The Finnish Freshwater Foundation and Image Wear Oy collaborate for clean water
RepairFriday - Repair, recycle, and make an impact on water
Every choice we make affects our waters! By repairing, you extend the life cycle of the product and reduce the water pollution of the manufacturing industry.
Why is water important?
Freshwater is essential for all life. Finland's waterways are often considered the cleanest in the world, but in reality, our country has tens of thousands of eutrophicated lakes, dredged streams, and dammed rapids. Our water bodies are threatened by biodiversity loss and the effects of a warming climate. Waters need our help so that future generations can also experience their clarity and beauty.
Responsibility for waters belongs to each of us
The Finnish Freshwater Foundation is a non-profit organization working for healthy and clean waters. The foundation promotes the protection and sustainable use of water bodies and participates in the restoration of water bodies. "Water can be influenced by many - big and small - choices at work and at home, every day. Water responsibility, for example, is reducing water use, protecting waters from harmful substances, and increasing awareness of one's own actions as a consumer and a cottage owner," says Liisa Hämäläinen, Executive Director of the Finnish Freshwater Foundation.
Finland is committed to the UN's Agenda 2030 goal and wants its companies to be the most water-responsible in the world. Image Wear has taken up the challenge together with the Finnish Freshwater Foundation. Production chains in the textile industry are long and use a lot of water. "Since Image Wear, as a small operator, does not have great opportunities to influence our suppliers' processes, we have decided to support the Finnish Freshwater Foundation's work in improving the condition of water bodies," says Kati Tukiainen, Sustainability Director at Image Wear, and continues: "At the same time, we want to explore how we can improve our own water footprint and highlight the importance of water protection and that everyone can make their own water protection by using up their clothes. By repairing clothes, you can extend their life cycle."
How Image Wear reduces its water footprint?
Finland's leading workwear manufacturer encourages repairing and recycling workwear? Yes, Image Wear has developed various reuse and recycling services. With Vaatelaastari® (Clothing Patch), you can easily and quickly repair a broken work garment and extend its life. The Aarre reuse service allows customers' workwear to be recycled from one employee to another, Työvaatelainaamo rental service is an ecological and cost-effective way to acquire work clothes for varying needs, and the Käytetyttyövaatteet.fi online store seeks new users for retired, work-capable clothes. There are also recycling options for products at the end of their workwear life into new textile products or Cliff® composite products.
"The most important eco-act is that workwear is made from high-quality, durable materials developed for work clothes. The longer the garment is in original use, the smaller its water footprint," reminds Kati Tukiainen.
Instead of Black Friday, Repair Friday
Instead of Black Friday, Image Wear stores and the imagewear.fi online store have Repair Friday, when a Vaatelaastari® (Clothing Patch) package is included with purchases. With Vaatelaastari®, you can easily patch small holes and thus extend the life of the garment. In addition, Image Wear donates 1% of the sales of IW workwear purchased from Image Wear stores or the imagewear.fi online store during Repair Friday to the Finnish Freshwater Foundation's activities.
The recipe for water-responsible consumption
The joint recipe for water-responsible consumption by the Finnish Freshwater Foundation and Image Wear consists of the following ingredients:
- Borrow from and to a friend
- Buy well-made items and only as needed
- Treating your clothes well means treating nature and yourself well
- Use, wash, repair, and recycle
- Use biodegradable detergents
- Avoid unnecessary washes - airing out often replaces washing