20 Initiatives and engagements
3
Product development and materials
New Wave Group has a long experience with design and product development . This is always the first step towards sustainable products – regardless of whether it concerns garments or famous crystal art . Our products should keep high quality to enable longevity , which is one of the most important things we can do to cope with the environmental strain caused by a linear industry .
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS Natural materials are often seen as a good choice before synthetic as they are biodegradable , which means they don ’ t contribute to plastic waste or microplastic pollution . But if we include other aspects like energy use and emissions of greenhouse gases , water use , chemical , land use , ocean acidification , overfertilization or biodiversity , the image becomes more complex . Add social aspects and working conditions and it becomes even harder to navigate , even with the best intentions . With other words , natural materials can sometimes be more sustainable than synthetic , but not always . Perhaps the biggest advantage of synthetic materials in garments is that the fiber is usually stronger than natural ones and maintains its quality very well after use and washing . It ' s also easier to design waterproof materials .
At the end of the day , it is also about developing products for requested function and intended usage , so that they are actually used . A product never used can never be sustainable . All production has impact on the
QUESTION ! What materials are the most sustainable ?
There are no easy and general answer to what fibers or materials are the most sustainable . All materials have advantages and disadvantages from a sustainability perspective . Impact on people and planet must be assessed from a life cycle perspective , that is how much impact the product has from raw material to use , reuse and recycling .
- Anni Sandgren , CSR and Sustainability Manager ,
New Wave Group
environment , we will not get away with that . Regardless of which material – natural or synthetic – we have a responsibility to use the resources as wisely as possible . In the following pages we present some examples of materials we use that come from more preferred and smarter processes .