IN FOCUS | Waxed Recycled Ripstop Cotton
We all know that sustainability has become a bit of a buzzword for the fashion industry so we’re always out to try and improve our practices beyond just platitudes and PR boasting.
For years, we've been dedicated to crafting hardwearing products using waxed Organic Ripstop Cotton, a fabric that not only exhibits water resistance and durability but also treads lightly on the environment. However, we are excited to announce a change to some of our products which you all know and love - we’re making a transition to Waxed Recycled Ripstop Cotton.
Any future Messengers, Sacoches, Jackets, Jay Caps, Boonies, and much more will now feature this new fabric and don’t worry this material has all the attributes of the organic waxed ripstop cotton but with some new ones thrown in the mix for good measure.
So, what makes this Waxed Recycled Ripstop Cotton pretty darn decent?
This fabric is not just a "green" alternative; it is another tool for us to combat textile waste and reduce our overall ecological footprint. Made from 100% GRS (Global Recycled Standard) Certified Recycled cotton, the fabric is spun and woven in India using BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) registered cotton. It is then both dyed and finished in the North West and doesn’t travel far until it’s in our micro factory being made into a load of new products.
This all ensures that this fabric adheres to stringent sustainability standards, promoting ethical practices and responsible sourcing within the cotton industry.
The GRS Certification
The Global Recycle Standard (GRS) is an international, voluntary product standard that sets comprehensive requirements for certification of recycled content, supply chain transparency, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. By using GRS certification materials, we can confidently guarantee that our products using the fabric are produced with the utmost care for the environment, workers, and consumers.
What does the GRS Certification really mean?
Ok we could regurgitate some more info from the web about this fabric and its benefit but here’s your cheatsheet on the fabric and GRS:
- The GRS aligns definitions of "recycled" across various applications, providing transparency and clarity.
- GRS verifies the recycled content of a fabric so it’s guaranteed to be eco-conscious.
- People working at every stage of the fabric’s productions have guaranteed rights, certified working conditions and suitable wages and working hours.
The Journey of Recycled Cotton
One of the best aspects of Recycled Cotton that it prevents additional textile waste while significantly reducing resource consumption compared to conventional or organic cotton. This makes it an exceptional option for us to improve the impact of our products on the planet and the people on it.
Recycled cotton can be sourced through two main avenues:
Post-Consumer Material: This refers to materials generated by households, commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities when they can no longer be used for their intended purpose. It includes returns of materials from the distribution chain.
Pre-Consumer Material: Material diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process, excluding materials such as rework, regrind, or scrap generated in a process and capable of being reclaimed within the same process.
As you may have guessed we’re pretty stoked about new fabric and we’re hoping to take this new material to exciting places with new products and to improve our existing pieces.
As always we want to be as transparent as possible with our fabrics and manufacturing processes so if you want any further information about the material feel free to give us a shout!