We are excited to introduce a new project we have started working on – The Impossible Fibre.
What is it?
The Impossible Fibre project is an initiative we are taking on to find a solution to recycling our products into new fibre.
Sounds simple, right? It most definitely isn’t as there are currently significant issues with recycling textiles due to blended materials, contaminants, quality issues and chemically made fibers along with capacity restraints and many other roadblocks.
Why are we doing this?
The apparel industry has an immensely negative impact on the earth’s resources and is the second most polluting industry next to oil. We try to do our part to reduce our impact, and this is the next phase of reducing our impact – learning how to recycle the products we create something new.
What are we hoping to create out of it?
We are hoping to create the impossible fibre – make something that hasn’t previously been possible, possible. We want to create a full circle with our current products and be able to provide our customers with a fully recycled product of the same, if not better, quality. We are also hoping to educate our customers throughout a very honest and transparent process. Part of this process will also be the launch of our take-back program where customers will be able to donate their clothing in-store.
When is this happening?
We’ve kicked off the research phase of the project and are hoping to begin the testing phase within the next 6 months. This is the impossible fibre, so we may not have the perfect fibre right away, and it may take time to find the solution we are looking for, but we are willing to put in the effort to get a more sustainable solution.
Follow along as we will have an Impossible Fiber updates for you from Natalie and Sara - our researchers on the project. Their first update is below:
Introducing: The Impossible Fibre from Sitka on Vimeo.
Where will it take place?
Textiles and sustainability are both global industries – fibres are grown and transported around the world to consumers in global markets and the impact on the environment impacts us all.
Although we will be based in Victoria, we will be working with suppliers, recyclers, manufacturers and producers throughout North America, and even further. We also hope our message and mission can reach a global audience.
Who is behind it?
We have hired two apparel & sustainability industry gurus to focus on the research and development of this project. Natalie Farrell and Sara Blenkhorn will be taking lead on the project from start to finish. They also want to make sure that transparency is maintained throughout the whole project, so they will be taking you all along the whole journey.
Learn more about Natalie and Sara in Getting to The Roots with The Impossible Fibre Gals.
