Rip-Tide "Eco Tech" Fabric Made From Hemp, Recycled PET
by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 03.26.08
Dubbed one of the most low-impact yet high-function outerwear material ever created, Livity's Rip-Tide III fabric is a hemp/recycled-PET blend that combines durability with lightweight portability. The British Columbia-based eco-apparel brand has applied Rip-Tide III to a range of products, including hats, jackets, bags, and accessories.
Featuring a ripstop box weave construction that resists tearing, the shell fabric is finished with a waterproof lamination that is low-impact and biodegradable. After all, who needs their clothing to outlive them?
From left, clockwise: The Rip Tide Raven Shell Jacket, which is lined with hemp fur ($148); the Rip Tide Cycle Cap ($36); the Rip Bi-Fold ($18); and the JAH Sport Pack ($56). ::Livity
Combining the natural with the synthetic? Making a fabric out of potentially cancerous PET (it can leach antimony and other heavy metals)? That's NOT GREEN!
Great stuff! I love hearing about alternative fibers, especially recycled PET! I own a hoodie from REI that is half recycled PET, half organic cotton....keep it up!
With so many products being reused, like PET and PVC do we say okay and reuse it since it will just sit in a landfill for forever and a day, or do we say no and let it just head on into a landfill anyway? It's a tricky catch-22.
Thank you for bringing that up! People interested in LiViTY should know that the recycled PET used does not leach antimony, and that the goal in its use for outerwear/luggage is true function without the use of virgin synthetics... A step in the right direction. Old school polyester is bad new school is made and recycled with new processes that are antimony free. Big Up to LiViTY; so stylee!
Isnt Livity based out of California, and not BC?