S.Cafe Odor Control — Scientifically Better

Singtex is one of our long-time partners, and a pioneer in the development and milling of sustainable performance yarns and fabrics. We use S.Cafe, one of their proprietary processes to create coffee-derived sustainable materials. S.Cafe is a collection of odor-controlling, moisture-wicking, waterproof and insulative fabrics created using coffee grounds and recycled polyester. You can watch a video explanation of the process here: Ministry of Supply - S.Cafe - How it's made.

We use all applications of the S.Cafe process in our garments:

S.Cafe Recycled Polyester in the Responsive Tee and Atlas Socks
S.Cafe Eco2sy Insulation in the Mercury Intelligent Heated Jacket
S.Cafe Airnest Waterproof Membranes in the Mercury Intelligent Heated Jacket
S.Cafe Silver Nylon in the Labs Active Shorts

How We Make It.

1. Collection of Coffee Grounds:

Singtex collects used coffee grounds from Starbucks in Taiwan for processing, which are then further ground to fine particles for processing.

2. Processing Coffee Oil:

The coffee grounds undergo a pharmaceutical-grade process to separate out the coffee oil (which gives coffee its flavor and aroma). The coffee bean structure is made of organic compounds which attract odor molecules.

3. Creating the Master Batch:

Chips of recycled plastic bottles are melted into the cleaned coffee grounds and extruded into pellets. This “master batch” will be used for extrusion into S.Cafe yarns and insulation.

One Process, Four Sustainable Performance Materials.

The finished master batch and separated oils are subsequently used to create the necessary materials:

1. S.Cafe Recycled Polyester Yarn

The S.Cafe yarn is extruded from the master batch to be used in Responsive Shirts and Atlas Socks (The EcoSy insulation in the Mercury jacket is also made this way). The coffee absorbs odor molecules in a way that obscures odor until they can be washed out. The yarn controls odor 3x better than cotton when using the ASTM D5742 Butane Activity Test.

2. S.Cafe Silver Nylon

A nylon variant of the S.Cafe yarn is coated with silver at an atomic level and used for anti-microbial growth. The presence of silver-ions inhibits the growth of bacteria.

3. S.Cafe Airnest Waterproof-Breathable Membrane

The separated coffee oil is re-polymerized into polyurethane, which is used as the water-proof membrane in the Mercury Jacket. This displaces the need for petroleum-based polyurethane by turning to a renewable oil source.

4. S.Cafe Eco2Sy Down-Free Insulation

S.Cafe yarn can be drawn into a lofted insulation that functions as a down-alternative with best-in-class warmth-to-weight ratios.