FAQ Frequently asked questions

While we conduct LCA’s in order to understand the impact we are making, it is difficult to assert which of our items is the most sustainable. Depending on type and origin of the (recycled) raw material, some fabrics have very good results regarding water and/or energy saving, while other fabrics score very high regarding CO2 emission reduction.

Based on our LCA results, we work on using the “best in class” results from all categories to determine which learnings can be applied to production processes of our other fabrics.

Textaafoam already offers a number of fabrics that contain sustainable materials. We decided to broaden our product range and focus on sustainability even further; Fabraa is our starting point to really tackle the topic of making our fabrics more sustainable. We will focus on Fabraa products for now, but we will use our learnings and experiences to make our overall Textaafoam business operations and products more sustainable going forward.

Some of our yarns consist of different materials, intertwined to make one yarn. This makes it difficult to recycle them at the end-of-life at this time. Furthermore, our upholstery fabrics are used for the manufacturing of furniture, such as sofa’s and armchairs. These furniture items consist of a number of different components, which often makes it difficult to recycle these products once they have been disposed of. We strive to continuously make our products more sustainable, working together with our suppliers and customers to find solutions to make our materials and end products easier recyclable.

Our current focus is on replacing conventional raw materials with recycled ones. The manufacturing processes involved largely stay the same at the moment. So the step during which the yarn is produced – primarily with recycled materials – is the one that delivers the biggest positive impact at this point.

During an LCA, all steps of the supply chain are being examined with regard to the usage of energy and water, as well as the amounts of CO2 emissions to the environment.

As a first step of our activities, we will analyze the steps of raw material and yarn production, preparing LCA’s for all our Fabraa products.

Going forward, we will include the remaining stages of our supply chain in two steps: First, we will include all other steps of our supply chain, up until the products arrive at and leave our warehouse in the Netherlands. Secondly, we will conclude by taking into account the supply chain up until the end, from the point when the products leave our warehouse until they are being disposed after usage. Especially the last step requires strong cooperation with our direct and indirect customers to gain knowledge and work together to enable full circularity of products.

The following is an overview of all steps of the supply chain, to be analyzed as explained above:

1. Raw material
2. Yarn production
3. Fabric production
4. Dyeing
5. Finishing
6. Packing
7. Transport
8. Warehousing
9. Furniture production
10. Retail
11. Usage
12. Disposal

To conduct our LCA’s, we compare energy usage, water usage and CO2 emission data of our sustainable fabrics with those of fabrics that have been produced in a conventional manner. The information about our fabrics we receive to a large part from our direct suppliers; the comparison data that are being used come from the organization bAwear, who have an extensive database of information collected throughout a long period of time.

We continue to update our assessments if and when new products or data become available.

A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to calculate the impact that the manufacturing of a product has on the environment, taking into consideration all stages of the supply chain. By understanding the footprint of our business operations, we are well equipped to compare and make the best decisions with regard to sustainability, and by that, define the best sustainability strategy for us.

For a comprehensive overview, please have a look at the website of our partner bAwear: https://bawear-score.com/.

Environmental sustainability includes the impact we are making with the material that goes into our products and the impact our business operations have on the environment, both in the locations of production as well as in the locations in which our products are being sold. We primarily use recycled material for our Fabraa products, so that the input (energy, water) and output (CO2) involved in making our products is kept as low as possible. In order to further understand where we can improve, we have conducted LCA studies for each of our Fabraa products; you can find out more about this below under “What is an LCA study?”.

Heimtextil, 19-21 January 2024, Messe Frankfurt, Germany.

Cernobbio Fabric Fair, 2-4 May 2024, Lake Villa, Cernobbio, Italy.

Design District, 29-31 May 2024, Van Nelle Factory, Rotterdam.

Our claims only relate to furniture fabrics. We hope to inspire our partners and other suppliers to take similar steps towards sustainability.

Most of our fabrics travel to the Netherlands by boat. For the time being, it is not possible to produce these products at a comparable price and or quality closer to our facilities. In all our operations, the impact of transport is minimal.

The best example: we have just moved to a bigger, but much more environmentally friendly facility. There we have taken all kinds of measures to ensure a much lower energy use and make working there as safe and easy as possible for our people.

The term “sustainable” is widely used and it is often not 100% clear what is meant. When we speak of sustainability, we focus on the “WHAT” and the “HOW” – What goes into our products, and how are our products being made. We strive to use recycled instead of virgin material, ensuring that the negative impact of manufacturing our items is kept as low as possible. We also focus on how our products are being made, what the working conditions in the factories are, and how people throughout our supply chains are being treated. In this context, we have recently joined amfori BSCI to put even more emphasis on the improvement of working conditions of all people working on making our products.

