We sat down with Gemma Metheringham to explore the evolving landscape of sustainability in fashion 💫
Part 1 of our 3-part chat airs today.
Gemma is a circular fashion consultant exploring how the rise of second-hand fashion can help cut the industry’s carbon footprint. Her Instagram project “The Elephant in My Wardrobe” @the_elephant_in_my_wardrobe and her MA in Fashion Futures reflect her mission to challenge throwaway culture and inspire change.
❓ “What are some of the most effective sustainable materials you’ve seen recently that could be scaled up in the fashion industry?”
Gemma –
The statistic that always shocks me is that less than 1% of all textiles are recycled into new textiles. The fashion industry is already responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions (EU) and the amount of new apparel being produced has more than doubled this century (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). What I’d really like to see is mainstream brands investing in supporting and scaling textile recycling across all their collections. It’s already possible to mechanically recycle cotton and wool and businesses like Manteco are really innovating and leading the way in this field. Manteco’s Recype colour creation system enables them to blend a range of colours just using recycled fibres – eliminating the need for dyestuffs and radically reducing water usage. What worries me is polyester. Polyester is the most widely used material and global polyester production grew from 48 million tonnes in 2015 to 71 million tonnes in 2023… Right now, there is no one recycling polyester at scale but a new joint venture between the Salvation Army Trading Company and Project Plan B, known as Project Re:claim, has begun operations in Kettering. They’re working together holistically to design both 100% polyester products including buttons, zips, thread, lining the lot – and the systems that will manage them and enable them to be recycled into new clothes at the end of their life. It’s a small pilot project but it could be transformational if it scales & I hope it does.
📷 Gemma Metheringham
