List of products by brand Ecoalf
"Ecoalf was born in 2009, both the name and the concept of the brand were born after the birth of my two sons: Alfredo and Álvaro. I wanted to create a truly sustainable fashion brand and I believed that the most sustainable thing to do was to stop using natural resources carelessly to ensure those of the next generation. Recycling could be a solution if we could make a new generation of recycled products with the same quality and design as the best non-recycled ones.
12 years later, our mission and vision remains intact, if possible with more strength and clarity than ever.
Our planet is shaking and we need to act. It's time to take responsibility. We believe we have a mission that goes beyond just business. Fashion is one of the largest consumer goods industries in the world and one of the most polluting. I believe the time when fashion was just about looking good is over. More than ever it's about doing what's right and feeling good about it. We have the ability and responsibility to rethink the business model we want for the future.
Love and affection, "
WE EXIST TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE BRAND THAT COMBINES CHANGE WITH EVERY PRODUCT.
I COMMIT
With our planet, with the environment and with all people. With ourselves, with our partners and with every single person who works with us. Suppliers, partners, collaborators, customers ...
CONSISTENCY
Between what we say and what we do. Always be consistent with our message, our mission and our vision which represent our values and our commitment.
TRANSPARENCY
We have made substantial progress over the past 10 years. We still have a lot to work on, but we love being able to share our commitments, our progress, what we do, even what we would like to do better, with those who are interested. Transparency implies being able to openly discuss everything we do and how we do it.
INTEGRITY
It doesn't matter to show people our weaknesses, frustrations and challenges. We are not perfect and we do not pretend to be.
Our constant collaboration with the best and most innovative factories and R&D Technology Centers allows us to research and test the most sustainable and innovative materials and processes, but also a new business model that is more responsible towards the planet and its people.
Ecoalf is officially recognized as one of the Best B Corp for the World positioning the brand in the 5% of the best 5,000 B Corps worldwide in the environment category.
In 2018, Ecoalf became the first fashion brand in Spain to receive B Corp certification. Becoming a Certified B Corporation means meeting the highest social and environmental standards. It is a community of leaders, leading a global movement using business as a positive force. They balance profit and their purpose and put the planet at the forefront of their business strategy to leave a positive impact on it.
Ecoalf is part of the # zeronet2030 commitment of the BCorp community. Our goal is to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This means that all greenhouse gases will have to be reduced by following strategic measures, until they reach zero.
+500 RECYCLED FABRICS
DEVELOPED
"We are proud to use the least possible amount of natural resources (materials, energy and transport)"
Since 2009 our goal has been to limit the consumption of our natural resources, which is why we have decided to use materials such as recycled polyester, recycled nylon, recycled wool and recycled cotton, reducing the amount of CO2 emissions generated and the amount of water. worn out.
We are a Global Recycling Standard (GRS) certified brand. The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is a voluntary product standard for monitoring and verifying the content of recycled materials in a final product. The standard applies to the entire supply chain and covers traceability, environmental principles, social requirements, chemical content and labeling. This educates consumers and helps them make informed decisions.
OUR OCEAN YARN
80% of ocean litter is found on the ocean floor. The ECOALF foundation was born in 2015 through the Upcycling the Oceans project which today has united more than 4,000 fishermen in more than 60 ports in Spain, Greece, Italy and France. The goal of this project is to collect marine litter from the ocean floor with the help of fishermen and give plastic waste a second through recycling, and then close the loop.
YARN WITH 0 RELEASE
Every year, about half a million tons of microplastics end up in the oceans, simply by washing up synthetic materials. The revolutionary Meryl® knit is made up of 50% nylon and uses hydrogen bonds to seal microfibers and prevent microplastic pollution.
RECYCLED NYLON
The use of recycled nylon drastically reduces the number of steps in the manufacturing process compared to conventional manufacturing processes when using regular nylon. This reduction of the production process leads directly to a reduction in the consumption of CO2 and water. Recycled nylon can be recycled once again when the garments reach the end of their life cycle.
RECYCLED POLYESTER
By using recycled PET, we reduce water consumption by 20%, energy consumption by 50% and CO2 emissions by 60% (estimated values for recycled PET compared to conventional polyester). Recycled polyester can be recycled again and for this reason it is a high value material in the circular economy. At ECOALF we work with recycled polyester materials with different origins:
Most of the recycled polyester we use is made from recycled plastic water bottles (PET _ Polyethylene terephthalate). These bottles are recycled with a mechanical process that first transforms them into flakes and pellets and then they are spun into high quality yarns.
