R-Coat

Waste is a design problem. We are committed to use design as a sustainable tool to create a better future.

Our product development considers environmental aspects at all stages, striving for products which make the lowest possible environmental impact throughout their life cycle.

CREATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

In our circular creation, we assume that there are two audiences to be satisfied: the final consumer, who seeks brands with ethical and truly sustainable practices, and the environment, which is no longer able to support the intensive extraction of resource needed to meet our current rhythms of consumption. In the heart of our product design process you find sustainability and waste reduction; we use creativity to create pieces that are functional, durable and that reduce the community’s environmental impact.

MATERIALS

  • Outside: fabric of broken umbrellas
  • Lining: deadstock fabric
  • Buttons: metal  30% recycled
  • Stoppers: metal 30% recycled
  • Logo label: recycled polyester
  • Composition label: printed directly on the lining

MANUFACTURING

R-Coat has a small scale and handmade production. The broken umbrellas comes from one of our many collection points and their fabric is prepared (cut, wash and iron) by the team members in Lisbon, where quality control and shipping also take place. The deadstock fabric for the lining comes from the Portuguese textile factory Tetribérica and the sewing is done in a small atelier outside of Lisbon by a team of 5 seamstresses.

CONSUMER USE

Our products have composition labels printed directly on the lining. We wanted to make sure that the consumers wouldn’t cut them off and lose valuable information on how to take care of the pieces. Our Product Care page sets out clear guidelines on how to care for R-Coat pieces and make the products last longer.

MICROPLASTICS

The material we upcycle is synthetic and, as such, it releases microplastics  in the washing machine. Since the beginning of R-Coat we have used the Guppyfriend washing bag to catch these microplastics and we are now selling it on our website for all our customers to use with their R-Coat products or any other garment made with synthetic materials.

END OF LIFE

With our take-back and recovery program, we collect R-Coat products from our customers and make sure to upcycle and reintroduce the material in the manufacturing cycle.