February was mixed and maybe a bit frustrating when it comes to sustainability in the fashion industry: while initiatives were joined and efforts made to become more circular, the industry is struggling with its legacy: huge mountains of textiles in Ghana, for example, or consumers who pay more attention to the price than to sustainable products. In addition, the tripling (!) of used clothing exports from the EU is causing problems in Africa and Asia.
However, there were also positive things to report in terms of cooperation: Puma joined the Zero100 climate initiative, PVH joined the “Fiber-to-Fiber” textile consortium, H&M and the recycling company Remondis founded a joint venture for recycling old clothes, Marc O’ Polo partnered with Circular Fashion and Gucci opened a luxury circular fashion center in Italy.
There was also a lot happening on the material side: The Austrian fiber manufacturer Lenzing and NFW presented a sustainable leather alternative, a plastic-eating enzyme could tackle polyester clothing waste, plastic from Indian garbage collectors became millions of buttons and Filippa K teamed up with Lenzing, Södra and Riopele teamed up to develop a “revolutionary” recycled material. This article debunked myths surrounding leather and vegan alternatives.
Brands weren’t lazy either – these four Dutch labels, for example, are fully committed to the circular economy. However, care should be taken when upcycling as this can be restricted by intellectual property rights.