Unlimited Potential

CIRCULARITY

register the jacket and subsequently return it for reconditioning after two years. www.napapijri.com

Reflection is key. In pursuit of increasing the recyclability of products, one has to question every thread and every button. That’s a positive development. After all, awareness is the first step towards guiding textile production out of the one-way street it is stuck in. Photos: Companies

Mud Jeans strives to be the world’s first fully circular

ROLE MODEL

Napapijri. Garments featuring different materials make recycling trickier. Napapijri addresses this problem with a Skidoo jacket made completely of upcycled Econyl fabric: outer layer, padding, and trimming. Upon purchase, customers can jeans brand.

CLOSED CYCLE

Mud Jeans. The Dutch label has received 1 million Euros from two sustainability-centred investors. Thus, Mud Jeans will be able to implement its plan to launch 100 percent recycled legwear next year. Mud Jeans already uses 40 percent recycled cotton to manufacture its seasonal collections. The ever-expanding label is available in 29 countries at more than 300 retailers. Bert van Son, the founder and CEO of Mud Jeans, says: “Thanks to technological innovations developed in collaboration with Saxion University and the Circle Economy knowledge platform, we will be capable of crafting new jeans from old jeans in the near future. We not only develop our products in an ecologically sustainable manner, but also take the working conditions in production facilities into account. So far, we have reused 12,000 jeans, saving the equivalent of 300 million litres of water and 700,000 kilogrammes of CO 2 .” Since 2013, the B-Corp certified company (business operating for the common good) has been offering its innovative “Lease A Jeans” concept. As the name suggests, this model allows customers to lease and return jeans. www.mudjeans.eu

Freitag’s fabric of the future is based on fibres that date back to the Middle Ages.

THOUGHT THROUGH

Freitag. The bags made of truck tarpaulin are legendary and reached cult status a long time ago. The Freitag brothers are upcycling pioneers. They have always manufactured their products in Switzerland, in a fair and socially responsible manner. The F-abric material, which was developed in-house for the textile collection, is equally ground-breaking. The durable fabric, which is completely compostable, is manufactured in Europe from bast fibres and Modal – with minimal use of resources. The bast fibres of flax (linen) and hemp come from France, Holland, and Belgium. These native fibres require hardly any fertiliser or pesticides. They not only protect the soil, but also consume much less water than cotton. Modal is made of Austrian beech wood. All production steps take place within a 2,500 kilometres radius from Zurich. Most importantly, the fabric is completely biodegradable and can be composted easily. The same applies to sewing threads and woven ribbons. A patented screw cap ensures that the metal trouser buttons can be removed and reused forever. The name Freitag stands for t-shirts, dresses, skirts, trousers, shirts, and jackets that are not merely sustainable and functional, but also look cool and fashionable. The brand’s website explains the production process in detail and documents all steps transparently. Imitation is highly recommended! www.freitag.ch

BEST OF THE REST

FTC Cashmere. No matter how meticulously you plan, producing knitwear always results in small amounts of leftover yarns. FTC Cashmere has developed a technique to join these residual amounts seamlessly. Given that different yarns are combined, the result is a multicoloured thread with varying colour sequences. The perfect ingredient for unique pieces. Available from S/S 2020 onwards, retail prices range from 99 to 369 Euros. www.ftc-cashmere.com

UPCYCLING MANUFACTORY

Johanenlies. The passion of Coco Prange and Mike Raaijmakers is turning the old into the new. They have been producing design furniture for homes, offices, restaurants, and retailers from recycled materials since 2015. They use reclaimed pine, oak, or walnut timber and steel profiles powder-coated in contemporary colours. Johanenlies designs incorporate natural stones such as marble, serpentinite, and travertine, as well as ecological linoleum. Every item that leaves the Berlin-based manufactory is hand-crafted. In addition to coat racks with and without shelves, Johanenlies offers shelving units, side tables, dining tables, desks, and benches, as well as a range of beds and dressers. The furniture captivates with its filigree appearance and minimalist design. The company supports the Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation, which plants a tree on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula for every Euro donated. It also educates children to be ambassadors for climate justice in special academies. www.johanenlies.com

Construction timber is transformed into high-quality Johanenlies furniture.

FULLY RECYCLED

Wolfskin Tech Lab. . The Wolfskin Tech Lab collection reflects the motto: “Born in the city, inspired by the elements, fuelled by technology.” Jack Wolfskin is the first clothing manufacturer in the world to develop waterproof and windproof jackets made entirely of recycled materials – including the high-tech membrane. The underlying technology is called Texapore Ecosphere. The material contains plastic waste, such as PET bottles, and the company’s own production waste. The latter is reprocessed into pellets and then reintroduced into the production cycle. The entire Wolfskin Tech Lab collection is 100 percent PFC-free. It exclusively uses RDS-certified down. Functionality meets modern urban lifestyle. www.wolfskin-techlab.de