California lifestyle brand Outerknown has always been dedicated to sustainable fashion.
However, this year, they’ve taken their commitment one step further with their pledge to achieve full circularity by 2030.
Outerknown has already accomplished several eco-friendly feats in the fashion industry. These include that 90 percent of the fabrics they use are either organic, recycled, or regenerated and that 100 percent of their men’s trunks are made with renewable fibres (they are actually the world’s first merino wool surf trunks, made from 100% Australian merino wool).
Further, Outerknown also introduced a “Guaranteed For Life” program whereby they vow to replace, repair, or recycle all S.E.A. jeans they sell in order to keep them from ending up in a landfill.
In addition, the American brand was one of the first fashion companies to pursue Fair Labor Association accreditation, which they did even before they shipped out their first product. Today, they have helped support over 5,000 workers through Fair Trade USA.
Most recently, in January 2020, they launched an online, planet-friendly marketplace featuring sustainably made clothing only. To bring this marketplace to life, they partnered with sustainable brands all over the world to make it easier for consumers to shop for eco-friendly items.
But now, Outerknown wishes to improve its sustainability even further through its “2030 Plan for the Planet”.
“We want to keep our products out of the landfill and in circulation – forever. Going beyond responsible production, everything we make will live on through repair, resale, and recycling. Through regenerative design, manufacturing, and e-commerce, we will contribute to a world that thrives, not just survives,” reads Outerknown’s website.
How do they plan on achieving full circularity by 2030? They lay out a detailed plan on their website that is based on three pillars: leading innovation, embracing circular models, and championing fair labor.
Despite their overall goal of reaching full circularity by 2030, they list several five-year goals within each pillar. These include piloting and/or scaling ten existing circular technologies and innovations to share industry-wide, launching a renewed category and platform that will include resale, repair, and recycling that’s brand-specific, and improving the livelihoods of their workers by implementing a fair compensation strategy.
Overall, Outerknown’s circularity approach is as follows: shed the bad (eliminate harmful chemicals and materials), smart design (reimagine the supply chain and create easily recyclable products), make it last (design durable pieces that can be repaired, reused, and resold), take responsibility (create a collection and take-back programs to extend the life of a product), and finally, go renewable (convince partners to transition to renewable energy and regenerative feedstock).
Down below are some of the best from Outerknown’s newest arrivals.
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