Fashion for Good’s Post

How is DNA sequencing being used to revolutionise the dyeing industry? 🔬🌈 The dyeing industry is one of the largest water consumers in the world, using over 5 trillion litres annually* and relying on petrochemical dyes and toxic chemicals, which are often dumped into rivers and lakes, causing severe pollution. To address these environmental challenges, our innovator Colorifix uses DNA sequencing of nature's own colours to create sustainable dyes, reducing the use of water and harmful chemicals! Their process begins by identifying the desired colour from nature. They then construct the DNA sequence responsible for that pigment and introduce it into a Colorifix microbe. The microbe, using the new genetic instructions, produces the pigment naturally, and is cultivated in a fermentor. This mixture is then used to dye fabrics directly, requiring fewer rinses than synthetic dyes and eliminating the need for additional specialised equipment or toxic chemicals. This innovative dyeing process, not only avoids toxic chemicals and heavy metals but does so while reducing water consumption by 77% compared to conventional dyeing for polycotton! Learn more about the innovator’s story, technology, challenges and successes and see how the innovation is driving tangible change in the industry. Read the full interview with Colorifix at https://lnkd.in/eVnExvGV #innovation #sustainability #sustainablefashion #goodfashionjourney #dyeing #sustainabledyeing Video Credit: Colorifix *CORDIS. "Project 873840 Reporting." European Commission, 2023.

Congratulations to our innovator Samsara Eco for raising AUD$100/USD$65 million in Series A+ funding to help end plastic waste! 🍾👏 The funding will scale the innovator's enzymatic recycling capabilities, establishing new facilities to recycle millions of tonnes of plastic waste, including textiles and packaging, into tens of thousands of tonnes of monomers for brand-new products, creating a truly circular loop. “The ability to infinitely recycle plastic in an environmentally friendly way is a game changer for brands and our planet. Our enzymatic recycling technology makes it easy for brands in almost every industry to meet their sustainability and decarbonisation goals by creating a circular loop for plastics.” — Paul Riley, CEO and Founder of Samsara Eco Read more about the funding here: https://lnkd.in/gVQ_Twf8 #funding #innovation #SustainableTech #CircularDesign #sustainability #sustainablefashion #circularfashion

On June 25-26, Marisa Adler, our Sorting for Circularity USA co-lead, attended Innovation Forum’s Sustainable Apparel and Textiles USA Conference in New York 📣 Marissa participated in the panel discussion, "Industry-level infrastructure: How technology can help build industry-wide circularity at scale", where she provided comprehensive insights into several critical topics, such as the infrastructure for textile sorting and recycling, findings from the "Sorting for Circularity USA: A Commercial Assessment of Fibre-to-Fibre Recycling in the U.S." study, and fibre composition analysis. She also explained how municipal waste management operates in the U.S. and discussed recovery rates. Additionally, she emphasised the essential role of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and other supportive policies in financing these initiatives, outlining the necessary actions across short-, mid-, and long-term timelines to scale up these processes. Expressing optimism for the future, Marissa noted that acknowledging and addressing the existing challenges is crucial. She concluded by showcasing how FFG is achieving success through pre-competitive collaboration within the industry. Thank you Catie Ball, MBA from Innovation Forum, Sarah Coulter from Accelerating Circularity, and Carmen Gama from EILEEN FISHER, INC. for organising and being part of this insightful panel discussion. It was great to meet you in person! #FashionForGood #IFapparelUS24 #sustainability #circularfashion #textiles #conference #sustainablefashion #sustainablebusiness #sustainableinnovation

