Sustainability Pulse #52
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — October 2nd, 2022
Plastic-free fashion is not as clean or green as it seems
We have all become more aware of the environmental impact of our clothing choices. The fashion industry has seen a rise in "green", "eco" and "sustainable" clothing. This includes an increase in the use of natural fibres, such as wool, hemp, and cotton, as synthetic fabrics, like polyester, acrylic and nylon, have been vilified by some.
Allbirds, NFW unveil plastic-free plant leather 'material first' for footwear
Eco apparel and footwear brand Allbirds in partnership with material innovation company Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) have debuted what is described as a 'material-first in footwear' - a plant leather that is 100% plastic-free and vegan.
Pivoting from tobacco waste to textiles, Circ puts a fresh spin on clothing recycling
Some clothing and shoe companies have begun to wake up to the problem, pledging that their lines will be made of increasing amounts of recycled materials. That's created an opening for materials companies like Circ, which uses a proprietary process to extract raw materials from discarded cotton and polyester.
The Fashion Kingdom, an Egyptian fashion e-commerce startup, raises $2.6M in seed funding
The Fashion Kingdom (TFK), an Egyptian e-commerce marketplace for fashion, beauty and home accessories items, announced today that it has raised $2.6 million in seed funding led by CVentures, a corporate venture capital firm based in Egypt. A15, an early-stage VC in the MENA region that has backed the likes of Esaal, Paymob and Helios Investment Partners subsidiary, TPay, made a follow-on investment, according to TFK.
Levi's Latest Ad Is a 'Plea' for Sustainability
The 'Buy Better, Wear Longer' ad tells the life story of a pair of jeans in 60 seconds. Let's be honest: Unless you're buying boots or a bespoke leather jacket, longevity is rarely an emphasis at the point of purchase — at least in fashion. How else is H&M or even Buck Mason going to make money? You buy something, like it and come back for more and more and more — that's the fashion brand business plan.
Generation Z members say they want sustainable clothes but buy fast fashion instead, research says
New research provides new insights into sustainable fashion shopping preferences by Generation Z.
Despite demand for sustainable fashion reaching £6.35 billion in 2019 and being forecast to reach £8.25 billion in 2023, the sector is still expanding considerably more slowly than other segments, such as the fast fashion market, which is worth $30.58 billion.
The key fashion pieces right now? Clothes you'll want to still wear (or sell on) in five years' time
Trends are so last season. As the resale clothes market booms, traditional styling is now leading the way over the quick fix.
Most Britons now making sustainable fashion choices - survey
Eco-conscious consumerism is on the rise in the UK, and that's not all good news for some retailers. While 77% of consumers admitted they are making more sustainable fashion choices, Britons are now finding alternatives to shopping on the high street, according to new research from fabric dyeing company Dylon Dyes.
Fashion tips: How to make your sustainable clothes more "sustainable"
Sustainable fashion is now not only a statement of responsibility, but also an expression of trendy style. People used to associate sustainable fashion with limited design, but those days are long gone.
Sustainable Fashion Begins with AI
Until recently, brands have had a top-down approach to sustainability, pushing out sweeping corporate initiatives and marketing products accordingly. But this is already a dated and ineffective way of thinking (especially if any real change is going to be made). What's now required—whether through regulation or an increasingly eco-conscious consumer base —is moving towards sustainability from the product on up.
Kourtney Kardashian's AWFUL clothing line with boohoo...
'There's no fashion on a dead planet': Safia Minney on saving the world with sustainability
Paula Burns talks to Safia Minney about her book Regenerative Fashion and how the industry can avert climate, ecological and social collapse.
Meet These 6 Entrepreneurs Embracing Sustainable Fashion
Have you also watched those HUGE try-on hauls where YouTubers try clothes after clothes? I am sure we all have been there. It is a part of the fast fashion trend currently booming in the industry. It is when we tend to wear items fewer times and discard them more quickly. It is everything opposite of what the sustainable fashion industry preaches- recycle, reuse & reduce
Webinar Sustainable Fashion: Impact of the new EU textile strategy
The European Commission has launched her long awaited new EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. This policy will have a big impact on fashion companies, and aims to create a greener, more competitive sector by changing the rules for production and consumption of textiles. It will introduce new design requirements, greenwashing regulation, rules to prevent overproduction and overconsumption and several other new initiatives that will definitely impact your business as a fashion company.
