From Baselayers to Jerseys: Always Leave an Impression Not a Footprint

Eco-friendliness starts at home. It starts by each of us making more informed choices and taking personal responsibility to ensure our footprint in this world is as light as possible! Whether we are making baselayers or jerseys, eco-friendliness is at the core of our manufacturing process.

 

Megmeister was set up with two main goals:

 

1. To build the next generation of cyclewear
2. To introduce the world to eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cycle attire

 

So what is our approach? 

 

If we know something is harmful we will not use it, and if certain production methods are better for the environment, irrespective of cost, we will try to use them. We are proud that our base layers are produced in a process that produces ZERO waste, not the cheapest option but it’s the principle that counts here, not the cost.

 

Due to mounting textile waste, society is left searching for solutions. The solution is simple, but not easy. We need to stop using virgin polyester resources. It is common knowledge that 60% of textile landfill is polyester. For society as a whole this means less consumption, more recycling and better quality products that last longer. Doing our bit for the environment is a key driving force in the development of our cycling jersey range.

 

We decided that we did not want to contribute to this mounting problem.

 

Now the cycling world has something to answer for because virtually all cycling jerseys are all made of polyester. Most cycling jerseys are sublimation printed. This is the process of applying colours to the white virgin polyester base fabric called dye-sublimation printing. If you look at your own cycling jersey(s), you will notice that the inside of your jersey is white. A sure sign this jersey is made of polyester and is sublimation printed, in other words: you are part of the problem not part of the solution!

 

For those of you who know nothing about sublimation printing; basically a print is printed onto paper and under pressure and intense heat, the print gets transferred from the paper onto the fabric, voila a sublimation print!

 

Here are the key issues:

 

• Paper is of course derived from wood, which is derived from trees.
• The paper, once it is used, cannot be used again.
• The inks contaminate the air when they sublimate, 
• Substrates that are used are hazardous too. 
• Sublimation printing can only be done on polyester which is the biggest contributor to textile landfill.

 

So when Megmeister started its design process for their cycling jerseys we started by creating a process with the following parameters:

 

1. Make quality garments that last more than one season and do not lose their colours or fit properties.
2. Reduce impact on natural resources; using fibres and filaments that are pre-coloured (dope dying) means less water is used in the dyeing process, less wastewater is generated, and fewer chemicals and energy is needed.
3. Reduce landfill; use recycled polyester or regenerated yarn to help reduce the amount of landfill
4. Manufacturing; use a traditional weaving process to create our jerseys, so we can use pre-dyed yarns
5. Garment care; ensure garments can be washed at 30 degrees (eco wash) and give it a dry naturally instruction
6. Packaging; we ship garments in cardboard boxes made out of recycled cardboard.

 

These measures ensure a substantial reduction of the environmental footprint for our woven jerseys. We are not naive to think we make the difference, nor do we think we have done enough. We can always do more and go one step greener, this is just our first step. But by taking our responsibility seriously we feel we can ask others to do the same.

 

All our jerseys are made as limited editions (100 per design) to help you leave an impression, not a footprint. Check them out some of the upcoming designs below.