Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Pibiones eco-friendly handbags. The eco-claims.


Let's be clear about pibiones eco-friendly claims:

Manufacturing techniques. All the fabrics used are hand produced on traditional looms, this tend to use less energy. Every factory and workshop has a few fabrics on display, weaving is generally done to order. As well as the classical styles, fabrics can be done in any design and in any colour a client submits.

Production processes. Fabrics and handbags are hand produced in ethically managed factories workshops are entirely managed by women: all the companies are inspected regularly by government officials to check compliance to European legislation.

Recycled linings and care bags. The Pibiones handbag linings are made of beautiful ends of rolls and off cuts recycled new fabrics from Sardinian textiles factories. These fabrics would usually end up in skips and landfill, to be incinerated.

Local natural wool. These fibres come from organic farmed sheep (conventional farming is a huge consumer of non-renewable fossil fuels. Sardinian farmers have been using organic farming for generations, this tend to use less energy).

Wools dyed locally with Sardinian plants. Pibiones exclusive 'luxury eco' line of accessories also uses sustainable yarns made with Sardinian sheep wool dyed locally with Sardinian plants.

Nowadays, majority of the coloured cottons and linen (produced with sustainable production methods, particularly by traditional organic farming) are dyed chemically. Workshops are using yarns colored with Indanthren dystar (on their website): Indanthren dyes do not contain heavy metals. This ensures safe handling, meets international ecological standards for dyed textiles and minimises the contamination of production effluent.

Pibiones is co-operating with local workshops to promote the traditional weaving methods and dying techniques that have been almost abandoned. I am are currently evaluating the cost effectiveness of sourcing organic cotton, to be dyed locally with Sardinan plants and used for future collections. Pibiones eco-friendly handbag ranges create new meanings and usages for traditional Sardinian textiles. This interest is reinforced by a desire to preserve as well as advance craft skills that are at risk of disappearing due to globalisation & mass-produced designs.





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[Source: Luxury Handbags Blog - All about exclusive luxury handbags and eco-luxury handbags]