Incredible EcoGear introduces first 100% recycled material apparel

03 Sep '08

3 min read

Fashion and eco-consciousness have merged, and the result is the most earth-friendly apparel on the market. Introduced by Incredible EcoGear, EcoGear t-shirts and lifestyle fashions are set to change the way we think about the clothes we wear.

With pieces for men, women and children, EcoGear is a hip, fashion-conscious line. At the same time, the company represents an opportunity for consumers to tread more lightly on the earth: EcoGear fabric is created from leftover cuttings from the floor of clothing factories.

The cuttings are separated by color and shade, then cut into ultra-fine fibers and attached to a continuous strand of polyester thread made from recycled plastic bottles.

The resulting yarn is then spun into EcoGear clothing products. The process is free of dyes, bleaches and other harsh chemicals.

Incredible EcoGear founder Robert Hii, a 20-year veteran of Toronto's garment industry, began researching the possibility of creating a 100% recycled fabric in 2007, following a string of devastating natural disasters around the world. At the time, he was working under a large clothing company's private label.

But when it became apparent Hii's new fabric was not just possible to create but could actually be used in making a wide range of fashions, the larger company balked and Hii struck out on his own with Incredible EcoGear.

The company's commitment to the environment is apparent at all levels of the organization. EcoGear production processes are designed to minimize Incredible EcoGear's carbon footprint.

The inks used on EcoGear garments' iron-on care-and-content labels are organic. The line's graphic tees use either water-based direct screen print or organic ink heat transfer; both are certified free of PVCs and phthalates.

The garments' hang tags are printed in soy inks on recycled paper and attached with a raw sisal cord and a reusable safety pin.

And Incredible EcoGear donates 1% of sales to environmental organizations, including the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the World Wildlife Fund, the Toronto Zoo, Environmental Defence and the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, through the 1% For the Planet movement.

"EcoGear clothing is the first 100% recycled clothing available to consumers," said Hii. "We realized that any difference in climate change will have to start with you and me, and that is the founding principle of EcoGear. You would have to go nude to be more eco-friendly than this."

Incredible EcoGear continues to set new standards in environmentally friendly clothing. The company is now working with suppliers to design fleece and woven fabrics, with the goal of offering a total lifestyle collection made from 100% recycled materials.

Incredible EcoGear has also introduced its Green Tees for Green Groups program and hopes to sign up more environmental groups to benefit from its Special Tees collection.

Incredible EcoGear

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