So, in an earlier blogpost we wrote about two types of fabrics that could be considered sustainable: fabrics that are made (entirely) from recycled (plastic) fibres and fabrics that are made from natural fibres, like wood pulp or bamboo.
In the mean time, we’ve been up to a lot! Not only have we registered at the chamber of commerce, we also opened a bank account and contacted several potential suppliers for sustainable fabrics.
We received some samples from fabrics made out of rPET (using recycled plastic, partially recovered from oceans).
One of the challenges we face as a sustainable start-up, is the minimum order quantity. Our plan is to gradually build up our business and not create a large stock – both from a risk perspective and a sustainable perspective. At this point we’re still developing our garment designs and patterns, and in order to create high-quality active gear, we’re also keen on creating samples, testing them and perfecting them before going into production.
#deadstock
That’s why, in order to be able to produce some samples of our first garments, we’ve been looking for other options. We found a possible solution in so-called deadstock fabrics. These fabrics have already been produced, but have never made it to the store or customer. In a way, we could see this as being sustainable, because it’s already there, so no new resources have to be used. On the other hand, we don’t always know how sustainably or ethically these fabrics have been produced, or if they’re not simply the result of overproduction.
Fortunately, we found a small amount of a great organic cotton fabric that we can use to create a sample of our first garment. That way, we know the production process has been sustainable. Now we can first decide on the right fit and pattern, before taking our next steps into sales and production.