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Eco Friendly

Birkenstock’s 250 year focus on sustainable materials

Posted on November 4, 2024

Birkenstock shoe, sole, manufacturing process, environmentally friendly, sustainable materials

Celebrating 250 years of this iconic shoe, the focus for Birkenstock is becoming more and more about the environment and manufacturing their creations sustainably.

Dating back to 1774, every Birkenstock footbed is made of natural cork, natural latex, jute and suede, which is used as the top layer.

BIRKENSTOCK AND SUSTAINABILITY

The brand uses the highest-quality leather, working with textile materials, such as high-quality wool felt, made from pure merino wool. For those customers looking for animal-free products, there is our proprietary synthetic material Birko-Flor®.

RESPONSIBILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN

A high proportion of the natural materials that Birkenstock uses are from sustainable sources: cork, natural latex, jute, leather and wool felt are among their most important materials.

One of the main raw materials used is cork – a natural and sustainable product that boasts high elasticity, outstanding cushioning, and excellent heat and sound insulation. It is comprised of dead thin-walled cells that have been filled with air. The cork layer is reproduced and can therefore be harvested again and again without harming the tree.

A single tree can provide 100 to 200 kilograms of cork during its life. To ensure that the cork is hygienically clean, the bark that has been removed is cooked thoroughly in tanks. It is then cut into strips that will be used to punch the bottle corks.Natural cork oak forests only exist in the western Mediterranean basin. The majority of the cork processed by Birkenstock comes from southern Portugal, the world’s largest raw cork-exporting region. Natural and planted cork oak forests in Portugal cover a total of some 750,000 hectares – about 8% of the total surface area of the country.

Then there’s jute, which provides additional stabilization of the cork and latex core in the original Birkenstock footbed. In addition, the plant fibers improve the moisture-regulating properties of the footbed. Jute is a renewable resource as well.

Natural latex serves as the natural binding agent in the production of the footbed. Like cork, natural latex is also a renewable resource. Natural latex is obtained from the resin of rubber trees.

Homegrown brand Tribe of 6 uses responsibly sourced and recycled materials

Posted on October 28, 2024

Homegrown brands are just the best. Not only do they help keep our carbon footprints smaller by reducing the logistical means of acquiring them, but also, you’re likely to be supporting a small startup with real people at the helm.

With athleisure here to stay it seems, choosing brands that use responsibly sourced materials and adopt sustainable production methods, is the least we can do. Tribe of 6 is a homegrown Dubai brand that uses materials such as Organic Loopback Cotton (certified by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)) and Jacquard Textured Fabric (made from recycled polyester).

They also integrate a variety of other recycled fabrics from Sedex approved factories and Global Recycled Standards (GRS) certified., such as; Recycled Polyester, which has a sueded and peached effect, providing a soft luxurious feel. Recycled Crinkle Nylon which provides a smooth, comfy finish that is also lightweight and Recycled Polyester Modal Stretch, which offers a premium feel and breathability.

Furthering the sustainability goals of the U.A.E., Tribe of 6 adopts a “limited stock” production strategy rather than mass production, which not only maintains the exclusivity and quality of their products but also minimises overproduction and waste. Some unsold garments are recycled and repurposed to create new products, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and further reducing its environmental impact.

fashion Recommended

Introducing Eurthlin and their Vegan Handbags

Posted on November 20, 2019

Because we love our handbags, but we also want to be eco-friendly. Dubai based brand Eurthlin is the first in the region to launch a luxury vegan alternative brand for conscious consumers.

It goes without saying, if you’re going to rival the likes of the Goyard and LV tote, you need to be memorable. To me, that means a conversation starter and that is exactly what Eurthlin is. It isn’t a trend-led brand looking to capitalize on the instagrammer’s of the world, it’s a thought-provoking piece of design that ensures you a guilt-free shopping spree.

Inspired by the elements; fire, water, earth and air, the brand’s signature repeat pattern print is combined to make a unique yet not overpowering logo. The brainchild of recent vegan herself Natalie Daghestani, Eurthlin is a culmination of compassion and craftsmanship with a sustainable edge. The vegan leather is aesthetically similar to animal leather and the collection boasts 3 must-have styles for all discerning fashionistas out there.

“Eurthlin only uses 100% PETA-Approved Vegan materials and is proudly registered with The Vegan Society. The bags are also ethically produced with care, with each piece sporting a GOTS-certified organic cotton lining made from natural seeds without the use of pesticides, a dust bag that has been made from recycled bottles and their mailer pouches are home compostable.”

For the fair-trade conscious too, the brand’s production facility has been certified by Brussels-based auditing firm Amfori BSCI – the leading business association for open and sustainable trade. Adding to their sustainable edge, Eurthlin has also committed to plant one tree in the Amazon for every piece sold in collaboration with OneTreePlanted.org to assist with this year’s globally highlighted reforestation.

Branding these beauties is of course the icing on the cake and you can add your piece of personalization through their online ordering service too.

