t g rass e s and f a l le n fe at hers . R es ourcef u l ly cre at ing a s e c u re, woven for m t hat w i l l re tu r n b a ck to natu re once t he chicks have f l ow n t he nest , for t he l ife c ycl e to c ont i nu e.

From h is of f ice w indow in t he s out h of Ind i a one su m me r d ay i n 2 0 1 7 , Shan kar Dha k sh i namo or t hy obs er ve d a g roup of sma l l birds d el i c ately e x t ra c te d f ibre s f rom t he s e e dp o d of a common sh r ub to we ave into t heir ne st s . Hav i ng re c e nt ly l e f t h is c are er as a f ashion merchand is er for h ig h end br ands to f i nd a ne w, sus t ai nable p at h in t he indust r y, Shan k ar w as in t he m idst of h is ow n i n - d e pt h res e arch on f ibres , mater i a ls, pro c ess es and chem ic a ls w hen he not i c e d t he s e s ma l l birds may a lre ady have a s olut ion.

T h rou g h extens ive res e arch and d e vel opment , t h is u n i qu e sh r ub k now n as C a lot ropis is now ma k ing it s w ay into t he f ash ion and te x t i l e i ndust r y t h rou g h t he pro du c t ion of Wegano ol, a veg an, chem ic a l f re e f abr ic. C el ebrate d as an Award Wi n ne r i n PETA Indi a Vegan Fash ion Aw ard in t he B est Ve gan Wo ol c ate gor y for 2 02 0 , We gano ol reint ro du ces an ancient pl ant -b as e d f ibre to t he c onte mp orar y text i le market.

R awAss e mbly sp oke w it h Shan k ar and h is p ar t ner E l en Ts opp, fou nd e rs of Fab org , a sust ai nable manuf ac tur i ng comp any, to l e ar n more ab out t he C a l ot ropis pl ant , We g ano ol and how t his ne w mater i a l c an supp or t f ar mers, r u ra l c ommu n it i e s and re- g re e n t he env ironment in pl a c es w it h l ow r ainf a l l.

Wr itte n by Kir ra ly Antclif f in col lb orat ion w it h R awAss embly

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C a lot ropis Gigante a and C a l ot ropis Pro c er a , a ls o k now n as Gi ant Mi l kwe e d or Er u k ku i n Tami l are t wo v ar iet ies of C a l ot ropis t hat c an b e fou nd a c ro ss Nor t h er n Af r i c a to S out her n Asi a w it h t he abi l it y to t h r ive in d e pl e te d s andy s oi ls or ove r- g r aze d p astures . A m id -size d l e af y sh r ub, t hes e C a l ot ropis v ar i e t i e s produ ce pu r ple and w hite f lowers, w it h f r u it p o ds t hat once matu re bu rst op e n re l e asi ng s of t, lust rous s e e d tu f t s.

S o ci a l ly and env ironment a l ly, Shan k ar and E l en id ent if y one of t he ke y b e ne f it s of c u lt iv at ing C a lot ropis for us e in text i l es is t hat it c an b e g row n w it hout wate r. According to t he Unite d Nat ions, arou nd t he worl d 2 . 2 bi l l i on p e opl e l ive w it hout a ccess to s afe f re sh w ater, and it’s not ne w infor mat i on t hat t he f ash ion and tex t i le indust r y is an exc essive consu mer and p ol lute r of f re sh wate r.

In orde r to me et t he t arge t s of t he UN Sust ainabl e D e vel opme nt G o a l 6 , C l e an Wate r and Sanit at ion t he f ash ion and text i l e indust r y must a d d re ss and a d opt ef f i ci e nt prac t ices for cons er v ing f resh w ater f rom t he r aw mate r i a l st age, and a l l t h rou g h t he va lue chain.

Ide nt i f y i ng crop s such as t he C a l ot ropis t hat c an g row i n d rou g ht prone re g i ons w hi lst improv ing s oi l cond it ions, prov id ing sha de and prote c t i on for ot he r crop s to t hr ive as wel l as int ro du c ing a ne w re venue st re am for f ar me rs , hi g h li g hts an opp or tunit y t hat resp onds to many of ou r c u r re nt g l ob a l cl i mate cha l le nges.

To s c a le up c u lt ivat ing C a l ot ropis sust ainably, Shan k ar e x pl ai ns re ge ne rat ive f ar mi ng and ag roforest r y pr a c t ic es are ess ent i a l. “It has to b e mu lt i - c ropp e d, ne ve r mono-cropp e d. We have d if ferent w ay s of mu lt i-c roppi ng . For e x ampl e if t he far mer do es n’t have a fenc e, t he C a l ot ropis w i l l b e pl ante d i n a c i rc u l ar man ne r i n t he f ar m s o we c an ma ke a nest out of it . Af ter a ye ar, a t re e w i l l b e pl ante d i n t he cent re, s o t he C a l ot ropis c an prote c t t he t re e f rom g ra z i ng an ima ls. And by mu lt i-cropping t he C a l ot ropis a l ong w it h ot he r k i nds of c rop s t he far mer wou ld have ye ar-rou nd crops, as wel l as a d ive rs i f i e d and re s i l i e nt income” E le n ad ds, “we are g iv ing t hem t he opp or tu nit y to a c tu a l ly l ive by re ge ne rat i ng natu re, we are cre at ing a d if ferent e conomy.” As t he y b ot h e x pl ai ne d, f ar me rs and workers in r ura l Indi a pre v iously wou l d have t r avel l e d to t he c it y to s e ek employ ment over t he long , hot su m mer mont hs.

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To c re ate a te x t i l e mate r i a l, f ibre s are e x t ra c te d f rom b ot h t he C a l ot ropis pl ant ste m and s e e d p o ds , w it h We gano ol’s f irst bre a kt h rou g h st abl e f abr i c d e vel op e d as a bl e nd of 7 0 % org an ic r ain - fe d Ind i an c otton , 2 5 % C a l ot ropis ste m b ast f ibre s and 5 % C a lot ropis p o d f l o ss f ibre s .

We gano ol, a pl ay on t he word’s ve gan and wo ol is a name t hat re f le c ts t he s i mi l ar it i e s b e t we e n she e p wo ol and C a l ot ropis , b ot h natur a l, re ne wabl e and d e p e nd i ng on pro c e ss i ng c an b e bi o d e g rad able. Un li ke ot he r natu ra l pl ant - b as e d f ibre s C a l ot ropis , l i ke wo ol, is a hol low f ibre t hat prov i d e s t he r mo - re gu l at i ng prop e r t i e s . Wh i lst We gano ol’s ble nde d c otton c omp o s it i on pro du c e s a lu x u r i ous f i n ishe d fabr ic w it h a hand l e cl o s e r to c otton and s i l k.

