Fashion brands are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s socially acceptable. But when you’re creating products out of materials such as plastic, how can you get people to support you?
Fashion is the most popular form of self-expression and an important part of our culture. But what if there was a new way of expressing yourself without wearing clothes? Would you ever wear plastic? According to a recent study, the answer is no, because many of us view plastic as a symbol of pollution and waste. Plastic is so pervasive that it has become woven into our very identity as a culture. We think it’s ugly and it makes us feel bad. There are plenty of reasons to love plastic, but it’s time to consider a new way to express ourselves and change the way we think about plastic. The world is full of opportunities for us to use plastic in new ways.
Plastic Is Our Future
While it may seem like common sense to reuse and recycle plastic bottles, it’s still not an easy task for consumers to do. But what if they had an alternative? A sustainable fashion brand called Plastics Are Our Future is trying to bring reusable plastic bottles back to the forefront of the fashion world. Founded by a group of artists, activists, and designers, the brand is hoping to rebrand disposable plastic bottles as a symbol of sustainability. Their goal is to raise awareness for the environmental impact of disposable plastics by presenting plastic bottles as fashion statements. Consumers who purchase Plastics Are Our Future reusable bottles are able to choose between six different color variations: clear, black, purple, red, white, and green.
The Eco-Friendly Fashion Statement
The fashion industry is notorious for its disregard for the environment. The average American uses more than three pounds of fabric and fiber everyday. Every year, Americans toss a ton of clothing and textiles into landfills, according to the EPA, and an estimated 90 percent of all textile waste is sent to incinerators. Yet, despite the fact that fashion designers are increasingly looking for ways to protect the environment, many still opt to source materials from countries where labor practices are harmful to workers and environmental standards are lax.
There are ways to wear plastic. While the fashion world is making moves to incorporate sustainable practices into its production, some are pushing the envelope and are using up-cycled plastics to create unique pieces of clothing. The Plastic Bag Free movement is leading the charge to end the plastic bag habit. With the growing awareness of the environmental impact of plastic, many companies are moving to alternatives, such as hemp, and are experimenting with eco-friendly materials.
In 2012, fashion brand Zara set a trend by making the world’s first ever ‘fashion collection’ made from plastic bottles and food packaging waste. The result was a range of clothing items that sold out almost immediately. By 2015, Zara had received over 1 million requests to make clothing out of its bottle collection.
The Solution: Recycled Plastic
After the plastic packaging is removed, it is melted down and turned into new products such as plates and cups, while the leftover powder is used to create new plastic bottles. At the end of the process, the company collects the used material to reuse it for a second round of production. By creating a solution that harnesses the power of plastic, the company hopes to encourage consumers to make eco-friendly choices.
It might seem like a dream come true for the fashion industry. But there are plenty of environmental downsides to plastic fashion. It creates tons of waste. And recycling it is a pain. A new brand called Plastic Fashion Solutions (PFS) hopes to change all that. PFS transforms discarded plastic trash into new, clean fashion items. By doing so, they are creating a sustainable fashion industry that puts people before profits.
From Concept to Creation
In 2013, fashion brand MIRANDA created a capsule collection of bags made from plastic bottles. The brand wanted to highlight its efforts in making use of recycled materials and to raise awareness of environmental issues, and therefore set out to create a unique collection of handbags using upcycled materials. The bags were made with recycled material from the United States and China and were created with a specific purpose: to increase awareness and inspire people to change their behavior. The collection was sold at specialty stores such as Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom.
Today we’re going to share how an iconic French fashion brand is turning plastic waste into eco-friendly fashion statement. To celebrate Earth Day, L’Oreal Paris is inviting consumers around the world to participate in the ‘L’Oreal Paris Plastic Free Challenge’. The challenge encourages individuals to reduce, reuse and recycle plastics on Earth Day (April 22) – the largest annual event for environmental protection and awareness worldwide.
The Result: Eco-Style
Eco-style is a high-fashion concept. The key to its success is sustainability. In a world where climate change and resource depletion seem more pressing than ever, Eco-style shows people how they can make sustainable choices while still looking and feeling fashionable.
Plastic bags are an environmental hazard. They take up precious space in landfills, pollute waterways, and cause pollution when they degrade. The Fashion Forward brand decided to take action. They wanted to show consumers that plastic bags are not only bad for the environment but also for the fashion industry as well. Their solution? Create a unique line of eco-friendly bags made out of 100% recycled plastic. These bags have the same durability as traditional plastic bags. But the difference is that they look and feel totally new. The Fashion Forward bags are more versatile than traditional plastic bags, which are typically used to hold cosmetics and toiletries. In fact, Fashion Forward bags can be used for any item that needs a little extra space, such as a lunch bag, gym bag, or diaper bag.
In conclusion, Eco-fashion brands take recycled plastics and use them to create eco-friendly fashion that consumers want to wear and love. Recycled plastics are being used in everything from shoes to swimwear and even in children’s toys. Brands that make use of recycled plastics have started gaining traction as a growing number of consumers demand more environmentally friendly products. Eco-fashion is on trend and becoming more accessible to both consumers and retailers. The key to this eco-fashion movement is finding ways to utilize recycled materials to create fashionable products that consumers will want to buy.