Please find more on this under “Social Sustainability” and “Verifications & Partnerships”.

Everyone at Fabraa stands behind making good and sustainable products. If you have any questions regarding our sustainability efforts, you can always connect with your sales representative or with our office via email ([email protected]) or phone (+31-(0)13 534 59 34). If you have a range of questions specifically related to sustainability at Fabraa, we can schedule a meeting with our sustainability experts to answer your questions.

Generally, we choose suppliers who are willing to work together with us to continuously improve the products we make for our customers. We have built strong business relations with our Textaafoam suppliers in the last decades, working together to making great quality upholstery fabrics for a good price. For our Fabraa line, we continue building on the expertise of our suppliers, focusing on those who already have extensive experience in the area of making sustainable fabrics. We also keep on building new relationships with great suppliers we meet in the process of our work.

Regarding service levels from our side, you can expect the same dedicated support as you are used to from us.

Our fabric suppliers are located in Asia and Europe.

With Fabraa, we step into a new era for us, concentrating strongly on making our products and business operations increasingly sustainable. While in the beginning we will lay the groundwork and focus on making products with more and more sustainable material, we will then expand our view, looking as to how we can collaborate to reach full circularity.

The following is the projected timeline of our activities:

• Phase 1: Introduction – Cradle to Gate: Focus on our company and supply chain
• Phase 2: until 2023 – Cradle to Grave: Focus on usage (maintenance) and recycling/circularity
• Phase 3: until 2025 – Cradle to cradle: Focus on full circularity

The main supply chain of upholstery fabrics looks as follows:

1. Fiber production
2. Yarn production
3. Fabric production
4. Dyeing
5. Finishing
6. Packaging
7. Distribution
8. Warehouse
9. Furniture production
10. Retail
11. Usage
12. Disposal/End of life

Our sustainability efforts touch upon each of these steps, trying to limit negative impact of our operations. To learn more, do have a look at our video giving an overview of our supply chains!

Making a business more sustainable is a journey that involves trial and error. We cooperate with partners and stakeholders, but we know that we will also going to be learning and improving along the way.

We are transparent and honest about where we are in our journey and where we are going.

In the beginning phase we will focus on the “low-hanging fruit”, those initiatives that are comparatively easy to start up and deliver large-scale impact.

Our aim is to look at our entire supply chain, from source (raw material) through production process to arriving in our warehouse. We take pride in ensuring that all impact we have is being looked at and improvements are being made, where and when possible.

We want to combine our passion of offering high-quality upholstery fabrics with the responsibility we know is crucial with regard to the impact we have throughout our supply chain. As our CEO Mark van der Aa says: “I’m not just a businessman, but a father too.” In this spirit, we combine business with human and environmental rights, for the benefit of our planet and the generations that follow.

Sustainability also plays an important role in current and especially upcoming legislation on national and EU level. We want to be proactive and have all our ducks in a row, instead of running behind at a later stage.

We want to take a lead role in making the upholstery fabric industry more sustainable, observing our due diligence and ensuring our customers that we (take) care.

For our Fabraa line, we work primarily with recycled instead of virgin material. In addition to using sustainable materials, we also use increasingly more sustainable dyeing and finishing methods, as well as more sustainable ways of transportation. In order to understand the impact our business operations have, we work together with Ecochain to conduct LCAs (Life-Cycle Assessments) for our Fabraa products.

Our goal is to take responsibility for the entire supply chain of our products, honoring our due diligence. We want to ensure that sustainable products are widely accessible; hence we focus on including more and more sustainable elements in a large number of our products that reach an increased number of consumers instead of creating perfectly sustainable products, that are very much niche, make up a fraction of the market, and only reach comparably few consumers.

Fabraa offers high-quality upholstery fabrics made under environmentally and socially sustainable conditions. While we establish a brand that is inherently sustainable, you can trust that we continue to offer you our products on a good and stable price – quality level!

The name Fabraa is a combination of the words of our core business – fabrics – and the family name of the owners – van der Aa.

When you look at the way the “A’s” in the logo of Fabraa are written, you can see that they have a gap on one side. This is to visually emphasize transparency and openness, both values that are indispensable for us.

