At Crewroom, our mission to move towards sustainable manufacturing began many years ago when we were first commissioned to develop a hybrid recycled/performance race shirt for The Royal Parks Half Marathon (2008).
Developing our innovative Vapour-X fabric for this shirt – using a mix of recycled plastic and bamboo charcoal fibres – was our first step towards fighting plastic pollution in our waterways and reducing our impact on the planet. Not only were we relaunching plastic waste as a technical race shirt, but we were also crafting a product that would be made to last, not a cheap throw-away product which would just end up back in landfill.
Today, around 75% of our products now use recycled fabric, all of which started life as waste plastic bottles. And it’s a number we’re striving to increase further.
Our latest collection, commissioned by Henley Women’s Regatta, features both our signature Vapour-X performance fabric (used in our HWR Tees and Vests) and our super-soft recycled polyester (used in HWR ¼ Zip Sweatshirt).
From its source as plastic waste to being harvested and recycled before creating the finished HWR Collection, the lowly plastic bottle follows an intricate route to become a sustainable piece of kit. In its very simplest form, here’s what happens…
And here's the HWR 1/4 Zip Sweatshirt in final production!
To create our performance Vapour-X fabric, the process goes one step further to incorporate carbonised bamboo fibres. These clever little fibres work to reduce odour, disperse moisture and help regulate body temperature, making the fabric perfect for our technical vests and t-shirts.
By harvesting plastic waste from our waterways and using advanced technology and responsible manufacturing, we’ve created a premium range of products that incorporate style, comfort and technical qualities, all while reducing our impact on the planet.
With the River Thames on our doorstep (and it being the heart of everything we do) we're continually inspired to protect our rivers and oceans by creating innovative, sustainable products, now and in the future.
To view the full Henely Women's Regatta Collection, click here...
