By Melanie Kaplan
Edited by Ryan Winchester & Anoosha Barua
As people become more globally aware, products that positively affect climate change, fair trade, and meaningful charities are becoming more prominent. Many companies in the food and beauty industries are coming out with organic and all-natural versions of their products, packaged in recycled containers, with companies such as Lush and Trader Joe’s gaining more popularity. What enterprise will this trend take over next? Specialists believe in 2020 the fashion and clothing industry will follow in suit with the currently rising acclimation of sustainable fashion.
In 2019, we saw the start of this trend with brands like Adidas. A global increase in combating climate change, this year, led Adidas to take initiative by releasing a statement declaring that by 2024, they will only be using recycled plastics in their shoes. In 2019, they began releasing sneakers made out of one hundred percent recycled materials, and it is not only shoes that are becoming sustainable. Adidas has partnered up with ‘Parley for the Oceans,’ an environmental organization that spreads awareness about the pollution of the oceans. In their partnership, Adidas has begun to develop a yarn made of recycled plastic into its athletic wear in 2019. Again, their goal is to use this fiber in 100% of products by 2024.
Another popular brand that has hopped on the sustainability train is Fjallraven, the producer of the most popular bag of 2019, the Fjallraven Kanken backpack. I’m sure most of you have heard of this bag before, and quite a few of you own it, but you’ll have to head back to the store because they now have an environmentally friendly version? Branded the Re-Kanken, this new bag has the same design and functionality of the original with the added bonus of being made out of recycled material. The bag is made from thread produced from 11 plastic bottles and is dyed using a special SpinDye technology that reduces the amount of water, energy, and chemicals used. This brand’s efforts to reduce waste are prevalent in many of their other products as well.
With many consumers trying to have a smaller carbon footprint and decrease their negative impact on the environment, more sustainable products are becoming increasingly popular. Although not many people have heard of the efforts to use recycled plastic in clothes, brands such as Adidas, Fjallraven, and many more are hoping to spread awareness and become the companies that accomplish this on a widespread scale. Hopefully, this trend grows in 2020 and is not only attractive to consumers but also greatly benefits the environment. Together, we can all take steps to preserve our home and the many resources on it.
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