Materials play a central role in the development of hummel’s products. Every year, we design apparel, footwear and accessories using a range of natural and synthetic fibres, which are processed and combined into functional and durable products. Discover more about some of the materials used in hummel’s collections.
If you want to make sure the cotton you buy is grown in a more sustainable way, certified organic cotton is the best possible option. In contrast to conventional cotton, organic cotton is a natural fibre stemming from a non-genetically modified cotton plant grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers.
While conventional cotton is often labeled as the world’s most polluting crop responsible for approximately 4.71% of the global sales of pesticides and 10.24% insecticides (2019 figures – from ICAC) organic cotton is considered the more environmentally responsible choice.
Organic cotton is grown using solely natural pesticides, insecticides, and fertilisers, while also being produced without the use of genetically engineered seeds (GMO). Both conventional and organic cotton demands extensive amounts of water to grow, and takes up a lot of land. However, at present there are no real alternatives to cotton, so until new innovative fibers reach the market, organic cotton continues to be the best choice along with recycled cotton. We want to make a conscientious effort to take care of the environment, our health, and the well-being of workers in fields and factories. That is also why we will continue to increase our share of organic cotton.
Recycled polyester, also known as rPET, is often made from previously used plastics -primarily from bottles. Polyester is essentially a type of plastic made from coal and petroleum. As such, it is not biodegradeable and at the end of its life, it will likely end up in either a landfill or the sea.
Given that hummel is a sportswear brand and polyester one of the main fibres we use due to its quick-drying, durable properties, we are keen to take a more environmental approach that will allow us to continue using the polyester fibre whilst reducing the amount of virgin polyester that is produced. The way to do this today is to use recycled polyester made from post-consumer materials such as recycled plastic bottles. The production of recycled polyester requires no new raw material and only 30% of the energy that the production of conventional polyester uses. We are currently working towards making polyester circular, so that we can use old fibers to make new fibers.
Merino wool is one of our preferred materials – especially for outdoor gear. Produced from a breed of sheep highly prized for its soft, finely crimped wool, it features next-to-skin comfort, warmth, moisture wicking capability and odour prevention.
Merino wool originates from a breed of sheep called the merino that can produce between 3-18 kg of wool each year depending on its size. This wool is extremely soft with fine fibers that offer temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking properties.
Unfortunately, some farmers breeding merino sheep engage in a practice called mulesing to protect their sheep from flystrikes. These are known to be fatal for the sheep and we do understand the need to protect the sheep against flystrikes, but we believe that there are less cruel ways of doing this than mulesing.
For this reason, we made a commitment several years ago to only use guaranteed non-mulesing merino wool in our products.
OrthoLite® Recycled™ delivers a recycled solution for support, stability and underfoot comfort in either a single density or dual-layer option.
Responding to the increased demand for more cirkular products, we use OrthoLite® Recycled™ insoles and midsoles in some of our footwear styles. The OrthoLite® Recycled™ soles are crafted from 98% recycled post-industrial waste. They provide the ability to meet the need for new materials without compromising on support, stability and underfoot comfort.
By using recycled rubber in several styles, we are reducing our consumption and reliance on virgin rubber.
Contrary to conventional EVA rubber outsoles, sugarcane-based EVA is recyclable, reusable, and compostable (industrial compost).
Sugarcane is an important natural raw material that absorbs carbon as it grows, and the parts from the plant which are not destined for food production are converted into traditional foam cushioning. This carbon-negative sugarcane-EVA replacement is a bio-based alternative to conventional petroleum-based EVA and is both lightweight, flexible, and recyclable, while also being shock absorbent.
Recycled polyamide diverts waste from landfills, and its production uses much fewer resources than virgin polyamide, which in contrast has a high cost in both energy and greenhouse gasses. Parts of our recycled polyamide come from old fishing nets.
Polyamide is one of the strongest plastics we use in our products. And when in need of a super lightweight fabric, polyamide is a true wonder for its strength. But polyamide is also a petroleum-based material, and producing it has a high cost in energy and greenhouse gases. Incorporating as much recycled polyamide as we can lessens our dependence on virgin petroleum as a raw material source, and it helps eliminate discarded material and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing. Using recycled polyamide also promotes new recycling streams for polyamide products that are no longer functional.
We solely work with tanneries and suppliers who have the environment, fair treatment of workers, and humane treatment of animals hight on their agenda.
We are equally passionate about protecting the environment and workers’ rights as we are about ensuring that no animals are harmed in connection with the production of our products. The leather pieces used for hummel’s products are biproducts from food production and sourced from certified tanneries whose responsible policies and practices are aligned with our ethical and environmental goals.
At hummel we have started using more environmentally friendly dyeing processes such as ZEROH2O dyeing, which uses air instead of water and water-based inks. This technique has been applied to our ZeroH2O collections made in collaboration with professional English football clubs such as Everton FC and Southampton FC, as well as to some of our most popular seamless silhouettes.
Which certifications does hummel have?
hummel is STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified. If a hummel® product carries the STANDARD 100 label, you can be certain that every component of this product (i.e., every thread, button and other accessories) has been tested for harmful substances and that the product is harmless to human health. It serves as an extra safety and a promise to our customers, and you will find the certification on many of our KIDS products.
Does this mean that all other hummel products contain harmful or dangerous chemicals?
Not at all. At hummel, we are highly alert when it comes to dangerous and forbidden chemicals. We have our own restricted substances list (RSL) that is aligned with the European REACH regulation, which our suppliers must follow. In order to ensure full compliance, we continuously conduct random testing of fabrics, prints and other components before the products are shipped from our suppliers.
Why isn’t hummel GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified?We are currently working towards becoming both GOTS and GRS certified, but it is a long and costly process that involves all parts of our supply chain – including spinning mills, dye houses and similar – and we need to get everyone on board before we can get certified ourselves.
As of right now, all the organic materials we use are GOTS or OCS certified and the same goes for all our recycled materials, which are GRS or RCS certified. However, since hummel® as an entity still isn’t certified, we cannot talk about this in our marketing. Nevertheless, we still obtain the relevant scope and transaction certificatesin order for us to be able to document that our products are indeed made from organic or recycled fibers.
As a consumer, you also have a very big role to play when it comes to reducing the CO2 emissions from the products you wear and consume. Washing your clothes requires lots of water and energy, and the detergents you use are very likely to end up in the ground water.
You too can help protect the planet by following these simple garment care tips that will bring your CO2 emissions down:
