The dangerous AQI levels that several Indian cities, especially New Delhi, have been facing for some time now clearly show that we need realistic, nuanced, and creative solutions for air pollution, and we need it fast. We should be taking a cue from the Swiss.
On, a Swiss sportswear brand, is launching a new line of T-shirts, tanks, and shorts called the Pace collection, which incorporates polyester made, in part, from carbon emissions, on collaborated with LanzaTech, a biotech company specialising in transforming emissions and pollutants into chemicals using bacteria.
Traditionally, polyester clothing is produced using ethanol derived from petroleum or gas. However, On’s innovative process involves capturing gas from a steel mill in China and feeding it to microbes in bioreactors, a method akin to brewing beer. The byproducts generated in this process are then converted into ethanol, which is further used in polyester production.
Nils Atrogge, Head of Innovation Portfolio Strategy at On, expressed the company’s commitment to entirely moving away from fossil-based resources. Sixty-four percent of the material used by On in apparel and accessories is already fossil-free, and the Pace collection represents a significant step forward in achieving their goal in technical sportswear.
The final material, known as CleanCloud, is engineered into a performance fabric designed by On’s material design teams for high functionality and aesthetics suitable for activities like running.
While other clothing brands have launched capsule collections in collaboration with LanzaTech, On aims to make the material an ongoing part of its supply chain; currently, it is possible to produce material from 20 percent recycled emissions, as polyester comprises 20 percent ethylene glycol made from ethanol and 80 percent from another material, PTA, which cannot be derived from CO2. On is also exploring methods to de-fossilize PTA.
Reducing environmental impact is critical to On’s company strategy, focusing on pioneering sustainable technologies. Despite potential higher costs in the beginning for certain materials, On believes it is a necessary step to create awareness and demand, ultimately accelerating the economics of scale.
The company hopes the Pace collection will showcase consumer demand for more sustainable options and encourage similar initiatives across the apparel industry.
