‘Sustaina-cycle’ Fashion Brands Can Improve Our World
Image Source: InnovateNOW, LLC
By Alison Nottingham [4 minute read]
The World Economic Forum meets in Davos in the Swiss Mountains every year. This year is a bit of a different environment, literally. For the first time in years, the snow is “dwindling.” Not only is sustainability important for our planet, but it is important to our economy. Climate awareness has shown strong support from government officials, transportation, and business industries. For example, Climate Week took place in NYC September 2022, at the same time as the UN General Assembly meeting. Climate Week had full support from many businesses in a variety of sectors, but besides two fashion brands, there was a missed opportunity for more representation in NYC by the Fashion industry.
Image Source: World Economic Forum
So, the question is, “How can the fashion industry play it’s role in improving economics as well as our planet?” Many emerging clothing brands are betting on sustainability against “Fast Fashion.”
In fact, waste in general is highly widespread in the fashion industry. It's been known for quite some, globally, fashion is the second most polluting industry after the oil and gas sector. The production process, water usage, chemical dying, pollution, and greenhouse gasses all contribute to negative environmental impacts. Not to mention, the breakdown of micro-plastics from polyester are mixing with our water and air. According to the United States EPA, 85% of our textiles finish in landfills or dumps, and 60% of that isn’t recyclable. Although many of us may hold onto our clothes for years, even decades, once in the landfill, our discarded clothes will eventually decompose and release methane gas. With such strong detrimental environmental impacts, it seems very clear that fashion companies need to reinvent their business models.
Image Source: VEGEA Fashion
‘SUSTAINA-CYCLE’
Over the years, there has been a growing trend from fashion designers to tackle the clear environmental issues in their industry. One solution, which I will call ‘Sustaina-cycle’, incorporates materials derived from discarded foods into clothing garments, all in hopes of becoming more sustainable and earth-friendly. Sustaina-cycling includes discards from what could be two of your favorite things (I know they are some of mine). One example, VEGEA, is a fashion company that creates a 100% vegan substitute for leather products from bio-based polymers of wine byproduct. Or S.Cafe, which applies used coffee grounds to the surface of yarn filaments in order to improve their durability. Quite simply, these solutions are examples of fashion from food scrap.
WHY FOOD SCRAPS?
It’s shocking to learn that each year, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States nearing 40% of all food in America. This results from manufacturing and transportation issues, crop prices, or overstocking and uneaten food. But when we waste food, we are also wasting the water and energy needed for its growth, not to mention the fuels wasted that were needed for transportation and packaging. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, about 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food. This is a significant key to slowing global climate change. Although we will be fighting this environmental crisis for decades ahead of us, we can still navigate some changes and mitigate its detrimental effects.
Image Source: Joan Kong
WHAT CAN WE DO?
This is when Sustaina-cycling enters the fold and is exactly where the life partnership of brains and beauty can merge in an impactful way. As of August 13, 2022, Foodtank.com put a spotlight on 12 companies that were cycling food waste into fashion and other wearable goods. While this is only 12 companies, it’s a conscious start. More companies within the fashion industry (or industries as a whole) should focus more efforts on the circular economy, rather than straight lines to sales and customers. When businesses lead and build with a sense of purpose, their customers will become members of their community. Together, companies will become more sustainable and our world will become more sustainable.
About the Author: Alison Nottingham is the EVP of InnovateNOW, LLC and a Partner of Nottingham Unlimited Ventures. She has a Masters in Science and has previously worked for The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Cardiovascular Medicine.