The Winner is....

BENU Sea is the trade name of a high-quality collection of curtain fabrics developed by the St. Gallen textile publisher Christian Fischbacher from the material SEAQUAL® YARN. This is a polyester yarn that is largely made from “Upcycled Marine Plastic” – processed plastic waste from the sea – and recycled PET bottles. SEAQUAL® YARN is considered to be particularly easy-care, crease-resistant, and hard-wearing. In this respect, it is a full-fledged and at the same time sustainable alternative to newly produced polyester. For parts of the BENU Sea collection, the yarn was specially refined. To achieve a matte look, for example, the continuous yarn was cut during production into small pieces that resemble a natural fibre in length and texture. These fibres were then spun into a yarn whose visual and tactile quality bears comparison with cotton. Fischbacher associates the BENU® Sea Collection with an aggressively communicated commitment to the SEAQUAL INITIATIVE, which strives to clean the world’s oceans of plastic waste.

Comments of the jury

In view of the climate crisis, environmental pollution and species extinction, the conservation of earthly resources has become an imperative. The recycling of materials has a key role to play here. Against this backdrop, the textile publisher Fischbacher is setting an example on the market and in the industry with its BENU Sea collection that cannot be overstated: For the use of recycled textile materials, for research into the creative potential of such materials and for the protection of the world's oceans - after all, the polyester yarn processed in the BENU Sea fabrics comes essentially from "Upcycled Marine Plastic" - from plastic waste that damages the ecosystem of the oceans. Besides, the collection impressively proves that recycled textiles can stand comparison with conventional products in terms of quality and design.