The fight against marine pollution is a major ecological challenge, raising the question of how to recycle the waste that collects on beaches and oceans. The fashion industry is working on its own solutions by giving new life to plastic waste and fishing nets that harm ecosystems and contribute to climate change. From swimsuits to sneakers to eyewear, a variety of clothing and accessories are now being made from marine waste. According to recent estimates by US researchers, there are about 170,000 billion pieces of plastic floating on the surface of the oceans. Published in March in the journal PLOS One, their findings estimate the total weight of this marine pollution generated over the past 15 years at 2.3 million tonnes. This is a serious environmental disaster for the fauna and flora living in these great waters, but also a major challenge in the fight against climate change.
Although solutions are slowly being put in place, such as the use of cleaning robots specializing in aquatic surfaces, these are not yet sufficient to deal with marine waste. One of the questions that may arise is what to do with the waste collected, whether by robots or by human hands. This is a problem the fashion industry is trying to tackle through upcycling, which involves giving added value to unwanted items, typically by turning them into new clothing. This practice helps to clean beaches and oceans without using new polluting substances.
Raising awareness of marine pollution
Back in 2014, Pharrell Williams, creative director and brand ambassador for Bionic Yarn, collaborated with G-Star to design the Raw for the Oceans collection, made entirely from textile fibers created using plastic bottles collected from the ocean. Joined the army together. The aim was, of course, to contribute to cleaning the oceans and reusing the waste collected there, but it was also about raising public awareness of marine pollution. In 2015, the adidas brand and environmental NGO Parley for the Oceans also took up a challenge, in collaboration with which clothing and footwear designed from polyester fibers made from this waste have also been produced. According to the Three-Stripes brand, this long-term partnership has already “helped keep over 1,500 tons of plastic waste out of the oceans.”
The catwalk has also contributed. In 2019, the Schuyler de Waal label, in partnership with the PickPick environment NGO, stood out by staging a zero-waste fashion show. Away from the usual glamor of Fashion Week, the designers decided to take their models on a waste-picking expedition to the heart of Paris to present their collection, which has been designed from scrap fabrics and salvaged materials. While the idea sounds bizarre, it was intended to draw attention to the thousands of tons of plastic emitted by the fashion industry and ending up in the oceans each year. These initiatives designed to raise awareness have not gone unnoticed and have paved the way for an entire industry.
ocean born fiber
Companies have taken up the issue with a twofold objective: cleaning up the oceans while offering the fashion industry renewable raw materials that are far less polluting. This is the case of the Italian and Spanish companies Aquafil and Sequel Initiative, which have developed the most famous fibers of the types currently on the market, respectively Econyl and Sequel, both made through the transformation of marine waste of all kinds. Today, many ready-to-wear brands use these materials to create clothing, swimwear, and accessories that are much more respectful of the environment. And, to some extent, they also contribute to the cleaning of the seas and oceans.
Les Poulettes Fitness sportswear, Coco Frio and Icone lingerie swimwear, WestendSea T-shirts and sweatshirts, and Ankore ethical fashion are among ready-to-wear pieces now made entirely or partially from one of these two innovative and responsible fibers are made. All of which offer a way to take action against marine plastic pollution while providing significant added value to one of the world’s most polluting industries.
plastic trash or fishing net
Elsewhere in the industry, others are now working on their own initiatives. Founded by Spanish entrepreneur Javier Goyeneche, the Ecoalf brand has created a foundation of the same name that aims to promote the collection of marine waste. In partnership with the fishing industry, it is now working to liberate fishing nets and plastic fragments from the Mediterranean, to turn them into recycled nylon and polyester, then into clothing and accessories. According to the company, the initiative has already allowed the recovery of 1,000 tonnes of marine waste since 2015. A drop in the ocean compared to the 2.3 million tonnes of plastic waste currently floating in the ocean, but all of these actions combined could contribute to cleaning up the oceans.
Created in late 2020, the Les Alcyonides swimwear brand also works in this sense, except it fights ocean plastic by focusing on discarded fishing nets. The latter are collected at sea by volunteer divers from the Healthy Seas Federation, and then handed over to the brand’s supplier who recycles them into nylon to give rise to swimsuits, which can then be recycled. Circular economy in all its glory. For its part, Sea2See offers glasses and watches made from recycled marine plastics collected through partnerships with fishing communities in Europe and Africa. In Ghana, for example, 20 fishing areas participate in the brand’s program, collecting thousands of kilos of waste each year.
These many initiatives show that the fashion industry is keenly involved in conserving the environment and especially the oceans, a major ecological issue that cannot be ignored. Through new sustainable and innovative collections, clothing companies are increasingly showing that waste today can represent a valuable and plentiful resource for the future.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)