So let’s jump in!

You mentioned research ages ago, what was it about??

A couple months back, I mentioned that my final project and paper was focusing on fossil based or biobased plastic grocery bags being a more sustainable option. My team spent a lot of time researching different methods for end-of-life (EOL) pathways, raw material feedstock processing, and the costs associated between three different types of polymers. Our research not only included the environmental impacts, but we looked into the social and economic impacts as well. We compared polyethylene (PE), biobased polyethylene (bio-PE), and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA). In our final findings, we conducted a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) based on other academic paper findings. Our proposal and final recommendation aimed to provide options for a more circular waste stream.

Giving you a high level summary, each polymer has its own benefits, but more importantly they each have an EOL route that tends to be most common, causing their impacts to differ. This is typically caused by lack of infrastructure for preferred methods of “disposal”, as well as a lack of streamlined regulations and consumer adoption.

So I’m sure you’re thinking, well if it’s biobased or biodegradable, that means it should be more sustainable, right? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. So let’s look at our two options, bio-PE and PLA, before we hop into our conventional fossil based PE.

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Bio-PE

You may have heard of bio-PE, bio-polyethylene, or some variation of a biobased plastic. What’s great about it is that it’s chemical makeup is exactly the same as conventional PE, but it’s made from natural resources like corn or sugarcane. The huge thing to remember about it though is that it is not biodegradable even though it’s biobased….. That’s a big moment to pause and take it in. (I have briefly touched on this back in two of my entries that I’ll add below in case you missed them.) Here’s the kicker. Just because it’s made of something natural doesn’t mean that it always has the ability to naturally breakdown without additional external forces. Bioplastic is a generic term for biomass plastics, leading us to either biobased or biodegradable (Uehara et al., 2023). Biobased means that the materials used to create the product are mostly naturally derived from biomass or plant material that can produced through chemical synthesis, like bio-PE. Biodegradable means that a product will naturally decay or breakdown to its component parts over time without too many toxic adverse affects (hopefully), leading us to the EOL pathways.

Bio-PE can be recycled right along with conventional PE in the same stream because, like I said, the chemical makeup and structure is the same, which is a beautiful thing in terms of its recyclability. In essence, think of it as the same as conventional PE. The biggest difference is that when it’s recycled, bio-PE demonstrates a 3.9 kg CO2/kg of bio-PE uptake when recycled compared to conventional PE (Benevides et al., 2020), roughly amounting to 4.2x less the amount of CO2 emissions equivalent. It can’t be composted, but it can most certainly be reused, end up in landfill, or incinerated.

Now, here’s where else it gets interesting. Like conventional PE, if it is not properly cleaned or if there is limited access to recycling, it will most likely end up in landfill…That’s the unfortunate truth. But because it’s chemically stable, it won’t biodegrade for years; and in that time period, sitting in landfill, it may release less CO2 equivalent (16.57 kg) than its counterpart (18.4 kg) by about 2 kg, giving it a lower carbon footprint (Lacerda et al., 2024). But considering how water and land intensive agricultural practices for growing corn or sugarcane can be, increases its environmental footprint.

PLA

Now, PLA has some of these similar challenges as bio-PE, especially considering its environmental impacts. In a perfect world, PLA would be carbon neutral due to it being made from corn and then it properly being composted, returning back to the Earth as nutrients. The challenge is, especially in the US, that the infrastructure for commercial composting facilities is very small. I had the opportunity to interview some major players in the Cincinnati region, like GoZero, and learned so much from them and from the research about PLA’s entry into a composting stream.

Due to the lack of infrastructure and regulation, there is not a great deal of collection for PLA, unless you live on the West Coast, in the Colorado region, or parts of the North East. The Midwest has more Class 2 and up facilities, but not all of them take biodegradable plastics. Plus, not all plastics are created equal, or rather labeled appropriately. Nor can they be composted in your backyard. And because of these challenges, these bags tend to end up in the landfill as well, generating more CO2 emissions (44.87 kg CO2 eq) than was intended for them in the beginning, as well as our favorite thing to talk about….MICROPLASTICS…..

Naturally as something breaks down it has to fragment. But unfortunately, if a PLA bag isn’t composted properly, or is not truly biodegradable PLA, those fragments end up proliferating. However, if disposed of correctly, there hasn’t been as much negative data raising large amounts of concern. But then again, back to its overall footprint, it can be initially energy and water intensive, yet has the potential to be closer to net zero if composted correctly.

Conventional PE

Now onto the type of plastic that has the worst reputation, mainly for the amount of it out there and its lack of ability/accessibility to be recycled…fossil fuel based PE. Of course, it has all of the usual suspects for impacting the environment. However, it’s actually less energy and water intensive than the other two polymers we explored, although we found that the extrusion stage for all plastics takes about the same amount of energy at 0.457 KJ/kg (Benavides et al., 2020). If PE enters the proper waste stream, it can be recycled or be reused for a number of times. National grocer and store programs that offer incentives to their customers have really begun tapping into what it takes to make these types of bags more circular.

So what did we end up recommending?

Here’s the sad truth about the way things have been set up….PE bags were “more sustainable”. We ended up recommending a three phase approach to address the nuances of each polymer and aid the transition from linear to a more circular approach. However, the first step concluded that PE bags kept in use through incentive return programs was the best option to reducing environmental impacts. Plus, the production of PE bags is much cheaper than that of either biobased options. Across all three polymer categories, reuse had the lowest impact (Civancik-Uslu et al., 2019), which I’m sure seems like a no brainer. A bag that is later used as a waste bin liner still has less impact than if it was used one time.

But this showed us that consumer adoption, accessibility, and convenience are the keys to adoption as much as consistent messaging and education. Simple things like remembering to bring that stack of bags back to the store or place some of your reusable ones in the car so that you’re not grabbing another set can go a long way. There are times I catch myself forgetting my bags and then opt out of shopping, unless I can’t wait another day. But by creating tiny habits and changing our point of view, we can help make the wave of change move a bit faster while creating positive environmental and social impacts.

Regulation and policy changes also influence the EOL pathway and the rate of adoption to properly sort, or place items, in the best waste stream. Compared to the US, countries withing the EU have set up multi-stream recycling pathways where citizens sort their waste before it’s collected, whereas here we operate on a single-stream system where everything gets dumped in all together, making sorting less cost effective and recycling harder due to higher chances for contamination.

In the end, replacing one plastic and implementing new systems is as much a social and economic challenge as it is an environmental one.

So as you can see, my brain was at capacity (nervously laughing lol). But I learned a ton from working with my team and choosing this project to work on. And all the while, I was also sewing my life away….mostly at the end of the semester…because of course, that’s what I do.

So next time, I’ll share with you all about the collection I designed for Columbia Fashion Week’s Met Gala.

Until then, challenge yourself to create a new habit.

In case you wanted to look back at a few of those entries where I mentioned my thoughts on plastics, here they are: (Also, if you’re feeling like reading academic papers, feel free to click on the links referenced throughout!)

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A chord struck me today during a conversation I had while giving a tour and talking about future goals of my brand, as well as production at my job.

The comment was, “How is it sustainable if more clothes are still made even if it is out of more clothes?” (Give or take a few words.) And it’s not wrong. However, as I mentioned to them, it’s the need for a mind and culture shift around consuming and what’s termed “new”. The other part of this that sparked me to journal about this topic, is that the problem isn’t making clothes out of old clothes, the problem is in producing more clothes out of virgin materials that are extractive to both people and planet. The other side of that coin is that in our society, business sustainability is as much a challenge as the other pillars of sustainability. This semester has been entrenched in the different aspects of what that looks like, as well as having conversations with various creative friends also feeling the pressure while trying to be sustainable in all aspects.

But like a wise person once said, you can’t be all things to all people at all times. I guess that’s why in business they suggest you niche down. However, I digress.

For a business like mine, it’s already a challenge to reach your market that will pay for the quality and skill behind the craftsmanship. And the times that we’re all experiencing don’t make it any easier.

At some point in time, our old, linear system way of doing things has to die. Yes, it takes time, but it’s doable. Yes, eventually all clothing may be worn to a point of no return with seam and fabric integrity beyond repair. And that’s ok! The next step in that system though, is not to throw it in the trash but find the diversion stream that will convert it from waste back into something great, such as yarn, filling, another garment, etc. The list can go on and on.

And that’s where amazing companies and organizations like Circ, Material Return, Debrand, Sew Valley, RTV ReturnToVendor, and more come into play. These companies are set up for sorting, mechanical and chemical textile recycling, and new product development from what is already in existence without overextending resources. Now, if we get into energy consumption, various footprint categories, and the deep technical data analysis of some of their processes, we may find some things that could be lowered, btu in the long run isn’t it better to recycle the waste than to keep creating it from scratch?

That’s just one point of view. My other thoughts on this really lays in the work that I do. I am a big proponent of circular and zero waste systems. However, and feel free to chime in, reaching absolute zero is very difficult. It may not be impossible, but it’s very close to it. Reasons I say this:

1. There is just about always some kind of remnant left behind or that escapes a system, especially elements we may not be able to account for. I’m referring to lost heat, lost water (this one is usually more readily remedied to be captured in a process), nanofibers, and potentially trace chemicals.

2. In my experience of mechanical textile recycling, micro and nanofibers are the most challenging because with the equipment we have, before and after textile scrap is fed into the shredder, fibers are airborne and then settle. Same goes for sewing or anytime you wash and dry your clothes. I recently had this brief discussion with my friend and classmate, they’re inescapable. But there has to be a better way to collect them before they reach a point of critical exposure.

