Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine November Issue 2018 | Page 52

SUSTAINABLE BD HAVE YOUR SAY BREAKING NEWS Tell us your news by emailing at [email protected] To read the latest sustainability news, go to https://apparelresources.com/business-news/sustainability/  Patagonia launches ‘woolyester' fleece made out of recycled wool Patagonia, a US based outdoor brand, has recently launched a new fleece which is a blend of micro- polyester and recycled wool from the Prato region of Italy. Patagonia has labelled its ‘woolyester’ garment as the ‘evolution of fleece’. to use virgin wool in 2015 over the concerns about animal welfare and land management. The business has since developed the Patagonia Wool Standard, which goes above and beyond the requirements of the Responsible Wool Standard. The idea to use recycled wool came to light when Patagonia decided not The recycled wool is being produced in the Prato region of Italy by the company’s partner ‘Calamai family’. They collect unwanted sweaters, blankets, and fabric scraps from around the world and send them to Prato where the scrap is sorted, shredded and bundled into towering monochromic bales. Sarah Hayes, Senior Material Innovation and Research Manager, Patagonia said, “It is astonishing when you go to the Calamai’s facility and see these giant warehouses stacked with discarded clothes. A staggering number of the abandoned garments are in like new condition. Most of them come from the US.” It is worth mentioning that Woolyester’s Fall 2018 line alone will divert roughly 60,000 pounds of clothing from landfills. The production of Woolyester Fleece uses 23 per cent of less water than its synthetic counterparts and emits 37 per cent of less carbon. In addition to this, it also eliminates the need for dye, the usage of toxic chemicals and water waste that often come with it. The colour experts at Calamai can create any hue without using pigment. They pluck a variety of colours from the spectrum of fibre bales, and then run them through a rigorous mechanical blending process to render an entirely new shade. Patagonia Inc. is an American clothing company founded in 1973 by Yvon Chouinard that markets and sells sustainable outdoor apparel. Parkrun introduces sportswear brand Contra ‘established with ethics, inclusivity' Parkrun, a UK-based company founded by the parkrunners for the parkrunners, has launched a sportswear brand Contra that is claimed to have been established with ethics and inclusivity at its core. The firm’s mission is to dissipate stereotypes around sportswear regarding the use of harmful materials in its production, the ethics of employment in factories around the globe and a culture of performance apparel being viewed as only suitable for a limited audience. The company is closely working with trusted factories based in Europe including Portugal and Lithuania in order to produce the Contra range that includes performance short-sleeve, long- sleeve, base layer, tights, capri, tank, cotton t-shirt and a hoodie, available in ten sizes for both men and women. In addition to this, the products are made of top quality fabrics created in European factories that pay fair wages to the labourers. Moreover, the brand is marketed in a way that supports and encourages the ordinary people to take up any physical activity instead of shaming them in to thinking they should be better. Paul Sinton-Hewitt, Founder, Parkrun clearly believes that making a business successful will be anything other than a walk in the park. He stated, “Although this project has been two years in the making, it is still a total experiment.” The Contra website highlights the brand’s European sourcing network, with factories and their locations highlighted in Olmac, Siena and Sigmastrong in Portugal, along with a facility in Utenos, Lithuania. 52 Apparel Online Bangladesh | November 2018 | www.apparelresources.com It is worth noting that all the profits made from Contra range will go to Parkrun. Parkrun is all about inclusiveness and well-being. The format of Parkrun is simple. One should register once, print the bar code, then turn up and take part wherever they want, whenever they want, for events organised by the company.