Biodegradable washi clothing brand launches next sustainable fashion cycle

How do people generally dispose of their worn-out clothes? According to a survey conducted by the government, the majority of respondents (68%) dispose of their used clothes as combustible or non-combustible garbage. Other options included “collection in the community or at stores” and “selling as used clothing.” A new option, “burying in the ground,” may be added to this list.

In June 2021, Syncs.Earth Inc. launched a subscription service for fashion items sold as 100% biodegradable clothing. Let’s take a look at how the brand made this system possible.

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Sustainable Japanese paper material, washi

Washi material is one of the fashion materials with a very long history. It has been widely used in Japan for kimono for 1,500 years. Washi is durable, warm, breathable and is very useful because it can be used all year round.

Syncs.Design uses “Curetex Yarn,” a washi fiber developed by a technical factory in Fukui Prefecture, famous for its Echizen washi, after 10 years of research. The more Curetex Yarn is washed and worn, the more comfortable it becomes on the skin. Some people may think that “paper” is weak against washing, but in fact, the opposite is true. Washi can be washed as usual and is stronger than cotton. The great thing about this material is that it is very eco-friendly.　

Clothing that turns into soil grows vegetables

We often hear about composting food scraps to make compost, but we don’t often hear about burying clothes in the soil. Syncs.Earth’s clothes are made of all biodegradable materials, such as Japanese paper and organic cotton. In a demonstration test, Japanese paper returned to the soil completely in about three months and organic cotton in about six months.

Furthermore, the company rents its own abandoned farmland in the city of Tokyo. The company has also adopted a method of fermenting the soil into compost so that the clothes can be returned to nature without disturbing the ecosystem. An exciting recycling project is about to begin, where people who buy clothes that return to the soil will bury their worn-out clothes in the earth and eat vegetables grown from this same soil.

New way to purchase apparel

In addition to regular purchases, consumers have the option of “circular purchasing.” Circular purchasing is a style of shopping in which items are sold at two-thirds the price of regular items, and when they are worn out, they can be returned and either upcycled or buried on a farm. In other words, it is a new shopping experience that allows consumers to buy responsibly for the life of the garment.

The practice of reducing the amount of garbage by turning kitchen garbage into compost seems to be gradually gaining popularity. It may not be long before households dispose of their used clothes by composting them as well.

［Website］Syncs.Earth onlinestore