The Big Interview
Eco or Recycled ranges are often made from rPET - polyester derived from plastic bottles. Although this process can prevent such items from going to landfills, rPET is still polyester and still fundamentally relies on the fossil fuel industry. rPET cannot currently be easily recycled once it’s textile, it sheds microfibres when washed and if it’s being used to appear eco-friendly while continuing business as usual, it’s not a solution.
Further research and development into circulatory (being able to recycle textiles back into textiles without degrading quality) is certainly also part of the solution, but we have to come back to the source of the problem - the apparent never-ending desire to churn out vast quantities of cheap garments - and that process needs to start with a concerted drive towards more responsible inventory management. We can’t just keep slapping a green credential on a product and carry on manufacturing, consuming and wasting so much. Customers too have to change their behaviour and start forecasting earlier. Expecting there to be 10,000 Drake’s Neck Green hoodies available to be delivered the next day is fuelling the overproduction issue. Brands bring in excessive stock on a hunch, a hope of a sale, but what happens to those green hoodies if no one buys them? That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with wanting a specific green hoodie, it’s the idea that they should be sat on a shelf somewhere waiting to be worn that is the problem. At Mantis World, we have been working with bespoke clients for many, many years and have great experience in dying all sorts of shades to match brand colour schemes, the key is in planning and allowing enough time for unique colours or garments to be created.
So, does this mean that we should all stop making anything or ever creating something new and go home? Absolutely not – I strongly believe that there will always be a market for well-made garments thoughtfully created with the lightest footprint on the planet that are long-lasting both in quality and relevance. I’m advocating a future where we make and buy less with an emphasis on value over volume and minimising obsolescence. By focusing on a more limited colour palette, all using organic cotton, at Mantis World we are seeking to optimise our production processes and reduce waste generation, as well as support environmentally friendly practices and the use of natural fibres. We believe that using
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fewer commercial colours is an opportunity for decorators to demonstrate genuine eco- consciousness, combat greenwashing and educate the wearer.
For me it comes down to this- everything we consume or produce has an impact, so it’s on all of us to look at what and how much we consume, how we produce it and how long it lasts. I always like borrowing the late Vivienne Westwood’s mantra ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last’. We have to stop believing that having 100 colourways
and millions of stock garments in a range is a good idea or can ever be seen as a sustainable choice.
“Further research and development into circulatory (being able to recycle textiles back into textiles without degrading quality) is certainly also part of the solution, but we have to come back to the source of the problem - the apparent never-ending desire to churn out vast quantities of cheap garments.”
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