THE COMMODITY ISSUE
Robots and AI are used to improve
stock accuracy and print t-shirts
to order
off a new order. And we make new
products from the material we recover.
So instead of contributing to the waste
problem, or designing a product with
less waste and less impact, we design
out waste altogether - when our
new products are made from our old
products, there is no waste.
For the clothing industry to
transform to a circularity, we need
transformative change at scale. How
do you see yourselves scaling up?
It’s cheaper to buy fossil fuels than
renewable energy, or plastic clothes
than clothes made the right way – and
just like the economy does not reward
people for doing the right
thing, it does not reward
businesses for sharing
good work with each
other. There’s a
conflict between
competition and
cooperation.
Just like any
34
other problem, it needs an innovative
solution. So we built Teemill, which
basically gives anyone access to our
supply chain and systems, and lets
people build a store to connect to our
factory via the cloud.
Anyone can build a store and start a
brand at Teemill, but we really love
working with charities and values-
based organisations. It’s important to us
that our tech is used to do good, and
we’re really stoked that great charities
are using the platform and bringing the
cutting edge in sustainability
to people who care about
important issues in the world.
It’s satisfying that they’re
getting the product first.
What advice do
you have on what
individuals can do
to reduce their
environmental
impact when
it comes to clothing?
If there was one thing we’d
recommend, it would be to think
about products as part of a connected
system. What is a product made of,
where does the material end up when
it’s worn out? Little questions like that
can unlock answers. It’s this kind of
thinking that’s led to the increasing
awareness that insect conservation
has on bird life, for example. When you
start thinking about systems, and what’s
upstream or downstream, the solutions
open up.
Anything else you’d like to say to
BirdLife supporters?
That we’re really proud to support the
charity, and we hope that supporters
have enjoyed the products. And to
please remember to send worn-out
products back so that we can keep the
material flowing.
Find out more: teemill.com/circular
Check out: birdlife.teemill.com
BIRDLIFE • JUL-SEP 2019