In our disposable culture, fast-changing聽trends聽and cheap manufacturing mean we can throw things away without a second thought. The result is a waste crisis 鈥� plastics clog the ocean, landfill sites expand.
As waste continues to rise 鈥撀爀ach year we produce 3聽per cent more than the year before 鈥撀燼nd as resources become ever-more scarce, the need to recycle existing聽materials聽is increasingly pertinent. Forty per cent of the world鈥檚 waste ends up in huge rubbish tips, which pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. Recent studies warn that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish. With these warnings in mind, the fashion industry is putting itself on the frontline of the battle against waste.
Fashion and recycling have worked in tandem for decades through upcycling, vintage and charity聽shops, but now designers are becoming increasingly adventurous, creating stylish, beautiful designs from an array of waste products. 鈥淩e-using materials such as plastic bottles is a form of mechanical recycling,鈥� says Cyndi Rhoades, the founder of Worn Again 鈥� a textiles company experimenting with chemical recycling. 鈥淚t takes materials and melts them down to re-extrude the polyester they are made from. This is then turned into a new yarn and then spun into a聽fabric.鈥�
The Hungarian brand SegraSegra focuses on recycling used bicycle inner tubes to create smooth, leather-style聽jackets聽and t-shirts, and New Zealand designer Emma Whiteside crafted a vast, sculptural gown from the sparkling metallics of recycled radiator copper.
Designers are also proving recycled materials make elegant outfits fit enough to grace the catwalk or red carpet. At this year鈥檚 Met Gala, actress Emma Watson鈥檚聽sleek, monochrome gown woven from yarn made out of recycled plastic bottles made waves for its true sustainability and responsible sourcing.
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