Generally, we choose suppliers who are willing to work together with us to continuously improve the products we make for our customers. We have built strong business relations with our suppliers in the last decades, working together to making great quality upholstery fabrics for a good price. For our Fabraa line, we continue building on the expertise of our suppliers, focusing on those who already have extensive experience in the area of making sustainable fabrics. We also keep on building new relationships with great suppliers we meet in the process of our work. Regarding service levels from our side, you can expect the same dedicated support as you are used to from us.

Our fabric suppliers are located in Asia and Europe.

Currently we are unable to obtain transaction certificates for this product. Therefore, this product is not GRS certified. We are working on alternative methods to verify the recycled content independently.

Currently we are unable to obtain transaction certificates for this product. Therefore, this product is not GRS certified. We are working on alternative methods to verify the recycled content independently.

The better you look after your furniture items, the longer you can enjoy them! For instructions on how to best take care of your products, please refer to the article passport that you can find on the product page of each individual fabric.

We do not replace the high quality you are used to from us with the sustainability aspect – we add to it! You can be sure to receive the same quality of products and services as you have in the past, no compromises!

Recycled Polyester (RPET) is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and safe; the regenerated polyester fibre is made from recycled plastic bottles and performs as well as regular virgin polyester. Here are some facts about RPET: RPET requires 86% less water than regular polyester. RPET consumes 70% less energy than regular polyester. The CO2 emissions of RPET are 75% lower. 1 kg of RPET can keep 60 water bottles out of environment. Using RPET helps us to not only keep plastic out of the landfills and oceans, but also to save our natural resources.

RPET stands for Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as Recycled PET. RPET is also called Recycled Polyester and it’s made from recycled plastic (PET) bottles.

The composition of each Fabraa product is primarily from recycled material. As we offer a variety of fabrics, each composition differs. To know the composition of a specific fabric, please refer to the relevant product page on this website or have a look at the article passport.

All of our Fabraa products contain recycled materials. To know the composition of a specific fabric, please refer to the relevant product page on this website or have a look at the article passport.

Recycled material is material that has been made from waste, such as disposed PET bottles and textile waste from previous production processes. Recyclable material is material that goes into the production process, designed to be able to be recycled at the end of life of the product it is used for.

For our recycled raw material, we use a variety of different materials that go into making new yarn instead of being disposed of as waste. When we talk about post-consumer recycled material, we mean material that has already been used by consumers and, after usage, will serve as a source of new raw material. When we speak of post-industrial recycled material, we mean “leftover” material from previous production processes. This post-industrial waste is being collected and made into new yarn to be re-entered into the production process.

All of the materials that go into our products are perfectly cleaned and sanitized before being processed. This is the case for both virgin material, as well as of course all recycled material.

The general process of turning PET bottles into fabrics looks as follows:

• Collection of PET bottles
• Sterilizing/cleaning of bottles
• Turning bottles into plastic flakes
• Turning plastic flakes into chips
• Making chips into strings of yarn which are then being wound up in spools
• Yarn is turned into fabric; dyeing and finishing

You can rest assured that when we talk about using diapers in our products, we will not include used ones! 😊 Some of our products are made from production waste from other supply streams, including those of baby diapers. These come from defective production, so instead of throwing away those diapers that do not comply with the requirements, they are being shredded and brought back into the production cycle for yarns used to make some of our fabrics.

Our Fabraa products contain a variety of yarns stemming from several different sources. These include:

• PET bottles
• Production waste
• Diapers
• Face masks
• Textile scraps, e.g. wool and cotton

We usually have all articles available from stock. Please do note though that we build up our stock according to sales history, new placements and delivery times of our suppliers. Please contact our customer service regarding available stock via email ([email protected]) or phone (+31 13 53 08 031).

We work together with our trusted partners to verify different quality aspects of our products. Please see below the quality focus areas and respective partners who conduct testing:

• Technical product compliance – Partnership with CTL Bielefeld
• Chemical product compliance – Partnership with Centexbel for testing concerning REACH, dyestuffs etc.
• Usability – In-house testing facility to check for practical usability of our products

Please find more information on CTL Bielefeld and Centexbel under “Verifications & Partnerships”.

Our certificates do not only apply to sustainability, but also monitor the working conditions. Such as BSCI and GRS. Visit our product page for more info.

