Tuesday 1 August 2023
Green Deals Tuesday: what’s new in sustainable fashion
Hello sustainable fashionistas!
Hope you’re all enjoying the summer! Well this week, I’m dedicating a large section of the newsletter to, you guessed it, news. There is so much important stuff going on at the moment, not least of all a landmark study by The Changing Markets Foundation showing that most products given to clothing brands’ “recycling” schemes are actually destroyed. A new ethical fashion brand by Angelina Jolie, new proposed European design regulations, biodegradable 3D printed shoes and news that Gap has finally signed the Pakistan Accord!
I’m also bringing you a great offer from aspiring zero waste brand Malaika New York, and a very sad 50% off offer from Pala Eyewear who are closing down.
Please let me know what you think about the newsletter this week, take care and speak soon!
Julie
Malaika New York
This gorgeous brand creates versatile, eco friendly and comfortable shift dresses, boat neck tops and waterfall cardigans for all occasions.
We’ve already featured them in our article about why ethical and sustainable fashion is important as they are leading the way in developing zero waste pattern cutting techniques, reducing polluting waste right from the get go.
Take an exclusive 15% off with code GOODMAKERTALES15
Quote of the week:
“Sustainable fashion is not a trend. It’s a responsibility”
Livia Firth
Pala Eyewear
This amazing eyewear brand, B Corp certified for its equitable supply chains and ethos of giving back, is sadly closing down.
In its time it has dedicated itself to helping people in Africa with vision problems and has helped over 11,000 people. Did you know that 10% of the world’s population can’t access the eye-care they need but it’s one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty?
I’m gutted to say that they are closing down. Ethical and sustainable brands often sadly struggle with margins and Pala Eyewear is unfortunately no exception.
This is one last chance to support them. They are now selling all of their remaining stock with a 50% discount.
What news? Sustainable fashion in the press
Most garments donated to clothes recycling schemes are destroyed!
That’s the conclusion drawn by the Changing Markets Foundation’s “Take Back Trickery” study, which attached Apple airtags to 21 garments in perfectly good condition, sometimes new. These were from brands including H&M, Zara, Primark, C&A, Marks & Spencers, Nike, Uniqlo and The North Face and 75% were in fact not recycled.
Personally I find this nothing short of disgusting. These schemes falsly lure people into taking in their clothes, mostly in perfect condition, in exchange for money off more NEW clothes!
Angelina Jolie is to launch her own sustainable fashion line
Atelier Jolie will be “a place for creative people to collaborate with a skilled and diverse family of expert tailors, pattern makers and artisans from around the world.” They will use deadstock and vintage materials and plan to give work to a diverse team of people including refugees and other “underappreciated groups“.
Let’s keep watching this space!
Material science company Balena are launching biodegradable 3D printed shoes!
The company is developing an advanced biodegradable polymer material called Bio Cir™ and has launched a collaboration with designer Kitty Shukman. The 3D printed slides resemble roots growing and enveloping the foot! As well as being biodegradable they are also super durable. This is so cool, let’s hope this sets the stage for the future of footwear!
Gap has signed the Pakistan Accord!
The Pakistan Accord follows closely behind The International Accord which replaced the Bangladesh Accord at the end of 2021.
These ground breaking agreements, set in motion by the tragic events of the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, commit brands to ensuring safety for their workers in Bangladesh and now Pakistan. As of 27 July 2023, 196 brands had signed the International Accord and 66 had signed the Pakistan Accord.
Remake have been campaigning for more brands to sign this important agreement and as one of their ambassadors I am delighted that they have achieved this landmark signature!
We’re still awaiting Levi’s to sign them both!
EU Parliament has agreed new ecodesign standards
This is a proposed law forming part of its wider circular economy package aiming to ensure that the lifetime of a product is not limited by its design. I.e. products should be made to be long lasting and easy to repair, upcycle and recycle.
There is also a proposed new “product passport” aiming to improve transparency and helping consumers making informed purchasing decisions.
These moves, if approved, will set the stage for the more sustainable development and maufacturing of products. France is already well ahead so let’s hope that the rest of the EU (and the UK!) isn’t far behind.
I Hope you enjoyed this newsletter
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