-By Pratyasha Sarkar
This new project by Doodlage is fascinating since we are accustomed to fashion bearing the responsibility of being one of the greatest contributors to plastic waste. The numbers surrounding the use of plastic in packaging alone are staggering; according to Fashion for Good’s report, 180 billion polybags are produced annually, the majority of which end up in the environment and eventually in the oceans, while only less than 15% of all polybags in use are collected for recycling.
These extremely troubling statistics compelled Doodlage and Lyfecycle, two innovative companies doing their separate parts to improve the environment, to collaborate and develop ground-breaking, self-destructing packaging that aims to safeguard oceans from the microplastic pandemic. In the Indian fashion scene, Doodlage hardly needs an introduction.
From their core mission of upcycling factory waste into limited-edition collections to their use
of technology and eco-sensitive materials, they’ve been a trailblazer in promoting sustainable practises around conscious consumption.
New technology called Lyfecycle from British innovators Polymateria offers every opportunity for recycling while also providing a “Plan B” for the 32% of plastic that escapes the circular economy and ends up in the environment. With their campaign Generation O, where O stands for the word oceans, the brands hope to raise more awareness about “who made my clothes” and encourage consumers to make more environmentally friendly decisions.
When the brands started interacting in October 2022, they knew that they had to first educate their audience about the hidden costs of packaging in fashion and offer them an opportunity to take action, revealed Liepa Olsauskaite, Head of Marketing at Lyfecycle. No action is too modest, and it should come from all quarters, regardless of one’s origin, age, political views, or fashion preferences. According to both businesses, “everyone has a role to play in solving plastic pollution.”
Through Doodlage’s collaboration with Lyfecycle, that duty specific has been taken extremely seriously. Implementation of self-destructing technology into their stylish garment bags, they have reinvented packaging. The recyclable bags will change into an eco-friendly wax if they fall into the open air and safely return to nature, leaving no plastic particles or pollutants behind.
The Lyfecycle team at Imperial College London Innovation Hub Labs began developing the ground-breaking device in 2016. To break the code and make a technological advancement, more than a dozen scientists worked tirelessly, with more than 100,000 experiments, and 300,000 tests. Over the following few years, collaborations were formed with businesses that could scale the technology and disruptive companies were invited to take the plunge and include it into their packaging solutions. They initially concentrated on the nations with the worst plastic leakage problems before expanding to other parts of the world.
The partnership represents the debut of self-destructive technology in India. Lyfcycle worked closely with Doodlage’s team for more than four months to develop impactful bag designs, identify the best production partners, and co-create the Generation O campaign to raise awareness. They are offering opportunities to take action through waste reduction projects, events, and educational resources.
