It's estimated that around two-thirds of the sustainability impact of garments comes at the raw materials stage and as fashion accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, choosing the right fabrics is really important.
We take into account the water, energy and land usage, the human toxicity and the recyclability of each fibre we use.
Tencel
Tencel is one of our preferred fabrics - It’s biodegradable, uses less water and energy than cotton to produce and it uses non-toxic chemicals in production. Tencel is a type of Lyocell that has fibres that are derived from sustainable FSC wood sources. The production of Tencel has an innovative closed loop production process that recycles water and solvents, so it’s a step in a more circular direction.
Corozo
Our buttons are made from corozo, which is made from the Tagua nut which is found in the Equatorial rainforests. Unfortunately, due to the cattle ranches and banana plantations in this area the rainforests are under threat of deforestation. Corozo is unique, in that it leads to a higher wage for the local communities and it’s production protects the natural ecosystem of the rainforest too.
Cupro
Cupro is made from recycled cotton linter, the fluffy fiber around the plant’s seeds. Since linter fibers are too small to be spun, they’re usually thrown away during cotton production but through an innovative process this waste product can be made into a silky fabric. Similarly to Tencel, Bemberg Cupro is made in a closed loop production process that recycles water and solvents, so it’s a step in a more circular direction.
Linen
Made from the flax plant, Linen is naturally biodegradable and doesn’t need any pesticides or much water to grow - it’s actually really good for soil health. It’s machine washable and naturally moth resistant too so it’s easy to care for and will last for years to come.
Recycled Polyester
Recycled polyester has a 75% lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and uses up to 90% less water. Although it isn't one of our preferred fabrics as it releases micro-fibres, it is made from used plastics so using rPET reduces the need to harvest crude oils and natural gasses taking us a step closer to circularity.
Bamboo
Bamboo is the world's fastest growing woody plant and it can easily be grown organically, it still needs chemicals to be made into fibres for clothing but it doesn’t generally require fertilisers or irrigation.
Our First Collection is made exclusively from Bamboo.
Deadstock
The UK produces 206,456 tonnes of textile waste each year. As part of our pursuit to circularity, we source deadstock fabrics from UK Mills to create limited collections. This is fabric that can't be used for its original purpose for various reasons, so is destined for landfill.
Our Autumn Winter Collection is made exclusively from Deadstock
Digital Printing
Whilst manufacturing processes all impact the environment in some way, the digital printing process creates much less waste, as we can print smaller runs and don't need to dye the fabric like you do with traditional printing methods. The inks used are certificated as Azo dye free, OEKO-TEX certified and are to European REACH standards.
Read more about sustainable stuff