Grow i ng up i n a hand l o om we av i ng c ommu n it y i n Tami l Nadu, Shan k ar b e c ame aware of t he w i d e spre a d che mi c a l us e i n h is c om mun it y f rom t he f ar ms to t he f i n ishe d pro du c t . L e ar n i ng t hat to e x t rac t a b ast f ibre f rom a pl ant ste m, for f ibre s su ch as he mp, l i ne n or ram ie t he pro ce ss i nvolve s che mi c a ls . Shan kar d e s c r ib e s “I ha d a l l t he s e que st ions ab out t he che mi c a ls . It was nor ma l for e ve r yone t he re, but for me it was a sho ck.” D e te r mi ne d to avoi d t he us e of che mi c a ls a lto ge t he r, Shan k ar is cl e ar on Fab org’s c omp any miss i on , d e cl ar i ng “w he n I st ar te d t his c omp any I was to b e 1 0 0 % che mi c a l f re e, ot he r w is e I won’t do it” and a d mit s “ it to ok us one and a ha l f ye ars of re s e arch to u nde rst and how to e x t ra c t t he ste m f ibre s w it hout che mi c a ls .”

Bl e nd e d w it h t he C a l ot ropis f ibre s , t he rai n fe d c otton in We gano ol’s c omp o s it i on is s ou rc e d f rom r u ra l s ma l l hol d e r re ge ne rat ive, t r ansi t i ona l and organ i c - f ar me rs i n Ind i a t h rou g h t he proj e c t R E SET, an a crony m for R e ge ne rate t he E nv i ron me nt S o c i e t y and E c onomy t hroug h Te x t i l e s .

Image: Faborg

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T he RESET proj e c t by Gr ame ena Vi k as Kend r am works w it h t r ib a l f ar me rs and t he i r f ami lies in t he nor t h neig hb ou r ing st ate to Weg ano ol’s f a c i l it i e s , And ra Pra d e sh and pl a c e s an emphasis on emp ower ing fema l e f ar mers. The proj e c t ai ms to i nc re as e e du c at i on and i mplement at ion of regener at ive org anic f ar m ing pra c t i c e s i n Ind i a . As E l e n h i g h l i g ht s on t he c ur rent reput at ion of c otton in t he g l ob a l f ash ion i ndust r y, “as supp or te rs of c otton , it is not t he cotton’s f au lt . It is how we as hu mans g row and pro c e ss it . T he nar rat ive arou nd cotton ne e ds to change.”

“a s su p p orters of cotton, it i s n ot the c ot ton’s fault . It is h o w w e a s huma ns g row a nd proc e ss it . The n ar rative a round cotton needs to chan ge .”

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Image: Faborg spun yarn

Image: Shanker D h a k s h i n a mo o r th y

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Image: Elen T sop p & Shanker Dhak shi nam oor t hy | Co-founders Faborg

In t he f utu re, E l en and Shan k ar hop e t he c otton f ar me rs t he y work w it h c an i nt ro du c e t he C a l ot ropis as a mu lt i-crop, “t he y c an g row it to ge t he r as it y i el ds at d i f fe re nt t i me s” w it h s ome of t he f ar mers a lre a dy t r i a l l ing A R KA , a bio-b as e d i ns e c t re p el l e nt . Anot he r i n nov at ive proj e c t at Fab org , ARKA is create d t h rou g h a fer ment at ion pro c e ss of t he C a l ot ropis bi o - waste fol l ow i ng f ibre e x t ra c t i on and t he a d d it ion of Ay u r ve d ic her b s t hat c an re pl a c e che mi c a l p e st i c i d e s and i ns e c t i c i d e s to br i ng b a ck natur a l f ar m ing pr a c t ices. From s oi l to s oi l, C a l ot ropis c an a l l ow natu re and p e opl e to work i n har mony by har nessing natu re's int r insic sy ste ms and s olut i ons .

To a l ig n w it h t heir chem ic a l f re e v is i on , Shan kar and E l e n are a ls o d e vel opi ng a range of Natu ra l D ye s t hat of fers an a lter nat ive to che mi c a l te x t i l e dye i ng , and on t he subj e c t of natu ra l f ibre s and t he us e of t he ter m sust ainabi l it y w it h in t he i ndust r y, Shan kar s ays : “For us , i f t he f abr i c is not dye d w it h sus t ainabl e dyes, it is not sust ainabl e.”

Th is u nw aver ing v ision go es for e a ch ste p of t he pro c e ss i n d e vel opi ng We gano ol, work i ng cl o s ely w it h l o c a l m i l ls Shan k ar out l ines t hei r i nvolve me nt , “we want to u nd e rst and e a ch ste p, l i ke for spi n n i ng we g ive t hem ou r ow n enzy me and ask t he m not to us e t he i r ow n spi n n i ng oi l w h i ch has a che mi c a l b as e.”

Image: Faborg

Wit h indust r y interest in Weg ano ol g row i ng , Shan kar and E l e n are i n c onve rs at i on w it h a range of br ands but in d e c id ing on w ho to work w it h E l e n share s “we are happy to work w it h anyone w ho is inspire d to work tow ards 100% sust ai nabi l it y”. Ad d it i ona l ly, Shan kar e x pre ss e s t he ne e d for l ong-te r m c om m it ment b e yond one s e as on , “we are i n t he pro c e ss of s c a l i ng up, st ar t i ng to c ol l ab orate w it h t he f ar mers but we d o ne e d com m it me nt f rom t he brands s o we c an br i ng t he f ar me rs on b o ard.”

I ma ge : - F a b or g , A Fl o we r i n g C a lo tr o pi s P l an t

The f irst br and to v isit and p ar t ne r w it h Fab org i n Ind i a was In f ant iu m Vi c tor i a , a sust ai nabi l it y fo c us e d G er man k ids-we ar br and t hat pre mi e re d We gano ol i n t he i r F/W 2 1 C ol l e c t i on . “ T he y s aw t he pro cess and u nd ersto o d w hat we are d oi ng , and sl ow ly t he y b ou g ht t he f i rst b atch and now t he y’re d oing t he s e cond”.

O n w here Weg ano ol is to d ay, a l ongs i d e c ont i nu i ng d e vel opme nt and bu i l d i ng brand p ar t ne rships, Shan k ar shares “we are spinning s ome ne w yar n now, we are a ls o l o ok i ng to d o f l e e c e, s ome j ers e y, d enims, and c anvas. We w ant to c re ate a l l k i nds of f abr i c s s o many d i f fe re nt gar me nt s c an b e ma de f rom Weg ano ol.”

It is cl e ar t h rou g hout ou r convers at i on , Shan kar and E l e n are on a miss i on to re g rou nd te x t i l e pro duc t ion in natu re-b as e d sy stems and pro c e ss e s t hat el i mi nate t he ne e d for har mf u l che mi c a l i nput s f rom f ar m to f inish ing .

