Challenge 1: Fashion

Clothes and fashion are becoming increasingly ephemeral. The UN has described the "fast fashion" industry as an "environmental emergency." The fashion industry is the second largest user of water in the world, behind the food industry, and produces 20% of the wastewater generated globally. Further, the sector is responsible for 10% of emissions released into the atmosphere, more than are produced by all international flights and maritime freight shipping combined.

In Spain, 900,000 tons of textile waste end up in landfills annually. The selective collection of textile waste barely reaches 8-10% of what is discarded. This situation is more than worrying and will represent a serious non-compliance with the objectives set by the United Nations (among them, achieving 65% recycling of urban waste and reducing landfill waste to a maximum of 10% by 2035, as well as implementing selective collection of textile waste by 2025).

• Lack of proximity and centralised production.
• "Fast fashion"
• Generation of large emissions and effluents.
• Lack of awareness.
• High water footprint.
• Excessive consumption.
• Great inequality in working conditions.

• Increasingly affordable technology.
• Increase in the culture of proximity.
• Emergence of interesting initiatives (e.g. ecoalf).
• Many consumers prioritise sustainability over price.
• Generate integrated changes at all hierarchical levels of society.

FOUNDING TEAM: Javier Goyeneche

INNOVATION: Urban fashion clothing made from recycled bottles from the sea.

WEBSITE: ecoalf.com

Fashion is the second most polluting industry on the planet, and Ecoalf has been born with the vocation to protect it. Ecoalf sells carefully designed clothing and footwear made from PET bottles, tyres, coffee grounds, and other waste. "Where people see garbage, we see top-quality materials," says Javier Goyeneche.

Thanks to its Upcycling the Oceans project, and with the help of 3,000 fishermen around the world, it has already removed 500 tons of garbage from the seabed, which becomes the raw material for Ecoalf, and creates urban, beautiful, and above all sustainable clothing.

Ecoalf invests 75% of its profits in R&D, exploring new waste materials that can be converted into fabric, such as coffee grounds, which have inherent properties: they absorb odours and dry quickly. What they do is take the wet coffee grounds, turn them into powder, and mix them with the polymer from plastic bottles. Then they recycle leftover cotton and make a new yarn that is already dyed and does not need water. They reduce the use of natural resources by 27% and CO2 emissions by 28%.

FOUNDING TEAM: Tamara Alonso

INNOVATION: Sustainable and ethical fashion that democratises responsible consumption, offering accessible quality garments that respect the environment, workers, and animals.

WEBSITE: slowcracy.com

Slowcracy is a Galician sustainable fashion brand born in January 2020 with the objective of transforming the current textile industry. It is based on three fundamental pillars: environmental sustainability, work ethics, and veganism. The brand seeks to democratise sustainable fashion, offering quality garments at reasonable prices so that more people can access responsible options. They use materials with low environmental impact and guarantee fair working conditions, working with fair trade or local labour. Further, they eliminate the use of animal products throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Among their products they feature themed t-shirts related to feminism, veganism, and sustainability, as well as garments such as pants, dresses, and bamboo underwear, known for its softness and comfort. Slowcracy also emphasises the importance of consuming less but of better quality, promoting a more conscious and respectful philosophy of life towards the environment.

The founder, Tamara Alonso, after years of experience in the fashion industry and a growing awareness of its environmental and banking impact, decided to create Slowcracy to offer an ethical and sustainable alternative, aligned with securities of justice banking and respect for the planet.