Sustainability

Derived from the flax plant, linen is a natural, biodegradable fibre that is highly durable and fresh to the touch. It is ideal for hot summer days and balmy evenings by the beach. As flax can be grown in poor soil not otherwise used for food production and requiring significantly less water, energy and pesticides than cotton, it is one of the most sustainable materials available. It can be composted, recycled and reused at end-of-life. We prioritise organic linen with certificates such as European Flax, which guarantees no irrigation used for the crops, efficient farming practices with a low use of pesticides, no waste from production and fair labour conditions throughout. 

A fibre made from renewable cellulose soft-wood crop, viscose is a man-made alternative to silk with a relatively low water and energy consumption at production. It is a comfortable, breathable fabric that is also biodegradable. At Piccoli, we use sustainable viscose with certification such as FSC ensuring that the trees used, of which a large part are eucalyptus, are reforested. Certificates such as OEKO-TEX also ensure that the fibres are free from harmful chemicals.

The Modal produced by Lenzig is a high quality, durable fibre that is soft to the touch and biodegradable. It is produced from sustainably-harvested, PEFC certified forests and employs an eco-friendly bleaching process that reduces the use of harmful chemicals. Lenzig is an Austrian company that produces sustainable alternatives to traditional viscose, modal or rayon, which are made from plant pulp but require significant water, energy and chemicals for production.

Silk is a protein fibre spun by silkworms, rendering it renewable, biodegradable and compostable. Silk requires minimal land, water and resources for production, and has a lower consumption of pesticides than cotton. Of note, silk production does involve boiling the silkworms before the moths are able to evacuate their cocoons, leading to some animal rights controversies. "Peace Silk" allows the moths to emerge, but we have not found a viable version of it to date.

Wool is biodegradable, warm, breathable, highly versatile and soft. Our wool undergoes minimal chemical processing, with no dyes, making it a very sustainable fabric. Wool has antibacterial properties so it does not require frequent washing, is water repellent and fire resistant. Our wool is sourced from a farm in Southern Brazil, where the animals are given space and treated ethically. Some of our wool comes from naturally coloured (e.g. black or grey) sheep.

Corozo is derived from the nut of the Tagua Palm, a tree which grows in Central American rainforests. The corozo used for our buttons comes from Ecuador, and is produced from nuts which fall naturally from their trees, requiring no human harvesting. The nuts used for the production of the buttons are known as 'vegetable ivory' for their strength, durability and appearance, and are a by-product of the cultivation of the Tagua fruits for foodstuffs.

Our coconut shells buttons are made from upcycled coconut shells from the production of coconut water. They are a natural, biodegradable material, that is cut and shaped into buttons. As a natural material, the buttons are very sustainable, similar to wooden alternatives. Coconuts grow naturally across the coast of Brazil, and our supplier sources their buttons from a range of national coconut farms, reutilizing as much wasted coconut shells as possible.

Sourced from marine molluscs, such as oysters and mussels. Often the shells are discarded during the food production process but upcycled shells can be used to produce buttons which are lustrous, durable and gorgeous. Our buttons are made of natural mother of pearl sourced in Brazil.