As t he y cont inu e to work on t he i r t h re e i nte rc on ne c te d proj e c t s ; We gano ol, ARKA and t he i r natur a l dyes, e a ch cont r ibut ing tow ards bu i l d i ng a l o c a l is e d c ommu n it y t hat has e ve r yt h i ng t he y ne e d f rom f ibre to dyeing and f inishe d pro du c t . Wit h a d r ive for natu re - b as e d s olut i ons , Shan kar and E l e n have t a ken t h is s erend ipitous d is cove r y of t he C a l ot ropis f ibre and w it h c u r i o s it y, k now l e d ge and a c t i on are br ing ing Weg ano ol to t he marke t . www.rawassembly.c o m

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Life Saving Milkweed a w i l d g r owi n g w eed supporting s o l d i e r s i n WW2 a s fill in life preservers

Throu gho ut histo r y the M i l k w e e d s p e c i e s ’ f l o s s f i b r e s ext rac t ed fro m the pl ant’s m ature s e e d p o d s hav e b e e n use d as a substitute for Kap o k , w i th l i f e - s avi ng p rop e r t i e s .

In a pu blica tio n fr o m 1 9 4 3 ‘A S um m ary o f the L i t e r a t u r e o n Milk weeds and The i r Uti l i z ati o ns ’1 M i l k w e e d f l o s s i s men t ioned to hav e b e e n us e d i n l i f e j ac k e ts d ue t o i t s wat e r repellent and buo yant p ro p e rti e s , w i th the U n i t e d St at e s Na vy co mmand i ng a w ar o rd e r f o r the c o l l ec t i o n o f milkweed po ds fo r flo s s d uri ng W W 2 .

R esearch a nd la b tes t re s ul ts w i thi n the p ubl i c a t i o n con c lu ded that ‘o n an ave rag e 1 p o und o f f l o s s s u s t a i n e d a weight o f 5 0 po unds f o r m o re than 2 4 ho urs a n d 3 ½ poun d s o f flo ss wo uld k e e p a m an af l o at f o r m o re t h a n 72 hou rs.’

Ima g e s o u rc e - M Li ve . c om Ch i l d re n w e re re c rui te d f or p od picking. The boy at right shows a milkwe e d -s t uffe d l i f e p re s e rve r. (Courte sy of M i lne Special Co llect io ns and Archiv es D ep ar t m e nt , U n i v e rs i t y of N e w H amp shi re L ibrary )

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G r o w i n g a b u n d a n t l y a c r o s s t h e U . S b u t n o t i nit ia lly a s a c r o p , t h e m i l k w e e d p l a n t p r e v i o u s l y c o n s i dered a weed became crucial to the war effort in the US as i n t e r n a t i o n a l K a p o k f l o s s f i b r e s u p p l y w a s i m pa ct ed and an alternative was required.

T h e w i l d l y g r o w i n g M i l k w e e d p o d s w e r e c o l lect ed b y c o m m u n i t i e s a n d s c h o o l c h i l d r e n c o n t r i b u ting t o t h e w a r e f f o r t . T h e p o d s c o l l e c t e d i n t h e t w o onion b a g s p i c t u r e d b e l o w w o u l d b e e n o u g h f l o s s f i bre for one life jacket.

Milkweeds & Monarchs M i l k w e e d s a r e n a t i v e p e r e n n i a l pla nt s in t h e As c l e p i a s g e n u s t h a t g r o w w i l dly a cross t h e U . S . a n d a r e c r u c i a l f o r t h e support o f t h e M o n a r c h b u t t e r f l y t h r o u g hout it s entire lifecycle.

Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e U . S . F i s h a n d Wildlif e S e r v i c e ‘ Mo n a r ch s r e l y o n m i l k w e e d for la yin g eg g s a n d ca t e r p i l l a r fo o d a n d o t h e r n e ct a r p l a n t s fo r fo r a g e, b u t a s t h o s e n a t i ve p la n t s h a ve d e cl i n ed w i t h a n o ver a l l l o s s of h a b it a t , m o n a r ch s h a ve t o o . Po p u l a t i o n s acros s t h e U . S. , C a n a d a a n d Me x i co h a ve d r op p e d b y a b o u t 9 0 % o ver t h e p a s t 2 0 ye a r s . ’ E a c h y e a r f o l l o w i n g t h e s u m m e r mont hs t h e M o n a r c h b u t t e r f l y e m b a r k s on it s a n n u a l m i g r a t i o n f r o m C a n a d a a n d nort he a s t e r n U . S . t o i t s w i n t e r h a b i t a t i n Mexico.

F o l l o w i n g t h e w i n t e r s e a s o n M ona rchs b e g i n t o m a k e t h e i r j o u r n e y b a ck nort h, f i n d i n g m i l k w e e d p l a n t s t o l a y eggs wit h t h e l a r v a e f e a s t i n g o n t h e s h r u b bef ore o f f s p r i n g c o n t i n u e t h e i r j o u r n e y furt her n o r t h t o f i n d a n d s p e n d t h e s u mmer in another plot of milkweed.

M i l k w e e d s a r e k n o w n a s h o s t pla nt s f o r M o n a r c h s a n d d u e t o t h e i n crea sing l o s s o f n a t u r a l l a n d s c a p e s f r o m growing p o p u l a t i o n s a n d e x p a n d i n g u r b an a rea s, t h e d e c l i n e o f m i l k w e e d s i s h aving a n impact on Monarch butterflies.

A landmark conservation a greement a n n o u n c e d e a r l y 2021 t i t l e d Mona rch Bu t t e r f l y Candidate C o n s erva t ion Ag r e e m e n t ( C C AA) for E n e rgy a nd T r a n s p o r t a t i o n L a n d s w i l l w o r k t o prot ect n e a r l y 450, 000 a c r e s o f l a n d t o support n a t i v e m i l k w e e d g r o w t h a l o n g e n ergy a nd t r a n s p o r t a t i o n r i g h t s -o f -w a y c o r ridors on p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e l a n d s a c r o s s t h e U .S. in a n e f f o r t t o r e s t o r e b o t h m i l k w eeds a nd monarchs.

I m ag e - M o n a r ch Bu t te r f ly

As p o l l i n a t o r s , a n d a k e y p i e c e of t he b i o d i v e r s i t y p u zzl e , s u p p o r t i n g na t ura l h a b i t a t s f o r m i l k w e e d s p e c i e s t o rest ore M o n a r c h p o p u l a t i o n s i s c r i t i c a l t o ha lt t h e l o s s o f b i o d i v e r s i t y a n d p r ot ect a nd p r e v e n t t h e e x t i n c t i o n o f o t h e r species i n t h e U . S a n d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d t ha t a re s u p p o r t e d b y t h r i v i n g m i l k w e eds a nd monarch butterflies.

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BLANKETS & DESIG N ERS REI M AGI NI NG P RO D U C TS OF TH E PAS T F OR T H E FU TU RE. EFFORTLESSLY BLENDING VINTAGE TEXTILES, WITH MASTERFUL NEW CUTS. FO CUS P O I N T S : U P C Y C L I N G V I N T A G E B L ANKET S & QUIL T S

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The Utopian future is Circular!!

