Materials
Recycled cotton
ECOOLSKA uses 100% recycled cotton from the Finnish company @purewaste:
Recycled cotton is obtained from textile waste or old clothing. The original material is crushed, then threads are pulled from this mass, from which new fabric is woven
As you know, ordinary cotton, despite its naturalness, has a very detrimental effect on the environment. As a rule, 95% of the cotton produced is genetically modified. Pesticides and insecticides were used during the cultivation (which subsequently causes allergic reactions on the skin when worn). There is also overconsumption of water and ineffective irrigation in the cultivation of conventional cotton, and child and bonded labor is often used.
Thus, regular cotton is not an environmentally friendly fabric.
Therefore, a worthy alternative to the already created cotton is its recycling.
- Produced from existing cotton by recycling - no need to grow new cotton. That solves the problem of throwing cotton clothes in landfills.
- Composition: 60% - recycled cotton (trimmings from textile factories and used clothing), 40% - recycled polyester (recycling of plastic bottles).
- Recycling reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, reduces the volume of water and electricity.
- High strength material.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Wear-resistant.
Organic linen
Flax is an ancient cultivated plant, from the stems of which spinning fibers are made for the production of textiles. Unpretentiousness, resistance to sunlight and a minimum of necessary moisture made it possible to grow flax in almost any natural conditions. To grow flax, little water and fertilizers are used. Linen fabric is ideal for summer as it is capable of absorbing up to 20 percent moisture, allowing the body to breathe. At the same time, the fabric does not get wet, but always remains dry, which is a very big advantage. Yes, it wrinkles, but this speaks of its naturalness, because otherwise formaldehydes or polyester are present in non-wrinkling linen.
We only select 100% natural organic linen. We work with trusted suppliers and we sew only from linen fabric, which is completely biodegradable and which has the OEKO TEX ST 100 certificate.
Flax properties:
- Fully biodegradable in 3 years.
- Stained with natural plant-based dyes.
- Absorbs moisture.
- Breathable.
- Possesses antibacterial and thermal insulation properties.
- Linen doesn't lose its properties during wear.
Organic cotton
As you know the ordinary cotton has a very detrimental effect on the environment. As a rule, 95% of the cotton produced is genetically modified, pesticides and insecticides are used during the cultivation (which subsequently causes allergic reactions on the skin when worn). There is also overconsumption of water and ineffective irrigation in the cultivation of conventional cotton, and child and bonded labor is often used.
Thus regular cotton is not an eco-friendly fabric.
In order for cotton to receive the proud title of Organic Cotton, it must be grown under a number of conditions:
- There are no chemical fertilizers in the fields. When growing organic cotton, instead of insecticides, natural aromatic agents are used to repel insect pests: a composition of soap, chili and garlic. Ecologically clean areas are suitable for planting seeds.
- Crop rotation is observed in the fields (different types of plants are grown in one field in turn), this allows restoring the biological properties of the soil.
- Cotton is picked by hand. Thus, it turns out to collect only ripe cotton bolls and avoid foliage. Cotton gets higher quality and purity.
- The production uses alternative energy sources and water savings - mainly rainwater is used (compared to the production of conventional cotton, about 91% of water resources are saved)
If all these conditions are met, cotton receives the title of Organic Cotton. If one of the conditions is violated, the label displays the inscription Fair Trade (with such a label the farmers were paid a living wage), which indicates the partial quality of the products. If the composition of the fibers contains 70% or more organic matter, the mark is made with organic.
Trust certifications like Organic Content Standards (OCS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The presence of such a marker means that the cotton meets all the environmental standards established at different stages of the production chain.
At this stage, organic cotton is usually produced by small farms and households.
The organic cotton buyer ensures that adequate working conditions, wages and living standards for farm workers are maintained.
- Manufacturing ensures ethical working conditions and excludes the use of toxic substances.
- Production is safe for the ecosystems around the plantations.
- Collected by hand.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Stronger than regular cotton, durable.
- Does not cause sweating.
- Soft and delicate.
- Suitable for sewing children's, men's and women's clothing.
Lyocell, Tencel ™ / Tencel ™
Lyocell, Tencel (Tencel) - a material of a natural production, which is made of eucalyptus and subjected to nano-processing. This breathable fabric is very delicate, with a silky surface. Lyocell production is practically waste-free and does not harm the environment.
