World famous for its emblem motto “because there is no planet B”, Ecoalf is one of the pioneering Spanish brands in integrating sustainability in its DNA. More than a decade ago, Javier Goyeneche He envisioned a project that would leave a better planet for the following generations and found in fashion an opportunity for change and innovation. After years of efforts, it has developed more than 600 recycled fabrics, single-material garments and projects such as “Upcycling the Oceans”today is a reference in the sustainable textile industry. Its model is constantly validated by various certifications and awards, including the Adefam 2026.
How do you balance commercial sales with the “consume less but better” mantra?
We believe that growth cannot be measured solely in volume. We focus on ensuring that our products have the greatest durability in the life cycle so that, once this life cycle ends, they can be recycled again. Quite the opposite of the current “buy-shot” system that only generates more garbage. The key is to buy less, but better, clothing.quality that will last you longer. The real challenge when faced with fibers that end up in landfills is to understand that when different types of fibers are mixed, for example, cotton with elastane, it is impossible to recycle. That’s why we opt for single-material design, from coats and jackets made with 100% recycled polyester to cotton t-shirts and sweatshirts. Our collections are almost 80% made of a single material. This is the most realistic way to encourage circularity.
Is Ecoalf planning to migrate its entire cotton line to regenerative agriculture?
While we have always worked to reduce our impact, with regenerative agriculture we can go one step further: giving back to the Earth more than we have taken from it. This practice involves training farmers and helping them adopt new farming practices with technologies that revitalize the land and its ability to retain water.
Last year we launched our first collection made with regenerative cotton with a small capsule of t-shirts. This year, we have expanded it with dresses and even with a 100% single-material denim collection, “Denim for the Planet”. Quite a challenge, since jeans are, historically, one of the most polluting garments due to the amount of water used for cotton, as well as the use of elastane and synthetic threads.
How does the customer know how much a garment consumes?
Transparency cannot depend on what the brand says; It has to be supported by data accessible to the consumer. That is why we work with digital tools and incorporate QR in each garment where the client can see the real impact: water consumed, water saved, CO₂ emissions generated.
What is the real impact of “Upcycling the Oceans”?
The logistics of recycling, and in particular marine recycling, remain complex and expensive, although they have improved in recent years. The value of this idea comes from the sea and with the fishing community as a driving force and active part of the solution. More than 4,300 fishermen have already removed more than 2,100 tons of waste from the seabed in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Egypt. Marine litter today is not a scalable or economically competitive raw material on its own, so only by integrating citizens, industry and public organizations is it possible to address a problem of this magnitude. Its impact goes far beyond numbers and is difficult to quantify, but it has indisputable value.
How does a Spanish sustainable product stand out in markets like Tokyo or Milan?
Our firm has tried to be very honest since its inception. In 2009 we put all our efforts into creating a new generation of recycled products with the same quality and design as the best non-recycled products. When you reach cities with this level of reach, the message is not enough: design, quality and innovation have to go even higher. You can have the best story, but if the product is no good, there is no future.
Outside of Spain, especially in some Asian or northern European markets, there is perhaps greater maturity when it comes to understanding that true sustainable luxury has to do with impact, with traceability, with doing things well and differently. In Spain we are making great progress, but historically the concept of luxury has been more linked to the aspirational or the aesthetic. Although there are more and more people who understand what we do and why we do it and support us.