Monthly Archives: January 2023

CAYO: Say Hello to Alpaca Wool Jumpers. A More Sustainable Choice, or Is It?

When searching for an idea for the blog, I came across this interesting news about a brand called CAYO.

CAYO is an Irish fashion brand that produces clothing from Peruvian Alpaca wool. Alpaca wool, different from angora rabbit and cashmere goat’s wool, apparently is more sustainable and better for the environment.

Here are some benefits of Alpaca wool:

  • Lighter footprint: Alpacas require a small amount of food and water. They consume food that is about 15% of their body weight. They also eat native grass and do not destroy natural vegetation as they do not pull the root from the ground when they eat.
  • Plentiful wool: One alpaca can provide wool for 5-7 jumpers! Compared to cashmere goats, one can only produce ¼ of a sweater.
  • They are natural fertilizers: They naturally fertilize the land.
  • Long lasting, does not retain odor, lanolin-free, breathable, durable, moisture-wicking, non-itch, and hypoallergenic: THAT’S A LOT! Yes, these are all the benefits.

CAYO got me all excited and curious, so I researched more to see if alpaca wool is actually sustainable. From my research, it seems like it is indeed more sustainable than other widely seen wools. However, it is not 100% sustainable due to some reasons, such as the followings:

  • Might involve animal exploitation: To produce the wool, the alpacas might live under harsh conditions, and sometimes they are forced to sheared at the wrong time to make the material. Typically, alpaca will shed their wool once a year during the season.
  • Transportation footprint is high: Since CAYO is an Irish brand, the footprint of transporting the alpaca wool all the way from Peru can cause negative impacts on the environment. 

However, despite this, CAYO has stated that they only use the wool from “ who have plenty of room to roam around the Peruvian Andes and are only sheared once every 12 months (during the shearing season),” which sounds promising. Also, they have participated in carbon offsetting by donating to the Carbon Fund depending on their calculated carbon emissions. But, does carbon offsetting really works? That’s a different story.

So, what is the best solution here? Perhaps consider buying clothes made from vegan textiles or more sustainable alternatives.

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H&M’s ‘Loooptopia’ Metaverse Experience Educate People On Circular Fashion

Recently, H&M, along with other brands such as Gucci, has tapped into the metaverse by collaborating with Roblox and launching its H&M Loooptopia Experience. The game allows people to create their avatars and learn about “recycling materials and garments for a circular fashion future” through different elements provided, such as mini-games. The users can gather fashion ingredients, make them into wearable in-game clothes, recycle old clothes to get rare elements to make other clothes, and trade clothes with their friends.

With the rise in the gaming community and younger people becoming more tech-savvy than ever, Loooptopia focuses on targeting the younger generations and gamers, our future leaders, to educate them about sustainability in a fun and accessible way. Besides focusing on the environmental side of sustainability, Loooptopia also emphasizes inclusivity since the games allow users to express their unique selves and identity by creating avatars and the clothes they make in-game. All of these align with H&M’s value of “style, creativity, and culture.”

While Loooptopia is a great start to teaching people about what circular fashion is, it raises a question of how effective it is to help create an actual impact on the world. We cannot guarantee that people will actively participate in certain sustainable activities after playing the game. What is the indication of the campaign’s success and how to measure it is the question H&M needs to consider. If the measure of success only depends on the game’s active users but not the actual environmental impact, such as the number of recycled and repurposed clothes. In that case, the game can be just a mere promotional strategy for H&M and a show of proof that they are “caring for the environment” and to cover up the recent “greenwashing” accusation.

H&M declare they are putting effort into being a more sustainable company by innovating around its use of materials and the process of producing clothing. For instance, they are trying to design clothes that can get recycled and repurposed, and they have come out with a collection from “recycled metals and circular, bio-based fabrics and food waste.” Whether it is making a positive impact or just “greenwashing,” it is nice to know that huge brands have taken the role of educators to teach the future generation about sustainability.

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