EverDye's R&D laboratory in Romainville, France.
Photographer: Cyril Marcilhacy/BloombergFashion Is the Next Frontier for Clean Tech as Textile Waste Mounts
Startups Circ and EverDye are trying to rein in the high emissions of clothing manufacturing.
The $1.7 trillion fashion industry is a major polluter: By one estimate, it’s responsible for between 8% and 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, more than aviation and shipping combined. Clothes manufacturing relies on fossil-fuel-derived fibers like polyester and guzzles energy and water. And the churn of fast fashion means that many items are discarded soon after they’re purchased, which has contributed to eye-popping amounts of textile waste.
Two textile-focused startups are among this year’s BloombergNEF Pioneers award winners: Circ, in Danville, Virginia, turns mixed-fiber fabric back into its reusable raw materials, while Paris-based EverDye has developed a lower-impact textile dyeing process.