3. Depending on what has already been recycled and the method in which it’s been recycled, degradation of the material may occur, creating the need for balance with some virgin feedstock. A prime example of this is in plastic recycling. PET products, such as water bottles, have a robust avenue for recycling and can be recycled up to 3x before it can’t be recycled back into food-grade packaging, but can be downcycled into other products like carpet, or our favorite…clothing. And for textile recycling, sometimes staple fibers are too short to be spun again, creating the need for virgin fibers to be integrated into the new product. In looking at how a product is made, I think about what adhesives or other chemicals could have made it and are they feasible to even recycle.

Those are just a few of the thoughts I have surrounding it. However, that’s not exhaustive and I find that there’s always space to learn and experience new things every day. There is always something we can do or work towards change as well. Incremental change eventually causes big shifts. I may have shared it before, but my favorite quote from David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas is, “But what is an ocean, but a multitude of drops?” In the scene, the character is arguing with his father-in-law, a slaver, about joining the abolitionists and making change; and, the question posed to him was how could he ever hope to make a difference because the way of the world was set and our character was told he would amount to nothing but a drop in an endless ocean. If we look hard enough, we can see and act as those individual drops making ripples that become waves to create dramatic change.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and what type of future you would like to see when it comes to, not just our clothing, but anything else that comes to mind.

Until next time, be expansive and take up space boldly!

Nothing major I promise!

This year so far, let alone this semester, has been piling up. And since I’ve been late or skipping a week in my regular journal entries, I’m taking a step back and will share one with you every other week, still preferably on Thursdays. However, I will more than likely be moving to Fridays to share all the juicy bits before heading into the weekend.

In the meantime, I’ve been head’s down catching up on alterations, out-of-my-wheelhouse-and-passion projects, and working on this paper. Finding the right words and structure for all of the research papers, journals, and articles lately has been a challenge, as this is also a group project, so the flow will be very interesting in the long run. But I’m excited where this is headed and look forward to sharing snippets, and maybe even the full paper with you all once it’s completed.

I might have mentioned that I’m also preparing for a major event in May before graduation. I’ll be participating in Columbia Fashion Week’s Met Gala event, that focuses on formal wear. So I will be presenting 10-15 suits, with a 50/50 if not 70/30 remanufactured construction. And time is dwindling quickly!

If you’d like to stay tuned to the play-by-play of this collection, stay tuned as I get started!

Until next time, make room out of the clutter.

But I’m back!

Here’s a recap of all the things that happened last month (crazy to say that we’re mid-week into March already).

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I’ll save the research goodies for last as I’m sure you’re more interested in the redesigned pieces I created for this collection.

I may have mentioned in my last entry that I would be participating in two shows within the same day. Well, we got through it! The first, I pulled some pieces from various collections of mine, and quite a few of them from my collaboration with back in September, for a set of 8 looks.

I literally, opened the show, waved, and dashed to the next venue, where we still had some down time until getting ready for everything to begin. Luckily, we had time to network and mingle with attendees for an hour before the event got started. It was packed with a number of great panels discussing how to express style through clothing and interiors.

After I ran to our next location to set up for FUTUREGLOW hosted by the Cincinnati Opera Young Professionals, we had a bit of downtime to organize and prepare our looks, as well as double check for any fit issues. But let’s get into some of the making of these fits.

Majority of the collection, I redesigned from pieces I either made back in college or pieces from my donations inventory. Unfortunately, I didn’t get photos of everyone in their pieces…(The worst thing that can happen, but I’m sure photos and videos are floating somewhere.) But! It was a fun challenge and expanded my artistry in how I think about my process. I went into this months ago, planning to take my time and sketch things out. I had two looks in mind I wanted to design and finally sketched them out back in January while I was caught in Dallas. Well….fast forward. The fabric had different plans for me. I was still struggling with what I wanted to design and I was down to four weeks to get everything done and two until our fittings and preview.

When I tell you, I was sweating, I was feeling a bit crazy haha but I also had a plan. I pulled the fabric out about a week and some change before our fittings, and all of the ideas came rushing to me. Lucky for me, I only had six looks to make, which ended up dropping to five, however I already made the first one by the time I heard the news. So I planned it out that if I at least made two garments a day and got them to the point of fitting, I could finish the fine details the week going into the show to be finished by Thursday. Can I tell you that I met my goal? All minus a few hooks to put on the morning of the show. So what about the other juicy design details? Alright, alright. Here we go!

Two of my favorite pieces besides the pants I made (because you already know pants are my absolute favorite things to design and sew) were a romper and jumpsuit, both redesigned. The romper was redesigned in two stages. It was a pair of pants I made for another show a few years ago that had been waiting around for something to happen. Well the opportunity came! I cut them into shorts first and took them in, knowing the model was petite who would be wearing them. Then, I took the bottom of the legs apart and reconfigured them into a racer back open sash bodice. The inner shawl collar was added from a nightgown I used for two other pieces. This romper gave sporty and flirty at the same time. Plus, to stay on theme by adding a lighted element, I added reflective tape to tie the sides closed.

Next up, what we call Emerald City! The model and my friend that I put this together for named it this and it’s very accurate with a bit of mermaid thrown in. I was working with one of my other friends one night trying to figure out what I wanted to design. I had this amazing sequin fabric I got from my coworker back in October that I was trying to figure out what to do with (mind you, I don’t really ever work with sequins and these are long, straight ones as opposed to the normal circles). As I’m talking to my friend, it came to me, especially with some denim I had in my donations stash I hadn’t figured out how to use yet. Instantly, I saw this jumpsuit with a denim bodice, denim middle section of the pants, and a shawl collar, keeping it in my inspirational theme. So I got to working on deconstructing a few pairs of jeans. This was also my first time in a while making a full figured outfit and jumpsuit nonetheless. Luckily, I remeasured the model to get more specific measurements, as we only received a comp card (a model’s mini portfolio that has their basic measurements, i.e. height, bust, waist, and hip measurements). Outside of the feeling of seeing what you design on a live form, the next best feeling is experiencing someone else’s joy when the garment fits and goes on smoothly. I constructed the pants first so I could make adjustments before getting into the bodice. After getting through the sequins, the next hardest part was sewing sequins and chiffon together. But we made it! Again, carrying my inspiration’s color and silhouettes throughout the collection, I added an inner shawl collar for contrast.

I don’t want to leave you hanging, but since I’m missing the rest, you’ll have to stay tuned for more photos. However, I can tell you that this was the best event of the day and it was packed. With performances by opera singers and the opening by an amazing writer, Tifara Brown, it was a night full of light.

For a quick update on the flip side of things. My last semester is on its way and we are doing a lot of research on the most sustainable option for grocery and produce bags made from three polymer types, considering polyethylene (PE), biobased-PE, and poly lactic acid (PLA). There’s so much to read and even more to write. Now that the double header is finished, I feel like I can get back on track with everything else I’ve got going on and find rest at the same time.

Next up on my calendar going into the summer includes Draping 101, Columbia Fashion Week’s Met Gala event, graduation (dancing a bit), and hopefully a well-deserved vaction.

Until then, be safe and keep sharing your light.

So how about we go ahead and jump into them!

First thing’s first. Let’s talk about my Dallas adventure, or maybe safe to say lack thereof. (Forewarning, it was a much needed trip and I learned quite a bit and had a little time to recenter. So it was actually a great trip, just not exactly what I was planning for.) After arriving Thursday and shooting with my friend and signature model, Skye, I interviewed him for Looped In. I got a walk-thru of his day-to-day junk removal activities and a small tour of one of the local landfills. (If you didn’t get a chance to listen or tune into the footage, don’t worry I got you!)

Looped In w/Skye

I’ve been to the “dump” before, but not this close up and personal with behind the scenes; and, I will say it was a cool experience. Cool in the way that seeing the process up front and personal brings a deeper understanding to how our disposal infrastructure works a little more. I’m sure many of you are thinking, “Wasn’t that gross or extremely stinky?”. Eh, it really wasn’t as bad as Skye was making it out to be. I feel like I’ve smelled worse. But we were also out there in 35 degree weather, so that may have attributed to the lack of the smell, outside of majority of the trash having been covered with dirt. So we ended up shooting and interviewing at the landfill and may have been there for like 40 minutes or so.

My next adventure led me to visit Dallas Men’s Market on Friday, which was opening day. And unfortunately due to the impending weather and maybe the time of day that I arrived, it was still a little sleepy there. But it confirmed the direction in which I’m heading with my designs and my brand. Unfortunately, that meant that for me the amount of diversification on the floor was very minimal outside of textures and various colorways, leading me to potentially look at other shows that could be a fit in the future. However, I did walk away with a great connection that gave me some food for thought.

Again…that impending weather alert….

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Originally, I was planning to head up to Norman, OK for The University of Oklahoma’s Sustainability Forum that was being held on Saturday. Well the whole event got moved to being virtual due to the snow storm and it was a great call. Sadly for me, that meant I would be stuck in my hotel room for 3 days in Dallas. However, I still had a great time attending the event virtually and had the pleasure of speaking with my fellow classmates on a panel about how the program has helped us in our career paths and why we selected the program. It was a packed forum with experts speaking on data center and AI energy consumption, land use and water capacities for agriculture, and the use of nanoparticles in various ways including how to help fight hunger. It was an honor to share the “room” with such incredible people.

Which leads me to my real reflection that hit me as I was preparing for my small portion in the forum…my first time speaking as part of a panel concerning circular fashion. Last spring I joined two other incredible speakers at Sweet Gum Manor in Cincinnati for a conversation about design and manufacturing in how they relate to fashion and interiors. Unfortunately, the whole conversation wasn’t recorded, but I do have a snippet and reel that you can checkout on Instagram.

