Welcome to our last interview celebrating Plastic-free Month with Molo, a leading sustainable brand on a mission to revolutionize children’s wear while championing ethical practices and combating plastic waste. In this conversation, we delve into Molo‘s commitment to engaging consumers about the significance of reducing plastic waste, their tips for creating a more conscious closet, and how they strike a balance between their creative vision and sustainable practices. Join us as we explore Molo’s innovative initiatives and their dedication to creating a fashion industry that is both stylish and environmentally responsible.
Plastic-free month encourages consumers to rethink their consumption habits and opt for more sustainable alternatives. How do you engage and educate your customers about the importance of reducing plastic waste?
Our motto is ‘buy less and buy better’. Since our beginning 20 years ago, we have always focused on high-quality kids’ wear garments. Clothes that can stand up to even the most active kid’s life wash after wash. We encourage our customers to donate, resell and repair their Molo garments so they can last for a long time and be used over and over. Making your clothes circulate as long as possible is crucial in order to reduce waste.
Another piece of advice for all our consumers is to wash garments that contain synthetic fibers in bags that collect microplastics. In this way, you reduce the output of plastic into the environment.
What tips can you offer those who are looking to build a more sustainable wardrobe?
Our advice is to look for products that are certified because this is your assurance as a consumer that you actually get what you think you are buying.
At Molo, we have decided to work with third-party certifications. The certification verifies the presence and amount of promised material, either organic or recycled, in a final Molo product and tracks the flow of the raw material from its source to the final product. Being GOTS* and GRS* certified is important for us because we aim for transparency in our sustainability journey.
More than 75% of our garments are certified with either organic or recycled fibers, and our goal is to reach 100%. The certifications are very strict and ensure that the fabrics are made from sustainable fibers and do not contain any harmful chemicals, and secure fair working conditions. By purchasing certified products, you help to ensure that the product is produced with great care for the environment and those who manufacture the products.
The fashion industry is a major contributor to plastic pollution. As sustainability gains more importance, how do you balance the brand’s creative vision with sustainable practices, specifically in production, material selection, and minimizing plastic waste?
This is for sure an important balance, but for us, it has been an evolution where our creative vision is not something different from more sustainable practices but actually equals our stainable approach to designing children’s wear.
We have introduced a lot of sustainable initiatives. In terms of plastic waste, we have reduced the weight of the polybags that the garments are delivered in and encourage our customers to recycle these. We are also in the process of phasing out plastic bags in our own retail stores.
Regarding items made from man-made fibers such as polyester and nylon, we are aiming to have the GRS* certification on all our products containing synthetic fibers, which ensures it is made from recycled fibers.
We are also experimenting with washing bags (as previously mentioned) that collect the shedding of microplastics that are released into the stream of our rivers and oceans when washing synthetic fibers at home.
Furthermore, we are now testing new fabrics with alternative fibers of coconut shells, green tops (the top part of fruits/vegetables that usually is thrown away), and seaweed to have an alternative to fabrics made of plastic.
*Certified by Ecocert Greenlife, Lic.No. 197496.
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About LVRSustainable
LVRSustainable is the section of LUISAVIAROMA dedicated to offering a curated selection of the best conscious brands and items, as well as special collaborations with renowned non-profits, organizations, and brands to benefit social and environmental causes.
LVRSustainable aims to build a global sustainable community and to promote creativity by supporting conscious fashion: organic, vegan, ethical trade, low impact, women’s empowerment, community engagement, recycling & upcycling, and luxury craftsmanship products.
