Searching for proper raw materials is challenging, especially when, besides quality, the choice is also determined by regional, and in best case domestic, origin.
But succeessfully:
► most of the sources used in Manderka come from Polish producers, and the rest from neighboring European countries.
Moreover:
► all of them are certified by I class of Oeko-Tex Standard, which means their chemical composition meets the requirements for materials used in children's products,
► further chemical tests, with positive results, were executed in case of the filling to confirm the compliance with the European toy safety standard (PN-EN 71) before I realized that producing toys will not suit my plans for the handcraft workshop and educational models.
ORIGIN AND QUALITY CERTIFICATIONS
Linen fabric is known as one of the most health and ecosystem friendly textiles, owing it to:
► biodegradability,
► relatively low water usage for cultivation and production,
► possibility of processing parts of the plant not suitable for textiles into other useful products - which results in less waste and more efficient use of the cultivated area,
► reduced share of long-distance transport (and thus the carbon footprint) in environmental costs thanks to the wide zones of climate suitable for cultivation,
► durability, lightness, hypoallergenicity and hygroscopicity (the latter are especially important in clothes).
Manderka’s pouches in which models usually go to their new homes are made of linen fabric. I aimed to make them inviting to be reused so their protective, carrying and decorative role don’t have to stop by the end of that journey.
LINEN
Unfortunately producing anything, so the use of any resources, is hard to combine with nature protection - that thought has been haunting me for a long time since I came up with Manderka… From the very beginning it was all about environmental awareness and one cannot pursue such a goal using materials that contribute to the degradation of the environment in which, after all, my little heroes live. Some negative impacts can be reduced or eliminated, but part of them remain unchallanged. Over time, I came to the belief that educational aids made from carefully selected materials can eventually do more good than harm, by rooting in the audience a desire to learn about and protect native widlife.
Certainly this soft and pleasant fabric has a natural origin. However, in the era of mass production, even materials based on plants may turn out to be harmfull to ecosystems and people. ortunately there are some certification systems verifying the compliance of production with number of environmental and social requirements.
I use organic cotton fabric certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). In practice it means that:
► all stages of production chain, are subjected to external oversight,
► cotton comes from crops in which ussage of artificial plant protection, fertilizers and irrigation was minimized,
► all wastes were correctly managed, especially industrialized water was used in closed loop,
► all used dyes were safe for environment,
► production process was ethical and a proper work conditions and payment were secured for the staff.
ORGANIC COTTON
Recycled materials are for sure closest to such idea. From the reuse of secondary raw materials (polyester, eg. PET, cotton, waste paper) come:
► filling - the base of each soft animal and soil profile,
► tags,
► pouch cords,
► boxes.
Whenever recycling was hard to utilize I turned to sustainable agriculture and/or reusable materials.
Giving a second life to exploited items (now called „upcycling”) many years ago started my sewing adventure. I hope to one day increase the share of recycled materials in my models and find a place for upcycling too!
RECYCLING
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