Big Closets Small Planet

Do you get excited when hearing about breakthrough sustainability apparel innovations - such as fibers made from fruit waste or blockchain technology being used to track and trace the origin and content of your clothing? Do you sometimes wonder if these breakthroughs are too good to be true? Greg Stillman and Rogier van Mazijk work with visionary entrepreneurs and impact investors every day. So Mike asked them for their perspectives on the hottest sustainable fashion innovations and business ideas right now. These guys are smart, so it is no surprise that Mike got more input than he bargained for. Greg and Rogier also took the opportunity to sound off on a broader range of crucial topics, including what the fashion industry can learn from other industries; the major opportunities and barriers to scaling many of these promising ideas; and what they get inspired by. If you need help orienting yourself to the field of sustainable apparel innovation, then this podcast is essential listening for you.

This podcast is supported by the C&A Foundation, the H&M Foundation, The Rylander Foundation, and Tencel. It is produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

Jason Kibbey, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has been been leading one of the most important sustainability trade organizations in the apparel sector for the past 8 years. Jason joins Mike Schragger online from his office in San Francisco to chat about the progress the apparel sector is making, his assessment of the SAC to date, and his warning that a circular vision for the apparel sector can become a distraction if it prevents the industry from investing in proven solutions that can be implemented today. This lengthy interview is full of nuanced opinions and inspiration for you sustainability nerds and practitioners, so pour yourself a cup of coffee, turn off your alerts, and enjoy.

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

Sustainable solutions are emerging but is there enough investment capital available to ensure they succeed? Mike Schragger talks with Fashion for Good's Rogier van Mazijk about the innovation process, the exciting sustainable solutions that could save the fashion industry, and the need for billions, if not trillions of dollars to ensure these innovations can succeed. Investors, innovators, sustainability practitioners and nerds - you will love this, and Rogier is a joy to listen to!

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

Linda Greer, Senior Scientist at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) joins Mike Schragger online from her office in Washington, D.C. to share her experiences working to improve the apparel sector, her initial ideas for creating a climate roadmap for apparel and her conviction that transparency as it is practiced today is not effective enough. This lengthy interview is full of nuanced opinions and advice for you sustainability change agents, so pour yourself a cup of tea, turn off your alerts, and enjoy this brain candy.

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

Mike Schragger talks to the smart and savvy Akshay Sethi about the science behind polyester recycling, the rapid development of the his company Moral Fiber, the steep learning curve he has faced when starting a company directly after graduating from university, and his conviction that all of our clothes will be made by recycled materials by 2030.

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

Then Cynthia Cummis & Michael Sadowski from the World Resources Institute think you should start by setting science-based targets for reducing your climate emissions. Cynthia & Michael joins Mike Schragger online from their offices in Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon to discuss the apparel industry's surprising impact on the climate, the Science-Based Targets Initiative they are leading for the apparel sector, and what they think needs to happen to transform the sector so it operates within a 2 degree Celsius warming pathway as outlined by the IPCC. This lengthy interview is full of nuanced opinions and advice for you sustainability nerds and practitioners, so pour yourself a cup of coffee, turn off your alerts, sit back and enjoy.

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

What if customers could improve the environment and make money by renting out their clothes simultaneously? And whom do you trust to provide an honest assessment about the ethical and environmental performance of apparel products and the companies behind them? Mike Schragger talks to Lona Alia from Style Lend and Sandra Capponi from Good On You, two entrepreneurs who believe their solutions will empower customers and drive change.

This podcast has been produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

If you are new to the field of sustainability and/or fashion and apparel and want to quickly up get up to speed, then this podcast is for you. Mike Schragger, the host of Big Closets Small Planet, uses these 12 minutes to explain why we need to completely transform how we produce, use and dispose of fashion and apparel - before its too late.