The Weekly - June 9, 2020 - 15

willingness. According to our
research, the younger the consumers, the more likely they are to
demand sustainability. In some
cases, they boycott companies they
do not believe are sustainable.
This makes sense because younger
generations are more concerned
with feeling the predicted effects
of climate change.

CO U R T E SY YCA

Many consumers have concerns over greenwashing.
How can a brand ensure they
are actually selling products
made with recycled materials?
It all starts with transparency
and traceability. There are several
third-party certification services
that certify recycled content.
The most common is GRS. At
Unifi, we go one step further and
include a proprietary tracer in
every pound of Repreve polyester
and nylon we produce throughout the world. We issue our own
U-Trust certifications by testing
fabrics and/or garments for the
presence of Repreve fiber to further assure our customers their
product is recycled.
We hear a lot about circularity. How do you see the industry evolving to continue to
drive to be more sustainable?
Circularity is getting a lot of buzz
right now. The emergence of fast
fashion has drawn increased attention to the amount of discarded
textile waste. Each American,
on average, tosses out roughly 81
pounds of clothing per year, with
only 15% of that being donated
or recycled. We are hearing from
customers who are looking for
fabric and/or garment recycling at
various stages in their products' life
cycles. Designing for deconstruc-

tion is a method to help with fabric
and/or garment takeback. Using
fabrics that are 100% produced of
one fiber makes it easier for a recycler to turn that product back into
usable fiber. Brands can also look
at the types of buttons and zippers
they use on garments to make
deconstruction easier. Also, when
designing a product to be recycled,
companies should consider that
some finishes and prints diminish
the recyclability of garments. At
Unifi, we manage textile takeback
programs for some of our customers, and we are committed to
helping brands and retailers design
with a second life in mind.

How do you think this market might change in the next
few years?
The demand for new technologies will continue to grow, and
Unifi will continue to develop
technologies consumers can see
and feel. True innovation starts in
the fiber, and we are committed
to taking innovation, technology,
and sustainability to consumers
around the world through our
partnerships with leading brands
and textile partners. We believe
the demand for recycled materials
will continue to grow. Thirty-three
percent of consumers actively
seek out and purchase from

HELP BUILD HISTORY
With COVID-19 delaying its grand opening, the Yosemite Climbing Association
Museum turns to Kickstarter for funding.
With display cases filled with old gear
and walls covered in photographs dating back to the 1950s-when climbers
forged their own pitons-the Yosemite
Climbing Association (YCA) Museum,
in Mariposa, California, takes visitors
back to the early days of American rock
climbing.
"This is the first place of its kind; it's
a climbing nerd epicenter," said YCA
Managing Director Allyson Gunsallus. "We were ready to open, and then
COVID-19 hit."
Slated to open in May, but still closed
due to government mandate, YCA
(located 46 miles outside Yosemite
National Park), launched a Kickstarter
campaign (bit.ly/2Bt5hwo) on June 1
to cover its rent, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
To raise money, the museum is selling
limited-edition gallery prints of historical images by noted photographers.
-Chris Van Leuven

brands they know to be socially
and environmentally responsible.
We feel that people will make a
more conscious effort to recycle
when they realize that a bottle can
become their shirt, a part of their
car, the next bottle in their hand,
or the hat on their head.
Learn more about sustainability
trends and what brands are doing
to make a difference, and learn
more about the circular economy
and how can you become a leader
in sustainable solutions when Chad
Bolick joins us on Thursday, June
11, at 4 p.m. Eastern / 1 p.m. Pacific
for The Weekly Chat. Register here.

YOSEMITE CLIMBING ASSOCIATION

TOOLS
FROM THE FIFTIES

SALATHE HAMMER & HOOK

YCA MUSEUM 5180 HIGHWAY 140 MARIPOSA CALIFORNIA 95338
PHOTO / DEAN FIDELMAN © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER 2020 / THE WEEKLY 15
https://www.outdoorretailer.com/events-education/webinars/ http://www.bit.ly/2Bt5hwo
The Weekly - June 9, 2020

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