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QUILCENE |
#20-5000 |
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A hearty performer with a sophisticated look and sumptuous feel.
Carbon-neutral production.
| Oeko-Tex: | Standard 100 certified yarns | |
| LEED: | Eligible for credits: indoor air quality, use of rapidly renewable resources, and/or innovation | |
| Fiber Composition: | 54% bamboo, 46% organic cotton | |
| Colorways: | 8 | |
| Width: | 54” / 137 cm | |
| Weight: | 13.2 oz sq yd/ 448 gm sq meter | |
| Country of Origin: | Japan | |
| Cal 117: | Pass | |
| NFPA 701: | Pass (with application of fire retardant) | |
| Abrasion: | 40,000 Martindale with application of Cradle to Cradle certified finish; 10,000 without finish | |
| Colorfast to light: | AATCC 16: 4 at 60 hrs. | |
| Wet/dry crock: | 4.5 wet, 5.0 dry |
Benign Bamboo. The bamboo fibers used in the yarns are grown in China using sustainable farming methods and harvesting techniques which do not threaten Panda habitat.
The bamboo is sent to our Japanese yarn manufacturer who developed a new viscose production method that is environmentally responsible. Manufacturing viscose requires use of a sulfuric acid bath; although the resulting yarn is non-toxic (ours is Oeko-Tex 100 certified, and safe enough to eat), the waste could create an environmental hazard.
However, our enlightened manufacturer uses bacteria and enzymes to neutralize the sulfuric acid, as well as not using another common chemical in the process (sodium hydroxide) and thereby returns wastewater to the ecosystem that meets stringent Japanese drinking water standards. There is some out gassing of the sulfuric acid to the air—air pollution. As demand for our bamboo grows, our spinner will afford to address this issue as well. All in all, even with the slight outgassing into the air, we believe our bamboo is a very important addition to the world's fiber set. Fully 97% of the world's fiber needs are currently met by synthetic fibers or conventional cotton�both of which are environmental disasters. Bamboo, the plant, is a strongly positive carbon choice.
Eco-Conscious Cotton. This organic cotton is certified by Control Union (www.controlunion.de) and grown in Peru by farmers who have received the Control Union organic certification (www.controlunion.com). The Peruvian organic cotton fields are appropriate for the region, a region with very high annual rainfall. This is an important consideration because even organic cotton is a very thirsty crop. Many places in the world where it has been grown have been inappropriate choices, producing a desert that is too alkaline – such as the environmental disaster around the Aral Sea. But you can feel great about encouraging the cultivation of our organic cotton.
Proud Partner. A dedicated conservationist owns the small mill in Japan where these yarns are woven into fabric. In his state-of-the-art mill, each step of the process has been carefully analyzed to ensure that it is environmentally sound.
Our partner has been among the first to try new green processes, such as using ozone to bleach fabric (in which the only by product is oxygen). He uses only low impact fiber reactive dyes which contain no heavy metals or aromatic amines and which meet GOTS standards. His factory is powered 100% by the wind. Although there is no wind generator on the premises, he buys wind power from a wind farm north of the mill.