Just based off of my opening statement, if I could go back in time, I would dive in further to explain the nuances between sustainability and circularity. That achieving both at the same time is a special thing because it’s not always the most practical, depending on the industry, the cost, and even the region where innovations of change may be implemented. We discussed more about what style is and what timelessness can mean individually and collectively. We talked about how that idea of timeless doesn’t mean style or design has to be boring, but built to transition with you as trends and fads come and go, keeping it effortless. I would also have spoken more about understanding the emotional value we build into our clothing and how can we inherently keep these pieces and transform them over time. Exploring the idiosyncrasies of our desire for something “new” could open another dialog with our overall relationship with things.

Taking these experiences and shifting them to help teach others that these ideas aren’t out of reach is one of my favorite things to do. And each time that I’ve joined a panel or have had a chance to speak, I learn just as much from my fellow panelists and the audience, as I hope they learn from me.

More of my thoughts to come as I explore redesign further and infrastructure systems! (My capstone project has me going down a rabbit hole, so forewarning, you may see a lot about recycling systems and plastics over the next few weeks.)

Until next time, share your warm, beautiful glow with the world!

I just realized the other day that I have been so heavily focused on the information of things lately that I haven’t shared anything about the design sphere I’ve been living in. (*insert face palm)

I’ve been doing a lot of varied work lately, but what brings me joy is designing. Period. It doesn’t matter whether I’m redesigning or thinking of something from deadstock fabric. (In all reality at this point, I use clothes or deadstock for my fabrics unless it’s a commission with fabric that my client brings in.) This past week, I found myself smiling while I was putting pieces together and sitting in the euphoria of feeling like I’ve stepped back into my design style.

I’m not sure how many designers have also gone through this, but I feel like I’ve been chasing and trying to rediscover my design style. When I moved into manufacturing my pieces when I launched my brand, I was told by my consultant at the time that my designs needed to be more commercial. Which to me sounded like I needed to simplify my design styles so that they could be produced and sold in stores. Small design details that were different were good, but anything more may not have been the way to go….So I toned it down, especially when finding most of the men’s boutique stores that I wanted to sell too were somewhat, not all, a bit more traditional or casual in style. And I’ve struggled with that, so one of the last styles I produced was closer to how I’ve known myself to design over the years, but it was still “commercial”.

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Well in chasing my style, circular design has helped me get back into it a bit with stretching my creative brain. But this past week! Woo! Let me tell you!! I felt great and like I could dance and do the thing. However, looking back at it. I have been dropping little design nuggets for myself like this over the past few months, just not three consecutive pieces at a time. What made me realize this or get into the groove? I’m sure you’re wondering where this came from and this spur of creativity.

In the midst of the impending winter storm (of which was not on my radar until Tuesday), I planned to be in Dallas, TX and Norman, OK for the weekend. I wanted to walk the floor and make connections at Dallas Men’s Market and then would be visiting school for OU’s annual Sustainability Summit. And since I would be in Dallas, I planned with my brand’s prime signature model to have a shoot and get some new pieces to him. Voile! The opportunity arose to design something tailored to his personality that also represents his business and more. Yet, I didn’t get to work on it until a week ago...aka last Saturday (*cough*)…

It was redesign heaven! I made a knit lounge fit out of the backs of Tune from my collection and a long cardigan that was donated and a vest from donated denim and deadstock upholstery fabric. By far, I don’t call myself a denim upcycler/designer or even a knits designer, especially since they’re not materials I typically work with. But I dabble from time to time. But these pieces taught me a few more things.

Designing is getting to play with things that are running around in your mind and putting them to form. Shaping them into what you envision. When I started with the knit outfit, of course ripping was the first step to getting started. But I had a vision for how I wanted it to look, minus the sleeves, other than carrying the black into the right arm. As I envisioned this for my signature model, I wanted it to be bold and something that could also speak to his brand’s identity in the colors I chose. He’s minimalistic in the colors that he wears with black and white being his first choices. He also likes comfort and as we spoke about the clothes he typically wears or owns, it came down to ease of movement, especially as he is an athlete and has ever changing measurements. That’s when I started with the joggers (I’ll have full outfit photos later). By using the knit material off the back of a shirt, there was some patchwork that ended up happening, probably a lot more than some. I like how they turned out overall with a few tweaks needed. Mainly, I wasn’t happy with the hem of the shirt…hence, why I don’t really work with knits often. But overall, the fit came together nicely.

And for the vest, I loved how it came out. It looks even better on. But of course, I’m still my worse critic with small details no one else may notice. But it was here, that I found myself in the zone smiling and then dancing saying, “Ooooo, I’m back!” I love to design with insets and differences in texture. All of these pieces opened me back up to just channel that energy into my design process. Did I feel behind, rushed, and out of sorts a few times? Yes, but not as much as I felt like I was in the flow and at ease. And that’s what I’ve been chasing, but have finally rediscovered it. Now, when I feel like I need to scale something back, I’m just going to stop. Take a breath. And tell myself to keep going in the direction I am heading.

Circling it back to the overall design process and my favorite thing to talk about…circularity…There are times I notice too with how I construct things that may not seem the most economical or best way to do it. Then again, I also made both of these using scraps from other offcuts, as well as discarded and already deconstructed jeans. In thinking about it that way, it is still economical because I tried to use what pieces were already available instead of cutting more pieces. I mean that also happened, where I then had some smaller pieces from the already cut pieces. But those will go into my scrap bags that are accumulating for another project.

Either way, I hope that, if you’re also a creative, my sharing the chasing of my style to reinvigorate myself and renew my confidence in that style, helps you to do the same.

But until next time, rediscover the piece of you that’s been missing. <3

I completed my first two impact summary reports. No, they are not long or super in-depth, hence the summary part (or more like highlights). However, nonetheless, I finally completed one for my brand. And here are the results:

1. Textile Reduction: The brand collected a total of 224.8 lbs of clothing, fabric, and scrap in 2025. Majority of that came from clothing donations, amounting to 154.5 lbs. Some of the pieces I received, I knew I wouldn’t use to redesign with and donated them to Dress for Success Cincinnati and Matthew 25.

2. Carbon Footprint: This is where things got a little sticky; and, honestly, I may have slightly overcalculated it. But I’d rather be on the high end in order to correct my calculations and actually be below the number than to undercalculate the brand’s impact. For your interest, I also did not calculate the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or get into the research to do so, thus resulting in only the CO2 equivalent. I also didn’t add in the complete energy matrix, which is highly complex in Cincinnati, where the mix of energy sources can come from North Carolina as much as it can from a station an hour away. So, I broke out the brand’s activities into Scopes 1 through 3 with Scope 2 emissions being the highest by 36 kg. [For some added clarity, Scope 1 emissions are derived from direct and immediate activities. This would include my production, immediate energy use, and material use. Scope 2 emissions are added on top of Scope 1 to include the energy matrix/source, material sourcing, and logistics (typically one of the heavier scopes). Scope 3 encompasses the first two as well as the end-of-life stage for any products in the stream, if you will. Therefore, what is going to happen to a garment and how much energy will it take to dispose or reuse it.] For Am.A-line’s analysis: Scope 1 yielded 65.2 kg of CO2 eq; Scope 2 - 5,127 kg of CO2 e; and, Scope 3 - 5,091 kg of CO2 eq.

3. Energy Analysis: As mentioned above, I did not acquire all of the information needed to conduct the analysis for Scopes 2 and 3. However, my energy analysis study surrounded my equipment and my average monthly usage with a result of 136.3 kWh.

To all of my ESG report managers, power to you for finding and having the data to calculate the impacts! Same to all of the lifecycle assessors out there!

So this was just one of two of the summaries I worked on last week, but I’m really proud of myself for taking a stab at it, especially for my brand. Practice makes perfect, right? Or more so, practice can only make things easier and you get better along the way. So don’t worry, this won’t be my last one by far.

The hardest part for me was the lack of information or difficulty in finding the specifics I was looking for. Not for lack of trying though. Yes, some assumptions can be made, however, I wanted to be as accurate as I possibly could. So take it easy on ya girl lol. (Feedback and messages are always welcome, especially when working towards becoming more proficient.)

But for now, I’ll save the other juicy bits for later this week during our “regular scheduled programming” (haha!).

Until then, stay inquisitive!

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into this.

As you may or may not know, I implemented take-back and donation (closet cleanout) programs in 2024 for Am.A-line through The Again Co. Since launching my Rewind program, I’ve had a few donation drop-offs more than trade-ins. With that, along with learning more about LCA’s and how to conduct certain analyses and footprint data, I’ve been slowly working to make my own impact report for the brand.

And because I felt like the number was so insignificant when I started weighing everything last year around this time, I missed sharing my initial report as far as what was diverted from landfill. So let’s start with the simple numbers:

In 2024, (with my small scale) Am.A-line Collections diverted 26.5 lbs of a combination of clothing and textile scrap from landfill.

Now that I’m gearing up my report for 2025 (which I’ve learned now needs to be an ongoing thing), and as I look for other storage options, I’ve started calculating what was diverted again. So far, I’ve weighed roughly 96.2 lbs of clothing that I took in last year and that’s not even including my scrap or a few stragglers I’ve missed yet. Matter of fact, I didn’t even think about weighing the deadstock/gifted fabric I got from people and companies offloading. So that will be added to my report.

Anyway, this is one of the more simple pieces of data to share. But now I have to get into the nitty gritty that I was starting to work on the year before and didn’t complete…my carbon footprint and other potential key data drivers. Yes, you can argue that as a small, 1 woman brand, that I may not need to go as in depth as a corporation. I can’t argue that. However, I believe in setting myself and my brand up for the future; and, starting with the data that I can now is better than having to go back and scrounge it up later. (Something I’ve also already learned.)

