Camira – A Century in the Making

how we make fabric from coffee sacks

In 2014 global textile innovator Camira is celebrating 40 years’ manufacturing excellence, textile innovation, and outstanding environmental product stewardship. The company’s latest environmental fabric being launched – Century – at Clerkenwell Design Week takes design innovation to new heights with an industry first fabric made from recycled jute from coffee sacks blended with wool.

Camira have drawn on the learning expertise they gained making their Sting, Hemp and Hebden fabrics from virgin bast fibres to embark on this ground breaking project. Today’s coffee culture means that millions of coffee sacks are used by retail chains every year, with many ending up either in landfill or downcycled into low value materials. Camira are leading the way in upcycling the cloth sacks into a higher value designer upholstery fabric with a unique eco-story.

Camira take empty sacks from local coffee roasters and process them through rag pulling machines to turn the sack back into jute fibre. This fibre is blended with wool and spun into yarn before being woven into fabric, with spinning and weaving carried out at Camira’s own facilities in Yorkshire.

The end product, Century, is a traditional “houndstooth” check, woven in a robust double cloth and softened with a natural twist. The design draws on the company’s rich British heritage to create a modern interpretation of a textile classic with unique environmental positioning available in 7 colourways.

All Images © Camira 2014