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S omet imes you may wond e r, l i ke me, i f t he c i rc u l ar e c onomy c onc e pt is an aspi rat i ona l one or in f a c t it is re a l is abl e. You may b e t h i n k i ng , w hat c an I d o as an i nd iv i du a l tow ards t he att ainment of t hat d e s i re d f utu re ? C an my cl ot h i ng c onsu mpt i on ma ke a d i fference? D on’t I ne e d to wait for re c ycl i ng te ch nol o g y to b e i n pl a c e, and for brands and ret ai l ers to a c t ? In f a c t , w hat i f ou r p e rs ona l v a lu e s are t he c r it i c a l t h i ng hol d i ng us b ack – ask you rs el f – w hat are my v a lu e s and are t he y re f l e c te d by t he cl ot h i ng brands I e ngage w it h ? What d o I va lu e t he mo st i n my cl ot he s and how d o I ass i g n v a lu e to my cl ot he s ?

How d o I rel ate to my cl ot he s b as e d on t he v a lu e I ass i g n to t he m?

C oupl e d w it h t he ephe me ra l it y of f ash i on , cl ot he s have b e c ome e as i ly a c c e ss ibl e, che ap, and d isp os abl e. C l ot h i ng is wor n l e ss b e c aus e you r sp are change c an cl ot he you. T he t ang ibl e and int ang ibl e re s ou rc e s are a l l d e v a lu e d ; for e x ampl e, t he e f for t , t i me, non - rene w abl e natu r a l res ou rc e s us e d to ma ke t he m, e tc e te ra . T he E l l e n Ma c Ar t hu r fou nd at ion ( 2017) rep or t s t hat up to ‘U SD 5 0 0 bi l l i on v a lu e is l o st e ve r y ye ar du e to cl ot h i ng b e i ng b arely wor n and r arely re c ycl e d’. [ 1 4 ] Wit h t he e me rge nc e of f ast f ash i on , it is mu ch che aper to d isp os e of cl ot he s t han to have t he m re p ai re d. A go o d p e rc e nt age of t he s e e nd up in s e c ond -hand market s and l and f i l ls i n t he Gl ob a l S out h … a matte r for anot he r d is c uss i on .

It is no d oubt t hen t hat t he c i rc u l ar e c onomy has b e c ome an e xc it i ng prop o s it i on to business es, p ol ic y ma kers, e nv i ron me nt a l a c t iv ist s , and me d i a ami dst g l ob a l sust ai nabi l it y cha l l enges. It prom is e s to s olve e nv i ron me nt a l probl e ms w it hout putt i ng prof it s and s o ci a l b enef it s at r isk . T h is s e e ms l i ke a wor t hy c onc e pt to champi on .

To t he ind iv idu a l cl ot h i ng we are r, t rans it i on i ng to t he c i rc u l ar e c onomy may s e e m l i ke a t ask for t he movers and sha ke rs to s or t it a l l out . We ne e d bi g brands to pro du c e garment s t hat c an b e re c ycl e d, and we ne e d re c ycl i ng i n f rast r u c tu re re a d i ly av ai l abl e. We ne e d d esig n to b e robust and c i rc u l ar re a dy. A l l t he s e are not i n t he p owe r of t he i nd iv idu a l us er. Howe ver, a move away f rom t he c onve nt i ona l f ash i on pra c t i c e s of a c qu is it ion, us e and d is c ard re qu i re s i nd iv i du a l p ar t i c ip at i on and t a k i ng a s e c ond l o ok at ou r va lu es and w hat we va lu e i n ou r b el ong i ngs . C l e arly k now i ng and pr i or it is i ng ou r p e rs ona l va lu es l e a ds to infor me d and rel e v ant buys and has t he p ote nt i a l to l e a d to l onge r us e of a cqu ire d items as t he re is a fe el - go o d c ons c i e nc e i n e ngag i ng w it h , and v a lu i ng , t h i ngs t hat a l ig n w it h you r p e rs ona l b el i e f s .

We must u nd erst and t hat v a lu e is not l i mite d to mone t ar y v a lu e a l one. We ne e d to a c k now l e d ge t he ot her and usu a l ly st ronge r v a lu e s ou r cl ot he s a c c u mu l ate w h i l e i n us e i n clu d ing , but not l im ite d to, s e nt i me nt a l v a lu e. R e s e arch has show n t hat ou r cl ot he s and ot her b el ong ing s a c c u mu l ate v a lu e t h rou g hout t he i r l i fe. By a ck now l e d g i ng t he s e v a lue s a c cr u e d t h rou g hout t he l i fe t i me of gar me nt s , cl ot h i ng t he n move s f rom me re ite ms to items w it h a biog r aphy, ite ms w it h a stor y to tel l ab out us and how t he y’ve b e e n us e d t h rou g h t ime. Th in k ab out t he gar me nt you v a lu e t he mo st and t he gar me nt you v a lu e t he l e ast . How d id t he y g ai n t ho s e p o s it i ons i n you r ward rob e ? How c an you cho o s e ‘r i g ht’ to b eg in w it h and how c an you l e ngt he n t he l i fe sp an of t ho s e ite ms ? It a l l b e g i ns w it h you.

A l l t h is s aid, we must not forge t t hat t he ke y fe atu re of t he c i rc u l ar e c onomy is to have c app e d mater i a ls in const ant c i rc u l at i on . T he re fore, ma k i ng f u l l us e of t he ut i l it y prov id e d by ou r cl ot hes is a ste p i n t he r i g ht d i re c t i on towards a c i rc u l ar e c onomy. T he mo st sust ainabl e and c irc u l ar- p o s it ive t h i ng to d o is to us e w hat we have !

To su c cessf u l ly t r ansit i on to a c i rc u l ar e c onomy, we ne e d to for m a d i f fe re nt opi n i on ab out ou r cl ot hes!

Wr ittem by Lyd i a Man i e s on

VA LU E S , VA LU E A N D T H E C I R C U L A R E C O N OM Y I N C L O T H I N G U SE

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KIND A New Lu xu r y

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Image: Rave Review AW2021

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LUXURY What do old woollen blankets and duvets have in common with luxury fashion?

Today, the lu xu r y s e ctor is u n de r in cre as in g p re s su re to evo lve a n d adapt to th e c o n c e r n s o f ou r ti m e s , from the e nvironme ntal impact f as h ion is h av in g on ou r p l a n et to eth i c al supp ly ch ai n s a n d k n ow i n g wh o m a kes our clothe s. Trad itio n al ly th e ways in wh ich lu xu r y fas h i o n h as be e n p ro duc e d h as be e n to u s e n atu r al vi rg i n, h igh qu al ity and local ly s ou rce d m ate r ial s th at are th e n tr a n s fo r m e d by s k i l le d a r ti s a n s , re fle cti n g a re l ative ly low impact on th e pl an et c o mp a re d to th at o f th e m as s m a rket.