We have built strong and long-lasting partnerships with our suppliers in the last years and even decades. Having built trust means that we have a much better understanding of the challenges that our suppliers are facing, and that we work on them together. In addition, we have become a member of amfori BSCI, enabling us to become proactive in understanding compliance with human rights in the facilities of our suppliers much better, and having tools at our disposal to support the factories to make step-by-step improvements.

amfori BSCI is an international association bringing together international companies, supporting members to improve working conditions throughout their supply chains. The main focus is on capacity building and the social auditing of factories that members are working with. By becoming a member of the organization, we use the widely recognized BSCI Code of Conduct, and communicating the content to our suppliers. We have access to the amfori BSCI platform, being able to be pro-active in engaging with our suppliers to have social audits conducted in their factories, enabling us to better understand the situation and challenges in the factories we are working with. We have good tools at our disposal, for example by inviting our suppliers to take part in trainings conducted by amfori BSCI in many production areas.

Social sustainability is about the impact we have on all people working throughout our supply chains. We ensure to offer a great working place for our employees in our Dutch office, but we also pay attention to those people working in the production countries. Here, the focus is on decent working conditions and the compliance with human rights at the workplace.

When you join Control Union, you indicate the products you carry. You then receive a scope certificate. With a unique code, the people you do business with can check whether you are actually certified.

Check our certificate here.

All checks and certifications (as described above) are conducted by third-party verification organizations, to ensure impartial and neutral assessments. This is important to us, since we as a company want to really understand all aspects of how our products are being made, and want to be able to give our customers the knowledge and security that the quality of the products they buy from us is reliable.

CTL GmbH Bielefeld is a chemical-technical laboratory based in Bielefeld, Germany, focused on testing e.g. textiles, apparel and upholstery fabrics.

Centexbel is a Belgium-based organization focused on R&D, product certification, product testing and knowledge sharing in the textile and plastic-converting industries.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical) is a European Union (EU) regulation issued in 2006. The REACH regulation applies to the production and use of essentially all chemical substances, and their possible impacts on human health and the environment.

REACH is not a voluntary system, but rather a binding law, that we and all other companies are required to comply with.

For more information, please visit https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/understanding-reach.

amfori BSCI is an international association bringing together international companies, supporting members to improve working conditions throughout their supply chains. The main focus is on capacity building and the social auditing of factories that members are working with.

For more information, please visit https://www.amfori.org/content/amfori-bsci.

The Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel e.V. (DGM) is a German-based association working towards ensuring the quality of furniture items and strengthen the position of consumers. The DGM issues, amongst others, the “Golden M”, a label verifying that tested furniture pieces comply with the relevant quality, safety and environmental requirements.

For more information, please visit https://www.dgm-moebel.de/en/.

The Global Recycled Standard is an international voluntary standard issued by Textile Exchange, setting requirements for recycled materials, supply chains, social and environmental practices, and chemical restrictions. The requirements are audited by external companies, such as Control Union, to qualify for certification. For more information, visit https://certifications.controlunion.com/en/certification-programs/certification-programs/grs-global-recycle-standard.

OEKO-TEX is a registered trademark, comprising six different certification standards, one of them being OEKO-TEX Standard 100. It means that each component of each article marked with this certification has been tested for harmful substances and hence, is harmless for human health.

For more information, please visit https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/standard-100-by-oeko-tex.

bAwear is an organization supporting companies of all sizes to calculate their environmental footprints in order to make a positive impact throughout their supply chains.

For more information, please visit https://bawear-score.com/.

We work together with a number of organizations and partners to reach our sustainability goals. Please find an overview below; for more information on each partner, please read more in the respective section further down.

Overview of organizations and partners:

• bAwear – Working together to conduct our LCA studies
• OEKO-TEX – Certification of a range of our products
• GRS – Certification of a range of our products
• DGM – Certification of a range of our products
• amfori BSCI – Membership to bring more transparency and improvements of working conditions in our supply chains

Most of the production takes place in Asia. To ensure proper treatment of people, we have several institutions oversee and check the plants and locations regularly. On top of that, we make regular visits to these plants.

All parts of the production process are tested regularly. Our certifications cover everything from the collection of source materials to the fair treatment of personnel. You’ll find all certificates and qualifications on the product page.

Sustainability is an increasingly hot topic. We are obviously happy to see this, but there’s also a downside. Now, we are increasingly seeing green claims that go unfulfilled. Many companies present their business or products as being good for the environment, even though they are far from sustainable. How do I know if products are really made of recycled materials?

Most products in the Fabraa collection have a Global Recycled Standard certificate. What does this certificate mean? We are happy to tell you more about our approach to corporate responsibility.

All parts of the production process are tested regularly. Our certifications cover everything from the collection of source materials to the fair treatment of personnel. You’ll find all certificates and qualifications on the product page.