Eco-B Thread

As part of our sustainability and continuous improvement goals, we aim to use more environmentally friendly materials in our products wherever possible.

One of the most overlooked materials in the textile industry is thread. While the volume of thread used per product is relatively low compared to fill, fabric and other materials, it should be considered as part of a product’s impact on the environment, from manufacturing to end-of-life.

Most bedding products use virgin polyester sewing thread. It’s low cost and incredibly durable, which is important when making products with a long lifespan. However, virgin polyester has a very high carbon footprint and pollutes the environment with plastics. We set out to find a more sustainable alternative, while balancing quality, durability, cost and the customer experience.

The durability of our thread is very important. Our products are built to last and if our material choices contribute to excessive wear, degradation, or underperformance over time, products will need to be replaced more often. This is a problem for our customers’ experience and the environment.

We considered cotton and recycled cotton thread, but they aren’t resilient enough for our application.

Finally, we landed on Eco-B thread by Coats^®.

What is Eco-B thread?

Coats^® Eco-B is a recycled polyester sewing thread that behaves more like a natural fibre at the end of its life.

It performs like conventional, virgin polyester, but under specific end-of-life conditions, it will break down like a natural fibre. It incorporates CiCLO^® technology, which allows microbes to recognize the fibre and process or digest it like a natural material. The key here is that the technology only activates under the right conditions, so durability and performance are fully maintained throughout the product’s useful life. The CiCLO additive does not wash out or wear off of the fibre – it is permanently embedded into the polymer during production.

The benefits of Eco-B thread are:

1. It is recycled, so new plastic is not being generated, and the production is less carbon-intensive.
2. It breaks down like a natural fibre at the end of life, reducing plastic accumulation in the environment.

Eco-B thread is Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certified and OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Certified.

In what environments will Eco-B thread degrade?

Biodegradation requires an abundance of moisture, microbes and time. Normal use and care will not cause fibre degradation. Only a long time in an environment like a biologically active landfill, soil, wastewater sludge or seawater would allow the degradation process to begin.

What was the material selection process like?

There are a wide range of considerations involved in material selection. At a high level, the process involves ranking the available options against different criteria, like cost, aesthetics, performance, sustainability, and more. We also conduct in-house testing and small-scale in-market testing before committing.

• Greenwashing concerns are always top of mind. The sustainability benefit needed to be credible, measurable, and supported by scientific data and documentation. We worked directly with the CiCLO^® team to understand not just what the technology does, but how it is tested and how their claims are substantiated. We also reviewed Coats performance data in detail.
• We needed a trusted, global supplier that could provide enough material for our needs today and grow with us into the future, without a high risk of supply disruption.
• We needed a material that was easy to use and implement. Eco-B thread behaves similarly to conventional polyester thread which meant none of our manufacturing processes or equipment needed to change. In fact, our Eco-B thread includes an anti-static additive that reduces static and friction during sewing, thereby preventing down from clinging to the thread during the process.
• We needed to maintain the quality, appearance, or performance of our products. We’re confident that you will find your product to have the same quality and performance that you rely on. But as always, we want your feedback to ensure we’re hitting the mark.
• We needed a material that wouldn’t affect the certification status of our products. All of our products are OEKO-TEX Certified free from harmful chemicals, which means all materials in the product must be tested and certified under OEKO-TEX.

Thread is a small component, but at scale, it matters. We hope to see an industry-wide transition to more sustainable thread and hope that our research and testing efforts make it a little easier for other brands to follow suit.

All Canadian Down & Feather Company products are now made with Eco-B thread. We continue to sell through some slower-moving styles and sizes that were made with virgin polyester thread prior to this transition.