As the lu xu ry se ctor ex pan d s an d citize n s u n de r sta n d m o re about th e i mp act n ew c loth i n g i s h avi n g on our pl anet, a new wave of de s ign e r s is reth in kin g wh at p ro ducts a re m ade fro m a n d h ow. A m ove m e nt th at utilis es what al re ady ex ists an d f in d s ways to tu r n wh at wou ld h ave be e n de e m e d waste i nto n ew lu xu r i ou s p ro ducts - Wasti n g n oth i n g .

The f utu re of des ign h as to m ove b eyon d th e tr adi ti o n al p a r a m ete r s o f wh at i s c o n s i de re d ‘ lu xu r y’ to day an d re instal l a new e r a of cre ativ ity an d stor y te l l i n g by up c yc l i n g a n d re c yc l i n g m ate r i al s th at al re ady exi st today.

We are moving toward s a tim e wh e n lu xu r y b r a n ds c a n o n ly be de s i r able to th e c o n su m e r i f th e i r c re ati o ns are supporte d by circu l ar ity an d pos itive value s . Th e s e value s n ot o n ly i n c lude th e be auty o f a p ro duct i ts e l f, but al so its innovation, th ou ghtf u l n e s s , eth ics , a n d a re s p e ct fo r th e e nvi ro n m e nt th rou g h out eve r y step o f its c re ati o n.

We take a look at de s ign e r s f rom arou n d th e wo r ld, ta k i n g u nwa nte d, u n love d wo o l le n bl a n kets a n d duvets (doone rs) a n d tr an s f or m in g th e m into n ew lu xu r i ou s i te m s th at c a n c o nti nue to be p as s e d dow n fro m ge n e r ation to ge n e r ati o n fo r ye a r s to c o m e.

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Eileen Fisher @Eileenfisher @Wastenomore

In 2018, clothing designer Eileen Fisher and her longtime collaborator artist, Sigi Ahl, debuted Waste No More, a design studio dedicated to making artisanal textiles from post-consumer clothing.

Waste No More was born out of R&D that began when EILEEN FISHER launched its clothing take-back program in 2009. The brand was faced with finding a scalable way to repurpose the clothes it could not sell in order to realize its vision for a circular model of design with zero waste. Through years of experimentation, Ahl developed a new technique based on the age-old practice of felting.

Ahl and her collective of artists, designers and seamstresses have transformed an industrial technology—which has so far been used mainly for large-scale textile production, such as insulation—into a design instrument. The felting machine operator becomes a maker, bringing her artistic sensibility to the process. Using the damaged garments as a palette, the operator curates materials, intuitively layering and manipulating shapes to create one-of-a-kind Kimono coats, textile paintings, acoustic panels, pillows and other products.

The very nature of garment waste as a source material demands a different approach to design. There is no cutting room floor—all elements of the clothes are used, or saved until a future use can be discovered. Textiles that degrade in the felting process are celebrated, their destruction incorporated into the aesthetic. The randomness of the waste stream—rising and falling tides of colors, fibers and construction—demands that the architects and designers who source felted works allow for a degree of chance. And that they see the beauty in the unique outcome of a project.

They hope this can be a new model for the textile industry—one that leads away from unsustainable consumption and toward a future without waste.

Image:s above Eileen Fisher

“ Th e w h o l e i n d u str y h a s a v e r y l o n g w a y t o g o of f a sh i o n ’ s c o n tr i b u ti o n to gl o b a l e c o n om i c a n d c l i m a te c r i se s. B u t so l v i n g th e p r o b l e m i s a h u g e o p p o r tu n i ty .”

E ileen Fis h er

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Image:s above Eileen Fisher

https://www.wastenomore.com/process

Wintervacht by Hul le Kes @Hul_le_kes Wintervacht by Hul Le Kes reimagines old woollen blankets into contemporary, high-quality crafted coats, jackets and accessories. They give a new life to textiles that have lost their original purpose by partnering with social enterprise and thrift store organisation 2Switch, based in the Netherlands; Hul le Kes hand-selects unwanted blankets that are then cleaned with natural products at partner organisation Wasplaats. The classic style coats and bomber jackets are produced through a partnership with Studio RYN. This collaborative production studio supports small scale manufacturing on-shore in the Netherlands to encourage emerging designers and support students to become young professionals through in-house training opportunities.

Each Wintervacht coat is carefully cut and sewn to ensure maximum material usage and minimise any cutting-floor waste. Any materials remaining at the end of production are made into bags, gloves or hair accessories. As well as woollen blankets, Wintervacht has also repurposed vintage curtains.

Wintervacht was founded in 2012 by Yoni van Oorsouw and Manon van Hoeckel and has now merged to be part of Hul Le Kes. Yoni and Manon studied at ArtEZ University for the Arts in Arnhem and the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. During her study, Manon lived in a cosy yet cold house where she was sleeping underneath a pile of woollen blankets to keep herself warm. During one of the cold and stormy Dutch evenings, Manon and Yoni started the first steps in creating Wintervacht..

Masha Maria

Image: Wintervacht

@mashawithmaria Upcycling and transformation are the focus of Amsterdam based label Masha Marias’ philosophy. To dream a new purpose from existing materials and make it a reality, Masha Maria is a well-recognised outerwear label that handcrafts one-off garments.

Vintage wool blankets sourced locally within the Netherlands are used to make playfully elegant coats and jackets. Pastels and bright, cheerful colours make up the identity of Masha Maria as the founder and designer Olga Kotova considers sourcing blankets an adventure, like a treasure hunt with unique second-hand textiles the ultimate jewel. Masha Maria is a fashion label dedicated to championing the Slow Fashion Movement, from local sourcing and production to limited collections and extending the life of once loved textiles.

Image: Masha Maria

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Longing for Sleep

by Marit Ilison

https://maritilison.com/

Borrowing its name from the Estonian title for Chekhov's novel "Let Me Sleep", the conceptual collection "Longing for Sleep" is about the haunting wish to sleep during dark wintery times, or kaamos. Kaamos is an untranslatable word only known in Estonian and Finnish languages, referring to the period in the Northern Hemisphere when the days are very short, and it barely gets light outside. To materialize the feeling of a wish to stay in bed wrapped in a blanket all day long, Marit Ilison has created a collection using vintage Soviet wool blankets.

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Blankets The eye-catching, colourful and patterned woollen vintage blankets originated from the 1970s and 1980s Soviet Union when they were very common and found in every house. Every family had at least one, if not several. The blankets are often connected to personal memory, such as being gifted as wedding presents or simply being passed from one family member to another. In the beginning, the blankets were made of camel wool, which people used to unpick to get precious yarn to be able to knit sweaters from during the Soviet deficit. In later years they were mainly made from lambswool instead. The LFS team dedicate a lot of time to finding these original blankets because such blankets have become rare with time and undervalued today. Each blanket has its unique colour and pattern, enabling Marit Ilison to creatively reimagine these throughout the collection.

