Pillowcase cotton

The cotton for this pillowcase comes from a valley in the south of Turkey. That doesn't sound spectacular at first, as cotton has been grown in Turkey for 2,000 years. What is special here, however, is that the cotton has probably been growing here for a very long time and that it does not have to be moved after a few years. This is necessary in conventional cultivation areas so that the soil can recover because cotton cultivation has removed many minerals and nutrients from it. However, the soil in this valley is not depleted because the rain flushes minerals and nutrients from the soil of the surrounding mountains and thus provides a natural supply. It is only a short distance from the growing area to the finished bed linen: the spinning mill, weaving mill and sewing mill are all located within a radius of just 40 kilometers. All covers are finished with stone nut buttons. They are supplied in plastic packaging, which is of course biodegradable.

Textiles can be produced in a completely recyclable way - this is nothing new. There are already certificates that show consumers that products are "Cradle to Cradle®": The principle "from the cradle to the cradle" means that products can be completely returned to the biological cycles, i.e. to their origins, in order to avoid waste and save resources. Behind Cradle to Cradle® is an independent non-profit organization from California, which has developed various standards for recyclability and awards certificates with the corresponding gradations from bronze to platinum. This requires that the textiles are made from natural fibers or fully biodegradable synthetic fibers that are free of harmful substances and environmentally friendly, and that only natural dyes and harmless additives are used. Packaging and accessories must also be recyclable.

OceanSafe Certified consistently follows the principle of the circular economy and goes one step further. In addition to aspects such as water, material and recyclability, social justice and the type of energy are also taken into account: Safe and fair working conditions at the production sites are just as relevant as the goal of using 100% renewable energy in production. The OceanSafe Certified seal therefore not only meets the high requirements of the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold certificate (and even those for the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Platinum certificate for the material health factor), but also fulfills the strict Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) in some areas. OceanSafe Certified aims to position itself in the sustainable textile industry as a seal of quality that takes all key aspects of the production and recycling of textiles into account.

Another special feature is the take-back system for OceanSafe-certified textiles so that they can be sent for professional industrial composting. The textiles do not end up as waste, instead they are turned into humus, which can be used, for example, in the cultivation of plants such as organic cotton for textile production. A tag on each cover has a QR code that leads to an internet platform with all the information and a printable returns label.