Prada's new Nat Geo series highlights its Re-Nylon line; while the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jeans Redesign Guidelines aim to ensure jeans are made better for the environment and the health of garment workers.
Web series from Prada, Nat Geo shows ‘What We Carry’ re responsible consumption around the world
Image credit: Prada
In June, luxury fashion brand Prada announced its
commitment
to using only recycled nylon by 2021. It has started making good on its promise
with its new line of Re-Nylon bags, made from Aquafil’s upcycled ECONYL®
fabric — and is sharing the story of its sourcing via a new web series,
co-produced with National
Geographic and
spanning five continents, which shows viewers the path toward establishing a
cyclical, renewable supply chain.
“What We Carry” features Prada reporters, global activists/influencers and Nat
Geo explorers. In the first episode, actor and activist Bonnie Wright and creative
conservationist Asher Jay explore an Aquafil carpet-recycling factory in
Phoenix, Arizona, and witness a circular economy in action:
The second episode takes South Sudanese-Australian model and Prada reporter
Adut Akech Bior, and National Geographic Explorer and Freshwater
Conservationist Joe Cutler, to Cameroon’s Lake Ossa. One of the
country’s largest lakes, Ossa provides the surrounding communities with water
while serving as a natural habitat for numerous species. Over the years,
however, hundreds of discarded fishing nets and other waste have led to a
clogged ecosystem. Now, the neighboring communities are working with
Net-Works
to recover the nets from Lake Ossa to be resold, recycled, de-polymerized, and
transformed into new ECONYL nylon for Prada’s Re-Nylon bag collection.
Play this Game to Eliminate 80% of Ocean Plastic Leakage by 2040!
Join us as rePurpose Global co-founder Aditya Siroya leads us through a fun and interactive game exploring the complexities of the global plastic waste crisis and a range of factors in crafting effective solutions — Friday, May 10, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
Stay tuned for more
episodes throughout
the summer.
Make Fashion Circular out to redesign jeans
Image credit: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
After partnering with New York City earlier this year to help save the
metropolis’ clothes from languishing in
landfills,
the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative is now out
to transform the way jeans are produced — by cutting out waste, pollution and
the use of harmful practices
The new Jeans Redesign
Guidelines
set out minimum requirements for brands and manufacturers on garment
durability,
material
health,
recyclability
and
traceability.
Based on circular principles, the guidelines will work to ensure that
next-generations jeans last longer, can easily be recycled, and are made in a
way that is better for the environment and the health of garment workers. The
Jeans Redesign brought together more than 40 denim experts from academia,
brands, retailers, manufacturers, collectors, sorters, and NGOs, to develop the
Guidelines.
Confirmed participants to date include Arvind Limited,
Bestseller
(through the Vero Moda brand), Boyish Jeans, C&A,
GAP,
Hirdaramani, H&M Group (through the H&M and Weekday brands),
HNST, Kipas, Lee®, Mud
Jeans,
OUTERKNOWN,
Reformation, Sai-Tex,
Tommy Hilfiger. The Guidelines have been endorsed by clothing collectors and
recyclers Bank and Vogue, Circular Systems,
EVRNU,
HKRITA,
I:CO, Infinited Fiber Company, Lenzing, Recover, re:newcell,
Texaid, Tyton Biosciences LLC, Wolkat and Worn Again They have also been
endorsed by the NGOs Fashion Revolution and Textile Exchange.
The Guidelines build on existing efforts to improve jeans production, including
the open-source guide created following C&A and Fashion for Good’s joint
initiative to develop C2C Gold Certified™
jeans.
The Jeans Redesign will drive others to join the project and produce jeans in
line with the Guidelines at scale. The first pairs of the redesigned jeans will
be on sale in 2020.
"The way we produce jeans is causing huge problems with waste and pollution, but
it doesn’t have to be this way. By working together, we can create jeans that
last longer, that can be remade into new jeans at the end of their use, and are
made in ways which are better for the environment and the people that make
them,” said Francois Souchet, Lead at Make Fashion Circular. “This is just
the start. Over time we will continue to drive momentum towards a thriving
fashion industry, based on the principles of a circular economy."
The Guidelines
The respect of the health, safety, and rights of people involved in all parts of
the fashion industry is a prerequisite, along with working conditions
improvement in manufacturing globally. Beyond this, the Guidelines provide
minimum requirements for jeans on durability, material health, recyclability and
traceability:
Durability
-
Jeans should withstand a minimum of 30 home laundries, while still meeting
the minimum quality requirements of the brands
-
Garments should include labels with clear information on product care
Material Health
-
Jeans should be produced using cellulose fibers from regenerative, organic
or transitional farming methods
-
Jeans should be free of hazardous chemicals and conventional electroplating.
Stone finishing, potassium permanganate and sandblasting are
prohibited
Recyclability
-
Jeans should be made with a minimum of 98 percent cellulose fibers (by
weight)
-
Metal rivets should be designed out, or reduced to a minimum
-
Any additional material added to the jeans should be easy to disassemble
Traceability
-
Information that confirms each element of the Guideline requirements has
been met should be made easily available
-
Organizations that meet the requirements will be granted permission to use
the Jeans Redesign Logo on jeans produced in line with the Guidelines
-
Jeans Redesign Logo use will be reassessed annually, based on compliance
with reporting requirements
Published Jul 29, 2019 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
Sustainable Brands Staff