Manufacturing
- What does GOTS certification mean?
- What is Latex?
- What does GOLS certification mean?
- Why did you choose wool?
- Where does the wool come from?
- What are the origins of the materials you use?
- Where are your products made?
Manufacturing
What does GOTS certification mean?
GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is a repository that defines the criteria for qualifying textiles as organic. This ranges from raw material harvesting to ecologically and socially responsible manufacturing, to labeling. GOTS allows full traceability of cotton in all stages.
When products are said to be made from organic cotton it means that the cotton at the origin of the fabric is organic in the sense of organic farming. It does not say anything about the spinning, weaving and dyeing processes. There are also no social and ethical aspects taken into account.
On the contrary, a GOTS certified fabric guarantee that from the organic cotton, the whole production line is ecological and responsible. This is particularly important with respect to the processing and dyeing of post-harvest fibers. For cotton fabrics, Revolana products use only GOTS certified one.
What is Latex?
The word Latex is actually used to describe two things: latex (or rubber milk) as a liquid substance produced by the rubber tree (grown mainly in Southeast Asia), and latex as elastic material resulting from the vulcanization of latex milk. When we use the word Latex we usually talk about the material from which we make mattresses or pillows and many other things. The latex is indeed irreplaceable in several applications.
To complicate things a little, the word Latex is also used to denominate the substance synthesized by polymerization of petroleum derivatives. It is called synthetic latex in contrast with natural latex. Synthetic latex has nothing to do with natural latex, does not have its properties and releases volatile organic compounds. In the production of mattresses and pillows, synthetic latex is usually mixed with natural latex to improve its performance. The word Latex is then used to designate this improbable mixture of varying percentages.
French legislation is even more confusing because it allows the use of “100% latex of natural origin” for a mixture of 85% natural latex and 15% synthetic latex. To be sure to buy a healthy product you have to look for 100% natural latex, ideally certified by a label that guarantees its purity as the GOLS label.
What does GOLS certification mean?
GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) is the equivalent of GOTS for latex. It is a referencial that defines the criteria for qualifying the latex (material) as biological. GOLS guarantees complete traceability of the latex, from the harvest on the tree to the finished product. To be GOLS certified, the latex must be entirely derived from natural latex taken from organic rubber trees.
In addition, GOLS is interested in all the step of latex manufacturing. It guarantees an environmentally friendly process, waste management, worker safety and respect of social standards. This is the guarantee of an ethical latex.
A GOLS certified product must contain at least 95% latex from organic farming. The rest consists of impurities and mineral additives necessary for good vulcanization. GOLS latex is healthy, non-allergenic, VOC free (Volatile Organic Compounds) and is a material with extraordinary elastic properties.
Why did you choose wool?
Wool is natural and renewable and it has multiple properties that make it an excellent material for the filling of natural and sustainable products.
Wool is naturally flame retardant while synthetic fibers are highly flammable and need to be treated with toxic flame retardants. Wool is anti-allergenic, breathable and offers an environment that is not conducive to mite development, making it ideal for asthmatics. It does not create static charges either.
Washed and processed ecologically, wool is a natural, biodegradable product that is environmentally friendly. Its production consumes less energy than the production of synthetic fibers.
Where does the wool come from?
We use sheep wool from southern Serbia. Sheep are raised in small flocks responsibly. We select a high-end wool that is equitably paid to the producer. We support local sectors. The shearing of the sheep is carried out in the respect of the animal. All wool transformation is done locally in Serbia by subcontractors we know personally.
On the wool market there is a lot of wool washed and treated in China (including French wool), or New Zealand wool from hybrid breeds where the welfare of the animal is not always taken into account.
What are the origins of the materials you use?
We buy organic cotton fabrics in Turkey and Pakistan. The linen fabric comes from Belarus. The origins of the fabric are always mentioned on the product description.
Organic brown flax seeds come from Eastern Europe or Russia. The origin may vary depending on purchases.
Where are the products in your catalog made?
We are a Serbian company and all our production is located in Serbia. Our company in France distributes directly in France and in the European Union.