The Ecoalf Foundation was born in the Mediterranean Sea in 2015, leading the Upcycling the Oceans project with one goal, to save the planet and the oceans. It currently works with more than 4,000 fishermen in 60 ports, leading to more than 550 fishing vessels. It took us more than 2 years to develop the technology to turn ocean plastic into high quality yarn. We are working with our factories to transform conventional recycled polyester into this new yarn made with recycled plastic sourced from the oceans. Only 5 to 10% of the collected waste is PET, this is the only material that we can transform into high quality yarns. As part of our mission to protect our oceans and combat marine litter, we collect and ensure the proper management of 100% of the litter collected.
We are currently researching and testing a new technology that allows our suppliers to transform old garments into recycled yarns to create recycled fabrics for our collections. Unfortunately this innovative technology is not yet available to most of our suppliers, but we already have some products made from used garments.
To date, we have recycled more than 275 million plastic bottles.
POST-CONSUMER COFFEE GROUNDS FINISH
Thanks to the collaboration we have with the company that holds the patent for the transformation of coffee grounds into pellets with technical properties, we are able to give our garments finishes that would otherwise require chemical treatments.
These properties are: Quick drying. UV protection and odor control.
RECYCLED COTTON
One of the textile industry's biggest environmental impacts comes from cotton due to its extensive use of water during its cultivation, as well as in its production. Cotton production is often located in developing countries, where the population already has problems accessing drinking water. However, the water is still used for irrigation.
An example of this is the Aral Sea, located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which, at its best, was the fourth largest lake on the planet. Unfortunately, it has now dried completely. Its road to extinction began in the 1980s when its waters were diverted to be used on some agricultural varieties, above all, for the production of cotton.
Development of recycled cotton
The truth is that the cotton recycling process is very complex. Achieving the quality that meets our standards has already cost us more than three years of research and development. We know that creating the best quality recycled cotton on the market can be decisive for reducing the water footprint of our products and we will continue to increase their use. Recycling of cotton fiber is a mechanical process. It starts with post-industrial waste that is created in the weaving and cutting processes. The fabrics undergo different processes where they are torn until they reach a fiber that can be spun again. This fiber is shorter than virgin cotton fiber and the resulting yarn is uneven and hard. This mainly affects the final feel of the fabric as it will be rough. To counteract this effect,
Avoid the dyeing process
Another important fact is that, by using recycled cotton, we can already obtain the desired color of the garment simply by mixing fibers of the same color. In doing so, we skip the dyeing process and reduce the amount of water used.
RECYCLED WOOL
We have chosen recycled wool as an alternative to conventional wool.
Recycled wool is a material that has been in use for a long time. Countries like Spain and Italy have a tradition of making fabrics with recycled wool. Wool is recycled through the same mechanical process used for cotton.
To achieve this, we are working in two fields:
Choice of raw materials (post-industrial wool)
of the highest quality that allows us to have the best result in the final product.
Working on sustainable and innovative finishing processes
which improves the final characteristics of the fiber, thus obtaining a softer and lighter feeling.
RECYCLED TIRES
ECOALF flip flops are unique for their innovative manufacturing process. They are the result of two years of research and development and innovation through the collaboration with Signus and the Technology Center for Footwear of La Rioja (CTCR).
This product has been designed, developed and produced 100% environmentally in Spain.
KAPOK
Kapok is a type of fruit that can be picked from the tree and made into a soft, silky fiber. The tree has a lifespan of 25 years and the organic kapok is blended with organic cotton to save over 4,000 liters of water per shirt.
RECYCLED CASHMERE
There are only a few regions in the world that can produce cashmere. As more and more people seek out the soft, welcoming fiber, grasslands become overly grazed and barren. To preserve this precious fiber and make the most of our resources, we integrate recycled cashmere into our collections.
LINEN
Linen is a light material, but also one of the strongest fabrics that allows it to last for many years. It is a low impact material that consumes little water during its cultivation and one hectare of flax can remove 3.7 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.
"All our decisions must be made with the aim of doing as little damage as possible to the planet and local communities."
