Sustainability
Next Innovative Recycling Product by Ecoalf from Spain: Created from Coffee Grounds
by Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
Along with its clearly defined mission to create the first generation of recycled products instead of using natural materials with the same quality and design as the best non-recycled Ecoalf from Spain presents its next innovation for textile and apparel. To give coffee waste a second life, Spanish fashion brand Ecoalf has developed a new, unique yarn made from coffee grounds. For the production of the so-called S.Café yarn, the coffee grounds are first dried and de-oiled. The coffee powder is then converted into pellets and incorporated into plastic filaments under high pressure.
In the recent fall/winter 2022 collection, the innovative S.Café yarn is used in two models for 3-in-1 functional jackets. Their outer material consists of 20 cups of coffee and about 23 recycled plastic bottles. Thanks to the recycled materials used, CO2 emissions for each jacket are calculated to be around 62%.
Recycled materials only
Ecoalf creates a sustainable and ethical fashion brand that aims to reduce the negative impacts of the fashion industry and the excess use of the planet’s natural resources by identifying and integrating breakthrough technology. According to Ecoalf their clothing and accessories are made entirely from recycled materials.
Founded in 2013 by Javier Goyeneche the concept of the brand came after the birth of his first son, Alfredo - the company was named after him - when the ambitious entrepreneur was reflecting upon what kind of world we were leaving to the next generation due to the excessive use of the world’s natural resources.
With that Ecoalf was born in 2009 as an idea and was launched after four years of careful pre-works.
In 2015, the fashion brand, which was the first in Spain to receive B-Corp certification, launched the “Upcycling the Oceans Initiative”. Here, one acts in close collaboration with the fishing sector to cleanse the ocean of waste materials, which are then transformed into new fabrics. The brand has so far launched two Upcycling the Oceans projects - one in Spain and one in Thailand - and has worked with more than 550 boats and more than 3,000 volunteer fishermen to collect marine debris - including plastic bottles, nylon, cotton, wool, and even old tires - which is then turned into fashion apparel. According to the company, the initiative has recycled around 500 tons of marine debris since its launch.
The B-Corp Certification
B Corporation is a global nonprofit organization with offices in Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Unites States, and a partnership in Latin America with Sistema B. As of September 2022, there are 5,697 certified B Corporations across 158 industries in 85 countries. To receive and maintain certification, organizations need to achieve a proven score of a minimum of 80 along the defined scope. Service fees are staggered along annual revenues. To retain B Corporation status enterprises are required to re-certify every three years.
- Growing toward global business
- To date, Ecoalf reports 1,500 points of sale and 70 branded retail stores. Besides the option to order online self-owned outlets are located not far from their headquarters at Piso/Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, and Berlin, where a multidisciplinary space of 264 square meters offers a sustainable lifestyle experience. The first step towards the declared goal of "becoming a global brand" was taken in 2020 with the opening of a flagship store in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district - a joint venture with Sanyo Shokai Ltd.
- The Spanish trailblazer in ready-to-wear made from fully recycled materials proves its agility as well through collaboration with companies such as Apple, Swatch, Coolhunting, Coca-Cola, and Barneys New York.
- Ecoalf Recycled Fabrics SL, Piso/Spain projects its annual revenue for 2022 at $42.2m. The most recent headcount was 169, with a year-on-year growth rate of 27%. Concerning the development of sales, the company last published an increase of 74% for the year 2019, which was marked by the Corona pandemic.
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The first two Ecoalf outdoor jacket models made from S.Café yarn and recycled plastic bottles, "Mandu" (women) and "Katman" (men), are proven on water repellence, and breathability and claim to offer natural protection from UV rays, bind unpleasant odors and dry quickly. Photo: Ecoalf
The first two Ecoalf outdoor jacket models made from S.Café yarn and recycled plastic bottles, "Mandu" (women) and "Katman" (men), are proven on water repellence, and breathability and claim to offer natural protection from UV rays, bind unpleasant odors and dry quickly. Photo: Ecoalf