Flax – the “green” product
Linen comes from the flax plant, which has grown for thousands of years. Flax, by nature is a “Green” product. The plant itself has inherent ecological properties since all parts of the plant are used and they are 100% biodegradable or recyclable. The flax plant is gentle on the land and is easy to incorporate into crop rotation cycles. Flax is one of the few crops still grown in Western Europe. This area has the perfect climate conditions. No irrigation, other than rainfall, is needed to grow flax. Flax seed is a high nutrition food, due to its high content of alpha omega-3 fatty acid, and is used as a base for a fine flour used in medical compresses. Linseed oil, a byproduct of the flax seed, is used as a component in paints, cosmetics and in linoleum flooring. Flax fibers are also used in insulation and packaging as well as fiber board and bank notes. But flax is best known as the source of beautiful linen fabric.
Centuries of comfort and beauty
Linen is a crisp and comfortable fabric. It is strong and durable, yet has a soft hand. The more it is used the softer and stronger it becomes. It has been a staple for table linens and bedding for hundreds of years. The color tone of natural linen comes from nature itself. The harvested plants are spread in the fields for a few weeks and are exposed to the elements. This exposure imparts the lovely golden tone to the fibers. Linen launders beautifully and is non-allergenic. Linen can absorb up to 20% of its weight in moisture before it feels damp-think linen dish towels in your kitchen. The varying thickness of the fibers provides a variety of textures available in linens for upholstery use. Quality linens that are produced with strict regulations, both socially and environmentally, carry the Belgian Linen trademark. This trademark assures the consumer of the best practices for the production of linen as well as the source of the fibers. 85% of the flax fiber must be of Belgian origin in order to carry the trademark. Linen fabric is not inexpensive, but the beauty of the fabric, coupled with its ecological benefits makes it a choice worth considering.
