As a better understanding of climate change comes to fruition, businesses and the public alike are finding ways to increase their sustainability. For many, this starts with clothing. From everyday trainers to workwear, the race against climate change can be helped by the creation and purchase of sustainable products.
To tackle this issue, many businesses are undertaking collaborations which improve their global impact. With innovative designs, materials, and schemes, companies are working together to show shared responsibility for the environment.
Below, we will list the ways the fashion industry is positively impacting the environmental impact of businesses and some of the more unusual collaborations which promote sustainability. From mushroom materials to recycling plastic.Dell x BaYou with Love
Dell, one of the most recognisable technology companies globally, has previously partnered with the LA jewellery designer, Nikki Reed, to create a custom line of jewellery specialising in sustainability.
Dell has been conducting its business practices with sustainability in mind since 2008, focusing on the recycling of e-waste to reduce the number of old products going to landfills. This includes the gold from inside old computer motherboards.
As part of the collaboration, Nikki Reed takes the gold from old technology and recycles it into 14- and 18-carat gold jewellery.
The Circular Collection, which first appeared in 2018, comes because of a conscious resourcing concept created by Dell in partnership with Reed.
Globally, technology is recycled responsibly only 12.5% of the time. And Dell is aiming to reuse and recycle all parts of the computer, including the gold.
BaYou with Love creates jewellery with the same high quality using this recycled gold as they would if it were newly mined. Except, this jewellery does not come at a cost to the environment. Not only does rendering down old gold to make new jewellery stop the mining process, but it also saves these computer elements from landfills.Adidas x Parley for the Oceans
Adidas is another large brand actively adopting a sustainable business model by going into partnership with the environmental organisation, Parley for the Oceans back in 2015.
Parley for the Oceans removes illegal gillnet from the oceans. This material is particularly dangerous due to its indesctructable nature. This is then sent on to Adidas where their manufacturers turn it into yarn, making shoes from the waste.
Almost 50% of plastic waste in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is made up of fishing net, and it is the indestructible nature of the gillnet material which makes it especially harmful to sea life.
Adidas has also agreed to reduce its virgin polyester usage, reducing it by over half in the past five years. By 2024, Adidas predict that 100% of their polyester usage will be recycled.Stella McCartney x Bolt Threads
As part of Stella McCartney’s 2022 summer collection, she worked in collaboration with Bolt Threads to create the first mushroom-based leather bag.
Although this bag only saw a limited run of 100 pieces, which went on sale at the beginning of July, there are plans to commercially produce this item.
The new Mylo material, of which mushrooms are the base, can produce a material similar in quality, look, and feel to leather without a process which involves harm to animals – making it a vegan and sustainable product.
Stella McCartney has also worked in collaboration with other fashion companies, including Hunter, to produce eco-friendly products. This collaboration saw the creation of YulexMT, a natural rubber boot. Not only are these vegan, but they also contribute one-fifth of the carbon dioxide generated through the creation of its alternative, neoprene.
Bolt Threads has taken this mushroom-based material and applied it to other brand names too. The likes of Lululemon have used this material to produce exercise essentials such as gym bags and yoga mats, which have gone on to be sold in stores such as Selfridges.Nike x Liverpool F.C.
Football clubs sell thousands of kits each season, and as such, it is a large part of the fashion industry.
Sustainable kits not only provide eco-friendly clothing for players, but it also gives the fans a chance to own sustainable clothing too.
As part of Nike’s ‘Move to Zero’ initiative, they have swapped the machined polyester for recycled plastic bottles with the 2022/23 season Liverpool F.C. kit.
While the collaboration between Nike and Liverpool F. C. is nothing new, this advancement in sustainability has made Liverpool F.C.’s jersey kit one of the most sustainable on the market.
Nike already recycles over one million plastic bottles annually. By collaborating, Liverpool F.C. can promote the reduction of plastic waste by sporting these new jerseys.

Sustainable clothing is not only a preference, but it is also a chance for businesses to make a positive impact on the environment. By choosing new materials, including ones which you may not have considered previously, you can create new clothing which is good for both customers and the environment. Bespoke uniforms made from these revolutionary materials can improve your business’ sustainability.
Whether producing new material from mushrooms or recycling plastic bottles and fishing nets to produce new products, businesses are focusing on the ways they can reduce their environmental impact.