Hand-Made The team handmakes all of the pieces in their atelier in Tallinn, Estonia, working together with highly skilled artisans. All the silk details are separately hand-dyed according to the colour of each blanket and all the seams hand-treated. With raw-cut edges, woven jacquard pattern from a previous time, hook & eye front closures, side slit pockets, surface flaws and signs of wear are part of the art and make up the pieces’ unique character. Some of the most elaborate pieces have been beaded inside with Swarovski crystals, reflecting Marit Ilison's trademark of translating feelings into beautiful physical matter. Ilison reflects that she would like to stay wrapped in a blanket for a whole day during deep winter; she says that her conscience is whispering in her ear that she should be working instead. She describes this little voice like sand on her side or a pea under the mattress, which won't let her fall into slumber. Therefore, she translated that feeling into the rich embellishments inside each of her coats, reflecting an idea of a secret and beautiful dream world inside the coat shimmering out.

It takes about a week to prepare a coat. Each coat is then labelled with a certificate stating the origin, sequence number, and the names of the people who have personally been involved in making the piece. The result is a bespoke collection that reimagines textiles from a previous era, made-to-last, and coats that each wearer will care for, enjoy and pass down from generation to generation.

Image: Longing for Sleep by Marit Ilison

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Image: Longing for Sleep by Marit Ilison | Unique reversible Coat #55

Since the first launch in 2013, Longing For Sleep's Unique collection of one-of-a-kind coats are hand made from original Soviet woollen blankets, making them exquisite and unique items for any season. They keep their wearers warm & cosy in the cold winters and offer a unique look for the chillier evenings and occasions.

Longing for Sleep (LFS) adds exquisite details to each of their coats - the pockets are lined with sky blue silk for a soft feel, and all the main body lining and silk details have been carefully hand-dyed to match each blanket. Each coat is reversible and thoughtfully designed to create a comfortable yet elegant fit.

LFS signature golden press buttons assure a comfortable closure. Each coat comes with a unique hand-written label stating the sequence number of the coat, the origin of the blanket and who has made it. Each coat is unique, making it a genuine collectable item.

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Image: Jinks Melbourne

inks Melbourne Lisa Barty - nee Jinks, established Jinks Melbourne in 2019, after graduating top of her class in Fashion Design at Kangan Institute. As a sustainable fashion designer, Barty creates one-off pieces made to last a lifetime, from fabrics that already exist. Barty’s business model is underpinned by the

sustainable principles of reduce, reuse and recycle. Barty explains her motivation for being a responsible fashion designer in Australia and what she hopes to achieve in the future.

What first inspired the creation of Jinks Melbourne and your desire to use reclaimed blankets?

Ever since I can remember I have loved fashion and I really enjoy the creative process - from coming up with the design, through to making it and then seeing it become a treasured part of someone’s wardrobe. At the same time, I’m really passionate about sustainability and I think it is incredibly important - so I combined the two to create Jinks Melbourne. Using upcycled blankets was an easy choice. Most of the blankets I use have a few imperfections and sadly are not being used as blankets anymore, but with a little bit of creativity they can be upcycled and enjoy a whole new second life. The quality of the older woollen blankets is really high, and the colours and patterns are amazing to work with – all of them were also originally made in Melbourne which is such a nice tie in with the brand.

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Your collection aims to extend the life of pre-existing textiles and clothing for as long as possible, how do you go about selecting your blanket fabrics and where do you source them from?

I find my blankets in a range of places, some of them are sold online, others I find at second hand stores or markets and in some cases they are donated from friends and family. You’ll be surprised how many are just sitting in the back of a closet somewhere! I don’t use blankets exclusively – I also use old doona covers, second hand clothing and end of roll fabrics from local businesses.

What have you found to be the most challenging part of starting your sustainable business?

It can be difficult at times to get people to understand why it is so important to choose sustainable options – most people don’t really understand how much of a negative impact the fashion industry is having on the planet. It is getting better, and there is more information appearing in mainstream media about it all, but I think we still have a fair way to go to get everyone educated on the issues.

What is the vision for your brand in the future?

I would love for Jinks Melbourne to be seen as a luxury brand, independent of the fact it is a sustainable brand. I want to show the world that you can make high end fashion using upcycled materials.

How do you think others in the industry may be able to also reduce, reuse and recycle textiles & clothing waste in the future enabling less waste to landfill and better use of our resources?

I could go on forever here, there are so many different stages of the fashion process to narrow in on. I think there needs to be a stronger focus on making quality garments. I’d like manufacturers to reduce their MOQ’s so fashion companies are not forced to make more than they need.

Designers should look to support companies that are creating new fabrics from discarded textiles. There’s lots of incredible work being done in this area. I also think there needs to be a broader shift in people’s mindset. The industry needs to help spread the message that our planet cannot cope with all the waste.

What do you hope the Australia fashion industry looks like by 2025?

I hope we can see an industry with a much stronger focus on sustainability with much less mass production and a lot more Australian manufactured labels coming to the fore.

Instagram

@jinks.melbourne

Image: Jinks Melbourne

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Image: Unsung Weavers

nsung Weavers The young and contemporary label Unsung Weavers salvages hand-crafted woollen blankets from Mediterranean villages in Greece and revives them into one-off coats. The designs are hand-stitched in Athens featuring raw cut

hems and often decorative hand-embroidered designs exclusive to each coat. Merging the heritage of traditional village production as the name Unsung Weavers pays homage to the unidentified craftspeople of history, with the modern days call to conscious crafting.

Currently found in at Strips Store in Tokyo, Unsung Weavers is the creation of Elina Tseliagkou, a freelance architect and designer and Epaminondas Coutsicos a photographer and visual communicator. Sharing the history of the new hand-crafted products salvaged materials, ‘The coats take their structure from the blankets having been soaked on the riverbed for days to give them a beautiful felted quality, which also makes them water resistant.

Clients can purchase customized designs directly from Unsung Weavers by contacting them at: mail@unsungweavers.com

@unsungweavers https://unsungweavers.com/

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Unsung weavers call for a subtle renewal of lost lifestyles. The blankets in which the pieces are composed date from a time when individual households created their own clothing, with each village containing numerous craftspeople. Unsung weavers is a homage to this anonymous expert craftsmanship within the blankets. It also honours other synergies that shaped them: The river that washed them.

The bright sun that dried them.

The acacia flower that lent its colour.

