Global interest in socially conscious, eco-friendly products has exploded over the last two decades. Now it extends not only to paper and packaging, but to high-end sectors such as clothing and home goods.
Enter the REKOOP collection, a line of bedding products made of recycled material, including sheets, pillowcases, and pillow shams, made its debut in the spring of 2018 at Home Fashions Week in New York.
REKOOP was launched by GHCL Limited, an India-based textile company, to appeal to consumers seeking socially responsible home goods that are comfortable and functional as well. Market data suggest that Millennial shoppers in particular want to know the origins and environmental impact of the products they purchase.
“With all things being equal or even nearly equal, consumer preferences today will be skewed towards products that are eco-friendly and recyclable,” says Manu Kapur, president and CEO of GHCL Home Textiles.
“Consumers will continue to support and buy products like REKOOP that are good for the environment with the understanding that the materials used to make those products are renewable, re-useable and recyclable,” he says.
The REKOOP collection contains the most eco-friendly recycled PET fiber called “Recron Green Gold,” which is manufactured by the Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited, from post-consumer PET bottles. The REKOOP manufacturing process results in fewer greenhouse gases and a smaller carbon footprint than the production of traditional polyester bedding. Recycling the PET also reduces landfill space and crude oil consumption.
The recycled material used in REKOOP is source-verified thanks to unique technology from Applied DNA Sciences in Stony Brook, New York, a company that uses a platform known as CertainT to embed molecular tags in fibers, PET fibers in this case, so that they can be traced throughout the fabric manufacturing process.
“Many raw materials look the same, so it’s a big advantage to have your own molecular tag on your product and have it verified through forensic testing and tracking,” says MeiLin Wan, vice president, textile sales at Applied DNA Science.
GHCL is one of India’s leading home textile makers, and handles the full manufacturing process for REKOOP, starting with spinning the fiber to be used in the products, followed by weaving, dyeing, and printing the finished sheets, duvets, and other items for export to countries globally.
The company received the Golden Peacock Awards for Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance in 2017 and for National Quality in 2018. It has also been recognized as India’s 67th “Great Place to Work” across sectors in 2018.
For more information on the REKOOP collection, visit https://rekoop.pet/.
