Edu Uribesalgo, innovation and sustainability director at Ternua – Monomaterials master
Basque outdoor brand Ternua has integrated circular and sustainability principles into its core since it was founded 30 years ago, and has worked with suppliers to produce half of its next collection with recyclability in mind.
Can you tell us about the focus on monomaterials for the new collection? What are the challenges that come with designing with one material, and how do accessories and trims fit into the picture?
50% of Ternua’s textile FW2025 collection has been designed, developed and manufactured under circular principles. Everything, from fabric and zips to labels and other accessories for these long-lasting garments is made using just one material, making it possible to recycle them once they reach the end of their useful lives. Being monomaterial means that we can create new clothes by transforming the ones that have been created, because they are 100% recyclable and recycled.
Sustainability and functionality are Ternua’s objectives but circularity makes it more complicated. Monomaterial products are easier when talking about t-shirts but not as easy when talking about 2L and 3L waterproof membrane jackets or elastic pants without elastane.
Our technological partners for fabric and trims are helping us advance on the circularity of our products. At this moment, we are able to get zips (including sliders), zip pullers, woven labels and thread all made in 100% recycled polyester. All this allows us to produce garments manufactured using polyester made from recycled plastic bottles or textile waste, and transformed into practical, hard-wearing materials. Sustainability and functionality are combined in unique products, together with the technical expertise characteristic of Ternua garments.
Can you tell us about your work towards making circular products and your use of recycled materials, why is it important to include these?
We have committed to integrate the principles of the circular economy into our business. All areas of the company have defined their circularity, this means how can they do better than they are doing today, with the objective of avoiding or reducing resources and avoiding or reducing waste.
Our products will be designed, developed and manufactured under circular principles. This means that they will be recycled, recyclable or biodegradable:
• 100% of the polyester must be recycled
• 100 % of the polyamide must be recycled or bio based
• 100% of the cotton must be organic, regenerative or recycled
• 100 % of the wool must be responsible (RWS, GOTS) or recycled
• 100 % of the down must be responsible (RDS) or recycled.
Circularity consists of turning processes and product design around. It's about changing direction, committing to eco-design and minimising impact during production. It also means creating high-quality, long-lasting garments made from a single material. In this way, when they reach the end of their useful life, they can be recycled and transformed into new garments. It is the way we have to turn our materials around, change the direction of the industry and transform our way of doing things. Because every step we take is in line with our commitment, with the people and with the planet. A way of doing things that pushes us to go one step further.
You have used local walnut shells waste for natural dyes, found a way to use the wool from local latxa sheep, native to the area, and repurposed local fishing nets waste into new nylon with Aquafil. How does your location in the Basque country inspire your choices?
We are a purpose-driven company, motivated to keep the cycle of life turning: to protect, create move forward, and return. We have a commitment to our origins, our environment and our people. In 2015 we started our singular projects, which are permanent innovation and social commitment. Projects that are developed in our local environment with the aim of working with our community and give a solution to a problem, usually related to waste. As you say, we have developed products working together with our fishermen, our shepherds, our cider houses, our local laundries. We want to minimise the negative impact of our activity and increase the positive impact in our society.
What do your customers expect in terms of use of sustainable materials, and how do you balance the fact these might cost a little more?
At the birth of the Ternua brand, we committed to minimise the negative impact of our activity and since then we have taken steps in this direction. In fact, we do not understand any other way of doing things. We are also part of the outdoor sector, a very aware sector with clients that understand the added value of our products and value the way we make them. Sustainability is part of all the strategic decisions of our company, it is a matter of identity and values. Therefore, the company's commitment is to provide a differentiation with respect to the standard of the textile sector. It’s not a question of higher costs, it is the way we have decided to do business. We are in a constant search for healthier alternatives to the ones we use to see how we can reduce our impact.
In addition to the selection of more recycled, recyclable and organic fabrics and materials, we constantly work on three aspects that have a considerable impact on the environmental footprint of a product. Firstly, the circularity of our products, designing products taking into account their end-of-life, so that they can be recycled and do not become waste that ends up in landfills or incinerated, analysing each stage of the process to reduce water, energy and chemicals. Secondly, the durability and longevity of our products, which we can influence by focusing on the quality of our manufacturing and our fabrics. And thirdly, the multifunctional versatility of our products. By ensuring that the consumer can wear the garment in different sporting activities, we reduce the number of products they need in their wardrobe. We develop durable products that become travel companions that, due to their functionality and quality, do not have to be replaced so often.
How do you stay informed of the latest material and chemical developments? Are there any that have stood out to you recently?
We work with great partners that are aligned with our way of doing, moving in the same direction and offering solutions, helping us reduce the impact of our products, like agriculture waste to make natural dyes, processes using less chemicals, less water, less energy, new fabrics dyed using the colour of the recycled textile waste, climate positive cotton, biobased polyamide, biobased elastane, elasticity by construction, without the use of elastane. There are many different solutions that allows us to make better sustainable, functional products. At the moment, we are actually working on high-performance materials made from carbon emissions. High concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere are a threat to climate change, but could it become a resource? This is what we are working on now.
How do you think incoming EU regulations on transparency and ecodesign might affect the outdoor industry?
In a world full of fast fashion, where the useful life of products is very short, where products that have not even reached their sale are destroyed after having used natural resources that are scarce, where the value of things is lost, a change towards more responsible consumption and production is necessary. It is necessary to put restrictions, not everything is valid.
The outdoor industry is very committed and more advanced compared to the fashion industry. There are many technical challenges that we, the outdoor industry, will obviously have to face. Eco-design, transparency and decarbonisation are crucial and for that, we need to have a sober, complete and structured data collection system to answer the different challenges we have as a company.
In fact, at Ternua Group, we have been working for some time on what these regulations now require, such as, among others, the Digital Product Passport, the lifecycle assessment (LCA) of products and BCorp's impact business model.
