The sleep industry heads towards a future where textile resources are becoming increasingly scarce, natural fibres like cotton being resource-intensive to process and petroleum-based fibres continue to cause irreversible damage to our planet. As a result, Duvalli is looking for more sustainable alternatives to produce its products. Kapok is one of the most sustainable fibres available in today’s market. Its human footprint is equal to zero, no negative impact is felt on the environment.
Kapok, also referred to as silk cotton or Java cotton, is native to Central America but now is widely spread in rainforest around the world.
Kapok fibres are lustrous, yellowish brown, light weight and made of a mix of lignin, a woody plant substance, and cellulose, a carbohydrate. Each fibre has wide lumen (central cavity – hollow) and thin walls covered with waterproof wax. It has some unique properties that make it one of the most useful and sustainable fibres.
The kapok tree has developed hard spines on its trunk as a natural way to protect itself from animal attacks. Furthermore, the natural bitter constituents of the Kapok fiber are anti-bacterial and anti-microbial. Therefore, there is no need for the use of chemical pesticides or any other human intervention on its cultivation process.
Although, there is no 100% Kapok fabric as it is not sustainable for that. The solution is to blend it with other materials like cotton, saving a great amount of water.
