Clothing and textile production is the world's second biggest culprit after the oil industry and poses a massive environmental problem. We have a staggering over-consumption of clothing. In Denmark, an average of 16 kg is consumed per person per year, and compared to the world average of 5 kg per person, this is insane. It is a huge problem that world production doubled between 2002 and 2014, while clothing purchases increased by 60% between 2001 and 2016.
Many talk about us having reached a "cotton peak". We have no more fields to grow cotton on and ideally more cotton fields should be abandoned and replaced with fields for food production. Fortunately, many are finding new innovative and sustainable solutions to our challenges. More are recycling leftover textiles and finding entirely new methods that could eventually minimise cotton production. For example, researchers in Finland have found a way to use birch trees, recycled paper and cardboard and old cotton textiles to make clothes.
The environmental challenges in the textile and clothing industry have greatly influenced our ideas in mumutane to recycle already produced materials in order to minimise all residues and surplus stocks and thus avoid the major impact on the environment. After all, there is so much gold around, which in many cases just goes to waste.
We were super excited when we were invited to Kvadrat's headquarters in Ebeltoft this autumn for a chat about sustainability and textiles. Since Kvadrat was founded in 1968, the company has had a strong focus on high quality and minimising the environmental footprint in all processes such as design, production and delivery.
Kvadrat strongly recognises that there is a constant need to rethink products and processes and find new innovative and sustainable solutions to today's challenges. Upcycling and recycling play a part in Kvadrat's aim to minimise the environmental footprint of, for example, waste and surplus textiles.
This autumn, Kvadrat launched, among other things, the new Re-wool textile made from surplus wool from the company's own yarn spinning mill. The design is by Margrethe Odgaard. However, not all Kvadrat's surplus textiles can be used for this, so the delicious leftover textiles are also sold directly to other players, and Mumutane is lucky enough to be among them.
It goes without saying that many Danish and foreign designers and architects have worked and decorated with Kvadrat in furniture and buildings for many generations. With the visit to Ebeltoft, we really sense that there is an eye for detail, quality and a high level of concern for the environment and people.
This harmonises so well with Mumutane's concept and at the same time unites an old Danish and African tradition in some unique, simple and yet colourful interior and design products. See the products that have integrated both Kvadrat and African leftover textiles here.