The biggest challenge for textile recycling is blended fabrics, which the market is saturated with and can’t be recycled. So even though a garment with ‘organic cotton/recycled polyester’ blended fabric might have a sustainable tag and seem like a good choice, it can’t be regenerated into a new textile and prohibits circularity. Following our pledge to only use certified raw materials at AFORE AFTER, we're now taking a big step forward towards mono-material garments. Clothing with a singular material construction enables textile-to-textile recycling which is critical for circularity. We’re using 100% TENCEL™ Lyocell fabric and sewing it with 100% Lyocell thread. While it may seem insignificant, Lyocell thread is a new innovation. Using it for sewing Lyocell fabric is a breakthrough that allows closed-loop textile recycling in the future at the garments end of life.
Whenever possible, we seek out closed-loop materials at AFORE AFTER. That’s why our predominant fibre of choice is Lyocell for our fabric and thread materials. Made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp of responsibly-managed forests, Lyocell can be recycled and is fully biodegradable and compostable due to its cellulosic origin. In comparison to cotton, Lyocell does not require irrigation, pesticides or labour-intensive processes during its cultivation. If its high-resource efficiency and low environmental impact wasn’t already impressive enough, Lyocell’s closed-loop manufacturing process recycles water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%. In terms of textile production, this closed-loop process makes Lyocell a uniquely sustainable material that doesn’t harmfully impact the local environment or people where it’s made.
We’re so proud to be able to move away from all fossil fuel-derived synthetic materials at AFORE AFTER to become 100% polyester and plastic free. The full extent of all material components in clothing is generally unknown because it’s rare for brands to disclose more than fabric composition, but modern garment manufacturing almost always relies on some polyester raw materials. In our circular design process, we have removed all technical necessity for polyester and plastic materials. Embracing circularity is challenging but by scaling back the components we use to a reduced selection of biodegradable materials, we are easing the burden on landfills, and our soil and water bodies will have fewer synthetic microfibers. And even though our garments are compostable under industrial and home conditions to fully revert to nature, we prefer if they are regenerated in closed-loop recycling.
At AFORE AFTER we've always told you about every single certified raw material we use. Learn more about the certifications we seek from suppliers
