At the beginning of the year, quite a few sustainability initiatives
were announced. From brands, retailers to manufacturers, everyone wants to
be in on circularity, recycling and in general, running one’s business more
responsibly. It is heartening to see sportswear brands taking the lead and
presenting recyclable and eco friendly sneakers and other products.
FashionUnited has put together 23 such efforts that were announced in the
first four months of the year 2019.
Brands & Retailers
Monki
H&M brand Monki announced a sustainable swimwear line made from
recycled polyester and recycled polyamide in April. The brand promised a
retro-inspired collection, marked by shoulder frills, cut out details,
leopard prints, citrus fruit prints and golden beige hues.
American brand Ralph Lauren announced its newest style in its Ralph
Lauren Polo line in April, aptly called the Earth Polo and crafted from
thread derived entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Each shirt is also
dyed in a way that it does not use any water.
Swedish multinational retailer H&M Group has started trying out sales of
second-hand and vintage clothing online in April this year, as part of its
commitment to increasing sustainability initiatives. The company launched a
test for second-hand e-commerce on the Swedish website of its
brand.
Adidas
Global sportswear brand Adidas has strengthened its commitment to
tackling plastic waste with the unveiling of Futurecraft.Loop in April
2019, its first 100 percent recyclable performance running shoe.
Futurecraft.Loop is Adidas’s first running shoe that is made to be remade.
Japanese multinational Asics that produces footwear and sports
equipment, announced plans at the end of January to use recycled clothing
to make the official uniforms for the Japanese Olympic and Paralympic teams
at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. This initiative was a contribution
towards a sustainable society in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals and its target to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030.
Reformation, the American sustainable, vertically-integrated women’s
clothing brand, launched an innovative new campaign called Carbon is
Canceled in February 2019. The campaign uses retail credits to incentivize
consumers to opt for renewable energy options in their homes.
British online retailer Savile Row joined the war on plastic as it
announced 100 percent recyclable and compostable packaging for its shirts
in March. For online orders, there are 100 percent recyclable paper bags
made from potato starch in a bid to reduce the company’s carbon
footprint.
American footwear brand Sperry launched an ongoing sustainability
project called “Look Good, Do Good” in March. The initiative brings
together a new collection of shoes made from recycled plastic with an
education program on reducing the use of plastic.
Businesswire
American footwear and orthopedic foot care brand Dr. Scholl’s announced
in April that the company was investing in sustainable, eco-conscious
designs to create environmentally lower-impact shoes. The brand is taking a
step towards making shoes using eco-conscious materials, finding ways to
reduce packaging, and choosing sustainable processes when
possible.
Cooperations
website
Together with various partners, the United Nations launched the UN
Alliance for Sustainable Fashion at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi,
Kenya in March 2019. The Alliance seeks to halt the environmentally and
socially destructive practices of fashion, pointing to the fact that the
fashion industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible
for 8-10 percent of global carbon emissions – more than all international
flights and maritime shipping combined.
Spanish fast fashion giant Inditex (Zara, Pull & Bear, Bershka,
Stradivarius) announced a multi-year agreement with the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in March to conduct joint research on
sustainability and recycling of textile materials, as well as new lines of
research related to data analysis.
Austrian fiber manufacturer Lenzing and Belgian chemical group Solvay
announced their partnership in March 2019 to launch a new sustainable
fabric combining Tencel’s lyocell fibers and Amni Soul Eco, a biodegradable
polyamide.
Education, Companies & Fairs
Norway
At the Ispo Munich 2019 fair held in February, it was evident that the
sportswear industry was getting serious about sustainability, and more and
more brands were pushing the hot topic to the top of their agenda. Ispo
Munich offered exhibitors and visitors the best of winter weather this
year, with heavy snow creating a white winter landscape.
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fashion
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future holds for fashion according to Pure London
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denim centre
Photo: Adidas
