Revival Ink's clothing is made by companies that open up their manufacturing processes and business practices to scrutiny by organizations set up to promote fair labour conditions such as the ‘FAIR WEAR FOUNDATION’ (FWF).
The FWF exists to promote fair labour conditions in the garment industry world wide; this means it’s member companies have undersigned FWF's Code of Labour practices, and thereby the company has committed itself to monitor the factories of its suppliers, and the Fair Wear Foundation verifies that the Code of Labour Practices is actually implemented and respected at the factories.
Earth Positive Certifies that Revival Ink provides earth positive clothing. Eco friendly fabrics, and eco-friendly inks.
EP licence: EP17028
Sustainable Textiles, Confidence in Textiles, & Soil Association Certify that Revival Ink's products are sewn with 3 different eco friendly fabrics:
Organic cotton: 100% certified organic cotton that is low impact dyed.
Bamboo: A blend of 70% bamboo, and 30% organic cotton. Low impact dyed.
Organic Blends: 38% organic cotton, 50% recycled polyester from plastic bags, and 12% natural plant rayon. Low impact yarn dyed.
Further information about fabrics:
Organic cotton:
Cotton can be grown following the strict principles of organic agriculture. Organic agriculture uses no synthetic chemical pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, and no Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Organic fertilizers (such as manure) and plant-based pest management products (such as neem or garlic extract) are used. However, organic agriculture is not only a mere substitution of synthetic inputs with natural inputs. The major principle is to restore a natural balance within farms, with healthy and well-structured soils, rich in organic matter. In such an environment, the pests are not systematically destroyed by poisons, but are kept under control by their natural predators. Biodiversity and agro-diversity are integral parts of an organic farm.
The organic cotton fibre that is harvested is similar to most conventional cotton fibres, except that it is guaranteed non-GM, and is not contaminated with pesticides. The main difference is that the ecosystem where it has been produced has not been damaged, and chemicals have not poisoned the farmer and his or her family.
Fully organic cotton fibre is certified as an organic agricultural product, along with other crops on the farm, by a private certification body, which guarantees that the rigorous organic standards have been strictly followed. The UK-based Soil Association, for example, is one among over 100 such certification agencies worldwide, which are accredited and audited by various bodies such as the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movement, Control Union Group, which now, at last, are being brought together under a single GLOBAL ORGANIC TEXTILE STANDARD (GOTS).
Therefore, the certification of cotton fibre as an organic agricultural product is extremely reliable. If the label of your T-shirt claims that it has been made with organic cotton, you can be confident that the cotton fibre has really been grown organically. There is no need for a logo, the word “organic” is sufficient. However, the word ‘organic’ only refers to a guarantee on the growing stage of the cotton fibre, and not on the processing or the manufacturing, and there is still a long way from the fibre to a T-shirt.
Fibre processing
There are many stages required to process cotton from fibres to fabrics. The fibres are cleaned, carded (combed), spun into yarn, coated with starches or chemicals, woven into fabric (or knitted in the case of a T-shirt), cleaned up from their coating and their natural wax, bleached, immersed in concentrated caustic soda, dyed or printed, and chemically treated for easy care and other properties. All these stages require a large number of chemicals of various toxicity and hazards. Some of these chemicals threaten the health of workers, while others cause environmental pollution from the mills’ waste water. Finally, many of these chemicals are found as residues in the finished product, and some of them may affect the health of consumers, and are suspected to cause allergies, eczema, and even cancers.
In order to address those processing and manufacturing stages, a handful of organisations, mostly organic certification agencies, have developed their own private voluntary “organic” or “sustainable” standards for textile, and are certifying finished products according to those standards.
Such organic certification agencies and their textile processing scheme include the Soil Association and the Control Union International (aka SKAL International); the new GOTS will encompass those.
And so, what we commonly call an “organic T-shirt” is a T-shirt made with certified organic cotton fibre, and processed according to those textile processing standards. The certification agency then authorises the manufacturer to add its logo (or mark, or symbol) on the T-shirt’s label or their marketing literature. This is essential in order to recognize an Organic T-shirt.
Bamboo
Naturally sustainable bamboo is rapidly emerging into the fashion world. Fabric woven from bamboo yarn is light, almost translucent, and softer than cotton. It has a natural quality that feels like silk, but has the advantage of being machine-washable. This natural fibre is hypoallergenic, absorbent, and fast drying. It is naturally anti-bacterial and will not hold odour. Like other natural fibres, it allows the body to breathe as the fabric absorbs the perspiration away from the body. It also is the most sustainable of the natural fibres. It is fast-growing - the type of bamboo used for making fabric, commonly known as Moso, can reach a mature height of 75 feet in just 45 to 60 days. Because of its natural antibacterial properties, it needs no pesticides. This fabric is cooling in summer, warm in winter, and environmentally friendly all year round.
