Sustainability
Sustainable Materials
Organic, fair, vegan: today, clothing has to meet higher consumer needs than it had to a few years ago. This is not without reason, since it became clearer and clearer how huge the environmental impact of the fashion industry pollution really is. That's why, as a sustainable fashion brand, we want to use materials that are as eco-friendly as possible. For us, that also means abandoning animal leather and seeking out smart alternatives. Learn more!
AppleSkin®
Vegan "Apple Leather"
Vegan "leather" made from apple remnants? Yes, you read correctly. One of our base materials is AppleSkin from Italy. This is a vegan leather alternative made from waste of apple juice production.
Therefore, apple waste is dried and then milled into a very fine powder. This is mixed with about 50 percent polyurethane (PU) and applied to a tear-resistant roll of cotton fabric. These rolls are heated to produce a weather-resistant and durable fabric. In the final step, the fruit leather is embossed to allow for different surface textures. Et voila: This is how AppleSkin is created.
The finished vegan products consist of the following components:
38% polyurethane
26% apple waste
20% polyester
16% cotton
When waste from apple processing is used, it not only improves the otherwise quite expensive and complicated waste recycling process. It also reduces the use of PU by replacing part of it with apple residues.
However, a certain amount of PU is needed to make the bag durable. As a fair fashion label our goal is to reduce the percentage of PU in our bags. The producer of the material is also currently working on a bio-based PU made out of fermented biomass. However, we still need some patience since they are in the middle of development.
OEKO-TEX® 100 Certified
Peta-Approved Vegan
100% PVC Free
UltraWer
Vegan Corn Material
UltraWer is our second base material, also 100% PETA-approved vegan and from Italy. This leather alternative is based on corn grown for industrial use – but not for food.
A polyol is obtained from the corn kernel, from which resin is extracted. As with AppleSkin, this is mixed with PU and applied to the carrier material. This in turn consists of old PET bottles that have been processed into polyester fibers. Here, too, the material is then washed and heated so that the fabric is as flexible and resistant as possible.
The finished material UltraWer is composed as follows:
50% recycled polyester
35% bio-based polyurethane from corn
15% polyurethane
About the Lining
Recycled Polyester
The lining of our products is made of recycled polyester. For this, European PET bottles are collected, processed into plastic flakes and spun into polyester fibers. For the lining of our older bag models, we used recycled polyester made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets. These were fished out of the oceans as part of the ECOALF Foundation's "Upcycling the Ocean" project. You can find more information at ECOALF.
From Finland
Recycling Felt
We also use recycled polyester for our vegan placemats. More specifically, we use felt, which is made from recycled European PET bottles.
This felt is made in Finland. The recycled material is free of harmful substances, Oeko-Tex 100 and GRS certified. By using existing plastics, we minimize waste and help protect the environment.
Towards Eco-Friendly Shipping
Sustainable Packaging
All of our packaging materials are plastic-free and made from renewable resources. We ship our vegan bags in recycled and/or recyclable boxes. As a filling material we use grass paper. Our hangtags are made from recycled paper, including coffee cups.
E-commerce is e-commerce: To offset our carbon footprint, with every online order we support initiatives to protect forests.
We always want to improve ourselves to bring fashion and sustainability closer together. To achieve this, we are monitoring sustainable textile innovations and are regularly testing new materials.
You would like to know more about AppleSkin and Co.? Write to us at hello@nuuwai.com.
To find out how to care for your "AppleSkin" handbag, click here.