Recycling fabric is no longer in our future, it is now

I was introduced to Stacy by a woman who is a reader of this blog.  What Stacy is doing blew me away.  I had been in the manufacturing world and dealt with fabric companies so I knew just enough to be dangerous about what Stacy is doing.  I invested in her company, Evrnu.  I have also had the pleasure of speaking with her every few weeks to be that sounding board outside of the company as she grows.  I also wrote her story a few months ago.

Watch this Tedx talk.  It is only 6 minutes.  I guarantee that you will be as excited as I am about what Stacy is doing.  She is the future of apparel.

Comments (Archived):

  1. Pranay Srinivasan

    super excited to see these fibers launch. to control cotton this way is super exciting.

    1. Gotham Gal

      beyond. good for the planet.

  2. Cam MacRae

    This is absolutely brilliant.Are they working on a similar process for synthetics or wool? I no longer wear cotton because it’s simply a dreadful fabric for the tropics, but this exact problem concerns me greatly — having to check the level of pollution before exercising is not something I wish upon future generations.

    1. Gotham Gal

      This is the first iteration

      1. Cam MacRae

        Sure. If at some point they can assuage my guilty conscience they’ll have an advocate for life.Laudable investment, btw. Respekt.

  3. TanyaMonteiro

    “pissed and incredibly well trained” – great engine to have!

    1. Gotham Gal

      ha. for sure!

  4. panterosa,

    Wow, so great to see fabric recycling at this level since I’m a maniac recycler and composter. We drag our fiber “waste” to Union Square every few weeks. I feel strongly also about recycling cork.Is there a program beyond our local fiber up-cycling you’d recommend?

    1. Gotham Gal

      Evrnu has established a relationship with GoodWill for their fabrics right now.

    2. Cam MacRae

      What happens to the recycled cork?Ours used to be used to keep the elephants comfy underfoot at the local zoo! I don’t see too much cork nowadays as most new world wines have switched to the Stelvin.

      1. panterosa,

        Well for one thing it could be used for floating structures like docks and swim platforms, avoiding all the styrofoam.I have a dream that all the styrofoam should be mashed into plastic gravel., so we don’t dig for rocks. Optimally, the gravel would be glow into the dark with an additive. Glowing gravel is enchanting.

        1. Cam MacRae

          Glowing gravel?! Ha! You’d fit right in here.We have a real problem with styrofoam boxes being thrown off fishing trawlers and washing up on the island, normally smashed to smithereens so it’s impossible to clean up. I can’t stand the stuff.

          1. panterosa,

            I make artwork from beach plastic. I detest litter and have many upcycling ideas. Parkas from mylar chip bags!

          2. Cam MacRae

            You are a gem! And you’d make a fine Lammaite if you ever wanted to move 8040 miles to your west 🙂

        2. Cynthia Schames

          Did you know that there are some mealworms that can digest styrofoam?

          1. Gotham Gal

            Interesting.

          2. panterosa,

            That’s awesome, but I wonder what it does to them….

  5. Sierra Choi

    I think what she is doing is extraordinary. The problem with recyclable fashion however is that most materials aren’t made of cotton, and they can’t be broken down and recycled (eg, PET, acrylics, polyesters, materials with toxic dyes etc). Hence they sit in our landfills in hundreds of tonnes per year. So far, no company has been able to close the recycle gap, although many companies have invested in R&D.

  6. Matt Kruza

    Any clue on the economics on this? Cotton is super cheap from best i understand? Like on the order of less than $2-5 dollars (or less) for the majority of clothes, so is there any hope of it being cost competitive? Like recycled aluminum is usually less expensive I think, and even recycled paper / cardboard etc. have positive ROI’s without the “feel good factor”.The “feel good” and “environmental factor” are laudable and lead to niche business, but the massive business usually requires positive unit economics. Very cool either way, but seemed very long on the mission, but didn’t really address the economics so would love to hear about them!

    1. Gotham Gal

      The economics are very similar to selling any fabrics. Margins run the gamut based on the fabric.

  7. Jill Stern

    Joanne, I felt the same way when I left the costume jewelry business years ago- I did not want to contribute to landfills. Stacy explains and communicates the problem really well. It is a big problem.

  8. daisijo

    HI Joanne,What would you say Evrnu means to the up-cycle/refashion and thrift store clothing communities. As Evrnu develops, could thrift store be a thing of the past with the right incentives for consumers and retailers?

    1. Gotham Gal

      Great question. Evrnu is working with thrift stores to recycle their wares. Many of the used goods across the US are currently shipped down to South and Central America for money. Perhaps that would change.New technologies change old ways. Having less water waste and carcinogens in the air is a positive thing. What else happens from this green technology is yet to be seen.