G-Star

Idea

Making denim from plastic

Introduction

Out of 400 million tons of plastic produced by U.S. factories annually, only 18 percent is recycled. According to the World Economic Forum, our oceans receive upwards of 8 billion kilograms of plastic every year. That's equal to a truckful of plastic being dumped in the ocean every minute.

Innovation

To reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste floating in the oceans, G-Star Raw, together with Parley for the Oceans and Bionic, is making a unique contribution to the fashion industry. The companies have created the first denim collection -- Raw for the Oceans -- made from ocean plastic.

Impact

Parley sweeps the ocean for plastic and retrieves it for Bionic, which makes yarn out of it. Next, G-Star, through a sophisticated manufacturing process, turns the yarn into denim. The result is a product that looks and feels like regular denim, with the unique distinction of being born of the efforts to save the oceans.