Well in the midst of that, I’m also working on an impact report for my job and currently working towards calculating the carbon footprint. So let me get into what this even means because I think we all have a tendency to hear these terms now and just nod our heads because there’s a level of acknowledgement since we’ve heard about it so many times.

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When a company reports on its sustainability metrics, there are a number of ways to do this. The most commonly reported and focused metric is the carbon footprint, which is also synonymous with global warming potential (GWP). The carbon footprint is a calculation as to how much of a gas emission is in the atmosphere related to carbon as the base compound to compare to, resulting in X kg CO2 equivalent (eq). The GWP measures other gas emissions as well like methane (CH4) and ozone depleting chemicals. Most importantly, the difference in GWP relates to the use of a time horizon assigned for the calculations, usually between 20, 100, and 500 years.

So for me, I’m mainly looking to conduct a carbon footprint for the materials I have information on about where they came from. For the clothes I’ve had donated, I may have to guestimate where they were received from. Luckily, most of the clothing that has come in has been dropped off from around the city, or given to me directly when I’ve been in another location. So I’ll be able to calculate that. It’s the other metrics I may not be able to dive too deep into at the moment, but I will get there and yall will be so tired from hearing about these numbers.

Which leads me back to sustainability metrics and the general public. As I was mentioning earlier, I think to a degree we’ve all become so numb to what is being reported because not everyone understands what it actually means. You hear and see terms like “net zero”, “carbon neutral”, “carbon negative”, and so on like everyone gets it. Each one of these emission goals is important and amazing when they can be achieved, which is a feat in itself considering how hard it is to mitigate the amount of carbon emissions produced. That’s where carbon capture technology and storage comes into play. (If you missed my journal entry touching on carbon capture and sequestration technology, don’t worry, you can always catch up on it later.)

Though sustainability and circularity are moving into a high metrics based reporting, it feels like we’re losing some of the personal touch to what connects us to one another. Numbers are a language from many people, but not for everyone. My question is, how can we keep the numbers but make them tangible and familiar enough in a way that doesn’t cause reactionary harm but could feel like an embrace to progress and community?

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I just had to let that one sit for a moment.

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I think that will be something I explore over the next year and report back to you all with what I find.

But on another note, another Looped In episode dropped on Spotify! Where I get into a little bit of this entry but touch on other topics as well. I’d love to have you join me there as well and any video interviews will be posted individually here on Substack as well!

I think that’s where I’ll end this week’s entry before I dive into another rabbit hole.

Until next time, don’t fight positive change but embrace it.

We’ve all felt some of the struggles, adversity, and stress that came with the beginning of the year. But personally, I have found each of those to have been a lesson much needed and well learned. Was it pretty? 100% not pretty majority of the time. However, working through whatever the challenge was resulted in something better that was just waiting around the corner. And even though I’m reflecting, that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

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So let’s dive into my 3 take aways for 2025!

1. Change can only occur when we find other ways to address convenience: Mindset and behavior is the key to all things sustainability and circularity. (Yes, pricing is also a challenge, but it also plays right into this.) Overproduction is a product of overconsumption and creating demand for the desire to obtain the newest of the new. But let’s think about this, which I plan to dive into further conversations about this. We’ve also been conditioned to consume and want the newest of the new. Nothing wrong with wanting new things. I think it just becomes a factor of how much and then how easy can we shift these things. This thought also includes how we handle our waste streams. It’s not all about the materials in the waste stream, but about how we as consumers contribute to the change and what we have the ability and capability, as well as willingness, to participate in. Technology advancements and various innovations have helped make things easier and even more efficient for us as a society. The challenge with creating convenience is that our country doesn’t have the best infrastructure to handle better disposal, reuse, and recycling at the scales we need it to. Yes, progress is being made but there’s a long way to go. So patience is part of the long game and something I keep reminding myself of as well.

2. Growth looks differently and can come when you least expect it (even if you are expecting it): Let’s talk about that last part. You feel growth coming, right? At least, all year I felt things coming in the midst of the chaos and craziness, but I was so head down that I wasn’t expecting it until I had a couple uncomfortable, recognizable moments. When things were happening, I had a moment of frustration and had to step back to recognize it was a good thing. So I believe the old phrase is “expect the unexpected” and then there is also the contradicting statement of “if you don’t have expectations, you won’t be disappointed”. I think there’s a certain level of truth and balanced nature to both statements. I’ve found walking in alignment, in peace, and your purpose makes space for both to allow for that type of balance. But that could just be me

   

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3. Don’t hinder creativity: Once I started leaning into various events and collaborations that stretched my creative muscles, I started noticing that I got into a flow. However, with life going on, I would also put some things off and then end up cranking out work next to last minute and may have lost the initial idea I had. Luckily, by nearly burning out and making intentional space to rest to keep my creative juices flowing, I won’t be pushing off my creative thoughts until the last minute anymore. That spark, that inspiration, that idea, has now given me the push to hop onto doing the work as soon as possible. Trust me, I’m looking forward to all of the creative flow coming in 2026.

So to wrap this year in a beautiful bow, I just want to thank you all for joining me once again for this ride. I can’t wait to get into topics, projects, and conversations coming very, very soon!

Until next time, release and expand all while protecting your peace.

Happy New Year!

Aside from letting go of things, people, and bad habits the last year, I’ve learned to lean into what makes me uncomfortable but to acknowledge what disturbs my peace and knowing that it’s not meant for me. But what I’m really proud of is sticking to my purpose and following through with majority of the things I wanted to accomplish this last year, including finally launching Looped In after talking about starting a podcast for the last few months or more. I’m really excited to dive deeper as I expand each episode and each season.

Outside of that, the last year in design has helped me tap into what I like to do the most, as well as other creative ways to redesign. The only challenge I’ve had and haven’t fixed yet is taking my initial patterns that I work up on the garment and put them on paper so that I can use it again or reference it without creating more work for myself to do it again. So that will be something in this next year I will be sure to take the time to do.

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However, I can say that without constantly patternmaking, I’ve been able to be in a creative flow and let the garment and fabric do what it wants. Which leads me to the collaboration I just finished, which also came as a project challenge. Not exactly your sustainable or circular design, however, since it’s paper, I can thankfully recycle it if I don’t put it in an exhibit somewhere.

So last month I was asked by a photographer to come up with two designs for holiday dresses made out of gift wrapping paper. Of course I had a lot of ideas come to mind, but one stuck with me. And as I started cutting out the pattern pieces and paper, I was trying to find ways to be minimally wasteful and how could I use the whole square. Luckily, most of my scrap came from creating the paper flowers I added to the dress. So of course you know I threw my scraps in the recycling. I honestly was having a hard time with the paper at first and didn’t like where it was heading until I added the pleated flares to the sides of the skirt and finally the details to the bodice. The best part was seeing it on our model, who looked absolutely amazing in it.

The second look I designed was definitely more of a zero waste piece. I ended up using large, full sheets of the wrapping paper as opposed to shaping it by cutting. And it was a lot, I mean A LOT, of folding. But it definitely has become my favorite piece. Absolutely stunning. Clearly I was in a folding/pleating mood! But I decided to make a cape and skirt set, especially since I was running short on time to get these looks together. Utilizing the whole piece of paper for the cape (it was still a few pieces that were made from a pattern in my brain, but not the shoulders), I got to stretch my muscles for figuring out how to make the shoulders lay. And thankfully my design sister, Alishia, helped me just by putting extra eyes and a touch on it to make it make sense. All before the photoshoot that afternoon.

It was such an enjoyable project, especially to round out the year.

I will say that I asked for collaborations this year, and I definitely got what I asked for. The other one, I’ll have to share later, which also feels far out of my sustainable realm. But I’m hoping they keep it and use it for a long time and will repurpose it or bring it back. However, I will save that for another day.

This was just my pre-wrap end of the year wrap before I deliver one to you next week with all the things I am looking forward to, along with a deeper review. I can say that this last year was one full of creative energy and I’m so grateful for it. I honestly can’t remember the last time I flowed and have had so many ideas come at once.

So until next time, I hope you all enjoy the holidays coming next week!

Until next time, be merry and bright!

As another semester comes to a close, I finally am finding a little bit of bandwidth where my thoughts can meander a bit more. Of course between coursework, work, and business I’ve had a packed schedule, but my schedule is just about always packed (lol). But before I go too far off track, I wanted to dive into what I’ve been reflecting on.

This semester was probably the best so far. Both of my classes were spot on and very interesting, even with what felt like a never-ending stack of work for one class. However, in that stack, I took a lot away from it. Remember when I mentioned….way back then…that I was taking a polymer manufacturing class this semester? Well, it’s had me in a reflection state and reassessing our (my own included) relationships with polymers and plastics.

As one of my classmates has so eloquently stated, it’s not so much a plastics problem as much as it is a waste problem. (Again, this mainly pertains to the U.S.) But he’s right. That’s what we’ve all been talking about and working to educate people on and one of the whole purposes of this journal, right?! So let’s dive a little deeper into this reflection shall we?

When I started out this semester I was already mindful of my consumption and how I was handling (or attempting) to handle my waste. As soon as I started in my polymers class, it made me think about it more and the complexities surrounding plastics whether they’re made from fossil fuels or from biobased or biodegradable materials. All of the plastic and polymer options we discussed over the semester have their own drawbacks as well as benefits. Whether that’s the energy intensity created when the resin is produced from the very start or how it’s disposed of and if even it has a proper waste stream management system.

