POLYESTER & NYLON
Found in: 66% of styles
Represents: 71% of 2021 material weight.
Synthetic materials possess many enhanced performance benefits which can be engineered to the requirements of a cyclist. Properties include being lightweight, durable, easy to care for, fast wicking and quick drying for next to skin comfort and thermal regulation. Because of these beneficial properties, the majority of Rapha products are made with synthetic materials – polyester and nylon are our two most used materials by weight.
However, as virgin synthetics are derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource, they are inescapably linked to climate change. Our dependence on this material source is at odds with our ambitions. To address this, we have started to transition away from virgin synthetics to their environmentally preferred counterparts.
Read our Synthetics Sourcing Policy here.
Low Impact Alternative: We are working with our supply chain partners to develop recycled versions of our most widely used synthetic materials, with the ultimate aim of producing new products from old ones in a closed loop. Where feasible we are working to ensure that the recycled content in these new materials comes from post-consumer sources and conforms to the Global Recycling Standard traceability certification.
For 2021, 9% of styles are made with recycled materials, making up 5% of our annual material weight.
Goal: Redevelop our most widely used synthetic fabrics to be made with recycled content by 2025.
COTTON
Found in: 4% of styles
Represents: 15% of 2021 material weight.
Cotton is a relatively new material for Rapha, only coming into our material portfolio at scale since we launched our Logo collection in 2018. As a renewable resource there is the potential for cotton to be relatively low-impact material, but due to global demand and pressure on farmers, there are challenges around extensive use of chemical fertilizers and a reliance on human labour, even forced labour in some regions. To make things worse, traceability of raw materials back to farm level is not commonplace within the cotton supply chain.
Read our Cotton Sourcing Policy here.
Low Impact Alternative: There is an opportunity to improve both the environmental and social impact of the cotton we use – better traceability is needed in both areas. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) addresses all three of these needs. On organic farms, the use of insecticides, herbicides and pesticides is prohibited and water usage is lower. GOTS utilises a standardised Code of Conduct ensuring the basic human rights of cotton farmers are met, whilst at the same time giving greater traceability for brands to identify where their materials come from.
Goal: 100% of cotton main body fabrics will be made with organic fibres by 2023, starting with our Logo range in AW21.
ELASTANE
Found in: 39% of styles
Represents: 8% of 2021 material weight.
Providing excellent stretch whilst maintaining strength, elastane is a material that features heavily in close-fitting performance garments. Because of this, elastane is one of our most widely used materials. However, elastane has the same origins and therefore the same challenges as our other synthetic fibres, polyester and nylon.
In addition, elastane’s stretch and strength makes it hard to recycle using the most common mechanical recycling processes available today.
Read our Synthetics Sourcing Policy here.
Low Impact Alternative: The use of elastane presents two main challenges: a non-renewable material source and a lack of recyclability. We are currently researching ways of limiting our dependence on elastane, whilst maintaining our high standards for product performance. This may be one of our biggest challenges, but solving it will significantly increase our ability to create a closed loop for Rapha products.
Goal: By 2027 more than 50% of our products will be designed to be compostable or recyclable at ‘end of life’.