There are very few fashion brands as dedicated to sustainability as ECOALF. In every step of the process, from production, manufacturing, fabrics, to packaging, ECOALF (and founder Javier Goyeneche) have carefully considered their impact on the environment. They even started a subsidiary non-profit organization called The Ecoalf Foundation. The Ecoalf Foundation’s main objective is to promote the recovery of waste in order to recycle it for their clothing and avoid its harmful impact on the environment. In layman’s terms, one of the things this incredible brand is doing is pulling plastic trash out of our oceans and turning it into beautiful fashion! They are doing this “Because there is no planet B”, which is also one of their collections. I’m totally obsessed with it. Please read more to learn about ECOALF, its founder, and their efforts towards sustainability.

Where are you based?
ECOALF is a Spanish fashion brand. Our offices and first flagship store are located in Madrid, but you can also find our store in Barcelona, Málaga, Berlin, Amsterdam and various shopping centers across the globe.

Can you tell us what inspired ECOALF? And the name?
The concept of the brand came to Javier Goyeneche, Founder and President of ECOALF, after the birth of his two sons Alfredo (the company is named after him) and Alvaro, when he was reflecting upon the world we would leave to the next generation and his frustration with the excessive use of the world’s natural resources. ECOALF was born in 2009 with the idea to create a fashion brand that is truly sustainable. By integrating breakthrough technology, we create clothing and accessories made entirely from recycled materials… without actually looking like it. ECOALF represents the fabrics for the future generation.

ECOALF is a fully sustainable brand, from clothing and accessories made entirely from recycled materials, to the packaging made of recycled and recyclable paper. Can you tell us about your experience of gradually becoming zero waste?
ECOALF’s goal is to eventually close the loop of consumption and adopt a fully circular economy. The journey to that goal is not easy, but we are making considerable advances every day that get us closer to our aim. By recycling materials such as plastic bottles from the bottom of the sea, wool, nylon, used tires, cotton and post-consumer coffee grounds, ECOALF produces a significant part of its garments from recycled materials. Regarding our virgin materials, ECOALF is always on the lookout for the newest and most sustainable alternatives, using materials such as Cupro, Tencel or Q-Nova.

Packaging is another crucial part to us, as we cannot be truly sustainable without integrating all aspects of our production into our conscious model. Therefore, ECOALF does not work with paper from virgin fibers, which reduces our carbon footprint by 13% as compared to the use of traditional paper. Following our commitment to eliminate single-use plastics, we have eliminated the plastic packaging in our e-commerce shipments and replaced it with lightweight and dye-free recycled paper to minimize the environmental impact in the production process. The paper is made from 100% recycled pulp and is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.

ECOALF invests in research and development in order to use the most sustainable process in its production. Our garments are not all made from recycled materials, but we are committed to use exclusively 100% sustainable materials in all our clothes. For example, our first yoga collection is made from recycled PET bottles, Tencel and Q-Nova, which are highly sustainable fabrics with high technical properties. At the same time, the production process was designed to create seamless yogawear, which generate considerably less waste than with a classic production. We use any leftover materials in our production to make ECOALF shopping bags that are reusable and durable.

ECOALF is making significant advances to a zero waste production and distribution. However, the journey is far from being over and we are working every day to find the most sustainable solutions and get closer to a circular economy.

Why is it so important to you that you use recycled materials?
ECOALF’s vision is to stop using natural resources in a careless way and our mission is to create the first generation of recycled products with the same quality and design as the best non-recycled. We cannot keep on abusively using the planet’s natural resources as we are doing right now when there are so many materials we have created already that are available to us. We need to be conscious about our consumption and act now because there is no planet B.

Plastic is a material that the earth cannot digest. It has a worrying impact on the oceans, being the most abundant among marine litter. Individual use and disposable plastic are the leading source of contamination. It is estimated that one million plastic bags are used every minute and 85 million plastic bottles are used every three minutes worldwide.

However, it’s a non-biodegradable material that remains in the oceans for centuries.

Of course, ECOALF is putting all its efforts into being the most sustainable and plastic-free possible in all of our activities and in the environment, both internal and external, that we are creating. Upcycling the Oceans is the project we are focusing on most at the moment as we aim to develop its reach and retrieve plastic from the bottom of the oceans across the globe.

Are you 100% vegan now? Why is reducing animal products so important?
ECOALF does not use natural fur in its collections; it stopped doing so three years ago. The main reason was not being able to guarantee the use of chrome in the furs, as well as the origin of the animals and the non-abuse of them. Being able to change the world and being more respectful with our planet is something that we can only do if everyone provides their grain of sand.

