The environmental impact of our materials
Flax, hemp and Tencel® are the most sustainable materials currently available on the market. A garment made with these materials has a very low environmental impact compared to other natural materials and synthetic fibers.
Organic linen
1. During its cultivation:
- Flax doesn’t need irrigation water: its needs are fully covered by natural rainfall.
- Energy consumption is very low: the plant grows thanks to solar energy and the only source of energy consumed is the one used by the tractor.
- There is very little discharge of phosphates or nitrates and the farmer doesn’t use any fertilizers, pesticides or GMOs.
- Flax preserves the soil as its cultivation respects the principle of crop rotation. In addition, it retains greenhouse gases well: one hectare of flax retains 3.7 tonnes of CO2 each year (its cultivation in Europe retains 250,000 tonnes of CO2).
2. During its transformation:
- Flax is processed mechanically and therefore doesn’t require any chemicals.
- Manufacturers use water and energy sparingly. By working with factories that share the same ethical and environmental values, we can be sure that a wastewater treatment system has been implemented and that water is 100% recycled. In addition, the energy used in manufacturing process comes from renewable sources.
3. An organic linen t-shirt uses 7 times less water than a cotton t-shirt.
Hemp
1. During its cultivation :
- Hemp has similar properties to flax: it does not need irrigation water but only rainwater and it uses very little energy (only the one consumed by the tractor during the harvest).
- It grows without fertilizers or pesticides, the plant is naturally very resistant to parasites and weeds. Thus, hemp leaves the soil in excellent condition for subsequent crops. Not only does the cultivation of hemp preserves the soil (thanks to its roots and ability to drain water) but it also helps to maintain it: hemp matures quickly, in 100 days, allowing the field to be rapidly reused.
- Hemp cultivation under different under different temperature conditions is so easy that it favors local distribution channels.
- Hemp uses half as much water as cotton for the same cultivated area.
- During its growth, hemp absorbs and stores CO2, thus retaining carbon from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. One hectare of hemp absorbs as much CO2 as one hectare of forest, i.e. 15 tonnes.
2. During its transformation:
- Just like flax, its transformation is mechanical and water and energy are used sparingly. Thanks to the choice of working with partners who share the same environmental awareness, the water used is treated and recycled at 100% and the energy consumed comes from renewable sources.
3. A hemp t-shirt uses 6 times less water than a cotton t-shirt.
The Tencel®
1. During its cultivation:
- Eucalyptus doesn’t need irrigation water as well and it’s a fast growing tree. Therefore, it only takes advantage of natural rainfall to grow quickly.
- Energy consumption is also quite low: the tree grows thanks to solar energy and the only source of energy consumed is the one used by the tree cutting machine.
2. During its transformation:
- To extract the cellulose from the wood, the trees are simply stripped. They are not cut down. Their leaves regenerate very quickly and without any pesticide or chemical treatment.
- To transform the cellulose into fiber, the process requires the use of one natural solvent and water. The process is done in a closed loop: the water is recycled at 100% and the solvent at 99.7%.
4. A Tencel® t-shirt uses 18 times less water than a cotton t-shirt.
It is during the dyeing phase that most of the toxic products are used. At Avani, all our materials are dyed using so-called “low impact fiber reactive dyes” and certified GOTS (linen) or Oeko-tex 100 (hemp and tencel). They do not contain heavy metals or other toxic products. These dyes use less energy because they are applied at lower temperatures (30°C instead of 100°C) and 60% less water to be fixed on the garment thanks to their high absorption rate. They also produce less waste and waste water is treated and recycled.
From now on, our materials have no more secrets for you?