Image: Unsung Weavers Image: Unsung Weavers

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Image: Rave Review AW2020

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Image: Rave Review AW2021

Rave Review @ravereviewclothes

Stockholm’s Rave Review describes itself as a progressive re-make clothing label as they combine upcycling with high-end fashion. They reduce their carbon footprint by producing locally in Sweden, where most of their materials are also sourced from thrift stores, markets and through collaborations with textile recycling companies. Rave Review is not an upcycled collection but an entire label built on consciously crafting new narratives from pre-loved products.

Vintage blankets are used to create one of a kind coats, with every item in Rave Review’s limited collections numbered, which adds to their promise ‘uniqueness is guaranteed’. Retaining features of the material’s previous product life, fringed hems on double-breasted coats expose the edges of vintage wool blankets.

Since designers Josephine Bergqvist and Livia Schück founded the sought-after label in 2017, they proved luxury and upcycling are not mutually exclusive. As well as repurposing blankets into well-tailored coats, Rave Review has also used bedsheets, velvet curtains, tapestries, and various other materials facing their end-of-use phase.

“We want to present not only our new AW20 collection but also the only future for fashion; a future where you only reuse and not produce anything new.” A statement Rave Review shared following their AW20 Collection Runway Show, which was showcased in Copenhagen - accompanied by the influential audio of environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s speech at the 2019 U.N Climate Action Summit. Rave Review used a powerful message to highlight the urgent need for fashion to play its part in reducing its impact on the planet, especially the use of virgin resources. www.rawassembly.c o m

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Image: Bode

ode is a luxury menswear brand located in New York that expresses a sentimentality for the past through the study of personal narratives and historical techniques. Modern work-wear silhouettes united with female-centric traditions of quilting, mending, and appliqué shape the collections. Each piece tells a story, and it is tailor-made.

Emily Bode effortlessly blends antique textiles, masterfully cuts vintage quilts, bed linens, suede's and other textured fabrics to create bespoke homespun and refined pieces.

Bode was the first female designer to show at NYFW: Men's; she's paving the way for women entrepreneurs in the menswear industry. The brand began with a collection of one-of-akind garments composed entirely of antique textiles and continues to reinvigorate American menswear through the art of storytelling.

Bode is one to watch.

www.bodenewyork.com/

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Image: Bode

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UP-CYCLING DESIGN & SOURCING CONSIDERATIONS W h at i s Up cycl i ng , al s o k now n a s cre ative re u s e?

Up cyc lin g is a te r m or ‘a ct ’ u s e d to de s cr ibe the tak i ng of s om e thi ng no longe r i n u s e and u pg rading it in suc h a way a s to cre ate a p rod uc t o f h i ghe r qu al i ty or val ue tha n the or i g i nal - to g ive i t a sec ond life a n d n ew f u ncti on . I n doi n g s o, th e f i ni s he d product ofte n be com e s m ore practi cal , val u able and b e auti f u l than what i t prev i ou s ly was .

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R aw Mater i a l s el e c ti on Co n si der your material ing r ed ient s.

Th e r e are s ignif icant envir onm ent a l b enef it s in pr o d u c i n g fabri c f rom a single f ib r e t y pe, a l so r ef er r ed t o a s m o n o -material. Using m ono-m a t er ia l s su b st a nt ia l l y inc re a s e s t h e o pportunity f or rec y c l ing , eit h er b y m ec h a nic a l or ch e m i cal recycling at the end of it s l if ec y c l e, a l l ow ing i t t o be re i m agined into new hig h -q u a l it y pr od u ct s.

It ’ s e ssential to cons ide r t h is w h en sel ect ing m a t er ia l s t o u pcycle as today’s cloth es a r e t om or r ow ’ s r a w m a t er ia l s . I f we ke e p blending and cont a m ina t ing m a t er ia l s t od a y , w e wo n ’ t h ave t he clean f eeds toc k need ed f or t om or r ow a nd w il l co n t i n ue to rely on virg in f ib r es.

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Wa ste as res ource :Materi a l S el e c ti on Bo t h p re-and-p ost-consu m er w a st e a r e im por t a nt r es o u rc e s rat h e r than problems a s w e c a n u t il ise t h ese t ext il es a n d t u rn t h e m i nto higher-v alue m a t er ia l s a nd pr od u ct s.

So u r ci ng unwanted ma t er ia l s a nd g a r m ent s c a n b e t ime - c o nsu mi n g to locate; s ee wh ic h com pa nies y ou c a n pa r t ner w i t h t o h e lp u tilis e what might b e d eem ed w a st e f or t h em b u t a t r e asu re to you. Look for pr eviou sl y u nt a pped r esou r c e s allo w i ng uniq ue produc t d evel opm ent a nd st or y t el l ing .

In o r d er to ens ure bus iness a s w el l a s envir onm ent a l su s t a i nabi li t y , consider and ad d t h e t im e need ed t o sor t , w a sh a n d de co n struct into your s t r a t eg y .

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D e si g n to minimi z e wa ste C onsi der zero waste p atter n c utt ing . O n aver age 15% of f abr i c is w aste d in t he p atter n c utt ing pro c ess.

C onsi der how waste c an b e ut i l is e d in ot her st y l es or pro du c t range s such as access or ies.

Adopt t he pr inciple of simpl ic it y : by ke eping d esig ns s i mpl e i n t he ir concept and e xpression t he y c an re du ce t he supply chai ns’ c arb on fo otpr int . D u r abl e and att r a c t ive d esig ns w it h t he r i g ht mater i a ls have t he p otent i a l to change t he g ame.

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Mo du l ar d e si g n / d e si g n e d for d i s ass embl y C o n s i d e r d e s i gn i n g yo u r p ro d u c t f o r d i s a s s e mb ly, a llowin g yo u r p ro d u c t t o be d i v i d e d i n t o s ma l l e r p a rt s t h at ca n the n b e i n d e p e n d e n t l y c re a t e d , u s e d , a n d re p l a c e d . D i s asse mb ly a lso p ro v i d e s f o r a p ro d u c t t o be t a ke n a p a rt e a s i l y at the e n d of i t s l i f e c yc l e .

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C onsi d er you r c omp on ents C o n s i d e r i f yo u c a n d e s i gn wi t h o u t t h e n e e d f o r compon e n ts s u c h a s z i p p e rs , bu t t o n s , t ri ms a n d ri v e t s .

O r i f t h e s e c o mp o n e n t s a re n e e d e d , h o w c a n yo u de sign usin g a l t e rn a t i v e ma t e ri a l s ? C o u l d t h e s e be ma d e o u t of the sa me ma t e ri a l a s t h e ga rme n t o r t h e s a me f i bre t yp e ?

I f c o mp o n e n t s a re u n a v o i d a bl e , h o w c a n yo u r c o mpon e n ts b e re mo v e d e a s i l y a t e n d - o f - l i f e ?

W h a t a re t h e j o u rn e ys f o r a l l c o mp o n e n t s o f your pr oduct a f t e r u s e ? I f a n y o f t h e s e d o n o t h a v e a c i rc u l a r pa thwa y, se e h o w t h e y c o u l d be re d e s i gn e d .

