Outdoor Insight

July 2021 • Outdoor Insight • 17 outdoorinsightmag.com T he topics of reuse, re-manufactured, repurposed, recycling, renewable and regenerative are dominating conversations in the textile industry, which is grappling with how to advance toward circularity New thinking emphasizes that paradigms need to change to make closing the loop a reality. For progress to occur, consumers will need to view sustainability as innovation, with the eco factor considered the reason to buy a product, thereby replacing conventional purchasing decision-making that is swayed by a trendy silhouette or fashion color or low cost. There is also a growing belief that to drive growth and scale success, everybody needs to get on board with sustainability in a big way, from individuals to industry to government. Another avenue of thought endorses government incentivizing sustainability to encourage societal and cultural environmental responsibility. There is a lot of activity in the textile community these days looking to change from a linear to circular economy. However, is what's being done enough? And is it working? A recent Kingpins24 panel and a webinar hosted by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition shed light on today's situation with informed commentary from high-level execs, who provide different perspectives and ideas on how best to move the needle on circularity. Here's what a few of these execs had to say: "In the hope of creating change, we are talking about recycling. We're talking about water. We're talking about an ecosystem of sustainable attributes that all drive toward decoupling our productive growth from our resource intake. Being able to achieve growth, as an economy and as individual businesses, is contingent upon the resources we have. The use of renewable energy and regenerative agriculture replenishes our economy in a way that there is a greater number of people benefitting." Roian Atwood, Kontoor Brands, a division of VF Corporation "Today's consumers don't know enough and there is confusion. Pricing is an important issue but we need to provide value beyond telling consumers 'this does good out there.' At Norrona we look at sustainability through the lens of durability, and design to use over a long period of time. We think that is something consumers understand." Brad Boren, Norrona "With today's consumers there is an "intentional behavior gap" that comes into play. If a survey asks 'would you purchase an eco-friendly product,' participants say 'Yes,' but do they? That's why offering a capsule collection of pricey eco-friendly garments is not the answer in the long run. To advance the sustainability market beyond a niche business, we need mandates from the top down with regulations and incentives. You can't make change simply based on consumer behavior. Business needs to decide what is innovative, and the government needs to endorse it. Look what's happening with electric cars and tax incentives — people are buying e-cars." Jeremy Lardeau, Sustainable Apparel Coalition "The big nut to crack for a brand to switch to using a better, more sustainable material is getting past the price / value paradigm. That is often the barrier in business. A designer is keen on a sustainable alternative but can't get it approved by higher ups because of the cost factor. Breaking from this traditional paradigm to ways to convince the consumer that sustainability is worth paying more for, is the big evolution." La Rhea Pepper, Textile Exchange Textile Industry: Walking the Talk on Circularity By Emily Walzer

• Cover