Cleaning brand Enjo has partnered with Upparel to promote greater visibility and efficiency in its sustainability practices in time for Plastic Free July.
The collaboration will ensure Enjo has more oversight over recycling processes closer to home as the brand no longer has to ship its fibres to Austria for recycling and can now recycle them closer to home, says founder Barb de Corti.
“This immediately lessens our environmental impact as we don’t have to ship used fibres over long distances and we have immediate insight into how much waste we divert from landfill,” she explains.
“Quarterly reporting informs us of the greenhouse gasses we reduce from this program and lets us know how the recycled fibres are used whether as bags, furniture, displays or something else.”
With its mission to eradicate textile waste globally, Australian-based Upparel has diverted over 10 million items from landfill in just two years. Converted materials are put to use in the furnishing, construction and homewares sector.
Both brands take a zero-waste approach which prioritises a circular economy and transparency across their supply chain.
“We are thrilled to support Enjo, a brand that shares our deep commitment to sustainability and reducing environmental impact,” enthuses Upparel CEO and co-founder Michael Elias.
“We’re very proud to be able to play a key part in Enjo’s sustainability initiatives by giving their used textiles a new life through Upparel’s onshore mechanical recycling processes. This collaboration not only supports our mission to eradicate textile waste but also highlights the importance of innovative, planet-friendly solutions in today’s market.”
Indeed, textile waste is the one of the biggest contributors to landfill—the majority of textiles are synthetic which takes hundreds of years to break down. The process of decomposition releases greenhouse gases and releases microplastics into the soil and water streams. Household cleaning supplies are an overlooked sector which often contributes toxic chemicals to landfill.
“We are pleased to be one of the first cleaning companies to have complete transparency in our product life cycle. Our customers can be confident that with Enjo, sustainability is built into every aspect of the product from the manufacturing process by hand in Austria to onshore recycling at the end of its life,” adds de Corti.
“We are so excited to see what this program will do for our recycling initiative and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership. Enjo has always been passionate about sustainability and our joint venture with Upparel is an example of our commitment to finding innovative and results-driven organisations to align with. As we continue to grow as a business, we will continue to find better ways to reduce our environmental impact and promote planet-friendly consumerism.”
