Klopman, a European manufacturer of workwear fabrics and a pioneer in sustainability in the textile sector, has identified five reasons why a company should choose workwear fabrics made from environmentally friendly fabrics
Klopman has created an innovative green range of recycled plastic bottles, wood pulp, organic cotton or cotton certified to Faitrade or Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) standards to improve the conditions of producers in developing countries.
The five reasons to choose a workwear garment made with green fabrics:
1. More energy for the planet
To produce tonnes of plastic, 900 litres of oil, 180 cubic metres of water and 14 thousand kilowatt hours of energy are needed. For tonnes of recycled plastic, instead, two tonnes of used plastic, one cubic metre of water and 950-kilowatt hours of energy is enough.
2. Less plastic pollution in the seas
According to World Wildlife Found-WWF data, plastics represent 95 per cent of offshore waste found on the seabed and on the beaches of the Mediterranean. Europe, the second largest producer of plastic in the world after China, pours out between 150 and 500 thousand tonnes of plastic at sea each year. Encouraging and promoting the adoption of recycled plastic allows will limit its release into the environment.
3. Economic benefit for the country
According to the COREPLA Green Economy Report (Italian National Consortium for the collection, recycling and recovery of plastic packaging), in 2017 43.4 per cent of the plastic packaging collected was recycled; and between 2005 and 2017, the packaging recycled grew exponentially, by 64 per cent, bringing Italy an economic benefit of over two billion euros on the raw material not consumed, the production of energy and on reduced CO2 emissions. Using eco-friendly garments increases the benefits of recycling plastic.
4. Minor consumption of greenhouse gas and water
According to the first international study on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of organic cotton promoted by TE (Textile Exchange, a non-profit organisation that promotes a sustainable textile industry), the positive effects of organic cotton are numerous: 46 per cent reduction of climate-altering gas emissions; 70 per cent reduction in emissions responsible for acidification; 91 per cent reduction in water consumption mainly for irrigation (excluding rainwater); 26 per cent reduction of eutrophication, i.e. the excessive enrichment of nutrients of the ecosystem; 62 per cent reduction in primary energy consumption.
The study was conducted on data from countries such as India, Turkey, Tanzania, the United States and China, which account for 97 per cent of the world's organic cotton production.
5. Linking quality and respect for the environment
Choosing a workwear garment made with eco-friendly fabrics does not mean giving up quality. Thanks to the advanced focus on materials and production techniques, the adoption of a garment made of green fabrics guarantees comfort, quality and, above all, durability for companies and workers with significant cost savings.
