With more and more companies turning to biobased materials, Swedish outdoor clothing brand Tierra created Deterra, a 100 per cent biobased jacket, including more common materials such as cotton and wool, but also castor beans and corozo nuts.

The outer fabric of the jacket is woven of EVO yarn, a polyamide made of oil from castor beans (Ricinus Communis). The yarn is both biobased and biodegradable, while also being water- and solvent resistant. Castor beans are toxic, so not edible, and grow on arid or marginal lands. The yarn is bacteriostatic, meaning it has natural odour controlling properties, as well as a thermal insulating capacity.

The padding of the jacket is made from wool of German sheep. The threads with which the jacket is sewn together are made of Tencel (also known as Lyocell, a form of rayon), made from cellulose fire made from wood pulp. Rather than a plastic zipper, the jacket has buttons made out of corozo nuts, which come from the tagua palm. The stings in the hood are made of cotton, a knot replacing the cord stopper.

By reducing the number of different components in the jacket, transportation is also decreased during production.

The Deterra jacket is the most technical jacket possible without using any fossil based material. It is as lightweight, durable and water-resistant as natural materials get, according to Tierra.

The jacket is available as in a hooded version for women in black, a non-hooded version in green and gold, and a men’s version in green without hood.

The Deterra jacket won the ISPO award 2017 in the category Eco Responsibility Accessories, as well as the Sustainable Innovations/Outdoor Industry Award 2017.

Photos: Tierra