Fashion for Good, a global platform for sustainable innovation, believes in the importance of Asia and the disruptive force of its start-ups and innovative enterprises focused on ecofriendly projects.
The association, that already includes among its founding partners Adidas, C&A, Chanel, Bestseller, Kering, Levi Strauss & Co., Otto Group, PVH Corp., Stella McCartney, Target and Zalando, and other affiliate and regional partners like Arvind, Birla Cellulose, Pangaia and W. L. Gore & Associates, is focused on different activities. Among others, there is its Global and Asia Innovation Program, an initiative meant to support disruptive innovators to scale and collaborate with brands and manufacturers to accelerate supply chain implementation. The project established its presence in Asia in 2020, has reached its third edition and has already supported a total of 28 innovators through its Program.
They will be involved in a nine-month program that will offer them a tailored support to help them scale their projects while helping them match with relevant industry partners.
“We are extremely excited to kick off our third year in Asia and continue to generate tangible impact in the region with the addition of these seven new innovations. By providing them with a platform to learn and grow, and connecting them with leading industry players, the program offers an opportunity to drive the implementation of their solutions in the supply chain at scale,” said Priyanka Khanna, head of Asia expansion, Fashion for Good.
Innovators An Herbals, Fermentech Labs, Gaiacel and Sodhani Biotech, are developing unique solutions in dyeing, pretreatment and finishing from plant, forest and agricultural waste using technologies such as bioprocessing, nanocellulose and microorganisms.
The remaining innovators present pioneering innovations in raw materials, impact and end-of-use, with UKHI Hemp Foundation exploring alternative materials from hemp, Vaayu tracking carbon impact through the value chain, and Picvisa enabling the recapture of value from existing materials.
An Herbals, an Indian company, has developed a patented circular herbal dye extraction, herbal dyeing and bioprocessing technology, that converts waste from the forest, food and ayurvedic medicine industries to dyes that are non-toxic with self-binding, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti odor, UV resistant and mosquito repellent properties for up to 50 washes in all textiles.
Also from India, Fermentech Labs is addressing the disposal of agricultural and forest residues, such as straw, peels and pine needles, through a patented biotechnology using microorganisms. They convert organic waste, otherwise destined for incineration, into industrial enzymes that are used for textile bio-polishing, desizing and bio-scouring.
Gaiacel, from The US, has developed a dyeing innovation to make industrial rope and slasher dyeing processes sustainable and cost-effective. Its patented nanocellulose hydrogel along with dye particles sticks to textile surfaces and eliminates the need for multiple dipping, indigo reduction and additional chemicals. The process is less water and energy intensive compared to conventional indigo dyeing.
Vaayu is a German company that has developed what it claims to be the world’s first automated carbon-tracking software for retailers, enabling businesses to reduce their footprint by providing accessible, real-time data to drive carbon-reduction at scale. By integrating with point-of-sale systems, such as Shopify, and leveraging proprietary Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technology, Vaayu draws insights from production, sales and logistics to deliver a tangible solution in the fight against climate change and a more sustainable retail.
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