Environmental Fashion? Your Next Pair of Jeans Might Be Made of Recycled Ocean Plastic.

What’s the Latest?

Could a pair of jeans spark an environmental revolution? That’s the hope for the folks behind Bionic Yarn, a start up based in New York that makes fabric out of recycled ocean plastic. Co-founder Tyson Toussant has started building the brand by developing partnerships with musician Pharrell Williams and designer clothing company G-Star RAW. Bionic Yarn’s new line with the latter features clothes woven with nine tons of recycled materials. The company hopes that fashion can be used as a medium to educate consumers about environmental responsibility.

This is how Toussant explains his vision to Wired:

“I had to face the fact that the only way people are going to move is if it appeals to their vanity,” Toussant says. “After they buy into that, you let them know, ‘Hey, you can look good and ignore the companies that don’t make sustainability a priority.’”

What’s the Big Idea?

Clothing made out of recycled materials is not a new phenomenon (the Wired piece alludes to a novelty line by Patagonia from the early 90s) but never has it been marketed quite like Bionic Yarn intends to market theirs. Deals are already in place to supply products for Timberland, The Gap and Cole Haan, among others. As Toussant mentions, environmental consciousness has to be wrapped in a sexy package for customers to buy in. His hope is to hook people with fashion and then ease them toward greener sensibilities. Again, for this to be more than a passing trend, marketing needs to be key. It will be interesting to see if Bionic Yarn can pull it off.

What do you think? Can something as novel as a pair of jeans be a gateway toward sustainability?