Turning Ocean Plastic into Fashion 1) H&M has announced the launch of its 2017 Conscious Exclusive collection, which is produced from sustainable materials that includes polyester made of recycled plastics from shoreline waste. 2) The fashion industry is the second-biggest industry in the world. Fast-fashion retailers in particular have been targets of increased criticism regarding the production of large quantities of disposable clothing that can be wasteful and harmful to the environment. 3) An interesting materials innovation is the use of polyester made from plastic bottles, especially those recovered from oceans, in order to create apparel and footwear. Brands that have been incorporating recycled polyester made from plastic waste in their products include H&M, Adidas, Patagonia and G-Star RAW. These companies have also pledged to continue to progressively increase the usage of recycled and sustainable materials in their collections. 4) Cynics may view the initiatives as brand image enhancement and marketing tactics. However, the above brands have demonstrated that it is possible to combine style with sustainability, and create very attractive, commercially viable products from recycled materials. Furthermore, their efforts continue to draw consumer attention toward the cause of environmentalism. 1
Source: Hm.com H&M recently announced the launch of its 2017 Conscious Exclusive collection. Every piece is made out of sustainable materials, including polyester made of recycled plastics from shoreline waste. The collection will be available in 160 H&M stores worldwide and online from April 20, 2017. The premium collection includes pieces to be worn for special occasions, including gowns, dresses and tuxedos, and accessories including bags and earrings made from recycled glass and plastic. The 2017 Conscious Exclusive collection also includes men s and children s pieces. Approximately 26% of H&M s product offering is currently produced from sustainable materials, and the company aims to increase this share progressively over time. H&M Foundation also sponsors the annual Global Change Award, calling for gamechanging ideas that can help reinvent the industry. In 2016, one of the five-mostpromising innovations was a process to extract cellulose in cow manure to create a biodegradable textile and a compostable nylon. In addition to H&M, the following companies can be considered early pioneers of the sustainable and environmentally-friendly movement through recycled plastic waste product integration. 2
Adidas In collaboration with environmental group Parley for the Oceans, Adidas unveiled the first mass-produced running shoe with an upper made of 95% recycled ocean plastic. The 7,000 pairs of limited-edition shoes sold out in 24 hours in November 2016. The rest of the shoe was made from largely recycled polyester. Source: Adidas.com Adidas has a goal to make 1 million pairs of footwear using plastic in 2017, equivalent to at least 11 million recycled bottles retrieved from coastal areas. The company also produced soccer jerseys made out of recycled plastic that were worn by the Real Madrid football team. The athletic performance jerseys were the first ever to be made completely from recycled ocean waste. The company also made clothing hangers out of recycled ocean plastic that are featured in its flagship store in Manhattan. Source: News.adidas.com Following the successful launch of the ocean-plastic sneakers, Adidas has created a swimwear collection made out of upcycled fishing nets and ocean debris, again in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. Ocean plastic can be converted into a technical yarn fiber Econyl that offers the same properties as regular nylon. 3
Patagonia Source: Patagonia.com US-based outdoor and active sportswear brand Patagonia has also created an apparel collection called Re\\\collection using mostly recycled materials. The collection contains 10 styles made out of 100% recycled down, 100% recycled wool and 100% recycled polyester made from fiber created from used plastic bottles, unusable manufacturing waste and worn-out garments. Patagonia has been an early pioneer in apparel production made out of recycled materials. The company made the first fleece from recycled plastic bottles destined for the landfill in 1993. G-Star RAW Source: G-star.com Dutch denim apparel company G-Star RAW and its co-owner musician Pharrell Williams launched four capsule apparel collections, including denim garments, made using recycled ocean plastic with the environmental organization Parley for the Oceans. The first collection was launched in August 2014 and, over the last few years, approximately 10 tons of plastic were used to produce several collections, including an estimated 2 million plastic bottles. The brand is expanding sustainable material usage to its entire collection. 4
Deborah Weinswig, CPA Managing Director Fung Global Retail & Technology New York: 917.655.6790 Hong Kong: 852.6119.1779 China: 86.186.1420.3016 deborahweinswig@fung1937.com Eva Kubicka Senior Research Associate Hong Kong: 8th Floor, LiFung Tower 888 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel: 852 2300 4406 London: 242 246 Marylebone Road London, NW1 6JQ United Kingdom Tel: 44 (0)20 7616 8988 New York: 1359 Broadway, 9th Floor New York, NY 10018 Tel: 646 839 7017 FungGlobalRetailTech.com 5