The life cycle of DURIBLEs t-shirts

How is my t-shirt made? Where does it come from? How sustainable is it?

You might have been pondering over these questions, which is normal. When you care about the environment, you become more conscious about what you eat and what impact your actions have on the environment. When it comes to your wardrobe, you become inquisitive about the origin of your clothes, the production process, and its aftermaths on the environment. DURIBLE, being a sustainable fashion company, is aware of these preoccupations regarding ethical living and is especially transparent about it.

In that light, we are going to walk you through the life cycle of our eco-friendly t-shirts. DURIBLEs eco-friendly t-shirts as you are aware, are made from 100% organic cotton. These t-shirts are produced in Bangladesh, one of the largest producers and exporters of garments in the world. Emphatically, the quality, authenticity and working conditions under which DURIBLE’s t-shirts are produced, are closely verified and certified by accredited certification companies such as OCS100 (organic Cotton standard), Fair wear Foundation and Fairtrade.

With that said, it is essential to know that our organic t-shirt goes through several stages referred to as “a life cycle” before eventually getting to the final consumer. The first stage of the t-shirt’s life cycle starts on the farm in Bangladesh when cotton seeds are planted, irrigated, and ends when the cotton is harvested and taken to the production factory. On the farm, the cotton trees are naturally cultivated and harvested without spraying or treating them with any chemicals, fertilisers or pesticides to stimulate growth as oppose to regular cotton. Specifically, the cotton seeds planted are free of genetically modified organism (GMO).

Some amazing benefits of organic cotton farming method for the environment include the following:

• Eco-friendly farming method

• Preserves soil fertility

• Reduces water wastage.

• Uses cotton seeds which are free from GMO

• No use of chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides

• Preserves a healthy atmosphere for both human and animals.

Furthermore, from the farm, cotton obtained moves to the production factory where high-tech machines separate them from the seeds as well as blend, card, comb, stretch, twist, and turn them into ropes of yarn called slivers. After that, these slivers go on to the mill, where they are weaved into sheets of fabric by knitting-machines. Next, the fabrics are dyed and bleached into different colours using safer alternatives to chemicals such as water-based or natural dyes, whitening peroxide which render the fabric safe as it is hypoallergenic. Further, the fabrics are transferred to the sewing factory where the fabrics are stitched into t-shirts using manually or electrically operated sewing machines.

Unlike in the raw material stage of organic cotton, human interference is highly needed at this stage to cut and sew the t-shirts into precise sizes. To complete the production stage, the t-shirts are shipped to Belgium where the skyline of the beautiful city of Rotterdam, is printed on them using environmentally friendly vegan ink. After printing, the t-shirts are packed in cardboard boxes and transported to the Netherlands using the most sustainable means (railway transport) to reduce environmental footprints. Regarding the life span, the life of DURIBLE’s eco-friendly t-shirt ends when the consumer buys, uses, and disposes of it.

Why DURIBLEs organic t-shirts?

They are:

• Made with 100% organic cotton.

• Sustainable and Eco-friendly.

• Cruelty free.

• Free from harmful chemicals or pesticides.

• Incredibly soft and cause no skin irritations.

• Produced under healthy and safe working conditions.

• Safer for the environment as our producers adhere to quite stricter and very rigid production standards imposed by organisations such as the OCS100, Fair wear foundation and Fairtrade.

Three creative and sustainable ways to recycle DURIBLE’s t-shirts

• Upcycling: it is a fun and creative way to extend the life of our eco-friendly t-shirt when it is old. From an old t-shirt, you could make things like headbands, sling bags, cleaning rags, floor mats and many more.

• Thrift stores: instead of dumping your old t-shirt in the bin, which will eventually end up in landfills, you could take it to thrift stores for resale.

• Donations: your t-shirt might be old but still wearable. Therefore, you could donate it to charity. Albert Heijn, Leger des Heils and kledingbank are amongst the numerous charity organisations in Rotterdam where you could donate your clothes to.

Be sustainable. Wear DURIBLE!