UNIFI appeared at Shanghai Fashion Week to launch new REPREVE® Our Ocean™ products
“80% of marine plastics originate from land, and 75% of them are not collected. More than 8 million tons of plastic are discharged into the ocean every year. If things continue like this, by 2050, there may be more plastic than fish in the ocean…”
This is by no means alarmist, but comes from the opinions of guests at a fashion forum called “Blue or No Blue, the blue of the ocean is decided by fashionable you” at the 2023 Spring and Summer Shanghai Fashion Week. The future fate of the ocean, which accounts for 71% of the earth’s area, is It is once again closely connected with the fashion circle and textile industry.
Recycle tens of billions of plastic bottles, weave fashion to protect the ocean
On September 25, the official schedule of the 2023 Spring and Summer Shanghai Fashion Week “M-SPACE Co-creation Talk” welcomed an important guest, Global Executive Vice President/Suzhou of UNIFI, one of the world’s leading innovators in the field of synthetic fibers and recycled fibers. Ning Hongjun, chairman and general manager of Youfu Textile Co., Ltd., and three other speakers: Shen Jian, founder of Billiard Whale, Su Heyi, global marketing director of ASH brand, and Hu Yueling, sustainable development consultant of Shanghai Fashion Week, gathered around the theme of “Ocean” The hot topics of Environmental Protection and Sustainable Fashion” and “Green Supply Chain and Consumer Product Innovation” were discussed in depth.
At present, more and more fashion brands are constantly looking for suitable raw materials in terms of materials and processes. Materials with environmental significance and value have also become a popular direction. However, if we only talk about the sustainability of fashion from the material side, it will be difficult for consumers to attract attention. resonance.
The theme of the forum starts from marine environmental protection and how material companies find solutions to protect the ocean to link brands and markets so that fashion sustainability is closely related to everyone. The deep blue of the ocean depends on consumer choice.
“REPREVE®, one of Unifi’s proprietary technologies and a global leader in recycled fibers, has transformed more than 32 billion recycled plastic bottles into recycled fibers for apparel, footwear, homewares and other consumer products by 2025 In December, it is planned to recycle 50 billion plastic bottles.” Ning Hongjun, Global Executive Vice President of Unif Company/Chairman and General Manager of Suzhou Youfu Textile Co., Ltd., introduced Unifi’s powerful REPREVE® technology and proposed measures to protect the ocean. For the concept product REPREVE®Our Ocean™.
The raw materials bottles of REPREVE® Our Ocean™ are collected within 50 kilometers from the coastline. These areas usually do not have formal garbage or recycling systems, and the plastic bottle waste generated in these areas has a high risk of eventually flowing into the ocean.
“Now we recycle these post-consumer bottles so that brands can play a greater role in solving sustainable environmental issues and alleviate marine pollution problems.” Ning Hongjun said.
Protect yourself with transparent traceability and testing certification
As a new member of the REPREVE® family, REPREVE®Our Ocean™, while helping to improve the problem of ocean plastic pollution, also meets the needs of consumers for products they wear and use every day, and are of high quality /font>, traceability and authoritative certification.
In terms of traceability, which is of great concern to the industry, Unifi provides the industry’s only product testing certification, including the launch of UTrust® certification, designed to provide customers with a higher level of traceability and transparency; and FiberPrint® technology to verify products The authenticity of REPREVE® contained in it and its content in the fabric.
Thanks to the complete traceability and product testing and certification system, there are hundreds of brands using UNIFI’s Repreve products, including many internationally renowned clothing brands. It has won their recognition and also won the leadership in the field of regeneration. The status is also due to this.
Ning Hongjun said: “Traceability is very important. In the entire regeneration supply chain, every participant, regardless of manufacturer, brand, or final consumer, has made a great contribution. Traceability allows their efforts to be recognized. , and it will also prevent some companies from using the guise of being green but not actually producing recycled products. I hope more people can participate in our environmental protection cause.”
Working with the supply chain and consumers to create “blue fashion”
In the upper reaches of the industrial chain, environmental protection concepts and technical support have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development. What is the feedback from brands and consumers?
“As an Italian affordable luxury brand, ASH has launched RE/ASH, a series that combines excellent designers with sustainable development, including the use of recyclable and renewable materials, including 100% recycled paper packaging, etc. Starting from 2021, ASH GLOBAL will continue to be committed to the crossover of sustainable fashion, integrating environmental protection and social responsibility into the brand spirit and actively developing it.” ASH Brand Global Market Director��Su Heyi said.
“If a fashion brand tries to provide sustainable services, it may also be a new concept of environmentally friendly consumption. For example, when a pair of shoes is worn out, the brand can provide recycling services, and part of the old shoes can be recycled into new shoes through advanced technology. As part of the raw materials, such a consumption experience will have new meaning for the customer and the brand, and is a sustainable and fashionable consumption concept.” Promote citizen marine science, promote marine knowledge and commit to the protection of marine ecological resources Shen Jian, founder of Billionaire N.O.C, a non-governmental organization, gave suggestions from the perspective of fashion consumers.
Faced with suggestions from the brand side and the consumer side, Ning Hongjun finally concluded: “In the future, the scale of Textiel Takeback textile recycling will be expanded. To be a company with ESG concepts, corporate operations should not only focus on economic indicators, but also consider environmental protection and social issues.” Responsibility and corporate governance and other factors, so as to achieve healthy and sustainable development and create greater sustainable fashion value for the supply chain, brands and consumers. Blue or No Blue, there is no choice, we want a blue sky, we want a blue sky A sea of color.”
AAA
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer: Some of the texts, pictures, audios, and videos of some articles published on this site are from the Internet and do not represent the views of this site. The copyrights belong to the original authors. If you find that the information reproduced on this website infringes upon your rights and interests, please contact us and we will change or delete it as soon as possible.
AA
