Why are Sustainable Solutions Important?

Though the Industrial Revolution accelerated the global economy 200 years ago, today we’re at a tipping point in terms of sustainability – what we must all face together. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, set out by the United Nations in 2015, is composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that tackle issues that impact the economy, society, and the environment. With an increasingly global focus on sustainable development, Net Zero and Carbon Neutral initiatives have become international campaigns with the participation of several industry-leading brands such as Microsoft, Apple, Nike, as well as major automakers around the world.

There has been a growing global movement led by Millennials and Gen Z in the past decade for the use of more eco-friendly and ethical materials in all industries. According to McKinsey & CO, both Millennials and Gen Z combined to hold a purchasing power of $350Bn USD in the United States alone. Furthermore, studies conducted by BCG, McKinsey, Populus, and other research entities showed that this movement of heightened environmental awareness among consumers became more prominent during COVID-19. The same can be said for businesses.

In the textile industry, the consumption of large quantities of resources such as water, energy, and chemicals and the release of harmful gases have long been a concern for consumers. The textile industry is currently the second most polluting industry in the world, responsible for 20% of wastewater globally. Furthermore, 80% of textiles that are thrown away either end up in landfills or are incinerated.

The global eco-fiber market is expected to grow and reach $58.29Bn USD by 2027,” – Grand View Research, 2020.

Ri-Thai's Circular Economy System

All color MonoGreen ^TM monofilaments are dope (solution) dyed, which leads to superior color fastness and less environmental impact in comparison with other dyeing methods. Furthermore, monofilament is by nature more durable and proved less prone to shed microfibers in the wash than staple fiber and multifilament. When used in textiles, MonoGreen ^TM monofilaments enable better reusability and reduce microfiber pollution in the oceans.

Despite being a less sustainable alternative than reuse, remanufacture, or repair, recycling is an important and necessary component of a circular economy. This can be evidenced by the fact that an increasing number of recycled polymers are commercially available on the market.

“Anything that wears out or degrades during use belongs to the biosphere,” says Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, who developed the Cradle to Cradle® design concept in the 1990s. In his concept, materials are returned to the biosphere in the form of compost or bio-degradable waste, from which new materials can be created.

Ri-Thai’s Sustainable Development

As a key player in the textile industry and being part of a sustainable global community, Ri-Thai began developing sustainable alternatives such as MonoGreenTM in 2011. In the past two years, we focused on closed-loop textile solutions, transitioning from a linear economy (take, produce, use, discard) to a circular economy (reduce, reuse, recycle, redesign).

With more sustainable solutions to come…