Cotton - Ethical Policy / Fairtrade ALL products are spun and dyed under stringent controls, to ensure quality, wash fastness, no use of environmentally harmful dyestuffs or chemicals, and comply with European ECO/ISO standards. There is NO use of cheap labour, and we do NOT source any products from any area we have not thoroughly checked-out beforehand to ensure compliance with our high ethical standards. Fairtrade cotton has outstanding benefits, especially to small-scale farmers, in terms of improved health, income, livelihood and food security.
Organic Eco Cotton - Certified Organic - Ethical Policy / Fairtrade ALL products are spun and dyed under stringent controls, to ensure quality, wash fastness, no use of environmentally harmful dyestuffs or chemicals, and comply with European ECO/ISO standards. There is NO use of cheap labour, and we do NOT source any products from any area we have not thoroughly checked-out beforehand to ensure compliance with our high ethical standards. Farming organically means healthier, stronger soils, increased farm biodiversity and less pollution of water and air.
Banana Fibre - Hand spun and dyed in India. Banana/ Seaweed/ Pineapple/ Soy (exotic fibres) - these fibres are mainly hand-spun and available is small quantities but the market is slowly changing. They are great for small items and embellishments. Banana is a favourite as it is so silky and fun.
Linen - Irish linen is a first choice. Importing large quantities is possible and organic linen is out there somewhere, it just needs to be found and encouraged.
Viscose or Rayon - A man made fibre from wood pulp that is soft, shiny and very fluid.
Bamboo - Bamboo is an especially sustainable material, naturally waterproof and durable. The plant itself is fast growing grass which is harvested every 4 - 5 years.The downside to bamboo is that it is always imported to the UK, usually from China, so therefore has has significant embodied energy in its transportation. There is no third party certification process for the industry to clarify if it is harvested with sustainable and fairtrade methods. However, it regenerates itself without the need for planting, matures within 3 years and requires little fertilization or pesticides. It is an unbelievably soft fibre, naturally absorbent, breathable, naturally antibacterial and suitable for those with allergies. Bamboo is silky, fast drying and will not hold odour.
Hemp -hemp is well known for its environmental qualities as a natural, sustainable, ecotextile fibre. It is similar to linen. It ‘breathes’, so helps to keep you cool in hot weather, and is soft, comfortable and yet hard wearing. And it is a particularly low-input crop, reducing the need for artificial pesticide and fertilizer use. Production in the UK is already around 2,000 hectares yearly since 1990, even though this is for non textile products. There are no factories or mills in the UK that have any experience of spinning, weaving or knitting hemp – most hemp clothing is produced in China and eastern Europe. Attempts are being made to revive our UK textile market through the BioRegional Development Group. Hemcore, the UK’s largest hemp growing organization. Is in alliance with the organization to try to get UK hemp clothing onto the high street. Technologies are being developed to produce a fine enough fibre to be spun in the old traditional cotton mills that now haunt our lands like derelict dinosaurs.
Nettle - nettle is increasingly being used by Italian top designers/ manufacturers. The fibre is not easily available currently but the environmental factors of producing nettle fibre are so great that companies are already spreading to UK lands to look for growing space.
Recycled Polyester – Plastic bottles are made of polyester and can be recycled into fleece. Traditional polyester fabric was rife in the 1950’s Non- biodegradable, it will be around for hundreds of years. Patagonia and M&S are pioneers in diverting the landfill into future sales. 8% of the world’s annual oil production is used in plastic production and making recycled clothes will use much less crude oil than producing virgin polyester.