It is estimated that the yearly global consumption of water used for dyeing textiles could fill 1.6 million Olympic-sized swimming pools, equivalent to more than 126,000 litres of water every second, or 4000 billion litres of water per year.
In 2015, Bemz, known for designer covers of IKEA furniture, took the next step in its commitment to the environment with the launch of Bemz Respect, a collection that has sustainable living and caring for the environment at its heart.
The Bemz Respect collection is produced using surplus textiles from the fashion industry and manufactured entirely without the use of water or dyes, all in an effort to reduce environmental impact. The manufacturing process used for the Bemz Respect collection recycles waste into beautiful, high-quality textiles without using of a drop of water or dye, thanks to innovative technology and modern design – a real revolution for the home textiles industry.
The textiles included in the Bemz Respect collection are manufactured in several stages. Leftover fabrics from the clothing industry are first collected and sorted by colour – grey with grey and white with white. The textiles are shredded and ground back down to their initial cotton fibres, which are then spun into yarn. To ensure a durable and high-quality yarn, the cotton fibres are mixed with a small amount of polyester derived from recycled plastic bottles. Finally, the yarn is woven into a new textile, designed by Bemz. Waste is recycled into beautiful, high-quality textiles without using of a drop of water or dye, thanks to innovative technology and modern design.
Half a kilo of waste products are used for every metre of Respect fabric. That’s over 25 tonnes of waste reused, recycled and saved from landfill since Respect was launched. A European pioneer in this sector, Bemz designed this first eco-friendly collection to initially include six new fabrics in two lines of modern design, but has since extended it to include an array of stunning colourways. This break from the traditionally neutral palette of recycled textiles offers the perfect balance of design, quality and sustainability.
“The Bemz Respect collection satisfied the unmet demand for sustainable furniture covers in the market when it was first launched in February 2015, and is one of the anchor collections at Bemz today. Respect offers a fabric combining high-quality, beautiful design and sustainable production and customers love the special texture. The purpose of the new collection of colours is to show that recycled products can be colourful and trendy,” says Lesley Pennington, Bemz Founder and CEO.
Muted pastels in rose, green and blue join vibrant accented hues in navy, red and ivy to bring some of this year’s hottest interior trend colours to the collection.
“Bemz instigated this move toward coloured recycled fabrics. Working in close collaboration with the textile manufacturer, we developed these new fashion-savvy shades to complement the existing earthy, neutral tones, offering more options for a sustainable yet stunningly modern home,” says Lisbeth Toivonen, Production Manager at Bemz.
The Bemz commitment to the environment runs deep, with a business concept based on extending the life of IKEA furniture. Bemz slipcovers have in essence ‘saved’ over one hundred thousand sofas over the past decade. But it does not stop there; the Bemz business model limits waste and strain on resources by only producing what customers have ordered and all product manufacturing takes place in its biggest market, Europe, keeping shipping distances short.