There are so many cool innovations happening, such as PHA items. If you haven’t heard, PHA is a biodegradable polymer that degrades naturally in the environment as well as in compost facilities. The downside is that it’s currently expensive to produce and there are limited uses for it due to its biodegradability. It’s made by microorganisms as they consume oils or sugars and store it in their cells. Later, the bioplastic is harvested and purified for use in straws, films, and a number of other products (Moebios, 2024). But I won’t go down the rabbit hole with this one. I just wanted to share one of the innovations we as consumers may not all be aware of.

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So back to my reflection. This class, as well as a number of conversations I’ve had lately, has sparked a number of thoughts. As I’ve mentioned earlier this year, sometimes it feels like the people portion of sustainability is forgotten about. Not only that, but the level of the information out there can seem overwhelming for an every day person just trying to get through life. Data is important as well as transparency. However, it should also be delivered in a consumable, easy to understand and practice type of way. Our infrastructure in the U.S. isn’t perfect, nor is it completely perfect around the world, but there can be improvements made for both people and planet.

Lately I have really been chewing on the ideas of attainable goals, transparency, and what a shift in consumer health and behavior could look like compared to how it looks now. I’ve been struggling with messaging that isn’t aligned by action and finding greenwashing and greenhushing are just as nuanced as other marketing and messaging tactics. Understanding that it can be difficult to achieve some of the goals and objectives companies, both large and small, set for themselves, there is a shift happening and another one I feel is on the way. As seen with other large companies and even the UN SDG goals themselves, some of the years that have been marked for milestones to be achieved hasn’t been met yet. And there are a million reasons as to why. When I started digging a little further into sustainability before launching my brand back in 2018, I kept hearing “within the next 5 to 8 years”. Well that timeframe has come and gone. Then it was 2025 for some organizations. Now it’s 2030 to 2050.

The questions I now have are:

1. How can we move the needle forward without enacting proper policy to meet the impact goals set?

2. How can we meet people where they are but actually make lives better as opposed to struggling to get by to meet their basic needs as a human while a small percentage of people profit off of the hard labor of others? (Nuanced and hot topic to debate and will leave here.)

3. What messaging and measurable actions can we take to actively be part of improving our communities for the better concerning energy and materials/waste management?

These are just a few of the many roaming around in my head. But they each bring up further questions of which I will be exploring in my podcast, Looped In. (Which I just released the welcome episode! Unfortunately, there was a lack of tunes situation for this episode that will be fixed before next week.) Plus, you already know I’ll be unpacking some of these questions here as well.

But I don’t want to keep you any longer, as I could go on about these thoughts for days as I finish up the semester. However, life calls and goes on. So for today, I’ll leave you with this to chew on. We use plastics to handle and manage plastic waste. So what is the inherent problem, the plastics themselves or our need (humans as a whole) for convenience and unwillingness to go the extra step?

Until next time, ask the uncomfortable questions and challenge the status quo.

Before we dive into the interview, you already know I have to give you a little bit of background on how our paths crossed. It was about a year ago (although it feels like two years) that May and I connected on LinkedIn. She reached out to connect with me about my thoughts for how linens could be moved into fashion using a circular model. From there, we set up a call and instantly connected.

So, let’s dive into May’s interview!

Can you tell us a little about your journey to sustainability and circularity?
MW: When we first began delivering discarded linens from hotels to shelters, we were not talking about sustainability at all; we were focused on community. Growing up in my dad’s motel, I saw perfectly usable towels and sheets discarded because they had tiny imperfections. Coming from an immigrant family, waste felt intuitively wrong. We made the most of everything — I’m sure many families can relate to their plastic bag filled with plastic bags under the kitchen sink! — and discarding usable resources was just unimaginable to us, especially as we were in a “save money when it’s tight” mentality. I did not realize that what we were doing was sustainability; I just believed that if someone could use something, we had a responsibility to get it to them.

Then I moved to Singapore for college. Singapore showed me a different relationship with waste. Companies handed out reusable bento kits, bamboo straws, metal cutlery. Restaurants gave discounts when customers brought their own containers. Everything was designed for reuse. It felt normal; it felt cultural; it felt deeply connected to humanity, as a reminder that we are stewards and journeying together on Planet Earth with the very real power to influence and harm each other with our consumption. When I returned to the United States and watched a one dollar burrito get wrapped in multiple layers of packaging, placed into multiple bags, I finally saw excess for what it was — deep, deep disconnection to the places, spaces, and choices we inhabit.

We often think sustainability is only about the environment or carbon emissions. Those conversations can feel clinical. Sustainability to me is about community. It is about being conscious of the waste we create, the spaces we occupy, and the privileges we hold. It is about choosing to make sure our existence leaves something better behind. Sustainability is responsibility, not rhetoric.

What sparked your desire to launch Linens N Love?
MW: Being a kid is intrinsically disempowering! You have no financial resources, no political influence, and very limited autonomy. Yet kids are often the most idealistic, the most creative, and the least jaded by how difficult change can be. When Linens N Love began, I realized young people are perfectly positioned to spot what adults overlook.

We noticed a pattern. Hotels discard linens by the hundreds. Shelters need linens desperately. Students have access to the waste stream. That connection was empowering. We started cold calling hotels. We ran pickups. We realized we could do something meaningful without needing money.

A pivotal moment came when a classmate pulled me aside and shared that his family once lived in a transitional homeless shelter. They slept on bare mattresses because bedding was not available. That conversation reframed everything. Linens N Love was not just about preventing waste. It was about giving dignity. We had access to resources others needed. That power to connect abundance with need was the spark.

Was there a particular moment that made you pause or pivot your path?
MW: I was hiding from my inbox. We would get hundreds of messages from shelters, hotels, and families in need, reaching out from Memphis, Boulder, London, and Bali. I had to face the truth: we could not scale if we relied on student volunteers driving around to pick up linens. Our impact was limited by manual logistics.

We had to move from a volunteer driven model to infrastructure. We built a tech platform that functions like a DoorDash for linens. Hotels log what they no longer need. Shelters log what they do need. The system matches them by proximity and demand. No middle layer, no delays. Circularity only scales when convenience is built into the system.

The puzzle now is stewardship. The platform needs maintenance, data storage, user support, and ongoing improvements. Someone must invest in keeping the system alive. That realization brought clarity: we cannot rely solely on goodwill. We need partners willing to take responsibility.

What changes do you hope to see in the industry?
MW: We need the hotel and hospitality industry to step up! Procurement teams, manufacturers, suppliers, and hotel brands hold both budgets and influence. Circularity will not become the standard until those with decision making power choose to champion it.

Guests also have power. When customers show that they will spend money with businesses that donate instead of discard, the market responds. Doing good will not always be the cheapest path, but it is the right path. That is what stewardship looks like. That is what it means to be a responsible participant in the world.

Could you share any frustrations surrounding circularity that you wish were more widely understood?
MW: Circularity wins when the cost of doing nothing becomes higher than the cost of doing better. Right now, the opposite is true. It is cheaper to throw linens away than to donate them. Waste feels easy. Responsibility feels like effort.

We need to shift where our purchasing power goes. We influence circularity every time we decide to choose a clothing swap instead of fast fashion, to purchase from companies that disclose ethical sourcing, and to support policies that push industries toward circular models. There is always a cost. We choose whether the cost is environmental or responsible.

What are you looking forward to, either in general or in business?
MW: I look forward to sustainability becoming a cultural instinct rather than a talking point. I want people to understand sustainability not as sacrifice, but as community. When circularity becomes embedded in how we think and live, we stop asking if it is worth it. We simply do it!

This interview left me feeling renewed and rejuvenated. Speaking with May always leaves me with inspiration and seeking other ways to make circularity more accessible and intuitive for our communities. An absolute powerhouse and beautiful spirit. Be sure to check out Linens N Love and learn more about the global impact May and her team have made so far.

If this interview left you with chills or wanting to learn more about how we change out interactions with one another, let alone our environment, be sure to stay tuned for May’s podcast interview coming soon!

Until next time, reach out to your neighbor and lend a hand or good word :)

So here’s a view into what the calendar is looking like and the links to each event (minus the Swap & Shop).

I’m honestly very excited about each one of these, but most definitely the Swap & Shop. It’ll be my first time hosting a swap and I’m hoping that everyone will be as excited about it as I am…Unfortunately, contrary to some sustainability values, it’s on Black Friday. However, I think activating community through the swap and offering a connection point will be the best part of the day. You never know who you’re going to meet or what fun things you might find.

But that’s all I’ve got this week. A quick update into what I’m prepping for and a few things I’m starting to wrap my head around. But I promise, I’ll be back to share more next week!

Until then, enjoy the sunshine wherever you are, however you can!

Oops! I almost forgot. You can find the links to each of the events below:

1. Pocket Bag Workshop

2. Rip & Sip: Rethink Your Relationship with Style

3. Swap & Shop

Lisa and I also met through the Untangling Circularity Podcast Coalition last fall. Speaking with Lisa is always inspiring and I take so much away from our conversations. She will also be a guest on my podcast when I launch (now end of next month). But let’s get into her interview!

How did you get your start in fashion? And what led you to sustainability and circularity?

It involved mandarin and a beer. In the mid nineties I was waiting tables (as all liberal arts majors do after obtaining a 4 year degree) in New York City at a restaurant called City Crab and Seafood. I sometimes waited on the late Oleg Cassini and Peggy Nester who were frequent diners there along with a business partner who was from China. One night the manager of the restaurant suggested I offer the partner a beer in mandarin. I wasn’t using the mandarin I had learned in college for any other professional purpose as yet, and I did so reluctantly. I was hired on the spot for a job as a production assistant in a small private label knits company.

