Next-gen materials could make up 8% of total in 5 years - report
Next-gen materials’ – defined as new materials with improved environmental and/or social outcomes but at early stages of commercialisation – could make up 8% of the fashion industry’s materials by 2030, up from 1% now, according to a report by Fashion for Good and Boston Consulting Group.
To reach this percentage – which equates to around 13 million tonnes – brands, retailers and suppliers must commit to developing and buying the novel options to bring the costs down for everyone, said the partners.
Most of the ‘next gen’ growth will come from textile-to-textile polyester recycling, according to the report, although others in this basket include lab-grown cotton and bio-based materials.
The report outlines ways in which brands and retailers can work individually and collectively.
Levi Strauss & Co. was an early investor in hemp, as well as Circulose and Stony Creek Colors. Jeffrey Hogue, its chief sustainability officer, said: “Our 2030 materials target is designed to drive widespread adoption and reduce barriers for the company by setting targets for next-gen materials, including materials which are third-party preferred or certified. We’re also working collectively with other brands to further drive demand and cost levers to bend the adoption curve."
Through the Full Circle Textile Project, Fashion for Good partners PVH Corp, Kering and Target advanced the development of recycled MMCFs by working with Birla Cellulose, Circ, Circulose and Infinited Fiber Company.
Katrin Ley, managing director of Fashion for Good, said: "The fashion industry stands at a critical juncture where next-generation materials are no longer just an opportunity but a business imperative. The opportunity is there, but requires individual and collective action across demand, cost, and capital levers to bend the adoption curve."
Dorte Rye Olsen, head of sustainability at Bestseller, added: “Strategic innovation, deep collaboration across the supply chain, and transition financing are vital to achieving our goals. Building on our centralized financing model for organic cotton, we are now exploring similar approaches to scale next-generation materials and establish a new competitive parity.”
Read the full report here.
