In a previous post we looked at an exhibition about plastic with a section about reinventing plastic-based materials and recycling them. Reusing or repurposing materials is the key to prevent waste and address climate change.
Yesterday the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group III, actually released their latest report (Climate Change 2022: Mitigation) about the impacts of the global climate crisis. The report looks at the consequences of inaction and analyses ways to mitigate impacts.
The fashion industry is not directly mentioned in the report, but the document highlights the importance of plant-based materials and bio-textiles and their mitigating potential. The role of next-gen materials derived from virgin or waste/byproduct plant matter (fungi and algae inputs are included in this category, even though they are not plants) is also highlighted in the report by the nonprofit Material Innovation Initiative. The problem is that progress towards meaningful climate action is not happening fast enough.
Fashion-wise there are designers and brands focusing their attention on products made with recycled materials: J. Crew, recently announced a $100,000 donation to charity Lonely Whale, and launched a swimwear collection, including bikinis and rash guards, made with ECONYL®, a 100% regenerated nylon yarn crafted with fishing nets pulled from the ocean and other recycled materials, while the polyester for the linings is made from recycled plastic bottles, yarns and fabric scraps.
A fashion collection or capsule of products made from recycled materials is good, but does not represent the final solution to the problem, but there are other interesting initiatives that may bring more definitive changes.
As you may remember from a previous post, in 2020 Tom Ford partnered with Lonely Whale to launch the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize. This two-year competition focused on creating scalable and biologically degradable alternatives to thin-film plastic polybags. Winners will be announced in Spring 2023 and will then receive support from various partners in the following years to achieve market adoption of their product by 2025.
In the meantime, the eight finalists were announced at the end of March: in accordance with the core judging criteria, all the solutions are biodegradable at end-of-life, they must meet industry standard performance specifications, must be scalable and cost competitive with traditional thin-film plastics.
Canadian biotechnology company Genecis reprograms bacteria to make premium materials from low-value organic waste; Lwanda Biotech is a Kenyan-based social enterprise that, while working on gender equity by recruiting more women, addresses both community-level plastic pollution and agricultural waste through development of alternatives to thin-film plastic packaging. Xampla is a University of Cambridge spinout inspired by the strength of spider silk, turning proteins from common plant sources like peas, into high-performance plastic-alternative materials.
Quite a few companies are working to develop alternative solutions from aquatic plants and seaweed has been identified by many as the preferable material. Reykjavík-based start-up Marea for example leverages sustainable local algae streams to create a replicable model for thin-film biodegrade alternatives; Bath-based sustainable biotech company Kelpi uses the properties of seaweed to create compostable, marine-safe, low-carbon bioplastic packaging; London-based start-up Notpla pioneers natural-membrane packaging that uses seaweed as an alternative to single-use plastic, while American Sway offers seaweed-based, home-compostable replacements for thin-film plastic packaging and Indian Zerocircle makes wildlife and ocean-safe packaging materials from locally cultivated seaweed that will dissolve harmlessly in the ocean after use.
All the finalists will now enter a year-long material testing phase sponsored by Nike and selected brands, among the others J. Crew and Tom Ford Beauty, will test the solution in their supply chains to ensure immediate replacement of existing non-recyclable polybags.
This phase includes field testing in Caribbean waters, in-lab testing led by the New Materials Institute at the University of Georgia, and field testing in Pacific Northwest waters led by the Seattle Aquarium. The Aquarium will also lead a bespoke, first-of-its-kind laboratory-based modeling designed to approximate the effect of the materials on the health and well-being of marine mammals.
"Over 900 species of marine animals are known to have ingested plastic, and this number continues to grow. Ingestion is fatal nearly 25% of the time for whales," states Dr. Erin Meyer of the Seattle Aquarium. "By modeling what might happen if these alternative materials were to be ingested by a gray whale, we can begin to understand whether these mammals will face the same fate if they ingest these new materials."
Designer Tom Ford hopes the competition will genuinely change things. "What we accomplish together through this competition will catalyze global change across continents, countries and industries, which is urgently needed to address plastic pollution," he states in a press release. "If the ocean is polluted and in danger, then so is the planet and so are we. The impact these brilliant minds and their creations will have on our planet is monumental, bringing us their innovative solutions to making the environment a safer place for generations to come."
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