We’re so excited to introduce our new fabric:
Reversible Polkadot Denim
Code: 140-049
What an absolute treat! This is a beautiful, reversible fabric, but the reverse side is subtly different – from a dark, blue grey to a lighter cloudy blue. Not only can you use it to make entirely reversible designs, but you can also use it for subtle contrasting trims (there’s nothing worse than badly coordinated reversible colourways). The fabric is lightweight and has a crisp feel, with a gorgeous drape and beautiful hold. It washes like a dream and is quick drying – barely any ironing needed. It’s also crease resistant.
So what’s the catch? Nothing! This textile was bought from a high-end designer who was throwing it away – and that’s what we’re all about. (That does mean, however, that there’s only a limited amount of it, so please do pick it up while it’s still in stock!) But what’s so good about saving a fabric from landfill – how can it possibly be saving the planet?!
Why Should I Buy Reclaimed Textiles?
It is estimated that more than one million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year in the UK alone. At least 50% of the textiles we throw away are recyclable, however, the proportion of textile waste reused or recycled annually in the UK is only around 25%.
What’s So Bad About Throwing Fabrics Away?
The fabrics we throw away end up in landfill. Landfill sites threaten local groundwater supplies. Every time it rains, water drains through all the rubbish, picking up chemicals and hazardous materials, including chemicals used in clothing and textiles such as dyes and bleaches. The water collects at the bottom of the landfill, often in large amounts and can be up to 200 times more toxic than raw sewage.
[Tweet “Fabric in #landfill can be up 200 times more toxic than raw sewage!”]
What Are The Environmental Benefits?
Textile reclamation, also known as “Recovery“, provides environmental benefits that are critically important:
- It reduces the need for landfill space. Textiles present particular problems in landfill as synthetic (man-made fibres) products will not decompose, while natural fibres like wool, do decompose but produce methane, which contributes to global warming.
- It reduces pressure on virgin resources and raw materials. By re-using existing fibres and textiles, there is no need to make these textiles from virgin, raw materials (such as cotton, wool and synthetic fibres).
- It saves water. According to Evergreen, if everyone in the UK bought one reclaimed woollen garment each year, it would save an average of 371 million gallons of water (the average UK reservoir holds about 300 million gallons) and 480 tonnes of chemical dyestuffs.
- Similarly, it helps reduce pollution and save energy. Not needing to make a fabric from scratch clearly saves the energy that would have been used. It also prevents pollution caused during manufacturing processes like dying, washing and scouring. Furthermore, textiles are generally reused in the same country, and so require less energy to transport than new fabrics that are often imported from abroad.
- Many designers and businesses are choosing to incorporate our reclaimed fabrics in their products. Some of our fabrics were considered “waste” and designated as unusable during the manufacturing process due to minor faults. Other fabrics are simply excess, left over from production that has no use. We stop these fabrics from being thrown away and ending up in landfill, where they would cause irreparable damage.
Do you you incorporate upcycled fabrics into your work? Let us know!
