This ecological textile innovation was premiered by Pontetorto in the fall of 2017 at the Performance Days Trade Fair in Munich, where it was recognized with the trade fair’s Eco Performance Award. This is the first fleece fabric with an inner fiber pile that does not shed any dangerous microfibers, protecting water bodies and living organisms from this hazard. Its construction is what makes it so special. On the smooth outer surface, 100 % (recycled) polyester is used. The inner napped surface of the textile in not made of polyester as it is in conventional fleece, but rather from TENCEL®, a 100 % wood cellulose fiber from the house of Lenzing. This fiber is biodegradable — even in salt water! So if microfibers are shed from the napped lining of the fleece during the washing process, they can biodegrade in any environment in about 90 days, without leaving a trace behind and without endangering any living organism.
The fabric combines all the advantages of a high performance material with environmental sustainability, as TENCEL® is considered a natural performance fiber that features outstanding thermal regulation as well as effective moisture management. It is absolutely skin-friendly, so it’s safe for people with skin allergies, and offers a luxuriously soft napped inner surface that’s pleasant to the touch.
VAUDE is also involved as a project partner in additional studies within the research project TextileMission.
CEO Antje von Dewitz on discussing the background of the product’s development: “Plastic pollution in the environment is a pressing global problem – with very visible and catastrophic effects in the world's oceans. Together with our partners from the textile industry, we want to make our contribution to solving the problem and are pleased that we are now able to use a biodegradable fleece material for the very first time. In the next few years, we will continue our intensive research in order to reduce the shedding of microplastics."
More information about VAUDE's initiative to combat microplastics:
http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/Initiative-against-micro-plastic.php
http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/environmental/microplastics.php
TENCEL® Fleece will be used exclusively in the VAUDE Collection starting in Winter 18/19.
Miskanti Fleece Jacket: stretch fleece jacket for mountain sports, captivating in its narrow striped design and eco-friendly style.
Green Core We Cape: ideal cape for after-sports endeavors that can be packed down tight, featuring warm fleece and cozy warm plant-based down insulation (kapok). A reversible cape that can be worn both ways is a clever solution for on the go.
Green Core Fleece Jacket: high-stretch, feel-good fleece jacket made with biodegradable, cellulose wood fiber that helps to reduce microplastics in the seas.
Green Core Fleece Pants: warm multi-sports pants featuring an exceptional hybrid material made from TENCEL® fleece, wool and a slightly water repellent, biobased polyamide (EcoPaXX) at the thighs. Worn as a base layer or outer layer, indoors or outdoors, they’re genuinely comfortable.
In each of these models, the VAUDE Green Shape label stands for environmentally friendly, functional products made from sustainable materials. The Miskanti Fleece Jacket and the Green Shape Core Collection models will be available in men’s and women’s versions at selected retailers in Fall 2018.
With the limited “Green Shape Core Collection” VAUDE showcases the future of sustainable, innovative sportswear, and processes a whole range of exclusive eco-materials – such as the new TENCEL® fleece, biobased polyamide or insulation made of renewable kapok fiber.
Detailed information on materials at:
https://www.vaude.com/en-GB/Green-Shape-Core-Collection
Microplastics in the oceans:
Microplastic particles from a wide variety of sources endanger the environment, reaching rivers, lakes and oceans, and accumulating in sea life, which is then consumed. This is how these dangerous microplastics also end up inside of our bodies. To reduce this pollution and its impact on the environment and humans, we have to reduce the amount of plastic waste that we’re producing. And this doesn’t just mean bags and bottles — clothing made from synthetic fibers are also a source of pollution. When they go through the wash, these items (such as fleece pullovers) shed microplastic particles from their napped surfaces. These particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm are only partially filtered out by today's sewage treatment plants and are thus directly released into the environment.