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It was at Tintex that SOBRI found an ally to create a new type of mesh with cork, focused on the principles of circularity. Cristiana Rebelo, co-creator of SOBRI, moved forward with the partnership to create apparel and accessory products with technical properties in the most sustainable way possible, and that is how B.Cork was created – an innovative coating applied over the fabric, in this case organic cotton, which gives extra properties to fabrics, such as impermeability and elasticity.
“This innovative coating is a water-based polyurethane, without conventional solvents but which still has a base of fossil fuels”, says Cristiana, who promptly explains the work they have been doing to reduce it: “The recipe has been improved and instead of using cork granules, we used natural cork powder in the form of a covering layer supported by a base of raw cotton. In the previous B.Cork coating we had a base made from 40% green matter, now it is 60%.”
And the partnerships extend beyond Tintex. XNFY Lab will also put into practice its expertise in creating digital garments to help SOBRI minimize the number of prototypes, making the entire process even greener.
Another of the players behind SOBRI’s products is Sedacor, which contributed with “high quality cork peel – joined with a minimum of glues – combined with an organic cotton base, and dyed with water-based paints”. As for the manufacture, it is all done in small quantities by local companies.