📣 New opportunity 📣 We're looking for a motivated Innovation Analyst - Raw Materials who will be part of the Fashion for Good Innovation Platform team in Amsterdam! This role will be responsible for scouting and evaluating new and existing raw material innovations (with a focus on biopolymers, footwear material innovation and leather alternatives) and supporting the Innovation Manager in project management and related activities. The ideal candidate combines strong interpersonal skills with a self-starting, proactive attitude. Key responsibilities for this position: ✳️ Scout, screen and evaluate raw materials start-ups/innovators based on Fashion for Good’s established due diligence framework as part of the evaluation process for the Innovation Programme with a focus on biopolymers, footwear material innovations and leather alternatives ✳️ Conduct due diligence assessments (technical, commercial, partnerships, funding, performance, pricing etc.) ✳️ Map and update the landscape of innovators (start-ups), to further strengthen our scouting database in the materials focus area ✳️ Assist Fashion for Good’s Innovation Manager in the creation of the deliverables outlined in the innovator’s roadmap to scale (i.e. technical feasibility, life cycle assessment, financial analysis: return on investments, impact analysis, project management, etc.) ✳️ Execute collaborative pilots and projects in given focus area (eg: identify project opportunity, scope project, define success criteria, performance requirements budget etc.) with support from Innovation Manager ✳️ Write reports describing findings and recommendations for follow up action ✳️ The Innovation Analyst plays a bridging function between innovators, FFG’s partners (brands, retailers and manufacturers), investors/financiers, and NGOs. They are also responsible for building and maintaining an active innovator alumni network ✳️ Continue to build Fashion for Good’s presence as a thought leader in the area of sustainable innovation in materials amongst other more through publication contributions. If this sounds like a good fit, apply now below! Know someone who'd be great for the role? Tag them in the comments 👇 https://lnkd.in/e2gMbe2u #fashionforgood #vacancy #hiring #sustainablefashion #rawmaterials

From June 25-26th, Georgia Parker, Frans Jooste, Hollie Stringer and Coline Morise from the Fashion for Good team visited Future Fabric Expo in London to connect with best-practice mills and suppliers of sustainably and responsibly produced textiles and materials 🤝🚀 The event showcased a number of material and dyestuff innovations from early to late stage. It was fantastic to see the evolution of some of the companies who a few years ago only had a small swatch, to showcasing whole garments. A few highlights from this event, including from the Impact Investor Day Fashion for Good hosted with Canopy, as well as the panels Georgia Parker and Frans Jooste participated in: ✅ Cross-brand alignment on fabric specs and product applications for next-gen materials would help move towards economies of scale. ✅ Talking the right ‘love language’ to different stakeholders, particularly within a brand, is key to getting them on board the next gen material train. ✅ There is capital looking for a home, but investors are cautious and have the upper hand in negotiations. Expect a very high bar for due diligence, and be able to demonstrate strong management, market demand and revenue diversification wherever possible. ✅ Regional infrastructure and ecosystems are key to scaling next-gen materials, which is what the Re:START alliance with Fashion for Good, Canopy, IDH, and Laudes Foundation aims to tackle. ✅ We have got to get creative on cost — how can we share the burden of additional premiums. Fashion for Good and Canopy’s next-gen transition initiative wants to leverage private and public funding to explore a volume-based fee related to material purchased. ✅ There is material out there — it exists. Let's commit. Thanks to our innovators — Modern Synthesis, Algreen Ltd. Epoch Biodesign, Balena, SEFF DyeRecycle — for their fabulous pitches and for AltMat SPINNOVA® Circ® Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. for being part of the FFG Booth. We left the Future Fabric Expo inspired to keep driving the industry toward the implementation and scaling of critical innovations. We enjoyed meeting people at our Next-Gen Booth with Canopy and thanks to The Sustainable Angle team -  Nina Marenzi, Fiona Fung, Valerie Langer Nicole Rycroft Karan K., Carol S., Theo Baker Christine Goulay, it was great to see everyone. Read our finance report "The Great Unlock” here: https://lnkd.in/eytxYr2Z #sustainability #sustainablefashion #innovation #event #nextgen #collaboration #futuretech

The EU-funded T-REX Project | Textile Recycling Excellence, of which Fashion for Good is a partner, is co-hosting a LinkedIn Live in collaboration with the SCIRT Project tomorrow! This session will be dedicated to the link between the projects and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) for textiles, that have been voted in favour by the European Parliament. The session is moderated by Kirsi Niinimaki, Associate Professor in Design, Research team leader of Fashion/Textile Futures Aalto University. Speakers from both projects will share their insights: Tom Duhoux, Research and Development in Circular Economy at VITO Simon Gryspeert, Lead Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Flanders DC Kasia Gorniak, Designer-researcher at Aalto University Join the conversation live here: https://lnkd.in/ec4wjJPz #sustainabiltiy #sustainablefashion #webinar #trex #SustainableProductsRegulation #ESPR

