Return to your roots
Global concern around protecting our planet’s precious ecosystem continue to rise, so does the appeal of incorporating more sustainable and natural elements within the fashion industry.
Working up a sweat never felt so good as sustainable activewear sweeps the globe. Materials, textiles and new technologies which are kinder to the environment littered the runways during fashion week and with global concern around protecting our planet’s precious ecosystem continuing to rise, so does the appeal of incorporating more sustainable and natural elements within the fashion industry. From bio-based materials to natural imagery woven within branding, the industry is attempting to return to nature, with activewear brands leading the charge.
BRANDING
Packaging accounts for a large portion of landfill waste and is typically composed of plastic and other non-recyclable materials. 90% of plastic packaging is single-use plastic or can only be recycled once, meaning it is unsustainable. Brands are taking steps to reduce the amount of packaging enveloping their products and exploring more sustainable source materials. Algae, mycelium and sugarcane are all being explored as restorative materials too. They have the potential for carbon sequestration and enriching the environment with packaging made from these products already implemented across the UK. Algae requires no fresh water, pesticides or fertilisers, does not compete with food crops whilst mycelium is also home-compostable and sugarcane is a waste product of the food industry and therefore can be part of a circular economy. Other sustainable packaging alternatives include paper made from the cellulose from fallen leaves, resulting in no trees needing to be cut down and also creating a circular economic loop. In Europe, plastic films and preformed bags that are 100% home compostable are being rolled out as well as edible water bubble packaging, reducing the use of single-use plastic water bottles. Activewear brands such as Nike and Adidas are taking measures to reduce their packaging impact. Nike initiated their new ‘Move to Zero’ packaging campaign in 2020, using boxes made from fully biodegradable 80% recycled cardboard and environmentally friendly ink. Also in 2020, Adidas used more than 50% recycled polyester in its products with plans to use only recycled polyester in its products by 2024.
FABRIC & PRODUCT
Activewear brands stereotypically include lots of bright and energetic colours to reflect the movement of the body and incite excitement. However, many brands are pushing back against the neons which dominated the 1980s and 90s and opting for more neutral and natural hues such as browns, blues, and greens as well as shades like stone, sand and cream. Neutral colours are also more sustainable to use within garment production because the tones don’t fade as quickly as brighter colours, therefore your clothes will last longer and shades are more timeless with less subject to shifting seasonal trends. Within textiles too, activewear brands are experimenting with textiles derived from naturally occurring entities, such as leather crafted from plants or fruits and materials created using recycled and repurposed fabrics like recycled mesh and lace. Other innovative fabrics that are helping us return to our roots are versatile bast fibres such as hemp, linen and nettle, which can be grown with little to no pesticides and low water intake. This allows for more sustainable farming practices that reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and allow for richer and healthier soil to be left behind after each growth cycle.Â
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