02—our vision and environmental approach
In this article we are explaining our attitude towards the environment and why is the key value in our company. The background of the development process will be described as well. We are deeply revealing our mindset and the products we are working on from sustainability and ecological aspects.
THE FACTS
Let’s talk facts. We are sure you have already heard about global warming. We really do. Let’s be honest here, nowadays it’s been a quite mainstream topic and most of us have read about ocean levels rising due to the melting of glaciers, the ozone hole enlarging and much more. But what is the root cause of these climate changes? Can we prevent this devastation somehow and help to save the planet?
Caused by heat-absorbing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were global average temperatures last year at 1,15°C over the pre-industrial era. The scientists assume that the expected temperature to be anywhere between 1,5°C and 5°C by 2100. It seems not to be much, but it can cause catastrophic events in the world. We can already see large-scale hurricanes as a result of climate change. And that’s almost all because of excessive CO2 production. Industries and agriculture are some of the biggest polluters and producers of CO2 worldwide.
In connection with the excessive release of CO2 into the atmosphere, the fashion industry belongs to the huge polluters. Thus also significantly contributing to global warming. Besides that in the production of clothing are used fabrics which are sprayed with pesticides and also contain carcinogenic substances. Dyes used to color textiles tend to be toxic and toxic wastewaters tend to be flushed into nearby rivers. In this way, not only river flows but also groundwater reservoirs are polluted by these factories. Last but not least employees in this type of industry work very hard often in inhuman conditions and for almost zero pay. Studies show that up to 85% of the clothes produced annually by fast fashion chains end up in the waste. Therefore, it is important to choose your clothes responsibly.
BREMAY’S CONNECTION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT
From the very beginning, we tried to put our green-minded values into the DNA of our company. Actually, we respected these values a very long time before bremay was established. It means using ecologically clean materials or recycled materials. In cases we are not able to use materials like that, we will use materials that can be fully recycled in the future. We really matter about the future and believe the key to achieving the goal is in the spreading of enlightenment and education. Therefore we have decided to be transparent and describe in depth our intentions and thoughts during the development and production of our pilot product. We admit there is still space for improvement and we will try to do everything to make bremay greater and ecologically cleaner than we are now.
We believe our customers and people who are interested in our journey will appreciate this approach. We are not saying that a change in the behavior of the masses will happen from day to day and that everyone will understand the seriousness of the current situation immediately, but a long-term change can be made by small gradual changes in the mindset of each of us. The challenge has been accepted.
PILOT PRODUCT—FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION T-SHIRT
The original idea was to create a product primary for us. It is important to explain what we mean by this term. We just wanted to make a product that would identify us, our statements, and which we couldn’t find in the market at that time. bremay’s form follows function t-shirt basically expresses our values and the values of people who wear it.
At the starting point, we knew we had to be very careful about choosing the right fabric that would meet our high demands and requirements for functionality, ecology, and comfort. We spent many days researching the field of this type of product. The base keynote has been to make things sustainable and long-lasting not to be subject to trends. The highest priority was to have the GOTS standard. Choosing the right fabric was actually more difficult than we expected. We had a lot of fabric samples available. Many of them met the requirements, but functionally they were inappropriate. The common problem was mostly elasticity.
Note: GOTS—also known as Global Organic Textile Standard. This standard stipulates requirements throughout the supply chain for both ecological and labour conditions in textile and apparel manufacturing using organically produced raw materials. Organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic, persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. In addition, it includes welfare standards for animal husbandry and prohibits genetically modified organisms [1].
—photo of an early prototype
As a result, we decided to change our course and we started looking for a supplier who would supply us with ready-made t-shirts with the standards we required. And we finally found it! Organic cotton-based t-shirt. The supplier is a GOTS certificate holder and even its products have other certificates such as Oeko-Tex, OCS Blended, OCS 100, GRS, and Vegan. Registration no. is CU 819434 and can be checked on the official Global Standard Organisation website. As you have already understood, it is no longer possible to officially use the certificate on the final product in any intervention in the certified product and therefore we cannot state it on our products either. In the future, we would like to certify our products, including the subcontracting chain, to become an even more trusted brand.
We certainly see room for improvement in the chemical composition of the print. Our prints are of extremely good quality, long-lasting, and pleasant to the touch. The substances used in the printing are not toxic, but they are not completely eco-friendly. In this way, we would like to appeal to our suppliers to improve this process in the future, and together we will be able to obtain certificates of environmental friendliness and the highest quality.
We also worked hard on our packaging to design a simple but functional package suitable for reuse. The intention was that the package could be used to store other small things that are important to you after unpacking. We cared about details indeed. The form follows function t-shirt package is fully made of paper and is 100% recyclable.
We believe, our pilot product can be a step forward to more ecological thinking.
RÉSUMÉ
It’s important to say, that we are not a fashion brand and in the future, we are not going to be focused on apparel. We are open-minded people behind the bremay who are ready to accept challenges, overcome obstacles, and bring true values to our customers through our products. We are very excited and can't wait to be able to show you the next great things we are working on. Stay with us!