Fitness Recommended

Eco-Conscious Activewear from H&M

Posted on February 7, 2018

Blending fashion with function and fitness, H&M has announced that its latest activewear collection is made from totally eco-friendly, sustainable materials. Now we know H&M are great when it comes to encouraging conscious consumerism with their sought-after conscious collection, it’s great to see it transpire across more of the clothing in-store. “Inspired by nature and positive, strong women” the collection revolves around the theme of ‘In it for the long run’ …as we all want our most-washed items to last.

The collection includes; tights, sports bras, hoodies and tops for training, running and yoga. With a precedence on nature and sustainability, the prints and the colours feature Earthy greens, blacks and beiges. So where’s the Eco element? The clothes are made with recycled polyester and elastane and for an added bonus, are made for our quick gym-tan-laundry turnaround too, with quick-dry and seamless finishings.

“By bringing together the functional and feminine, the aim is to give customers a stylish, conscious sports collection. And not just through the fabrics – we utilized a new knitting technique that creates seamless garments while using less yarn or fabric waste. Blending function with sustainable thinking and fashion in this way is the way forward,” says Petra Smeds, head designer of sportswear.

What are we eyeing:

Featured

Go Green With Eco Gifts

Posted on January 30, 2018

What do you get the person who has everything… and by everything I mean you have no idea what they actually need. I find shopping for my friends and family to be a little tricky so I normally but them something i know i’d be happy to receive – like something shiny or fitness related, but this year, sustainable and ethical is also a prerequisite.

Check out my top suggestions below for anyone who’s looking for something a little different this year:

Veja
Right now I love products that are made differently and the VEJA sneaker project is made with a really positive process. Using organic fairly traded cotton for the canvas of the shoes, wild and fairly traded rubber for the soles, they also use solely recycled plastic bottles to create their unique technological fabric! Made in Brazil, these beauties can be bought in Dubai’s favourite athleisure hub, Hautletic.

Wildwood Sunglasses
These WildWood frames are without a doubt the perfect pair for the beach and all manner of outdoor adventures in the U.A.E.. Based in Dubai, these wooden sunglasses aren’t just for show, as they are fully U.V. protected. They’re on an eco-friendly fashion mission too, having recently teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and plant a trees through their ‘Plant a Billion’ campaign for every product they sell. 1 sale = 1 planted tree…

Wild Body Active
These gorgeous mats from Wild Body Active are keeping me energised. Not only are they gorgeous to look at, their aim is to produce eco-friendly mats that are both unique in design and super functional too. Made from premium microfibres, the mat will absorb sweat making for a supremely grippy surface suitable. They are all 100% recyclable, biodegradable and free from PVC, chlorine, phthalates, latex, silicone and all other toxic nasty’s. Launching new to the market are their training kits, similar to TRX trainers, these are perfect for when you need to workout without a gym.

*As published in Women’s Health Middle East, January 2018.

fashion

H&M: Holding Fast Fashion Accountable

Posted on February 21, 2017

I love it when great minds come together and the team at one of the most famous high street brands in the world, H&M, are certainly on the right track. It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year, most of which ends up in landfill sites. So sustainable textiles have to be the future.

Launching their latest CONSCIOUS EXCLUSIVE collection, H&M are without a doubt pushing forward in this industry, with 20% of their pieces now made from more sustainable materials, with the aim each year to increase this share. One of their key elements in this is BIONIC; a recycled polyester made from plastic shoreline waste. H&M notes that they are one of the world’s biggest users of recycled polyester and one of the biggest buyers of organic cotton. Their goal is ultimately to have their cotton 100% sustainably sourced by 2020.

This year, supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova starred in their campaign too, so don’t think that the pieces are in any way lacking style, just because they use a different material…

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BaemBu: The Dubai Based Eco-Brand

Posted on July 21, 2016

It’s said that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is today. The Earth is in need of our help and there’s no better time to really be living authentic and organic!

Fashion is an industry that’s producing TONNES of waste, besides that you should also be conscious about where your clothes come from, who made them and what material they are being made with! (After all, you don’t really want your clothes to live longer than you do).

The key to being a conscious consumer is to look for that guarantee. One of my close friends started her ethical journey a couple of years ago now and is helping to persuade the region into adopting a more sustainable style. Did you know that 80% of the environmental impact of clothing occurs post-purchase, so it’s a great reminder to cool wash our clothes and hang dry!

BaemBu is her collection of unique blended T shirts and hoodies, comprising of 70% bamboo viscose & 30% organic cotton. Completely organically grown, sourced and made under fair trade regulations, Aimee Changco and her partner Matthew King ensure that even the printing on them uses organic water based ink.

Having received accreditations that include ‘Fair Wear Foundation’, ‘Soil Association’ and ‘Confidence In Textiles’, we can be sure that BaemBu is nothing but eco-friendly. They have some amazing natural properties too, such as being; hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, UV protection, moisture wicking as well as insulating, so you can literally take them everywhere!

You can get your BaemBu T’s here or spot Aimee and Matt around the UAE from Cocktail Kitchen to Market OTB, The Change Initiative and in a variety of cool pop-ups across the city. Not only do they help promote a more sustainably sourced future for Dubai’s fashion landscape, they also run the ‘Shoebox Love’ campaign during Ramadan so make sure you follow them for more ethical initiatives coming up!