It's Not Swept Under the Rug - It's Used in the Product

Just when you think people are taking recycling as far as it could possibly go ... Gramicci, a clothing manufacturer that tags itself as the ‘soul brand’ of the outdoor industry, is actually using the components of what is swept up from the sample room after yarn has been spun.

The materials, hemp and organic cotton, are picked apart, sorted and recast as a durable twill used in both a blazer for men and a jacket for women. The material, which is new to their Fall 2009 collection, is called Re-Gen.

No part of the content of the clothing is overlooked from an environmental perspective. While 60% of the company’s hang tags are made from recycled or sustainable materials, 40% of buttons and trims are comprised of sustainable or recycled materials. The dyes used are low impact in that they are 40% to 60% less toxic than reactive dyes.

And the production process is in the game as well. About 80% of all products are Garment-Dyed, which utilizes over 55% less water than traditional methods.

This company was launched in 1982, by Mike Graham – from his garage in Southern California, of course.