A company that I’d like to highlight is Zarella, a platform that allows you to shop sustainably without having to go through the struggle of figuring out what brands actually incorporate sustainable and ethical production. They review every product offered on their site and ensure that products bought through their platform are backed by supply chain analysts at Good On You.
I’d also like to highlight the work of Adidas in turning plastic ocean waste into sneakers and sportswear. In 2015 Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans to turn marine pollution into sportswear. In 2019 Adidas expects to make 11 million pairs of shoes with Ocean Plastic. Other companies such as 4Ocean do the same type of work turning plastic waste in the ocean into products available for use such as masks, bracelets and water bottles. Similarly, IBM is hard at work on an innovation that just may change the face of plastic recycling as we know it. The company’s new device can powerfully break down materials that are often difficult to recycle. The device has the ability to break down fabric made of a cotton and polyester blend. The machine will separate the two materials, spinning the natural cotton fibers into a ball, and breaking down the polyester into a powder. The machine also recycles dirty hard plastics (from bottles to containers), by breaking the items down into powder that can be used to make new plastic products.
However, it is important to note that recycling plastic is not a long-term solution. Elimination of plastic usage is the more sustainable option since plastic can only be broken down so much.
Zarella: https://shopzarella.com/about/
4Ocean: https://www.4ocean.com/
Adidas: https://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-sneakers-plastic-bottles-ocean-waste-recycle-pollution-2019-8
IBM: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/02/ibm-develops-innovative-recycling-system-for-fabric-dirty-plastic-bottles-and-more/