I have always been interested in sustainability, but it took a long time for me to see a way to apply that passion in my career in sourcing and apparel manufacturing. It is tough for large brands to do needle moving things in sustainability, and I understand why sustainability initiatives are often deprioritized, but they usually were. I’ve loved the change management part of my work in fashion the most, and circularity is really that. I am passionate about applying my lived experience in the linear fashion model to find ways to incorporate circularity which have a potential ROI. Innovation is going to be as important as regulation in this space.

What is the origin story of Circular Thrift and how you got started?

I built a collection receptacle and started to collect used Halloween costumes! Having focused primarily on global processes and global structures throughout my career, my research kept bringing me back to the challenge of post consumer textile waste as the most challenging problem out there. It is literally what we have already bought and put in our closets that is most daunting to figure out from a circularity standpoint. So I decided to lean WAY in and imagine solutions at a hyper local level which might be repeatable in other local communities. For three years I’ve been working on a project to scale the circular economy in my town of Bexley Ohio. In addition to collecting and circulating several tons of clothing myself, I’ve organized quarterly community clothing exchanges, mending workshops, and educational events. Earlier this year I published a guide to help other aspiring local circular economy leaders to get started.

What is something you’re hoping will change in the industry sooner than later?

I would love to see the concept of designing for circularity become mainstream both in design schools and inside brands. There is significant white space for creatives to develop great product which can be extended in use through ease of repair; can be made into something else (maybe with interesting instructions from the brand); can be composted or truly recycled. I predict that consumers will be quick to fall in love with this idea and I don’t see significant cost barriers for brands to incorporate this way of thinking into their product development strategies.

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Are there any messages that frustrate you most when it comes to circularity?

I am conflicted about both the harshness with which greenwashing is condemned AND the grace which brands ask of their consumers and investors on the topic of sustainability. If your company is not interested in any sustainability initiatives and will wait until legally compelled to think differently about its environmental impact then just say that, or say nothing at all. Brands who are not built on a platform of sustainability, who don’t believe their customers want it, and who are responsible to drive profitability will understandably deprioritize sustainability initiatives which don’t have a clear ROI. What frustrates me is when brands either oversell the sustainability of a small capsule they created which cost them very little and which isn’t representative of their larger strategy and corresponding impact. And while I appreciate the idea of ‘progress over perfection’, sometimes I think brands can manipulate this concept and ask for a disproportionate amount of recognition for doing very little. In the end the confusion which exists around brands and the story they tell about the environmental impact of their supply chain causes consumers to remove themselves from the conversation. This makes it harder for consumers to see and celebrate brand effort that is worthy.

What are you looking forward to most (business or personal)?

I hope to launch a second version of a community textile waste collection pilot which I organized in Central Ohio this summer in partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio. The pilot resulted in the diversion of 22 tons of post consumer textile waste and the community support was huge. I would love to make this an evergreen service.

I’m also excited to continue to host community clothing exchanges and mending workshops throughout the fall and winter. I get so much energy from meeting and talking with people at these events.

Be sure to check out more of Lisa’s impactful work to learn about her local initiatives.

Until next time, get involved with your local community and be surprised who you meet! :)

So now that I have a little more time to breathe….aside from school and other things (lol but a good reprieve)….I wanted to dive in and share a thorough recap of our collaboration and the amazing pieces we built together and independently….a true collaboration, as Rae so eloquently stated.

It’s been quite a few months now since I mentioned it earlier this year, about 6 months or so. We’ve been working diligently and frantically at the same time (mostly me with the frantic part lol). We decided to go about this with a different approach that wouldn’t stress either of us out and would also be less intensive in the design conception stage by letting what spoke to us centered around a general idea and message we came up with at the very beginning. A lot of what we had in mind centered around florals and extending the life of clothing through unique story telling.

That’s when we split up the work and search for secondhand clothing and luckily found our beautiful statement fabric at Indigo Hippo, our local non-profit art supply store. We started with having 3 to 4 pairs of pants done the first two months we checked in and then moved onto tops.

We checked in 4 times before our big production sprint weekend at the end of August. They were two super fun days where we got a lot done. Honestly, Rae was already cranking things out while I was over here ripping and making patterns, slowly making my pieces lol. But that weekend, I added at least 4 to 6 more items to my portion of already 10 items. Then last month we met a few times for ironing out logistics for our launch date (last Saturday, Oct. 4), marketing, and of course me finalizing the photos as well since I shot our pieces.

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But let me get into some of true makings of a few of the pieces I constructed. First my favorites!

1. The Red Vest Sets - This is where the upholstery fabric came in and shined! It was the catalyst fabric for everything we advertised and more. As soon as Rae saw it, she said we had to have it and I agreed. After we walked out of the store, I was already having visions of it being a 2 piece set, a jacket and pants. Well, I ended up not having enough fabric for the sleeves, but the vest and pants came out so good! Then, with the left over fabric pieces and scraps I had, I pieced together another vest and a pair of shorts, combining them with denim pieces from other jeans I had already cut up. So we have a full upholstery set and a more denim featured set that can virtually be worn by anyone, though I designed them with form and fit in mind.

2. Two Tone Pants: These were so much fun to make! Again, Rae came in with the winning piece of fabric! And it just so happened that I was wearing one of my favorite pair of linen pants that helped serve as inspiration for these. The fabric…was a large drapery curtain….Perfection. And it was super soft. So I thought about just making a green pair of pants, but then realized I had some other larger pieces of fabric I hadn’t used in my portion of the collection. That’s when the two toned drawstring pants were born. Unfortunately, I had to make a few corrections, which were lessons learned (and I should have known just by how I was making them vs how many times I’ve made pants and know that wasn’t going to work). Aka, I didn’t make the back of the pant high enough because I cut it as a straight line. So I had to add yokes to the two of them and a pair of shorts I did the same too. Which, I’m glad I caught that and was able to fix it, plus learn a few other things I may not have if I didn’t have this misstep.

3. Black & Blue Denim: Of course, the bottom of a blue jean being black has become a signature move for me. So with this one, I decided to try the dual leg combo with an additional stripe. And they turned out so good. Like I want them for myself to go with my other pair I have lol. And then we decided they could get a patch sewn on top to add a bit of color and flare.

Then two days before the launch, we got together one last time to set up and make sure we were ready. Me…I still had to put labels on everything and was trying to clean up a few things. Then the crazy and best part! I was at work the Friday before and found a bunch of garments that were in some bags and I asked if I could take them if I found use. The answer was yes! So, I snagged a few stray pockets, belt loops, and cut up pants. That night and the morning of the launch, I had a sewing sprint and made a couple cute bags from the things I found.

It was an exploration in allowing my brain to figure out how to sew these cut pants back into full pieces just to realize I just needed to sew and follow the corners and curves. Incidentally, one set that I was working to make into a bag turned out to be cuter as a skirt. I ended up making 5 pocket bags. 4 small ones and 1 large messenger type bag. Then I ended up reconstructing an additional shirt 2 hours before the launch. And, I’m not sure if you’ll believe me, but I was at ease the entire time.

By the time the launch party started, I was finally sitting down to eat lol. We had a great turn out and had such a great time sharing our collection with everyone.

It was a fantastic collaboration and more than likely we’ll be doing it again next year. So if you want to see each of our pieces, they’ll be up on our websites soon by checking us out at Abstract Junction and Am.A-line Collections.

Until next time, enjoy the fall crisp air that’s starting to settle in the Northern hemisphere!

Which leads me to exactly what I’ve been mulling over the past few weeks but couldn’t find a nook or cranny of time to write about…

Polymers….aka plastics…but really they’re just large molecules, of which we know them to be plastics because that has become the common knowledge name, although they exist in nature too. So let’s get into it!

First off, let’s define what a polymer is with a better definition that the one I gave you. Of which, there are multiple definitions that basically say the same thing but change according to its chemical makeup.

A long or larger molecule consisting of a chain or network of many repeating units, formed by chemically bonding together many identical or similar small molecules called monomers. A polymer is formed by polymerization, the joining of many monomer molecules.

-The American Heritage Dictionary, 5th edition

If you’d like to dig deeper into the science and history behind polymers and monomers, I’ve left some resources for your reading further in the notes.

The sticky icky things that add to the convenience of our lives and the “headache” of sustainability and challenge of circularity…plastics. What led me to this you might ask and why has it been occupying so much space in my brain.

Well, I’m glad you asked. This semester, one of my classes exclusively is about polymer manufacturing. The first thing I learned when the class started is that only 4% of petroleum globally is used for the manufacture of plastic items (Coleman et al., 2009), which today actually comes out to be between 8 and 10% (Khalid, 2025). Further resources confirm a growth in plastic production. However, what struck me was that only this small of a percentage can be accounted for plastic production, with all of its versatility and various polymer types. Which of course leads to the amount of plastic actually recycled annually…a staggering 10%, and nationally according to Khalid, 5 to 7%.

But what really got me was that, even if somehow we do stop all plastic production, the landfill wouldn’t show a difference and the staff might not even notice. Why? Because landfills are designed in a number of ways, however, they are not commercial composting facilities. Which means they don’t have the microorganisms and means to aid in the decomposition of things, whether made from a natural material or otherwise. Professor William Rathje is credited as the founder of Garbology, the analysis of garbage. He visited a number of landfills and out of “160 million tons of waste produced in the United States annually, 20% is food-related, 20-30% is construction debris, and 50% is paper products” (Coleman et al., 2009). Mind you that figure could have changed, however, the fact that some things can remain in tact in a landfill up to 20 years to the point that it’s still identifiable is mind blowing. Now, here’s a statement Rathje made that might blow your mind:

“If
they [plastics] were banned tomorrow, the people who manage landfills wouldn’t know the difference.”

