Recycling at the core of our environmental efforts

Recycled materials are the vibrant heart of Finarte. We have been using recycled cotton in our carpets since Finarte was founded in 1985. Even today, all the cotton we use is recycled.

In addition to recycled cotton, we also make rugs and textiles from other sustainable raw materials: wool, jute, surplus leather or rPET yarn from recycled bottles. We never use virgin polyester or other plastic-derived fibres in our textiles. Natural and mono-materials are also easily recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.

The best materials are those that already exist

Harvesting one kilogram of virgin cotton requires an estimated 10 000 litres of water, not to mention the use of pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals. We give a new life to cotton material that would otherwise end up as waste. In this way, we save water and other precious natural resources. Explore our materials in more detail below.

49,3% of Finarte’s materials are recycled.

MATERIALS USED IN FINARTE PRODUCTS

Share of the collection
46,4%*, all cotton is recycled or upcycled (2020)

Origin of the raw material
from cotton recycling centers in India

One kilogram of recycled cotton rug saves 10 000 litres of water from our globe’s resources– and this is one of the reasons we’re using recycled cotton instead of virgin. Upcycled cotton yarn that we use originates from the cutting-edges of giant textile rolls, also known as selvedge. Recycled cotton yarn is derived from cut-offs, scraps and leftovers from the clothing industry, which is shredded into fibres and then re-spun into new yarn. This process takes place in Panipat, which is known as the “recycling hub” of North India.

*Material shares are based on 2020 purchases per square meter.

Share of the collection
32,9%* (2020)

Origin of the raw material
New Zealand, Turkey, India and Saudi-Arabia

Wool is a natural fiber derived from sheep. Wool has excellent characteristics and is thus a great material for rugs: it is soft, dirt repellent, durable and warm. Thanks to its long lifecycle, a woollen rug is a perfect choice for people who value quality and durability. We use only mulesing-free certified wool in our rugs, which is sourced from New Zealand, Saudi-Arabia, Turkey or locally from India. Currently, the quality and availability of recycled wool is poor, but we are constantly monitoring the market to find alternatives to virgin wool.

*Material shares are based on 2020 purchases per square meter.

Share of the collection
0,2%* (2020)

Origin of the raw material
India

Viscose is a beautifully shimmering material made from eucalyptus trees’ cellulose. The viscose production process is both chemical and energy-intensive. For this reason, we aim to replace our viscose products with a more environmentally friendly option, such as Tencel, in the coming years.

*Material shares are based on 2020 purchases per square meter.

Share of the collection
17,6%* (2020)

Origin of the raw material
India

Jute is a long and soft vegetable fibre that grows to its full length in only 120 days. Jute is grown without pesticides or fertilizers. The water footprint of jute is also minimal as jute is grown in monsoon climate areas and is thus rain-fed. For these reasons, jute is one of the most ecological natural materials available. Finarte’s jute originates from India, where our jute rugs are handwoven by the local artisans. All our jute rugs are climate-friendly – they emit only 0,7 kg CO2/m2.

*Material shares are based on 2020 purchases per square meter.

Share of the collection
2,9%* (2020), all polyester is recycled

Origin of the raw material
India

We only use recycled polyester in our products, never virgin. Some of the polyester we use is obtained when used plastic bottles are crushed into small pellets from which the yarn is spun. Part comes from the cutting surplus in textile manufacturing. The material is both sturdy and light at the same time, and above all 100 % recycled. Carpets made of recycled polyester have excellent use properties, especially for wet areas. They are also well suited for outdoor use.

*Material shares are based on 2020 purchases per square meter.

We save about 35% on CO2 emissions by using recycled materials.

Chemical safety

There are chemicals all around us. Various chemicals are used in the materials and manufacturing process of rugs. All our products meet the requirements of the EU’s REACH chemical safety regulation. We never add any additional finishing, mould or fire retardant chemicals to our products.

In addition, we have tested the chemicals of our rugs through Bureau Veritas. The laboratory tests verified that our rugs do not contain any chemical residues that are harmful to health. Thus, we can proudly state that no dangerous chemicals are found in our carpets.

Logistics with a logic

We manufacture our products mostly in India, and our operations are located in Finland. Long transport has an impact on the environment, but freight emissions can be minimized by choosing maritime transport*. Maritime transport is the most environmentally friendly freight mode, especially for large quantities of goods. The efficiency of logistics is also one of the most important criteria when choosing a mode of transport. We only use full 20 ”and 40” containers, as we prefer to transport goods efficiently and less often than to use half-empty containers.

* Only prototypes and some custom-made carpets are transported by air freight.

Finarte’s head office and warehouse are located in Kotka, where Finland’s second-largest port is located. This allows us to minimize road transport. All online and wholesale orders are delivered from the Kotka warehouse to Finland and abroad. Posti handles domestic deliveries, by a carbon-neutral Posti Green parcel transport.

trace the thread - follow finarte rug's journey

Packages that protect

We use plastic as a packaging material, as currently, it is the only material that can withstand the requirements of transportation and storage. By using durable packaging materials, we can reduce product loss and the number of unmarketable products. Our packaging plastic is fully recyclable.

We can only use partly recycled plastic, as its quality varies, making it a weak option for long transport. However, we are constantly looking for new recycled materials and alternatives to plastics. We aim to use alternative packaging materials by 2024.

Our carbon dioxide emission calculations

In autumn 2019, we launched the first part of our carbon emission survey. We calculated the carbon dioxide emissions of the materials we use in our rugs. We found out that recycled material is always the most sustainable option: we save about 35% on CO2 emissions by using recycled materials.

On average, the raw material needed for our 140×200 sized rug emits 42,35 kg of CO2: it equals driving 285 kilometres with a fossil-fueled car or producing 42 litres of milk.

We are also a part of Carbon neutral textile sector 2035 – commitment run by the Organisation for Finnish Textile and Fashion.

Recycling at the core of our environmental efforts