the confluent flow
sustainable fabrics + natural dyes + made in USA = confluent goods
the confluent flow
We design and make plastic-free outdoor goods that help you enjoy the incredible places on our planet. It begins with high-quality, sustainable fabrics that are crafted into products with purpose. We ship directly to you, with recycled biodegradable packaging (that you can reuse, recycle, or compost). Nothing to toss in the trash.
fabrics

flax linen: there's a reason for flax linen's extensive role and history in textiles. It is strong, absorbent, thermoregulating, biodegradable, and antimicrobial. Growing flax linen requires less fertilizers, pesticides, and water than conventional cotton. Like lyocell, it is antibacterial, so it doesn't get funky like poly, nylon, or cotton, and can be washed less. It is also quick drying, so it requires much less time in the dryer or can be hung to dry. Our OEKO-TEX 100 certified flax linen is grown in Belgium and France, and woven into fabric in Lithuania. We use flax linen in the flaxtowel.

hemp: strong, absorbent, quick-drying, antibacterial, uv resistant; the list goes on and on. The hemp plant produces a truly amazing fiber, and its cultivation is easy on the earth's resources. Our hemp is grown in mountains of northern China, and woven into fabric in a Fair Wear Foundation member manufacturer. Our goal is to source USA grown hemp once it becomes readily available. We use hemp in the hempocell towel.

lyocell: a natural man-made fiber from sustainably harvested eucalyptus trees, which require no pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation to grow. It is ultra absorbent, quick-drying, and biodegradable. The nearly closed-loop process to create the fiber uses an organic solvent and water, of which 99% is recovered and reused. The resulting fiber is white and ready for dying without any additional chemical treatment. The process to make lyocell fiber for fabric requires 95% less water than conventional cotton. During use, lyocell is less prone to bacterial growth than polyester, nylon, or even cotton. Thus, it needs to be washed less, and can be hung to dry (or quickly in a dryer). We use lyocell in the eutowel and hemptowel.

organic cotton: All agriculture requires resources, but compared to conventional cotton, organic cotton requires less water, and does not use chemical pesticides or harsh fertilizers. Simply put, it is safer for the land, workers, and your skin. We use organic cotton thread all of our products, because it is biodegradable and better for the environment than polyester thread.
dyes

fruits and vegetables: Our dyes are made in-house from collected fruit and vegetable scraps that otherwise would go straight to compost or landfill. By capturing this waste stream, we avoid the use of chemical dyes or resources to grow natural dye products, and give these fruits and veggies another chance to show their colors. Certain fruits and vegetables have a high tannin content, which makes for colorfast dyes without the use of additional chemicals or metal salts. Healthy planet, healthy workers, healthy skin. The eutowel uses avocado seeds for the salmon color, and pomegranate and onion skins for the mustard color.