This is why can't we stop buying new clothes – even during a cost of living crisis
Despite the immense rise in the cost of living, some of us may be unable to curb our shopping habits.
Uncomplicating Sustainability and Ethics In The Fashion Industry
Fashion journalist Alyssa Hardy explores how we can take action and where that leads us next.
Deconstructing One Editor's Ambitions to Build a Mindful Fashion Week Wardrobe
Think novelty vintage and ethical production.
Why you need a 'wellbeing wardrobe'
People are buying more clothing than ever before in some countries, but it's not sustainable. Could a "wellbeing wardrobe" help?
Green jobs are outpacing the labor force: what this means for the planet
Initiatives like the Paris Agreement are changing global priorities and it's natural to expect jobs to shift significantly in the next few decades. Workers need to build green infrastructure. Architects need to reimagine old buildings to optimize for efficiency. Companies need to reallocate jobs currently based on fossil fuels.
These all sound like significant initiatives, but these jobs are opening up at an unprecedented pace – some say too fast to keep up. So what will this shift in the labor force do for the planet, and how do we fill positions?
Governor Hochul Announces $10 Million in Funding for Fashion Innovation Center During New York Fashion Week
Empire State Development will spearhead the creation of a consortium-led FIC, utilizing expertise from New York State universities, farms, fashion industry leaders, and non-profit organizations.
'WORN OUT' TELLS THE STORY OF FAST FASHION'S FALL FROM GRACE
Former "InStyle" and Teen Vogue editor Alyssa Hardy spares no detail in her new book that reveals the dark underbelly of our current clothing binge.
Does fashion month make you want to 'quiet quit'?
Many in fashion feel overworked and underpaid, but experts say 'quiet quitting' isn't really the answer. Instead, employers should create clearly defined boundaries and develop supportive policies.
The Swansea sustainable fashion start-up featured in London Fashion Week
Barefoot Tech sells accessories made from old, unused wetsuits destined for landfill
FOOTWEAR BRAND CAMPER GETS B CORP CERTIFIED
Spanish footwear brand Camper just announced that it’s now recognized as a Certified B Corporation, the ultimate marker of sustainability.
Founded back in 1975, the brand has continued its commitment to create lasting, more responsible footwear through 150 years of craftsmanship and conscious design.
HURR Becomes First Fashion Rental Platform to Achieve B Corp Certificate
Essentially, a B Corp certification means that a business is demonstrating that it's "meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials," according to the B Corp website.
Clothing Wholesaler Agrees to Plead Guilty to Violating U.S. Drug Trafficking Sanctions and Committing $6.4 Million Customs Fraud
According to court documents, Ghacham Inc. imported clothing from China and submitted fraudulent invoices to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that undervalued the shipments, allowing it to avoid paying the full amount of tariffs owed on the imports.
Alyssa Hardy on Greenwashing, Garment Worker Rights, and Her New Book Worn Out
Alyssa Hardy has spent her career reporting on the less glamorous side of the fashion industry, whether it’s the environmental impact of fast fashion or the fight for garment workers’ rights. With her first book, Worn Out: How Our Clothes Cover Up Fashion’s Sins, out today, she expands on those topics, writing about how overconsumption has driven a whole host of fashion crises.
3 cents per piece to hourly pay for CA garment workers: Will US follow?
The garment factory 9B Apparel in Huntington Park buzzes with the sound of needles stitching seams, as workers hunch over rows of machines to make jeans and denim jackets. They work hard, but unlike other garment workers, they’re earning minimum wage for every hour of their labor. While this might not be noteworthy in most industries, wage theft has long been the norm in the garment factories of Los Angeles.
Justice for global garment workers
The women who make our clothes are paid poverty wages in the supply chains of Canadian retailers and fashion brands. The Steelworkers Humanity Fund has released a major report showing that garment workers can barely afford the basic life necessities for their families. Poverty wages are the result of decisions made by Canadian companies and global brands.
Vera
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