Sustainable Fabric Handbook

Our 2025 goal is to use at least 80% of recycled, regenerated and pre-existing materials. All other materials will come from sustainable regenerative source. Here’s our current material guide.

Our favourites	Better than others	NEVER use unless pre-consumer waste
TENCEL Refibra Lyocell	Organic cotton	Conventional cotton
TENCEL Lyocell	Canopy green shirt viscose	Conventional & organic silk
Recycled cotton	Conventional linen	Conventional wool
Recycled wool	Conventional hemp	Conventional synthetics
Recycled silk	Chemically recycled polyester	Conventional viscose
Cupro		PVS
Organic linen		Angora & mohair
Organic hemp		Fur
Deadstock material		Leather
Post-consumer waste

 

TENCEL Lyocell

Derived from the sustainably sourced renewable raw material – wood pulp, and produced in a closed-loop system, Lyocell fabric is extremely versatile. From a cottony feel to a silky one, this fabric has amazing technical characters (breathability & absorption for example) and can be used for many clothing types.

TENCEL x Refibra Lyocell

Lenzing ‘s pioneering REFIBRA™ technology involves upcycling cotton scraps from garment production. These cotton scraps are transformed into cotton pulp. Up to one third of this is added to sustainably sourced wood pulp, and the combined raw material is transformed to produce new virgin TENCEL™ Lyocell.

Recycled cotton

Reduces textile waste and requires far fewer resources than conventional or organic cotton. This makes it a great sustainable option. The quality of recycled cotton filaments may be lower than of new cotton, that’s why recycled cotton is usually blended with new cotton. So we prioritise using recycled & organic cotton blend.

Did you know?.. 765,000 litres of water can be saved per ton of cotton recycled.

Organic cotton

It is grown from non-GMO seeds and without the use of pesticide, insecticide or fertilizer therefore causes no pollution to the environment and harm to the farmers compared to conventional cotton. Unlike conventional cotton, organic farmers use ancestral farming methods, including crop-rotation, mixed farming or no-till farming to preserve the soil.

Did you know?.. Organic cotton uses around 70% less water than conventional cotton.

Recycled wool

Recycled wool has numerous benefits, including animal welfare, biodiversity protection, carbon reduction and water stewardship (recycled wool reduces the amount of dyes used as wool is recycled after assorting garments by colour).

Did you know?... Recycled wool generates over 50% lower CO2 emissions compared to virgin wool - 11 kg of CO2 is saved per kilo of recycled wool produced compared to virgin wool.

AND

500 litres of water is saved per kilo of recycled wool produced compared to virgin wool.

Recycled silk

Silk is a protein fiber and is a renewable resource. Silk is also biodegradable. These fibers are produced by various insects when building their cocoons or webs. Organic silk has more or less the same processing as conventional silk but in the production of organic silk, less chemicals are used. 

Peace Silk is best alternative of all the virgin silks as it allow the moth to evacuate the cocoon before it is boiled to produce silk. But there are so many great alternatives to silk now that we do not use virgin silk in our production.

Cupro

Made from cotton waste in closed loop process. Water and chemicals used in the production of Cupro are constantly reused until they are completely exhausted. The chemicals used are free of toxic or dangerous compounds for health and the environment.

Linen

Linen is a natural fiber which stems from the flax plant. Flax can grow in poor soil which is not used for food production. In some cases, it can even rehabilitate polluted soil. Flax can be grown without pesticides and chemicals however this does not exclude the fact that some people may use them. A certified organic linen therefore ensures that flax is grown in pesticide and fertiliser free environment. Flax plants have a high rate of carbon absorption. 

Did you know?.. 60% less water is required to grow flax compared to cotton.

AND

Around 2 tons of CO2 is absorbed per ton of flax cellulose produced.

Hemp

Hemp fabric comes from the plant with the same name. It is one of the fastest growing plants and it doesn't need much water, energy, pesticide, or fertilisers. The plant is very good for soil, it can be grown for many years in the same place without exhausting it.

Pre & post-consumer waste

After learning that more than 70% of a new garment's total environmental footprint occurs at its raw material stage, we decided that reusing as much as what's already been produced is very important!

By rescuing textile waste and upcycling end of roll materials, we can reduce each garment's carbon footprint by around 30%. In addition to minimising the volume of waste and GHG emissions, we reduce the use of new raw materials, resulting in reduced air pollution, water pollution and conservation of natural resources.

CanopyStyle ‘green shirt’ viscose

Viscose is made from wood pulp and its production may result in environmental degradation if row material sourcing process is not well controlled. The Green Shirt rating protects Ancient and Endangered Forests and ensures sustainable use of resources.

Recycled polyester

A great way to divert plastic from our landfills and re-use existing resources. Chemical recycling involves breaking down the plastic molecules and reforming them into yarn. This process maintains the quality of the original fiber and allows the material to be recycled infinitely.

Did you know?... Recycled polyester produces around 50% fewer CO2 and requires 70% less energy compared to virgin polyester.

However, polyester is not biodegradable and releases plastic microfibers. We therefore use most polyester in our outwear collections that do not require frequent washing and aim that the garments stay in circulation as possible.