After the pandemic, customers have become more environmentally conscious than before, which has led to added pressure for fashion companies to go green. The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles claimed, at the Commission held on March 30, 2022, that all textiles on the EU market will be completely recyclable and reusable by 2030. Their shared proposals include new carbon taxes, banning the destruction of unsold textiles, setting mandatory minimums for the inclusion of recycled fibres in textiles, and making brands responsible. This has led to more plant-based material innovations including Adidas’s partnership with Finnish manufacturer Spinnova to release the Terrex HS1, a hiking mid-layer pullover made entirely from plant-based fibers and vegan silk and wool produced out of “brewed protein” by Japanese company Spiber. Eco-friendly leather is now considered more desirable with Adidas x Stella McCartney pioneering vegan trainers, or Nike and Hugo Boss using Pinatex. Other companies leading the initiative include:
- Hermès and MycoWorks with their mushroom leather handbags.
- Italian luxury sneaker brand Golden Goose and Coronet with its joint R&D lab for eco-leather sneakers in Erba, Como.
- H&M with its Innovation Stories, with Mexican start-up Desserto that produces a vegan-friendly, non-plastic leather alternative made of organic cactus plants.