However, ECOALF is not 100% vegan yet. In some of our coats, we still use PRIMALOFT, a high-quality mixture of 60% down and 40% PRIMALOFT micro fiber. This material has a veterinary certificate with no live plucking and no force feeding used in sourced downs, giving us full traceability of the down and jackets made with PRIMALOFT. In this regard, ECOALF is also accredited by many other certificates of responsible production from the Blue Sign label, the European Down and Feather association, the American Down and Feather Council and others (https://ecoalf.com/en/p/materials-respectful-animals-22).

It is our goal to become 100% vegan in the near future and ECOALF works every day to get closer to this aim. With the launch of various 100% vegan collections made with FELLEX ECO-F3® filling (100% recycled polyester from plastic bottles), ECOALF creates jackets and coats that are 100% vegan and PETA approved. ECOALF invests an important part of its efforts in R&D to be able to become 100% vegan across all its products.

You advertise that instead of C6, ECOALF uses C0. Can you please tell us a little bit about what that means?
Instead of C6, ECOALF uses C0, meaning that the water-resistant fabrics are free of PFC (per- and poly-fluorinated chemicals). These man-made chemicals do not occur naturally and have been found to be disastrous to the environment. Indeed, after rubbing or washing off the clothes, PFCs released into the environment break down very slowly, dispersing around the planet and polluting nature and ecosystems for decades.

All ECOALF products abide with the REACH standard (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). REACH is an analytic company that verifies that chemical products used in production are not harmful.

ECOALF is developing its own list of restricted products.

Can you talk to us about the Ecoalf Foundation and Upcycling the Oceans?
In 2015, the Ecoalf Foundation embarked on its most ambitious project — Upcycling the Oceans:

A worldwide adventure that will help remove marine debris from the bottom of the oceans thanks to the support of the fishermen.
A revolutionary project that aims to be replicated all over the world whose main objective is to recover the trash that is destroying the sea and transform it into top quality yarn to produce garments.

The vast complexity and the great challenge that this project faces lies in the low and inconsistent quality of the debris recovered by the fishermen as a consequence of its exposure to sunlight, salt and water. Investment in R&D is crucial to the attainment of quality in line with ECOALF’s standards.

Ecoalf Foundation has established key arrangements with the main fishermen associations of Spain and Thailand.

When on land, these residues will be classified and stored depending on their nature until reaching the minimum quantity required to convert them into flakes and pellets through sophisticated innovative processes, obtaining 100% recycled filaments of high technical quality without using more of the planet’s natural resources.

Today, our mission is to expand this project to the rest of the Mediterranean Sea (Italy, Greece, France, Lebanon…). To this day, we have retrieved over 500 tons of waste in 40 ports with the help of 3000 voluntary fishermen and 550 fishing vessels.

How much of the plastic that you pull out of the oceans are you able to work into your clothing?
Since the start of Upcycling the Oceans, we have retrieved over 500 tons of waste. However, not all waste is PET material that we can use in our production. So far, we have recycled over 200 million plastic bottles from the bottom of the sea to transform them into long-lasting top-quality garments.

Do most of your recycled materials come from the ocean?
ECOALF works with recycled materials and other sustainable alternatives in its production. Through Upcycling the Oceans, we are able to produce clothes from recycled plastic bottles from the bottom of the sea, recycled nylon from discarded fishing nets or even algae to create a sustainable foam for our Ocean Waste sneakers. However, that is only one part of the fabrics we work with.

WE HAVE DEVELOPED MORE THAN 300 RECYCLED FABRICS SINCE 2012.

ECOALF produces its goods in the same place where the recycled material is located, to be coherent with the environment and minimize carbon emissions. These processes also minimize the carbon footprint.

Today, the company has 11 active alliances around the world (Taiwan, Korea, Portugal, Mexico, Japan, Spain, etc.) that allow us to continually develop all necessary elements to manufacture with recycled materials. Discarded fishing nets, post-consumer plastic bottles, worn-out tires, post-industrial cotton and even used coffee grindings become outerwear, swimsuits, sneakers and accessories. ECOALF continually invests in sophisticated recycling processes to remain market leaders.

Plastic bottles from the bottom of the ocean: Ecoalf Foundation has managed to involve more than 3000 fishermen in 40 ports of Spain, amounting to a total of 550 sea trawlers and collecting more than 500 tons of trash from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

Recycled Nylon: Recovering the waste of the nylon (fabric leftovers, fishing nets of the ocean and mats) Ecoalf reduces the water and energy consumption since recycled nylon requires half of the steps that the conventional nylon does to be converted into high quality fabric.

