What makes a curtain or upholstery fabric truly sustainable?

Durability vs. material choice

When it comes to sustainability, the focus is often placed solely on the material. However, durability is at least as important. A curtain or upholstery fabric that remains beautiful for years, can withstand intensive use and retains its function helps prevent frequent replacement and therefore unnecessary waste.

Sustainability is therefore not only about choosing renewable or recycled raw materials, but also about qualities such as:

• Abrasion resistance
• Lightfastness
• Shape and colour retention

These properties together determine how sustainable a fabric truly is in practice.

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What makes lower-priced fabrics less sustainable?

Lower-priced fabrics are often produced according to lower quality standards. This can include weaker yarns, simpler weaving techniques and limited testing for wear and ageing.

The result:;

• Faster colour fading due to sunlight
• Less resistance to intensive use
• Shorter lifespan and more frequent replacement

Sustainability is therefore not about price, but about the total impact over the entire lifecycle of a fabric.

Recycled materials and renewable resourses

Where possible, De Ploeg prioritises the use of renewable materials and increasingly focuses on recycling and upcycling. Within the collections, you will find fabrics made from:

• recycled plastic from the ocean
• recycled post-consumer PET bottles
• pre-consumer recycled polyester (residual materials from textile production)
• recycled cotton and recycled wool

In addition, De Ploeg consciously uses naturally sustainable materials such as Tencel™ Lyocell and hemp.

These materials are applied without compromising on appearance, comfort or functional properties such as abrasion resistance and lightfastness.

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Production in accordance with European REACH standards

All De Ploeg fabrics are produced in full compliance with European REACH standards. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals and aims to reduce risks to both people and the environment.

De Ploeg fully complies with these regulations and continuously implements improvements to monitor and regulate chemical processes. This ensures that production remains safe, transparent and responsible.

Residual materials given a second life

To minimise waste, De Ploeg collaborates with Koda Amsterdam. Leftover cutting waste from De Ploeg fabrics is transformed into unique accessories, such as cushions, plaids, bags and pouches.

Each item is one of a kind and carefully crafted by Dutch ateliers. In this way, residual materials are given a new purpose and waste is visibly reduced.

Certifications: ISO and Oeko‑Tex®

De Ploeg is officially certified according to:

• ISO 14001 (environmental management)

This certification confirms that De Ploeg actively works on controlling and reducing environmental risks, supported by a well-established management system for quality and processes.

What should you look for when choosing sustainable curtains or upholstery fabrics?

If you want to make a conscious and realistic choice, consider the overall picture:

• How long does the fabric last?
• Has de fabric been tested for abrasion resistance and lightfastness?
• Worden gerecyclede of hernieuwbare materialen toegepast waar mogelijk?
• Vindt productie plaats volgens erkende normen en certificeringen?
• Past de stof bij het gebruik en de ruimte?

Echte duurzaamheid zit niet in één claim of label, maar in de optelsom van keuzes.