A guide to our textiles

What is a sustainable brand without sustainable textiles, right?

Well, not quite. A brand’s sustainability credentials goes far beyond simply using better textiles — it expands into its entire supply chain. 

Although the many components that come together to create gngr bees have been carefully crafted to make sure we are doing the most we can do right now as a sustainable business (read about the hive here, our projects and partners here, and how we produce & FAQ’s here), we have a long journey ahead of us to claim absolute sustainability (if this exists at all!). But, in an effort to make your consumption with us more educated, please check out the guide below to the textiles we work with and what they mean for you and the environment.

Our main textiles

Given our garments need to have high performance standards, we have opted to use recycled nylon & polyester in our activewear range. These textiles keep their shape, are sweat wicking and provide the right support for you to move your body however you’d like to.

Recycled Pet (polyester):

Found in our activewear leggings and sports bras, RPET is seen as a  “sustainable” replacement to polyester as its production minimises waste and cuts out the fossil fuel industry. It is more energy efficient to produce and uses less water when compared to virgin polyester. As a synthetic fibre, however, recycled polyester also sheds micro plastics, an issue we are trying to address on an individual scale inside your own house hold (stay tuned for our next blog post).

This textile is OEKO-TEX & GRS certified and comes from Taiwan.

Deadstock:

Rescued textile stock is new at gngr bees -  we have used this in our past collection to create our joggers and hoodies. The deadstock we have rescued came from another fashion brand and this is usually limited and in very small quantity, so we are only able to produce limited stock. The textile itself, may not be of a “sustainable” background, but would otherwise be burned or abandoned in landfill hence rescuing it and transforming it into a garment that is crafted with quality to last is a much better outcome than otherwise.

Recycled Nylon:

Our recycled nylon yarn is made from a blend of post consumer and pre-consumer nylon. But what does that mean exactly?

The post consumer materials come from products like fishing nets, worn-out clothes or discarded carpeting that have been bought, used and then trashed; these products are destined for the landfill. Pre-consumer waste material, which comes from industrial processes, includes scraps of material in a factory that would have otherwise been down cycled, downgraded or sent to a landfill. 

First the yarn is created and then blended with spandex, which becomes a durable, soft to touch textile perfect to be used in our performance wear.

This textile is OEKO-TEX & GRS certified and comes from Europe.

TENCEL™ Modal: 

Modal fibre is the generic name for a semi-synthetic rayon. Breathable and silky smooth to the touch, modal is around 50% more water-absorbent per unit volume than cotton. Boasting similar properties to other cellulose fibres like viscose and Tencel lyocell, it’s designed to absorb the dye and stay colour-fast when washed in warm water.  This material is biodegradable.

TENCEL™ Modal is protected by a global certification system which is registered worldwide.

Undyed linen:

Linen is one of the most biodegradable fabrics in fashion history. It is strong, naturally moth resistant, and made from flax plant fibres, so when untreated (i.e. not dyed) it is fully biodegradable. Linen can withstand high temperatures, and it absorbs moisture without holding bacteria. In fact, it is actually stronger when wet than dry and becomes softer and more pliable the more it is washed. We use this textile in conjunction with FSC certified wood buttons for our linen shirt.

These are all the textiles we have used so far at gngr bees. We hope this helps you make an informed decision when purchasing from us (and other brands) and we will keep updating this guide as we expand our range and replace textiles within our collections.

Thank you for taking the time to learn with us today!