Berliner game changer for more sustainability in the fashion industry

Drip by Drip develops fabrics without great “thirst“

The NGO Drip by Drip is fighting against the enormous waste of water in the textile industry. Conven­tional production consumes thousands of litres of this precious commodity. The amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of conventional cotton fabric, for example, is between 7,000 and 29,000 litres per kilogram, depending on the cultivation method and location. Drip by Drip has therefore launched the "Blue Lab" initiative and, together with experts, has developed innovative fabrics which require much less water.

The team has already developed five different fabrics which do without cotton and instead consist of modal fibres, lyocell and hemp fibres. These textiles save up to 90 percent water. The water savings result from the following factors:

• Saving water during the cultivation of raw materials
• Water saved during dyeing
• Percentage of recycled water

The reduction of the CO2 footprint during transport to the production site has also been taken into account. "All substances are biodegradable and are not treated with hazardous chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers," promise those responsible at Drip by Drip. In addition, ten per cent of the sales gener­ated with these Blue Lab substances go to a waste water project in Bangladesh.

Association work for more sustainability in the fashion industry

The association Future Fashion Forward e.V. pursues a completely different approach: "The long-term vision of Future Fashion Forward is the establishment of a platform which informs the popula­tion about the grievances in the clothing industry and thus contributes to a positive change, both in the producing countries and in our country," reads the association's website. It emerged from the global campaign Fashion Revolution and aims above all to bring industry and consumers together. With the question "Who made my clothes?", Fashion Revolution calls for an international debate on the origin of our clothing.

Designers, consultants and communication scientists from the fashion industry are involved in the Berlin association. They all want to pass on their knowledge about the grievances in the fashion industry by providing information about social and ecological aspects. The aim of knowledge transfer is "to strengthen consumer confidence, change consumer behaviour and thus change the economy in the long term," according to those responsible. For example, Future Fashion Forward offers work­shops at schools and universities and regularly organizes events on the subject of grievances and sustainability in the fashion industry.

More information:
https://www.dripbydrip.org/
https://future.fashion/