Cradle to Cradle
The Circle of Life
From the earth, back to the earth.
To see with our own eyes how quickly our clothes are reintegrated into nature, we started a composting experiment. In the spring, we buried some models in the compost heap and in the summer we checked how far the decomposition process had progressed. In fact, only the rough framework of the textiles remained, the items of clothing were already full of holes and it was hardly possible to tell which model the remains were. In the autumn, we looked again and it was not so easy to find anything left. In the end, we were able to identify some fabric remnants. However, these were so small that we assume that they will be completely returned to the cycle of nature by the onset of winter and will no longer be visible to our eyes.
This is what Cradle To Cradle means to us
Cradle to Cradle Certified™, or C2C for short, is a globally recognized measure for safer and more sustainable products for the circular economy.
But what does this mean in our context for sustainable, fair clothing?
Did you know that with every wash of synthetic clothing, countless plastic microparticles from the clothing end up in the wastewater and, since they cannot be filtered out by sewage treatment plants, enter the natural cycle and remain there?
According to “Fashion Revolution”, it takes 20 to 200 years for the elastane used in sportswear to decompose!
Once a Lounge Cherie model – manufactured according to the C2C principle – has finished its service and is ready to be composted, it decomposes into organic nutrients.
Circular Economy & Sustainability
We are using – according to Cradle to Cradle
principle – produced material has once again taken a huge step towards true sustainability.
In concrete terms, this means:
The elastane used breaks down at the end of its life without releasing harmful substances into the environment. This applies to almost all items from the latest collections - take a look:
The Cradle 2 Cradle product standard
Many product designers, manufacturers and brands around the world already trust the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard as a transformative way to design and manufacture products that have a positive impact on people and the planet.
And we also want to support this by offering models in our shop that have been manufactured according to the Cradle to Cradle principle!
But how does it work?
The products are evaluated according to their ecological and social performance in five categories:
- material health
- material reuse
- Renewable Energy and Carbon Management
- water responsibility
- Social Fairness
A product is assigned a performance level (Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) for each category.
The certification process is very strict, with the lowest category performance of the above points also representing a product's overall certification level. The standard also encourages continuous improvement over time by awarding certification based on increasing performance levels and requiring certification to be renewed every two years.
A difference that not only you, but also our environment feels.
The basis of our decisions comes from a vision... We want to develop fashion that does not contain plastic!
composting recommendation
Since the natural decomposition processes with all their components and beneficial organisms only really get going after winter when the temperatures are warmer, we recommend that you return your old items to the cycle in spring when the ground is no longer frozen. To ensure the composting process is as quick as possible, dig a hole in the ground or, ideally, in your compost heap and place the clothing in it over as wide an area as possible before covering it with soil again. It is important for the decomposition process that nature is allowed to take its course, i.e. that rain, sun, wind and animals come into contact with your old item of clothing and can do their work effectively.