Eucalyptus fiber, which is the basis of Tencel, is environmentally friendly, pesticide free, completely biodegradable
The leader in the production of lyocell is the Austrian company Lenzing https://www.lenzing.com/ Lenzing's eucalyptus plantations are FSC and PEFC certified for legal forestry and sustainable farm management, the factories are trying to consume less energy and achieve carbon neutrality.
Lyocell has several advantages:
- Does not require additional resources for production and is fully renewable.
- Manufactured according to the principle of a closed cycle from eucalyptus wood pulp, obtained in a sustainable way with the preservation of all forest ecosystems.
- Recycling uses process water recirculation, solvent reuse and process chemical recovery.
- Soft and delicate material.
- Breathable.
- Absorbs moisture.
- Thermoregulating.
- Antibacterial and hypoallergenic.
- TENCEL ™ fibers are certified by the globally recognized EU Ecolabel and BioPreferred® USDA certified.
Eco-friendly viscose ECOVERO ™
EcoVero is a proprietary rayon fiber that is set to become the next milestone in sustainable development. Ecovero is an eco-friendly viscose with a low environmental impact.
Invented in 2017 by the Austrian company Lenzing.
Unlike conventional viscose, it is produced with the saving natural resources:
- from certified renewable forest (60% of this forest grows in Austria and Bavaria = reduced CO2 emissions - short way to factories)
- bleaches without chlorine
- chemical solutions are reused and then environmentally disposed of
- CO2 emissions and water consumption are reduced by 50%
R-polyester / recycled polyester
Recycled polyester (or "rPet") is made by melting existing plastic (such as plastic bottles) and re-spinning it into new polyester fiber. Manufacturing recycled polyester requires 59% less energy, emits 32% less carbon emissions than virgin polyester, and reduces our dependence on oil as a raw material source. Five plastic bottles provide enough fabric for one T-shirt.
- Manufactured from plastic bottles, old fishing nets, ocean plastics and consumer waste.
- Processing costs one third less resources than creating virgin polyester.
- Recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
- Lightweight and durable material.
- Easy to clean.
- Wear-resistant.
- Easy to clean.
- Dries quickly.
- Maintains size and shape
- Soft and delicate.
- The properties are similar to knitwear and suitable for sportswear.
Recycled REFIBRA ™ fabric
REFIBRA ™ technology - contributing to the circular economy
The Austrian company Lenzing have created a recycled Refibra fabric from unnecessary clothing since 2016 (produced as lyocell using cotton scraps of fabric from used consumer items).
REFIBRA ™ technology - recycling cotton waste, a circular zero-waste production and the use of resources and energy is minimized.
As a result:
- 95% water savings compared to primary fabric production
- textile waste is disposed of
- reduction of CO2 emissions
Cotton residues are pulped and blended with renewable wood raw materials to form the new TENCEL ™ Lyocell virgin fibers.
The process also utilizes process water recycling, solvent reuse, and process chemical recovery.
Such material does not require additional resources for production and is completely renewable. And things made of it are soft, breathable, with antibacterial properties.
Hemp
The raw material for the filament is a plant called Cannabis sativa. This is a cannabis seed that does not contain psychotropic substances. Hemp is a filter plant that cleanses the soil. Externally, hemp fabric is similar to linen or cotton, has the same plain weave. In terms of thickness and density, the aforementioned types of textiles are identical. In some respects, it exceeds linseed. It has a coarse, rough texture due to its thicker fibers, but is softer than cotton.
- Making fiber requires 50% less water and energy than cotton.
- Grows without the use of pesticides.
- The plant occupies a small amount of farm land.
- Hypoallergenic
- Hygroscopic
- Colored with natural plant-based dyes.
- The properties are similar to knitwear.
- The material is strong, durable.
- Withstands washing of 90 degrees.
- Does not deform while wearing.
- Decomposes in 2-3 years.
Chemical fertilizers are NOT used in the fields, the chemical process of destruction of pectin is not used, gentle or oxygen bleaching is performed, the dyeing is carried out using natural and eco-dyes for the production of organic hemp.