- Dr. William Rathje, University of Arizona

Ok, so with that in mind, and the increased production of plastics, what do we do, especially when it comes to textiles? Keep it in circulation as best as we can and be mindful of the type of plastic it is, as well as implementing and utilizing the technologies available to capture microplastics that are shed during recycling and washing.

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The point for me is that plastics have been around but it wouldn’t matter if we stopped producing them to see a reduction in their impact. It would still remain. So when I think about what fabrics I’m using, most of the time I like to use a 100% pure natural fabric if I can help it. However, most on the market are blends and/or polyester with spandex. I see these especially when I receive donations and trade-ins. For me, in order to use them at the highest level I can, I am not just making another style out of them, but also collecting the threads and sometimes even the dust that accumulates in my serger for another purpose. (Of which, when I finally get to it, I’ll share it with you!)

I just wanted to provide some food for thought because this gave me another perspective to think about when discussing sustainability and circularity. What we have to realize and remember, most importantly, is that any decision that we make that we believe will be better and have less of an impact may not be felt or understood until it’s been in effect for a number of years, usually a decade or two. In addition, what might be right for one region or community, may not work for another. And we can’t forget that we should be focusing on people living now, and not just the future generations to come, because if we can’t help ourselves now there won’t be a next generation.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one as we go into a fresh week.

Until next time, keep your eyes and heart open.

Notes & References:

1. Polymer Definition

2. Michael M. Coleman and Paul C Painter, Essentials of Polymer Science Engineering, DEStech Publications, 2009: Chapter 1.

3. Net Zero Emissions Chemical Industry…

4. Khalid, Omar. ShunPoly Blog

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Before I dive into the interview q’s, let me give you a quick intro and how I met Sagi. Earlier last year (as I’ve mentioned a bit lol), I was pretty overwhelmed with how I could tackle becoming part of the solution and no longer producing in large scale quantities, but responsibly creating collections and garments for my brand. Enter all of the groups I was participating in. Sagi and I met through the Untangling Circularity Podcast Coalition; and, I will always say it was perfect timing.

I was considering how to create a take-back program and offer options to my customers in how to give back their Am.A-line styles or any other brands they may have and were considering letting go. As soon as Sagi introduced himself to the whole group, I knew we had to connect. And by chance, one day we were paired up in a breakout room. Basically from there, it was an instant partnership and I could not hide my excitement when I was preparing to launch my trade-in program. Six months later, or maybe less, we added donation to the mix. So with that, I’m thrilled to share my interview with Sagi!

Could you share a little with us about how you got into tech and circular fashion?

My entire career has been in tech where I primarily served as in-house legal counsel. In 2002 I plunged into the world of entrepreneurship and founded a software company to serve the veterinary industry. I sold that company in 2021, and a year later decided to step away from the business.

I spent the next few months decompressing and giving myself space to think about what I wanted to do next. I wanted to find a meaningful problem to solve. I found that problem in the fashion industry. I was shocked to learn how wasteful and polluting the process of making our clothes is, and by how the problem was exacerbated by the fast-fashion and throwaway culture. I wanted to offer an alternative that was more efficient and sustainable.

I decided to focus on the post-sale side of the problem because I believe it is the most compelling way to convince brands that their growth doesn’t have to be tied to new sales alone. Peer-to-peer marketplaces were growing quickly, and I wanted to help brands leverage that momentum to build new revenue streams and engage customers in new ways. The technology we built makes that opportunity affordable and profitable for brands of every size.

What was your "Aha" moment that led you to start TACo?

My journey to starting TACo was one of iteration rather than breakthrough. It took me a while to find the right problem to tackle, but one I did, I started iterating through solutions quickly. I started with branded peer-to-peer marketplaces because that these presented the fewest barriers to adoption. Marketplaces don’t require that the brand handle the inventory, and we would be managing everything else for the brands.

However, I quickly learned that peer-to-peer resale is not right for all brands, so we expanded our platform to support other circular models such as trade-in, direct resale of returns, overstock, samples, etc., and even donations. I’m not satisfied that we’ve completely addressed the problem though, so we continue to innovate new solutions as we learn more from our customers and their customers.

What changes do you hope to see in the industry with the growth of circular systems and strategies?

I would like to see broader understanding of the fact that pre-loved programs are strategic initiatives that drive sustainable, long-term growth, as well as insulate brands from uncertainty in global markets. These types of programs are too often viewed as nice-to-haves when they are in fact must-haves for businesses that want to stay competitive and attract the growing number of shoppers who are looking for sustainable shopping options and value.

Do you have a favorite item that you have been reluctant to let go of? What value does it hold for you?

I’m the type of person who will wear something until it falls apart (and even then I’ll try to find some use for it, such as turning t-shirts into cleaning rags). I enjoy the feel of clothes that have been broken in. I have a particularly hard time letting go of denim specifically because new denim just doesn’t feel the same as worn-in denim. It’s a running joke in my house to see me in old photos wearing some of the same clothes I still own.

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What are some things you're looking forward to (in business or in general)?

I’m looking forward to a time when the message that I am trying to communicate is accepted as common knowledge, and that every business, regardless of industry, builds circularity into its core operations. I’m also looking forward to a time when we acknowledge that the status quo no longer serves our best interests and that we must not be afraid to change it.

I can’t thank Sagi enough for all of his work with The Again Co. As I’ve gotten to know him a bit over the past year and a half, it is very clear that he is a mission driven being with compassion for people and planet. If you haven’t heard about their work, be sure to visit their site where you can find out more about their program offerings and brands they’re working with.

Until next time, walk in your purpose and pursue it each day <3 <3

The last two weeks have been long and go-go-go. Not sure about you, but it has truly been non-stop; and, though I feel like there may be some slowing down, I know much better than that (HA!). But before I get into what’s coming next month, I wanted to review a little bit about this previous one, especially what it is leading up to in the coming months.

So I know I mentioned that I’m working on a collab with from on a collection. We have been getting into the trenches these last two weeks and it’s been a fun and grounding process. We kicked off talking about our collab earlier this year and really started lining things up this past spring. We talked about what we want this collaboration to look like, speak to, and who we want to attract. The main focus has been upcycling and redesigning clothing, which both of us love. Our inspiration also led us to speak to connection with our environment and looking a little deeper within and what that looks like with our (society) relationship to clothes.

That led to a few thrift store trips and our beloved Indigo Hippo, where we found this killer upholstery fabric we both immediately fell in love with. And as we walked out of the store, I had an idea instantly for a 2 piece look. Well as we’re finishing things up, it’s going to be two 2 piece looks, or 4 separate pieces. We’re loving it and I can’t wait to share the final pieces with you. But! Before that, we met up to get check in to see what goodies we acquired and found we fell into the color scheme and theme pretty well.

The best part has been learning from one another though. We’ve shared different techniques and a little bit of how we get into things. Mind you, Rae is quick with the embroidering, Shashiko, and all things hand embellishment! I thought I was quick, but not like this lol. Plus, she’s really gifted with the chainstitch machine and cranks out patches like no one’s business. I’ve learned a lot about other mending techniques just from chatting with her and seeing her in action. So if you’re in town, come join us for our launch October 4th from 6-9pm at my studio in LINNcinnati, and October 9th at Rae’s studio at Abrstract Junction for our mending and patching encore workshop from 5-8pm.

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Other things I’m preparing for are as follows:

1. Dress for Success Fashion Show - I’m thrilled about this partnership as well as it speaks yet again to closing the loop in fashion. Plus, Dress for Success’s mission to support women throughout career development and more speaks volumes to the things we can do when a community comes together. But I will be designing and styling three of their mannequins that will be set up to welcome guests into the venue. Best part of all is that its theme is Wicked inspired, so I’ll get to get a little wild with this one. If you’re in Cincinnati, September 12th, and would love to support the mission and see the show, be sure to grab your ticket.

2. I’m prepping for a shoot with my signature models for the brand, which entails me making 2 suits and at least 2 pieces for myself as well. It’ll be a fun highlight shoot, focusing on them and my interactions with them. I’m planning for it to be a lot of fun in the end and can’t wait to see how the photos turn out.

3. As I’m finishing these other tasks up, I’m finally getting to a point that I can focus on redesigning and constructing a 20 look collection for MAC Fashion Week. The Midwest Apparel Creative Foundation (MAC) is launching its first fashion week event here in Cincinnati this coming November from the 4th - 9th. I’ve had a lot of things in mind and can’t wait to actually sit down next month to dig deep into what I have in mind. And of course, as I find materials (mostly button-up shirts), new ideas pop into my head.

   

4. It’s gala season. Therefore, I’m approaching various people to dress them and to collaborate with. So the suits I’ll be making will help me promote that as well as some conversations I’ve been having. (*Hint: so if you know anyone, or need anything, let me know ;D)

5. Last but not least. I’m finally reviving my YouTube channel, but may need to rename it or make a second channel for my podcast. Either way, you’ll be able to find it under Am.A-line Collections Presents on YT for now. But I’m going to be talking to various people in different industries, but really focusing on circularity and the impacts it has on all of them. The connecting factor is how they all relate to fashion. And you already know that I wouldn’t leave that part out because just like language, math, and science, everything is connected in one way or another. The first episode will launch next week and I’ll also have a coupe of write ups here with some of my guests.

Other than that, it’s my second to last semester and I’ve got to buckle down in the midst of it all. It’s going to be an interesting one for sure. However, I’m excited to dive into my polymers manufacturing class, as well as our risk analysis class. You already know I’ll share the key highlights!

