Each of our steps is in line with our philosophy based in our origins, from which we design and manufacture our garments and complements, without breaking our commitment to the people and the planet.
Born with a clear spirit to protect. A protection that is in our history and DNA and that is printed in each step we take. Steps that, wherever we go, comply with the respectful sustainability processes, capable of returning to the land what it has given to us, and that obligate us to carefully select the type of materials and products we work with.
A way of being and of doing things that drives us, inevitably, to form part of the associations like EOCA, European Outdoor Conservation Association and to collaborate, for more than 20 years, with one of the most active entities in saving the whales: WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, promoting the protection and survival of these species and their awareness. We demonstrated this in 1994, by adopting four whales that today, have become our Brand´s logo: Bat, Half Moon, Navaho and Buckshot, who have been seen in recent years.
With them and our symbol, the whale tail, we represent protection, that relationship with the planet and people that beats in our essence and that, in definitive, our purest nature.
Our nature to protect drives us to work for development under the concept of Commitment; a concept from which we interact with the natural environment and the people in a harmonious and ethical fashion, with sustainable projects that make these principles, a real and palpable commitment.
Ternua is the world wide pioneer brand in the market to use recycled down, a natural material
and 100% biodegradable that comes from garments whose previous use has come to an end. The feather, picked in Europe, is selected, processed and washed, with a controlled origin via the NVP traceability standard and audited via a third party EDFA traceability standard.
A tested innovation and validated by Alberto Iñurrategi, the brand´s ambassador, in its last Chamlang exhibition, within the WOPeak project, sponsored by Ternua.
RECYCLED FABRICS AND RECYCLABLES
We reuse already used resources, returning them into a life cycle. Our Dryshell is composed of at least 50% recycled polyester. We also use Pertex (microlight and quantum) and recycled Primaloft.
A philosophy that in the last year has grown, going beyond adopting a new concept: Cradle to cradle. With this, we want to give garments another opportunity, create them from already recycled materials and designed so that when they reach their end of life, they can return to life. From cradle to cradle is proposed like a new philosophy to reconnect powerfully with nature, from the redesign of any object and/or product. A true proposal for change where we have been taking part since the beginning itself of the garment´s conception, ideation, design and development. So its extraction, processing, use, reuse and recycling always go hand-in-hand.
PFC
PFCS are chemical compounds (fluorocarbons) that are used for water-proofing garments. They are toxic, since once they reach the environment many of them slowly degrade, becoming dispersed globally and reaching the food chain, making this an irreversible contamination.
A PFC-free garment must have the accredited symbol.
To manufacture PFC-free garments, we must replace these toxic chemical compounds for others that are more respectful with the environment, yet perform the same function as a water repellent. Because at Ternua we don´t just worry about what we do, but how we do it too. This removal of PFC becomes part of our path to sustainability started in 2007 and that a decade later remains unstoppable.
WATER REPELLENT: PFOA/PFOS
Traditional water repellent agents (C8) contain PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) or PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). These two substances do not decompose easily in the natural environment, since their half lives are long. It accumulates easily in the organism and may influence its performance or give way to pathological changes.
In 2009, Ternua began to use a new generation of finishing agents (C9) that were PFOA/PFOS-free, maintaining their excellent function by repelling water and grease and maintaining a soft touch so as to have less of an impact on the environment.
Currently, and using Neokdun recycled down, as we have used in previous collections, and together working with Nikwax (top water-repellent company with decades experience) we have developed a treatment that makes down water resistant, so that it absorbs less water and retains more loft and thermal capacity. This way we offer an improved solution of the recycled concept, increasing the down´s efficacy.
Specifically, up to 1000 minutes in the test industry IDFB 18A shake test, maintaining the thermal capacity of the recycled down (800 Fill Power), the same capacity for breathability and weight. Ternua is pioneer at a global level in developing this water-repellent recycled down.
BLUESIGN APPROVED
This is a worldwide and independent certification system—of voluntary initiative—that aims to improve production processes in the textile industry in line with the strictest possible environmental standards.
Through Bluesign®, we can certify that these garments produced by Ternua respond to the highest possible standards in terms of functionality, respect for the environment and commitment to future generations, health and safety.
Our aim is to expand the use of Bluesign approved fabrics and manufacturers in our collections every season.
The Bluesign standard is built on five principles:
Resource productivity
Consumer safety
Air emissions
Water emissions
Occupational health and safety
ORGANIC COTTON
At Ternua we only use organic cotton, and mainly GOTS-certified. It is cultivated and grown in fertile fields in which the cycles of the land are respected, is free of pesticides, herbicides and synthetic chemical fertilizers, and is spun and produced without toxic chemicals.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a new tool aiming to arrive at an international agreement on sustainable and socially responsible production systems in a textile and organic products sector.
MULTIUSE BAGS AND RECYCLED PAPER
Plastic is one of the greatest environmental problems and concerns. We are working hard at trying to find an alternative packaging that covers all the needs of supply chain.
Currently we are contemplating various options, but meanwhile, since 2012, we have decided to distribute oxo-biodegradable bags.
Plastic bags involve such a high energy and petroleum consumption that its production is destructive nonsense for the environment. But until we don´t find another alternative, we are betting on the recycling of oxo-biodegradable bags that, even though they don´t recycle, at least don´t degrade like plastics do, contaminating our fields and oceans.
On the other hand, all of our paper bags, notebooks and other regular communication mediums are made from 100% recycled paper or paper with an FSC certification.
Upon using paper with the FSC certification,we are telling the world that we support greater social and environmental market standards with regards to the use of paper.
With your purchase of paper and printing products with the FSC certification, you are contributing to the responsible conservation, management and benefit of communities of people that live near woods and are dedicated to paper production.
