Competing in this category were large multinational companies, so it is extra special that the 11 professional judges deemed fit that a SME player earned The Award this year. Waste2Wear was recognized for their true corporate social values along with their tireless dedication to and innovation in sustainability, for the benefit of the environment.
For more than a decade, Waste2Wear has been passionate about creating circular solutions for the textile industry. They have recycled hundreds of millions of plastic bottles into products ranging from floor underlays, curtains, workwear, bags and high-end fashion. Besides averting plastic from ending up in landfills and in our oceans, the environmental impact of these recycled products also reduces the carbon footprint by -75%, the use of energy by -70% and water consumption by -86%. Waste2Wear really do live their beliefs because founder and CEO Monique Maissan and Creative Director, Eduardo Garza were both sporting fashion items made from 71 plastic bottles combined, as they accepted their award.
Innovation is the hallmark of Waste2Wear, and they are driven to increase recyclability of a wider variety of plastics. It is this creativity along with several years of R&D in close collaboration with esteemed universities and research organizations that resulted in the creation of the RPP products. They are passionate about making a more positive environmental impact by creating new products out of plastics that currently have lower recyclability rates. For example, they will launch a new range of recycled nylon (R-Nylon) products in 2021.
Waste2Wear take responsibility for every step in the recycling process with a strict environmental policy. To ensure transparency and traceability they developed and launched their own unique Blockchain technology in 2020. This provides indisputable evidence of the origin of the feedstock and shows every single transaction in the supply chain. A QR code is added in their blockchain system to ensure control and verification of the entire manufacturing process from collection to shipping the finished product. It is also a safety feature that prevents unauthorized sub-contracting. Traceability and transparency are both equally important as together they secure the validity of the recycling claim, which is vital in gaining credibility in the market.
Monique Maissan – founder and CEO
“We want the world to know that we are taking real steps towards reducing the plastic problem by innovating circular alternatives that reduce the carbon footprint, energy consumption and water usage, and improves livelihoods in the process”.
