Sustainability
We are a design led fabric manufacturing company with sustainability at the core of everything we do. Increasingly sustainability is playing a part in every decision we take from resource management, the way we make our products, manage our factory and of course our employment practices.
Our Sustainability Manifesto
At Fermoie, we design and make unique and beautiful printed fabrics, while treading lightly on the Earth. Sustainability is the thread that runs right through our business, in our commitments to keep our House in Order, source Ever-Better Materials and work towards Net Zero Carbon emissions.
View the 2024 Sustainability Journey Report (PDF)
Design is a big part of the story but much of Fermoie’s fabrics beauty is down to the materials from which they are made. Texture and depth bring a beautiful pattern to life so we continually experiment with natural fibres and blends to achieve textural perfection without losing sight of our sustainability goals.
We source and use only the finest linens and cottons and constantly work with our weavers to explore new possibilities – including innovative textiles like our Indoor‑Outdoor fabric, woven from threads made with 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Texture and depth truly bring our patterns to life, so we continually experiment with fibres and blends to achieve the perfect visual and tactile effect, without compromising our foundational sustainability goals.
We source only the finest quality fabrics and work continuously with our suppliers to make them even more sustainable.
Throughout our production process we do not use any harmful materials traditionally associated with printing.
WEAVING IT ALL TOGETHER
Linen
Linen is our single biggest raw material and our linen weavers work with the flax farmers all within a few hundred miles of our factory. Flax is one of the most sustainable raw materials in the world. During growth, the flax plant receives no additional irrigation, rainwater is sufficient. In comparison to other crops, far fewer pesticides and fertilisers are used. The fibres are separated from the stem during a natural process called dew retting. Better still there is no waste as all parts of the flax plant are used, for feed, soap, cosmetics, paper, paint and of course fabric which after use is fully biodegradable.
Cotton
Cotton, our second most important raw material is woven exclusively for Fermoie in the UK with cotton grown in the USA. We use a weft yarn that is regenerated, and are investigating organic warp yarns and dying yarn over piece dying.
Recycled Polyester
Our Indoor-Outdoor fabric is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, skilfully woven to give the same soft handle and texture as our cotton twill basecloth. Designed for easy care and long life, it’s water‑repellent, mould and mildew-resistant and UV-stable, and made without PFCs, PFAS or any other harmful ‘forever chemicals’.
Our Printing Process
We print our fabrics with water-based pigments, free from solvents and other artificial substances. We’ve also perfected our own printing process that doesn’t require harmful chemicals. Last year we set ourselves the challenge to reduce the amount of water we use in the cleaning process after printing and now re-use waste water wherever possible right up to the final rinses.
Our Packaging and Our Deliveries
While we make our products to last, we design our packaging to be disposed of as quickly, easily and responsibly as possible. All our finished cloth rolls are packed in bio-based, carbon-neutral polythene made from sugar cane, which is 100% recyclable, and sealed with biodegradable cable ties. Our bubble wrap packaging for lampshades is biodegradable and completely breaks down in 12 to 24 months. All our cardboard is made from 82% chlorine-free recycled board and is 100% biodegradable.
So while we’re not a Net Zero Carbon company yet, we’re on the path towards it, ensuring we source, produce, pack and distribute everything we make with care and sensitivity.