Recycled cotton: Through recycling cotton waste, Ecoalf saves 2500 liters of water per kilo of cotton.

Post-consumer coffee grounds: Coffee has amazing natural properties like odor control, fast drying and UV protection that are transmitted naturally to the yarn.

Used tires: The tire is very difficult to recycle as it contains metals, antioxidants and fabric pieces. It took two years of investment in R&D to create a clean powder to make our flip-flops.

Wool: Recycled wool is manufactured from wool fiber that comes from a variety of wool leftover fabrics.

Jejune is obsessed with your “because there is no planet B” collection. Can you tell us a little bit about this collection and what inspired you to create it?
At ECOALF, we are committed to protecting our planet and reducing the consumption of natural resources in an irresponsible way. The goal of our movement is to join forces with people of the planet and ACT! More than 10 years committed to protecting the planet. More than 10 years transforming waste into fashion products. We work with over 3,000 fishermen around the world. We've taken out over 500 tons of waste from the bottom of the ocean. We've recycled over 200 million plastic bottles. We've helped to recycle 100 tons of discarded fishing nets. We've developed over 300 fabrics recycled from different types of waste. We've shared our voice and commitment with over 300 educational institutions across the world. Our ongoing actions now more than ever need your help. With the mission to continue to clean the oceans, 10% of the BECAUSE THERE IS NO PLANET B product sales will be donated to the ECOALF Foundation to support its Upcycling the Oceans expansion to the Mediterranean. We are bringing people together, giving those deeply concerned by the state of our oceans a voice. Like us, they’re devoted to finding solutions and taking action. We want to inspire the public to make a commitment and start acting on behalf of the planet, because there is no planet B. BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN ADVOCATES AND ACTIVISTS. BECAUSE WE ARE COMMITTED. BECAUSE WE ARE FRIENDS. BECAUSE THERE IS STILL TIME TO ACT: Wear the message, live the message, be the message. Be part of the change and help us clean the oceans. Take a picture, share it and inspire others to spread the word. Join our movement @ECOALF #BecausethereisnoplanetB

The Because collection is a central piece in our commitment for the planet. Indeed, ECOALF places education high in its values and that is why we prize the communication of our message. That is why we encourage our followers to post with our Because collection in order to raise awareness about our mission throughout the world and create a community of conscious consumers. Moreover, 10% of the Because collection sales will support the ECOALF Foundation and its mission to clean the ocean through its Upcycling the Oceans project.

With the obvious increased effects of climate change happening across our world, what would you like to see people doing more to save our planet?
In today's society, we are taught to over-consume and always buy more products that we don't need. Plastic pollution is a disaster damaging our ecosystems and if we continue consuming at this rate, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050. We cannot afford to continue like this and to turn a blind eye on this issue like there is another planet to go to. It doesn't make sense to keep on producing more virgin materials when we already have so much that it damages our environment.

Consume more responsibly. Be aware of what you are buying and its impact on the environment. Choose recycled over virgin and durable over short-term. Everybody needs to do their part because there is no planet B.

Where can we find ECOALF’s collections?
We invite all customers to discover our clothes in our stores and enjoy their design, taking you on a sustainable adventure.

ECOALF’s first flagship store is set in the buzzling center of Madrid. World renowned interior designer Lorenzo del Castillo was in charge of the design of the shop, which sought to further the brand’s ethos: innovative sustainability. Columns made from recycled wood give a touch of nature to the modern store.

The first exclusive international flagship store was opened on November 2017 in Berlin. This ground-breaking shop depicts the best of edge-cutting design utilizing sustainable materials.

Built with the support of Greenpeace Energy, the building meets the highest standards of energy efficiency.

In December, we opened our third flagship store in Amsterdam. Located in the heart of the old town, the ECOALF store brings a contrast between tradition and innovation, bringing modernity and sustainability together in a unique experience.

All three stores offer a multidisciplinary space where you can discover, explore and interact with nature and impactful sea and ocean images. Designed specifically for events, documentaries, conferences and talks, but also available for anyone who simply wants to relax and enjoy nature.

ECOALF is also present in various other locations, such as Barcelona and Málaga, and in different shopping centers across Europe. These spaces offer much more than a sustainable fashion brand. There you will find architecture, design, books and beauty, which build a sustainable lifestyle experience that is true to the brand’s philosophy.

Our collections can also be found online on our e-shop: https://ecoalf.com/en/

What is your motto in life?
Transform ideas into actions.

Please list any websites or social media you would like Jejune to promote:
https://ecoalf.com/en/
Instagram: ecoalf

ECOALF Is Making Clothes For The Future