Finnish sustainability pioneer in sustainable workwear, Touchpoint, and Spinnova have launched their first demo product, the Tapio apron in the Gastro Helsinki event. The apron, made of Spinnova’s highly sustainable fibre, is the world’s most ecological piece of workwear. Spinnova develops textile fibre directly out of FSC-certified wood and waste streams.

The objective of the collaboration is ultimately to make the world’s most sustainable workwear collection. The Tapio prototype apron, named after the ancient Finnish god of the forest, is 100 per cent wood-based, made without harmful chemicals and quickly biodegradable. Its most interesting circular feature is the fact that the apron can be recycled into new fibre in the Spinnova process, without dismantling. The apron contains no materials that shed micro-plastics, and has no plastic or metal parts to weaken its recyclability. The Tapio apron is also undyed and uncoated, according to Spinnova.

“Touchpoint wanted to join our journey long before we knew much about the technical or commercial development of our fibre, and wanted to publicly introduce a demo product before knowing when a collection is possible. This calls for a passionate approach on sustainability from a textile brand,” Spinnova’s CEO Janne Poranen said.

“We are born curious and have grown to turn challenges into possibilities. We need solutions that don’t burden our environment and that can in the future replace, for example, cotton production. We started with an apron that helps us raise discussion and spread awareness of the possibilities this will offer to a more ecological workwear scene and the entire textile industry,” Touchpoint’s CEO, Outi Luukko said.