We are plastic-free - raw materials, materials and packaging

A holistic approach to sustainability is the basis of our corporate philosophy . Made in Europe , fair wages and not harming the environment and its people and animals are a matter of course for us. You can find out more about plastic in clothing and why we decided against it here.

Natural raw materials

We use natural materials made from renewable raw materials such as cotton, cellulose, wool or silk. It is important to us to pay attention to certifications such as GOTS or comparable quality seals. This way we ensure that the environment is not harmed when the raw materials are grown or mined. In our article about wool we have already explained some of the quality seals in more detail. Even small details make a difference. We also pay attention to the buttons on our clothes, which are also made of natural materials such as mother of pearl or corozo.

petroleum in a T-shirt

Synthetic fibers are being used more and more. In the last 50 years, the production volume of natural fibers has doubled. In the same period, the amount of synthetic fibers used has increased ninefold.

Understandable. Synthetic fibers are cheap to produce and have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their properties. Crease-free and easy-care are tempting sales arguments at first glance and are irreplaceable for certain functional textiles. But all that glitters is not gold. Textiles made from synthetic fibers are often suspected of causing allergies and being carcinogenic.

Fossil resources such as petroleum are used to produce synthetic fibers such as polyacrylic, polyester and nylon. This sought-after raw material is only found in limited quantities in a few places on earth. In order to remain competitive, extraction and transport must be made as efficient as possible. In the process, natural areas and habitats are irreversibly destroyed by deforestation, pipeline laying and oil leaks. This deprives countless plants, animals and people of their livelihoods.

Recycled plastic

Now you might be thinking: recycle plastic! There is too much of it in the environment anyway! Yes and no. Removing existing plastic from the environment and recycling it is a very important and necessary step. Pioneers in this area are projects such as the non-profit organization THE OCEAN CLEANUP .

A major problem with plastic textiles is the microplastics that are released every time the clothing is worn and washed. These cannot simply be collected again. According to a study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature , 35 percent of the microplastics in the sea come from fiber abrasion. This can only be contained with new technologies and a reduced and conscious consumption of synthetic fibers.

The recycling process should not be neglected either. Because to make clean plastic out of old plastic, you either need a magic trick or a lot of chemicals and energy - resources that we try to save in all areas.

A great project that we supported in 2021 as part of our CO2 calculation with COKO is Ecobricks . Here, modules for furniture or house construction are made from used plastic and drinking bottles.

packaging and shipping

We also make sure not to use any plastic when packing and shipping your order. The packages are made of 70% recycled cardboard and 30% FSC certified wood. We reuse used boxes and wrap the clothes in paper instead of plastic film.

Our seamstresses are also required to ship the finished items as plastic-free as possible. At the beginning, it was a big change for them. The rule in conventional fashion is that each item of clothing leaves production separately in a bag. Now we get our collections sent to us in a box with a film that protects the textiles from moisture and dirt, in a CO2-neutral way.

Being plastic-free is a principle

Running an entire company without plastic is just as difficult as doing without plastic in private consumption. We know this and want to create an alternative with our fair fashion label NINA REIN . We want to help our customers implement sustainability in their everyday lives. A conscious life is good for the environment, makes you happy, satisfied and with our great products, it's also really fun.

Sources:

Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/263154/worldwide-production-volume-of-textile-fibers-since-1975/

THE OCEAN CLEANUP https://theoceancleanup.com/

Ecobricks: https://ecobricks.org/en/

Utopia: https://utopia.de/ratgeber/erdoel-darum-ist-es-fuer-die-umwelt-und-das-klima-so-problematisch/