In the pursuit of technical quality, it can be easy to get swept away.
That is the truth, at least in my experience anyway and our Technical Active Cap is the proof in the pudding. I was starting a new venture, heading out into new territory for my life and diving into the deep end of an industry that is completely inundated with technical jargon, marketing ploys and ideologies of technicality sold to us with parts not fully explained.
I was excited. I wanted to make a brand that was better than good, that was excellent. A brand that even in the early days could rival the technical claims of the top brands' products. I threw myself and the last of my funds into getting our first product in hand. A technical cap for active pursuits. The best cap we could put our name to, lightweight, five panel construction, perforated for airflow, moisture wicking, quick drying and water repellent.
Technically it was a perfect mix for me. You could be running in it one minute, cooling yourself off in the stream the next and it would hold up no problem. The grey colour looked sleek against the Trilithon N adorning the front in a Chalk marking. It would hold up against all the brands I was holding in my mind for this kind of product and I could get it to market for a similar or lower cost to the customer than some of the others out there, while still keeping order numbers down for the first run.
However, there was one glaring issue that I had failed yet to even realise. It was 100% polyester.
It wasn't until after getting the first run ordered, my ever-growing obsession with fabrics for other products took over and my research started uncovering some horrifying truths. I now realised I too had been swept away with the marketing of technical outerwear and had missed what these technical fabrics truly are at the heart.
I then grew to despise it. Not because it isn't a top-level product, technically speaking it is, but because it didn't fit the kind of ideologies I hold for myself.
I spent years as an environmentally forward tree care professional, running an arboricultural company that focused on the environmental management of trees and woodlands. I was doing everything I could to look after our countryside and the wildlife in it. Planting more trees than we ever removed, helping trees stay healthy and well managed in any environment, making habitats for a diverse range of insects, animals and fungi. Constantly aware of changing biodiversity and urban effects on the wildlife and the countryside I loved.
Years surfing, walking, climbing and trekking in the beautiful wilds of the UK, picking up litter left from others where I could and staying connected to the companies that were campaigning to keep our countryside, waterways and wildlife safe and protected. All the while not realising how my attire could affect the landscape I loved being surrounded by.
Chainsaw PPE often involves synthetic fibres and synthetic polymers. Made deliberately to withstand the work of tireless outdoor pursuits in various weather while keeping workers safe and the risk management signed off. Technical-spec hi-vis, recycled polyester, SPF 50+ tops to keep us seen, cool and safe in the sun. As far as I was aware, recycled from plastic bottles, or just recycled in general, was a good option. A more sustainable option and it fit the bill. I never thought to question what actually happens to these fibres as we use them.
When I decided to start making products of my own, that's when I really fell down the rabbit hole of what was happening under the surface. Micro-plastic fibres shedding into the nature I was working to keep in good stead. In a small part polluting the environment I was trying to make a difference in. I was horrified, learning about all the micro particles that are released when washing my kit, when working hard outside and how this then flows into our rivers, streams and soil.
I am not the first to discover this by any means, there is growing information and research going into this sector of environmental sustainability, a lot of which I am still wading through. As you can imagine, the area we are discussing is not always straightforward.
You are looking at the fibres themselves, yes, as well as what happens over their lifecycle. But then you also need to be looking at manufacturing practices. How is it made or harvested, what emissions are involved in its processing, what chemicals are used throughout, how much water is consumed in production, are these things recycled or reused for the next production. Then you have the shipping, storage and other factors to assess alongside it all. It can be enough to make the head spin at first glance.
Then finding that recycled synthetics could be shedding more micro-plastics than virgin really set a tone. The environmentally marketed recycled option was starting to look a little less green than I had first expected. A study by the Changing Markets Foundation, with testing by the Microplastic Research Group at Çukurova University, examined 51 garments from Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein and Zara. Within that, a comparison of 23 virgin and recycled polyester items found the recycled ones shed around 55% more microfibres, roughly 12,000 fibres per gram against 8,028 and the particles were finer, so they travel further and are more easily ingested.
I won't make out like one man wearing synthetic technical fabrics in the woods or mountains will completely destroy the landscape in a single go, and I know why a lot of these fabrics have become the standard go-to for technical products. However, when you look at the bigger picture, thousands of garments produced, worn daily in all walks of life, at the gym, swimming, dancing, out in the woods, or anywhere else you can think of. Not to forget the constant abundance of used and discarded products heading to landfill from a lack of recycling or up-cycling, you start to realise how much damage could be happening from something as simple as a t-shirt.
This is when I became determined to make products fit for purpose, that use organic and lower-impact fibres and practices. Products that would wear well with time, could be re-used/recycled and in the end cause as little damage to the world as we can possibly make happen.
When you look at the landscape currently, we are fighting environmental battles at every angle, desperately trying to save, protect and ensure a future for our beloved wildlife. The countryside and those places of natural beauty that we all love to enjoy. I needed to do the same with this brand as I did with my previous career caring for the woodlands. I needed to look at every angle, every aspect and question what could really work. So I too don't become another brand just pushing out products without further thought on how this impacts the places we love.
That's the direction everything has gone in since. The chalk is magnesium carbonate drawn from seawater rather than blasted out of a hillside, in plant-based packaging. The trousers I'm working on now are looking to be organic fibres, with brass hardware and natural cords, getting their movement from how they're shaped and cut rather than from elastane (another synthetic plastic fibre).
This won't be easy, I know that. Especially at my current size, I am asking questions and trying to find answers that even some bigger brands haven't fully resolved yet. The question of function over sustainability & for some of them of course, cost. However, I think it's a pursuit worth taking, as I for one certainly no longer wish to be wearing plastic unless it is absolutely necessary.
Now the part a lot would leave out. I'm still selling the caps. I have to.
I put the last of my money into these to help get this brand going, and I can't afford to write that off. I also couldn't stand the idea of bringing these caps through production just to be wasted and not get used at all. Another set of fabric heading to waste when they still have a use, a good service life and potential for plenty more lives after that initial one.
Out of 25 available there are currently 22 left, available on the website, £38 each. Once they are gone, I will never be producing a hat the same as this again. Instead they will help fund a run of more sustainable, environmentally forward products, as I continue to head into the conflicting winds of what technical garments can truly be and strive for a more sustainable, environmentally friendly brand that still competes with the brands at the top level.
I am far from perfect and we all impact the world around us in one way or another, but I feel it's how we move forward with what we have learnt that matters. So ask those questions, expect better from the brands you trust, and if you want to help keep a small brand with a forward-thinking ideology and some big aspirations going, you know where we are.
Anyone who tells you their gear costs the earth nothing is selling you something. I'd rather tell you exactly what mine costs and let you make your own mind up.
Benjamin – Nemetona Active
Source: Microfibre shedding figures from Spinning Greenwash, Changing Markets Foundation, with testing by the Microplastic Research Group at Çukurova University.