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“ WE ’ RE WO RK I NG TOWA RD A WO RL D I N W H I C H TH E C LOTH E S W E W EA R TO DAY B ECOME TOM O RROW ’S RAW MAT E RI A LS .”

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R e s p o n s ib l e Wo o l St a n d a r d ( RWS ) The Responsible Wool Standard is a voluntary standard that addresses the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on.

The goals of the Responsible Wool Standard are to provide the industry with a tool to recognize the best practices of farmers; ensuring that wool comes from farms that have a progressive approach to managing their land, practice holistic respect for animal welfare of the sheep and respect the Five Freedoms of animal welfare.

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The RWS requires all sites to be certified, beginning with the wool farmers and through to the seller in the final business to business transaction. Usually the last stage to be certified is the garment manufacturer or brand.

Retailers (business-to-consumers) are not required to be certified. Farms are certified to the Animal Welfare and Land Management and Social Modules of the RWS. Subsequent stages of the supply chain are certified to the Content Claim Standard requirements.

THE STANDARD FOCUSES ON: • Recognize the best practices of farmers; • Ensure that wool comes from farms with a progressive approach to managing their land, and from sheep that have been treated responsibly; • Create an industry benchmark that will drive improvements in animal care and land management and social welfare where needed; and • Provide a robust chain of custody system from farm to final product so that consumers are confident that the wool in the products they choose is truly RWS The RWS may be applied globally and only applies to the wool supply chain only.

Access the RWS Documents here Learn more about RWS here, plus access Textile Exchanges other Standards in their Resources section, such as Responsible Leather, Mohair, and Down.

https://textileexchange.org/

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G l ob a l R e cyc l e St a n d a r d

( G RS )

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary, full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of Recycled Content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. The goal of the GRS is to increase use of Recycled materials in products and reduce/eliminate the harm caused by its production.

WWW.T E XTI L E E X C H A N G E . O RG / D O C U M E N TS / THE OBJECTIVES OF GRS ARE: • Alignment of definitions across multiple applications.

• Track and trace Recycled input materials.

• Provide customers (both brands and consumers) with a tool to make informed decisions.

• Reduce harmful impact of production to people and the environment.

• Provide assurance that materials in the final product are actually Recycled and processed more sustainably.

• Drive innovation in addressing quality issues in the use of Recycled materials.

HOW IT STARTED: The Global Recycle Standard (GRS) was originally developed by Control Union Certifications (CU) in 2008 and ownership was passed to Textile Exchange January 1, 2011. The previous version of the standard, GRS 3.0, was released in 2014.

Access the GRS Documents here Learn more about GRS here, plus access Textile Exchanges other Standards in their Resources section, such as Responsible Leather, Mohair, and Down.

https://textileexchange.org/

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REFERENCES [1] Wikipedia - Mad about the Tulle [2] Vogue - Mad about the Tulle - https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/ article/molly-goddard-tulle-dress [3] David, Alison Matthews. “Blazing Ballet Girls and Flannelette Shrouds: Fabric, Fire, and Fear in the Long Nineteenth Century,” Textile 14, no. 2 (2016): 244-267. -Mad about the tulle.

[4] Giambattista Valli for H&M: pricing and fabrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-C6COTgB2k - Mad about the tulle.

[5] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/netted-fabrics-market - Mad about Tulle [6]https://www.compliancegate.com/australia-new-zealand-clothing-textiles-regulations/ -Mad about Tulle Certification/ impact section [7]https://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/consumer-protection/washyou-use Mad about Tulle - Certification/ Impact section [8]https://www.allergystandards.com/news_events/chemicals-in-textiles-and-the-health-implications - Formaldyhide/ azo dyes [9] - Lotus Silk -how its made http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/vol7(12)/Ver-2/K0712027175.pdf Additonal Reading - Lotus Silk https://www.onlineclothingstudy.com/2021/02/lotus-silk-sacred-luxury.html https://www.thebetterindia.com/240242/lotus-stem-thread-fibresilk-scarf-necktie-making-order-online-how-to-employment-manipur-ros174/ http://www.samatoa.com/ [11] Quilts https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/an-introduction-to-quilting-and-patchwork#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20quilting%20 can,India%20and%20the%20Far%20East.&text=The%20earliest%20 quilting%20was%20used,and%20frequently%20became%20family%20heirlooms.

[12] Mattress ht t ps://www.rainfo r est- al l i anc e . o rg /s p e c i e s /rub b e r -t r e e Latex -Balloons - Further reading https://www.peba.com.au/latex-balloons https://theconversation.com/we-composted-biodegradable-balloons-heres-what-we-found-after-16-weeks-138731 Tulle Figures https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/netted-fabrics-market

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[13] PPE Mattress https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jan/04/ project-turning-india-ppe-offcuts-mattresses-covid-patients [14] Tara - Utopian future is circular E l l e n M a c Ar t h u r F o u n d a t i o n . ( 2017) . A N EW T E X T I LE S E C ON OM Y: RE D E S IG N IN G F AS H ION ’ S F U T U RE . [ 16] M a t t r e s s In t r o P l a n e t Ar k - Au s t r a l i a https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/boomerangalliance/pages/77/attachments/original/1456704097/ Review_Vic_Mattress_Recycling_Final_Feb2016. p d f ? 1456704097

Recycling Mattreses | Australia https://www.softlanding.com.au/online-booking/ https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/boomerangalliance/pages/77/attachments/original/1456704097/Review_Vic_Mattress_Recycling_Final_Feb2016.pdf?1456704097

Fu r t h e r r e a d in g : M a t t r e s s e s https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-17/mattress-recycling-trial-reduces-landfill-waste-in-toowoomb a / 12990484 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-mattress/best-organic-mattresses https://www.tuck.com/mattress-information/glossary/ h t t p s : / / w w w . c h o i c e . c o m . a u / h o m e -a n d -l i v i n g /bedroom/ https://oecotextiles.blog/2010/01/27/does-soy-based-foam-deliveron-its-promise/ http://sleeplily.com/mattress-materials-toxic-chemicals/ https://peacelily.com.au/m a t t r e s s e s / a r t i c l e s / f i v e - m a t t r e s s m y t h s -s p r u n g https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/species/rubber-tree

FO LLO W U S In s t ag r a m : @r a w .a sse m b l y Li n k ed - i n: r a w a sse m b l y & SI GN UP F OR O U R N E W S LE T T E R S H E R E NEXT EDITION EN D J U L Y 2 0 2 1

BRINGING BALANCE TO FASHION # R ES P O NS I B L E S O U R C I NG # M A T E R I A L R E V O L U TI O N

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F O LLO W U S In s t ag r a m : @r a w .a sse m b l y Li n k ed - i n: r a w a sse m b l y & SI GN UP F OR O U R N E W S LE T T E R S H ER E NEXT EDITION JULY 2021

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