Rapha switches updated Logo collection to organic cotton fibres

Rapha has announced that it is now making its Logo casual (off-bike) clothing collection – available today in new colours – from organic cotton fibres as part of its drive towards improving the environmental impact of its range. 

Like many other brands in cycling – such as Trek, which released its first Sustainability Report back in the summer – Rapha has become increasingly focused on environmental and social concerns.

Rapha's Men's Logo Pullover Hoodie is £75

“In the last few years, we’ve been working steadily to make changes across our business whilst maintaining our exacting standards in design and quality,” says Rapha. “In April, we published our Impact Commitments which sets out a roadmap that aims for us to improve our impacts across the board. 

“As part of this, we aim to be carbon-neutral by 2025. Along the way we’ll be reducing our impacts by transitioning to 100% renewable energy in all stores and offices globally, adopting low-impact packaging, and using environmentally preferred materials across 90% of our seasonal production.”

> How environmentally sustainable is your cycle clothing?
    
Rapha says that 80-90% of its environmental impact comes from its supply chain, especially from the creation of fabrics. 

“Harvesting raw materials and transforming them into high-quality fabrics takes a lot of resources,” says Rapha. “As members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, we use the Higg Index tools to measure these impacts, then take steps to improve them.”

Rapha's Men's and Women's Logo Sweatshirts are £55

Having refreshed the Classic Jersey II and Classic Bib Shorts with recycled polyester earlier in the year, Rapha has now relaunched its Logo off-bike collection, which features T-shirts, hoodies and polo shirts.

> Check out Rapha's Classic Jersey II and Classic Bib Shorts

“The new Logo collection is made using cotton sourced exclusively from organic farms,” says Rapha. “Using organic cotton reduces our environmental impact, whilst improving supply chain transparency. 

“The documentation that comes with organic cotton helps us to better understand its origins and ensure we’re sourcing from regions that protect the human rights of its cotton farmers. Organic cotton has now become the default sourcing option.

“To convey our confidence in our suppliers and to contribute to the mapping of the global apparel supply chain, we are taking the next step in transparency. In alignment with the Open Data Standard for the Apparel Sector (ODSAS) guidance on best practice for supply chain disclosure, we have published a list of our Tier 1 suppliers for the first time.” 

Rapha's Men's and Women's Logo T-shirts are £30 

Rapha is also keen to point out that it helps to maximise product lifespans by repairing its clothing – over 34,000 items since 2004, free of charge – and providing repair patch kits with most of its Performance Trailwear, and that it achieves carbon-neutral shipping for all its customer orders. 

Check out Rapha’s full Logo collection here.