So as we enter into September under a new moon and the kiss of autumn, let’s breathe in the fresh air of renewal together. There’s so much to come and this last quarter of the year is about to be mind-blowing!

Until next time, be connected and at peace while you feel the sun and touch the ground.

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I grew up in the 90’s when the recycling message was STRONG. It was taught in school and when Earth Day came around, it actually felt like it was an important day, not just another average day. [But I guess that’s most holidays lately (unfortunately).] There would be so much energy prepping for the day and projects to make. I remember a couple of times, even before I started school (remember science nerd here lol), that I would watch this DIY, home science/art video for project ideas and it was full of things! I loved how they made sugar sculpture art and all of that. But there were also the cardboard based projects they stressed a lot, including using paper towel and toilet paper rolls. And then I got into kindergarten and first grade where we started talking about saving our soda cans to recycle or use for a project. I’m pretty sure by this point I started talking about what I had learned and thinking about all the things we could do with our “trash”. (And I’m sure my folks probably looked at me like, yeah we can do some of that, but there are other factors you don’t know about yet.) It probably helped that I was also interested in how things work and wanted help my dad or grandad with any projects they had going on.

As I got older, I noticed we didn’t recycle or have a trash service, but we did take our trash to the local dump (landfill) where some things could be separated. Newspapers and magazines were definitely items I remember throwing in the recycling collection dumpsters. We also took other old electronics or furniture there from time to time, outside of going to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Where I grew up was pretty rural, yet halfway suburban. (If this tells you anything, I grew up with my grandad having a barrel he could burn his newspaper and other trash in…and still does to this day [depending on what it is, luckily he’s not intentionally burning toxic things like plastic or styrofoam…] The area I grew up in really didn’t become more suburban until I was getting ready to enter into middle school when the development neighborhoods blew up and started popping up quickly. So we had to take our trash to the landfill ourselves, which is an experience I don’t think many people have had.

Which then brings me back to the point of this…recycling. No, it’s not the answer to everything, but within the conversations I’ve had and things I’ve noticed, there’s still a lack of information that sticks. And after listening to the Green Behavior Podcast, I’ve been thinking deeper and deeper on the psychology of our behaviors as consumers and even as a designer (more to come on this), especially when it comes to how we signal messages and to whom. But what really ignited this journal entry was discovering that not everyone knows what can be recycled and what the local waste management company will and won’t take as a recyclable. And the thing that has been grinding my gears the most over the past couple of months at our studio, is not covering the recycling dumpster to protect the cardboard….But! I squirlled again….

A lot of items have markings on them letting us know if and how they can be recycled. That’s the worst part about plastic…and coated cardboard. Just because it is, doesn’t mean that it can be recycled. So what are some common things we want to recycle but need to know a little more about?

1. Not all plastic is equal. Some plastics are made of low density polyethylene (LDPE) which is actually most commonly used in: grocery bags, food packaging, and other plastic film-like products. Luckily, it can be recycled, however, these types of plastic need to be returned to designated locations, like your grocery store or private recycling facility. Here in Cincinnati, we have amazing resources and organizations dedicated to recycling and reuse, like the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub.

   

2. Clean out your recyclables. If one item is contaminated and thrown in with the rest of your recycling goodies, you’ve contaminated the whole lot. One of the key points I pulled from my hazardous waste class was this. As soon as anything goes into the recycling that shouldn’t be there and touches, saturates, spreads, etc. any other item in the receptacle, nothing is worth recycling, nor will it be recycled even if it’s collected. That’s why it’s our duty as consumers and waste management customers to clean or recyclables to the best of our ability and dry them before putting them in the dumpster. That means: no food leftover in containers, no liquid detergent or cleaner left in a bottle, and no grease stained or food crusted cardboard or aluminum foil. It may seem like more work, but imagine the amount of items that get diverted to landfill as opposed to recycling for just these bare things to be mindful of.

3. For anything you’re unsure of, and if it isn’t clearly marked, pitch it. Obviously, if it’s plain paper, you can put it in the recycling. But if we’re talking cleaning or food containers, if it’s questionable you may want to get rid of it. Or better idea! Check to see if you have a local recycling and reuse hub that will potentially take those items. Our Hub has detailed signage and information as to what they’ll take. So when I had two large styrofoam coolers come my way and I couldn’t reuse them, I took them there. Utilizing reuse resources like the Hub is going to be key for a number of items.

And of course, you know I have to at least touch on textiles. Recycling textiles is hard, but it is being done. My best suggestion is to find your local zero waste program, or someone like me, that will take your textiles (unless they’re beyond saving). Also, if it is a 100% natural fiber, you could always try composting it in your yard (some of that also depends on the dyes and finishes though as to if it will be successful).

But anyway! Now that I’ve talked your proverbial ear off, go enjoy the rest of your week.

Until next time, live life with eyes wide open! :)

So we’ll start with the fun stuff and then get a bit technical (the best part ;D).

Alrighty! Based on what I share regularly with my journal entries, I’ve shared how I got to this point and my journey to becoming a circularity advocate. I’m sure I shared a little about how I got into sewing and my design process, but I don’t think I’ve shared what my friend asked me. Which was, how do I look at the human body and decide what will look good, why, and all of the dynamics behind it. (It took me by surprise and it made me smile because I haven’t been asked about my process or journey in that way.)

To grasp a little bit of my point of view, let’s take a brisk stroll together. My interest in the human body has been as long as I can remember, but probably really around the same time I really got into wanting to do more sewing projects with my mom. (Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this.) I grew up around a funeral home, hanging out with my grandparents as my dad prepared for services. I believe naturally my interest in anatomy developed from that and progressed from there by becoming an athlete (nothing major). As I was growing up, I loved to draw people and faces; and, I would attempt to draw as well as my older brother (who is a phenomenal sketch artist) and wanted to easily draw figures in poses the way he did. Well, they didn’t come out the same…at all. But! I developed my own style and with every person I drew, I was designing clothes, not just dressing them because they had to wear something. (An example would be when I was in 1st grade and would draw bathing suits or lingerie on bodies and then paint patterns with nail polish (my grandma was so mad lol).) But it stuck.

So when it comes to how I look at people now, I look at how their clothing hangs, how will fabric drape if it’s set a different way, how does the fabric move, is any of it comfortable, etc. And when I design for men, I think about how is this going to fit around their shoulders and lats or even their backside. Men vary just as much as women, especially by ethnicity and muscle structure. Those are just a few things that come to mind for me when I’m designing a pair of pants or a shirt.

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And that gives you a quick rundown of how I look at a person’s build. But what about science relating to fashion? I feel like that’s an easy one…I already loved science before I loved clothes. However, as I’ve gotten older the science behind clothing is where I really fell in love. Textiles are the primary example. Just look at how many fabrications humankind has developed over millennia. Astounding! The science first starts with understanding agriculture and then mineral science and then chemistry. And so on.

Which leads me to my project. I mentioned last week that my paper was about how to reduce the current and future textile waste streams using pyrolysis and enzymatic catalyzation. Well here we are, three days after I made my presentation. A lot of the research I found for waste valorization to reduce carbon emissions led me to pyrolysis, which is a thermochemical degradation process that produces bio-char, oil, and syngas in a temperature range of 300 to 800 degrees C. It’s used for various applications, especially its byproduct yields. For example, char can be used in agriculture, wastewater treatment, and a number of other applications. I found a number of studies related to how pyrolysis can convert textiles and also utilize/reuse CO2 as an energy source. It also led me to research more about biodegradability pertaining to various fibers. Did you know that there are four different ratings of biodegradability? They’re nothing special as far as names, but it allows for fibers to be rated in order to even qualify as a biodegradable substance. For example, PLA (poly(lactic acid)) is a biodegradable polymer due to its structure that allows it to break down. And like I mentioned last week about microfibers and microplastics, their biodegradability may also result in their environmental accumulation at high rates, which is concerning and a major problem itself.

On the other hand, I also found a less energy intensive process (which they both can be energy intensive, but still less that utilizing multiple processes reliant of fossil fuels), enzymatic CO2 conversion. There quite a few projects taking place as we speak as a number of start-ups tackle directly converting CO2 from industrial flue gas emissions with the use of enzymes. The output product and the process that Fairbrics and Rubi use are completely different. However, their goals aren’t far from each other as they both introduce first-of-its-kind technology. Fairbrics, in partnership with the German Institute of Textile and Fibre Research, have developed the Threading-CO2 project with 13 other countries in the EU to produce an alternative PET, MEG (monoethylene glycol). The science behind it is fascinating, as well as the various sectors they are pulling from to convert CO2. (But I won’t get into all of that.) Then you have Rubi Labs, based in California, converting CO2 flue gas emissions directly into cellulose pulp by mimicking photosynthetic processes of trees using a zero-cell, multi-enzyme cascade system. This is truly an example of how amazing nature is and the circular processes that already exist and that we can replicate to reduce our footprint.

I went as in depth as I could for our 10 page paper, and probably read more papers, scholarly journals, and case studies than I may have needed to. But it taught me so much and informed me more on waste valorization than what we have even touched in class yet. Plus, it allowed me to geek out in all things innovative in textile science! So that is what I call a win-win.

But I will leave you with this to chew on for the weekend. If we didn’t have science, would we have clothing? And I don’t necessarily mean the type of science where we observe, test, report, repeat or that is in large scale research centers. I’m talking about the basics…the science that includes simple math and nature’s cycles. Then again, maybe I should just call it innovation as opposed to science….

Either way…

Until next time, be driven by your passion!