February 01, 2022

Sustainable Materials Take
Earth Tones to the Next Level

If we had to guess, “sustainability” is probably a word you’ve been hearing a lot lately. Natural disasters are on the rise, and Christmas of 2021 could have fooled us all for spring. No matter how you look at it, climate change is becoming more and more tangible. This is why well-being of people and planet is one of Ultrafabrics’ core values: we’ve made a commitment to include renewable and/or recycled content in 100% in our entire product portfolio by 2030.

The discussion around sustainability is an urgent one, and sometimes, in its constancy, it can be overwhelming. Thankfully, the design world is making a point of bringing joy back. The innovation that’s inspired by environmental consciousness is exciting. Companies like Ultrafabrics, along with others in the fashion and design industries, are finding incredible ways to make sustainability fun.

H&M introduced their holiday line in November of last year, featuring pieces made entirely from recycled fabrics. Their goal? To show customers that sustainability can be a celebration. Polka-dots, sparkles and ruffles adorn the collection, and no one would suspect materials like wood-pulp and old carpet to be the ingredients. H&M partnered with Ambercycle, for example, who cooks unsalvageable clothes down into tiny pill-balls; these pellets are then magically woven into brand new pieces of clothing. Much of the polyester also contained plastic bottles supplied by Reprieve Our Oceans.

H&M Holiday Collection. Photo courtesy of Vogue

Big companies are not the only ones bringing playfulness to sustainability. Recently, two Berlin-based art students invented a handbag made out of fruit peel. In using the left-over fruit skin from juice making, Lobke Beckfeld and Johanna Hehemeyer-Curten ensured that these bags would be water soluble. They can also be repurposed as plant food!

Textile designer Elaine Yan Ling Ng has engineered wall tiles made from the eggshells bakeries discard. In attracting flies after they've rotted, eggshells increase earth's methane levels. Ng saves the shells before they've decayed and in doing so, saves our ozone-layer some duress.

Fruit peel handbags. Photo courtesy of Dezeen

These are just a few examples of the wonderful creativity that sustainability fosters. As a future-thinking company, Ultrafabrics is a pioneer in producing innovative materials and conserving resources. In 2019, we introduced Volar Bio, which proudly holds a 29% BioPreferred Program Label. Volar Bio also received the 2020 PETA Vegan Homeware Award and most won the textile category in the 2021 Good Design Awards.

Today, color Chino from the Ultraleather Pro collection, helps us continue our journey towards a more sustainable future. This nature-inspired shade is a cross between beige and green, with a neutrality that’s gentle on the eye. It also features TENCEL™ Modal fibers in its 100% rayon backcloth. With botanic origins, TENCEL™ Modal fibers are made from beechwood that is renewably sourced from the forests of Austria.

Check out this earthy shade, representing yet another step on Ultrafabrics’ sustainability journey.

Photo courtesy of Havep

Sustainable Materials Take Earth Tones to the Next Level

Sustainable Materials Take
Earth Tones to the Next Level