We are proud to support Sustainabelle Advisory Services and Christine Goulay with the official publication of their new report, "Next Gen to This Gen: Scaling Material Innovations in the Fashion Sector", supported by Kering and Laudes Foundation and knowledge partners, Fashion for Good and Biofabricate. The new report is based on a survey of 157 stakeholders and 62 expert interviews to capture comprehensive insights on the Next Gen material innovation landscape today, including diverse perspectives from innovators, brands, suppliers, investors, and support organisations. As the fashion industry stands at a crossroads, "Next Gen to This Gen: Scaling Material Innovations in the Fashion Sector" serves as a crucial guide for stakeholders committed to driving innovation uptake. Through the study, it is clear that the movement to Next Gen materials is a certainty. Why is Next Gen the next frontier? 1️⃣ Key drivers, including regulatory pressures, risks to traditional supply chain, consumer demand and ambitious impact targets, are propelling brands to embrace these materials with more urgency. 2️⃣ Lessons from climate tech sectors like solar and electric vehicles suggest a similar growth trajectory for Next Gen materials for fashion and show us the way to move forward. 3️⃣ Through coordinated action and leveraging the appropriate mechanisms, the fashion industry can effectively realise Next Gen material innovation today. Download the report at the link below or visit https://lnkd.in/gKKJhiqi https://lnkd.in/gyg-khEe #nextgen #materialinnovation #sustainableinnovation #sustainablefashion #sustainability #sustainabletech #futuretech #report #circularity  

Innovative Solutions for Paper-Coatings! 🧾 Our innovator traceless materials has joined forces with Mondi Group, a leader in the packaging and paper industry, to lead the way in a new era of planet-friendly innovations. This collaboration focuses on replacing traditional plastic coatings with our innovator’s traceless® material – bio-based films and coats that are home-compostable. This significant shift cuts down on fossil fuel usage and plastic waste, introducing a plastic-free, natural coating, that is also recyclable in existing paper recycling streams. "Together, we are ready to transform the paper coating industry by implementing our traceless® material coating alternative on a scale that only a company like Mondi can achieve. This is a major step towards a sustainable future where our material becomes a standard in everyday products." – Anne Lamp, CEO and Co-Founder of traceless materials Read more about the partnership here: https://lnkd.in/eJf2hicP #innovation #sustainability #partnership #InnovationforGood #SustainableSolutions

Traditional dyeing processes, while effective in producing vivid colours and intricate patterns, have long been marred by significant environmental drawbacks, including excessive water consumption and pollution. Dyeing and printing are the cornerstones of textile colouration, each serving distinct yet complementary roles. Dyeing is the process of uniformly applying colour to textile materials, such as fibres, yarns, and fabrics, typically using dyes that chemically bond with the substrate. Printing, on the other hand, is the precise application of colour in patterns and designs on fabric surfaces, often using pigments that adhere to the material's surface through a binder. Both techniques are essential for achieving the desired aesthetic and functional properties in textile products. This sector presents significant opportunities to reduce emissions and water use through improvements in material processing. One of the key drivers for this change is the shift from wet to mostly dry processing, which can almost eliminate water use and consume less energy. Fashion for Good innovators — including Colorifix, Nature Coatings, Living Ink , Grinp, NTX, Alchemie Technology Ltd, imogo AB, and Deven Supercriticals — have demonstrated potential reductions in water use, including savings of up to 83% in pre-treatment and 95% in dyeing. As the industry pivots towards alternative practices, innovative technologies are emerging, promising to revolutionise colouration in textiles. Stay tuned for an upcoming post where we'll dive deeper into the innovative solutions in dyeing and printing 🔜👀 Learn more about dyeing and printing at https://lnkd.in/gdsBBs7W #sustainability #sustainablefashion #innovation #consciousfashion #alternativefashion #sustainability #dyeing #printing