Technical Data

Please see our complete Transparency walkthrough for every step from start to finish: Sustainable Biodegradable Products™ SBP®.
 

DYES: A low-impact dye is a dye that has been classified by the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 (an international certification process) as eco-friendly. Generally, low-impact dyes do not contain toxic chemicals or mordants (which fix the dye to the fabric), require less rinsing, and have a high absorption rate in the fabric (~70%). High absorption rates and a decreased use of rinse water create less wastewater.

We use all bluesign® Certified Low Impact Dyes. Low-impact dyes are no longer limited to color tones, bright colors, neon colors, etc. It can all be done.
 

GOTS certified dyes
Manufacturers must only adhere to approved dyes to be certified GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). Details here. Disperse dyes, including Disperse Blue 106, are prohibited, as detailed on page 13

What are Fiber-reactive dyes?

Fiber-reactive dyes are low-impact synthetic dyes that directly bond with the garment fibers rather than merely remaining as an independent chemical entity within the fiber.

The benefits:

* contain no heavy metals, leads, animal bi-products, or other known toxic substances, and do not need mordants.
* are easy to apply and are available in a wide range of colors and colorfast bright colors.
* The fixation or absorption rate of low-impact dyes is at least 70%, creating less waste water runoff than conventional dyeing processes.
* are applied at relatively low temperatures (30ºC compared to the 100ºC needed for direct dyes), saving energy and requiring controlled amounts of salt and alkali.
* the high cost of this dye becomes an environmental advantage, as it is cheaper to reclaim dye from its effluent rather than discharge it all and start from scratch. The water can also be recycled.
* the dye cycle is shorter than other dye processes, meaning less water, salt, and chemicals are needed.
* The process typically occurs at a pH of around 7.0, meaning no acids or alkalis must be added to the water.
* Recent advances have created fiber-reactive dyes with brighter and richer colors that provide excellent colorfastness.

Disadvantages:
* it's quite expensive, whereas conventional dye is cheap.

* When working with actual Natural fibers, it is important to note: Although Hemp may be UV resilient, it does not mean the colors are! You will see this more with dark colors tones than the natural colors or light colors. If a product is produced that will be out in the sun or receive a lot of sunlight, the colors will fade. This is also important to note for any swimwear or products that could encounter other environments. Please also test your products to ensure their performance.

Natural Dyes:

Natural dyes often do not have a low impact, depending on the specific dye and mordant used. The extremely large quantities of natural dyestuffs required for dyeing, typically in weight equal to or double that of the fiber itself, make natural dyes prepared from wild plants and lichens very high impact indeed. Modern farming practices, where most natural dyes are obtained, require a remarkable quantity of petroleum fuels.

Mordants

Many people turn to natural dyes because they are safe and non-toxic, so it is important to wonder whether the mordants used to fix the dyes are safe.

Most mordants used for natural dyeing are common household materials and are not seriously toxic. Alum, tin, and iron are typical mordants used in natural dyeing.

Weaving Sizing Agents: Potato Starch is used as a sizing agent on the warps to make the yarns smoother for weaving.

Bleaching: Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide is used for all items listed as "semi-bleached." This keeps the natural color tone of our fibers more consistent from growing season to growing season; it is also why you will never find our fabrics in an Optic White color. 

Softener: Cationic, which is water-soluble and helps to reduce friction and improve the hand and drape of the fabric. Hemp requires very little to achieve these results and is considered low impact. Using softener in our fabric productions should more then suffice. If using softeners at home, be sure to not get into eyes or flush immediately. It is always better to use a soften in the washing process, then to use high toxicity dryer sheets that then lock bacteria and sweat into your fabrics. This is a great topic to research more to find "loads" of information about the products you are using at home.

Care Instructions:

• Machine wash cool, gentle with like colors, tumble dry, low heat.
• Do not use bleach or products with enzymes.
• Use earth-friendly and gentle detergents if possible.
• Do not use spot spray laundry cleaners.
• Do not wash garments with zippers, Velcro, or towels with texture, as these can cause abrasion and pilling.
• You can lay flat or line dry lighter-weight garments, but do not expose them to direct sunlight as this could cause fading. Tumble-drying heavier-weight garments will help retain their shape, as line drying can stretch the fibers.
• Don't expose clothing to dryer heat or iron until the stain's gone.
• Dry cleaning is ineffective. Hemp responds better to washing.
• Keep darks separate.
• Avoid setting wrinkles by removing them promptly from the washer/dryer. Over-drying increases and sets wrinkles in hemp.
• If you air dry, arrange the garment on a hanger, smoothing the collar, pockets, and hems as needed.
• Heat and moisture remove wrinkles, so spritz with water to dampen them or throw them in the dryer for a few minutes to relax them.
• If you iron, use medium-high heat/steam. Test on the reverse side to prevent shine, especially on darker shades.
• Hemp is a natural fiber: it wears in, not out, and gets softer with use. A couple of dryer or tennis balls in a cool dryer hastens the process. That goes double for undyed Natural items.

Hemp softens with wear and washing, but a commercial softener may be used if you need additional softeners.

We suggest using environmentally friendly detergents and chemical-free options. Most Eco-Friendly options need to be diluted, so fill the washer with water, add your cleaner, close the door to allow it to agitate, and then add your load. 

Please see our Sustainable Biodegradable Product Transparency page for Processing walkthrough.