Q&A about what we do
What does it mean that you make treatments that make garments, footwear, gear, and textiles stay fresh?
Polygiene offers several textile treatments that stop odor. They are added to the textile or material when they are being produced (controlled environments), in fabric mills for example. Polygiene’s job is to eliminate odor in different ways, using methods that are gentle on people and the environment, either by stopping the growth of microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi) or by capturing and breaking down odor molecules – so you can feel confident that you won’t smell.
Do you also produce fabrics and garments?
No, Polygiene does not manufacture garments or products, we work with well-known global high-end brands in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, within the sport, lifestyle, fashion, workwear, footwear, and home design, among many other segments. The brands produce the products, we supply the treatments to the fabric mills.
How do products stay fresh and last longer?
When the odor is eliminated you can use your products more and wash them less. This is part of the solution to one of the big environmental challenges we face today. With less washing, you save water, energy, time and waste – and not least, the product itself. It won’t deteriorate due to washing (that, plus tumbling are actually the reasons that garments are worn out). Without excessive washing and bacterial growth, the material also lasts longer. In fact, when manufacturers want to test clothes for wear and tear they simply use washing machines, which says something about the wear and tear every wash means to the garment. Also, products do not need to be prematurely discarded due to odor. This prolongs the garment’s lifetime and reduces the use of energy and water.
Clothes last longer and can be in the loop for longer, even if you do not want them anymore, they can be reused, resold, repaired and in the end hopefully upcycled to another useful product.
How can that work for the lifetime of the product?
When a textile has been treated it is tested in an independent laboratory to check that the odor eliminating effect is there. We have tested and washed the fabric for up to 100 washes and the effect is still there. This means that we can state that the garment will stay fresh for the lifetime of the garment/product. (100 washes are seen to be much more than a normal garment will handle before it is worn out).
If we used our clothes for just nine months longer before discarding them, we would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 16%, water usage by about 20%, and waste by 8%. And why stop at nine months, if the clothes stay fresh and look new?
We want to change the way we view clothes – from fast consumables to durables, how so?
Textile production stands for 10% of the CO2 emissions globally. At the same time, we throw away more garments than ever before. This is a major problem for the environment, and with a Polygiene treated garment, we can reduce the impact of the textile industry. A garment that is fresh can be washed less and they will last longer. And when you don’t want them anymore, there are several ways to give them a second life.
An external academic study has concluded that if you just skip one wash in ten with a Polygiene treated garment, it gives a reduced environmental impact. In an ordinary household with four people, you save as much CO2 emissions over time as if you were switching from a regular car to a hybrid car.
