Sporting goods retailer Intersport Sweden has joined hands with CanopyStyle, a solutions-driven non-profit, to make a pledge to stop sourcing textiles from endangered and ancient forests of the world. They will also promote the manufacture of next-generation alternatives which are low-carbon and circular instead.
“Together, we can take on the environmental challenges we face and score big victories for people and the planet,” said Nicole Rycroft, founder, and executive director of CanopyStyle. “We’re excited to show the world that scaling low-impact, Next Gen Solutions is the slam-dunk strategy we need to score a win for the planet,” she added.
It is critical to keep global warming below 1.5°C through 2030, as reported by scientists across the world. The ways to do this include scaling next-generation alternatives urgently, including textiles made from recycled materials or agricultural waste and transforming supply chains that have traditionally been adopting ‘take, make, waste’ processes. Another thing that needs to happen is the transitioning out of sourcing from ancient and endangered forests.
An estimated 92 million tons of clothing waste is generated globally each year. Repurposing this waste stream to make new fabrics not only results in significant environmental savings but can help protect the more than 300 million trees, many from vital forests, from being logged for viscose annually.
The Swedish player has joined over 520 of the world’s leading fashion designers and apparel brands – representing more than US $ 886 billion in collective revenue – who have Canopy Style policies in place.
Hanna Wolff, production and sustainability coordinator at Intersport Sweden said, “The sports and apparel sector can step up to ensure that the forest-derived textiles, like viscose and lyocell, don’t come from vital forests, and to shift towards lower-impact alternatives. Intersport Sweden is committed, with Canopy’s support, to do just that.”
More than 400 brands and retailers are part of the CanopyStyle initiative creating a growing movement to make next-generation solutions the norm and aiming to transform the fashion industry’s viscose supply chain.
