INNOVATING TOWARD THE NEXT GENERATION OF MATERIALS
We have made a pretty good start on our Better Materials journey, but pretty good does not cut it. Where we want to go is next level, so we are investing in the next generation of material pioneers. Working closely with the Fashion FWD Lab, we have partnered with companies at the forefront of carbon-neutral and biodegradable material innovation like LENZING™,Cradle to Cradle Certified® and Renewcell. From initial experiments to market-ready products, we are playing a lead role in the development of circular fibers, better production methods, new business models and smarter ways of manufacturing.
Through our parent company BESTSELLER, we are partnering with organizations like Fashion for Good, Textile Exchange, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Make Fashion Circular, Global Fashion Agenda and Canopy to keep us up to speed with the fashion industry’s newest developments.
Here are some of the innovations we have introduced so far:
● Carbon-Zero TENCEL™. In 2021, we launched jeans made with LENZING™’s Carbon-Zero TENCEL™, which is certified CarbonNeutral® thanks to a combination of high-tech, low energy manufacturing methods and carbon offsets. You can learn more about this project here. We also use TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal, both of which are biodegradable, use less water, less dyes and are made from the wood pulp of certified forests.
● Recycled elastane. For some of our styles in our Low Impact Denim range, we use recycled elastane — the material that gives our jeans their bend and flex — from three sources: ROICA™ (the world’s first gold-level Cradle to Cradle Certified® yarn), LYCRA® T400® EcoMade (made from a mix of recycled plastic and plant-based materials) and creora® regen (the first 100% recycled elastane made from reclaimed waste).
● Cradle to Cradle Certified®. We have also developed jeans that are gold-level Cradle to Cradle Certified®. That means they are 1) designed to be recycled and 2) top-scorers across assessment categories including material health, material reuse, water stewardship, social fairness and renewable energy and carbon management. Get the low-down on this initiative, which launches in stores in 2022, here.
With a lot of projects in progress, we know some will be successful and some will not. But that is part of the deal, right? Here are some of the innovations we are still experimenting with:
● Circulose® by Renewcell. We have joined up with other BESTSELLER brands to partner with Swedish innovator Renewcell on Circulose® — a natural biodegradable cellulose fiber made from 100% discarded cotton textile waste.
● Circular Systems. Together with regenerative material scientists Circular Systems, we are exploring ways to incorporate their ‘waste-to-fiber’ technology into our products. Texloop™ comes from a closed-loop system that recycles pre and post consumer waste into a new fiber that has the same quality as the virgin material. We are also trialing their Agraloop BIOFIBRE™ technology, a natural fiber that is made from crops like oilseed hemp and food leftovers like banana skins and pineapple leafs. More info coming soon.
In our work toward A/BETTER WORLD, we are going to keep trying and failing and trying again in our push to make our materials the best they can be — glad to have you along for the ride.
“JACK & JONES is a part of several important pilots running in BESTSELLER’s Fashion FWD Lab. With JACK & JONES we move from idea to reality by working actively with testing and integrating new innovative solutions. They make sure that we can implement great innovations into our sourcing structure and ultimately into products that consumers can buy.” - Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, Materials & Innovation Manager, BESTSELLER SUSTAINABILITY