Considering Fashion and Environmental Issues with Chiba University Students

Our company has signed a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Chiba City and Chiba University, a national university corporation, in February 2019, aiming to create new value in the Nishichiba area. Since FY 2022, we have been working on various initiatives with the Chiba University Environmental ISO Student Committee, which conducts various awareness-raising activities related to the SDGs, including the operation of Chiba University's EMS (Environmental Management System), under the theme of "Fashion and Sustainability."

In the joint project between our company and the Chiba University Environmental ISO Student Committee, students are divided into four groups: Environment, Diversity, Culture, and Human Rights. They consider projects to solve each issue and implement and operate them together with our company. The "Environment Group" was established with the desire for people to become interested in environmental issues from the familiar field of fashion and to know about environmental issues related to fashion, aiming to realize a sustainable society.

In FY 2023, we carried out four projects focusing on environmental issues related to fashion.

~Report by the Environment Group~

Activities Conducted
September to November 2023: Visit to the brand "Syncs.Earth," which makes "clothes that return to the earth."
September 2023 to February 2024: Accessory making using PET bottle caps.
February 2024: Visit to "Toki Textile."
March 2024: Participation in a beach clean-up event hosted by ZOZO.


Visit to the Brand "Syncs.Earth," Which Makes "Clothes That Return to the Earth"

In September 2023, we interviewed Syncs.Earth, an apparel brand that sells "clothes that return to the earth," aiming to create a society where the act of buying clothes circulates back to nature.

Syncs.Earth is a circular brand that can return products 100% to nature. We visited the field where the clothes return to the soil and observed the process of decomposition. We learned that for clothes to return to the soil, certain conditions are necessary, such as using natural materials for the clothes and the presence of microorganisms. We also learned that the activity of microorganisms varies depending on soil temperature and moisture, affecting the decomposition speed.

Syncs.Earth, with the vision of "Circulating a Circular Society to the World," is working to reduce the environmental impact of clothing so that clothes can circulate in nature. They do not use pesticides in their fields and use natural materials for buttons and threads. While there are still few people who consider the environmental impact when choosing products, Syncs.Earth aims to create clothes that are chosen not only because they are good for the environment but also because people "want to wear them" and "they are beautiful." Through the interview and visit, we realized that it is possible to enjoy fashion while reducing the negative impact on the environment. We want to widely communicate environmental issues in fashion and the existence of environmentally conscious clothing, aiming to realize a society where the act of buying clothes circulates back to nature.

Accessory Making Using PET Bottle Caps

We held workshops at Chiba University's university festival in November 2023 and at the "Chiba Winter Fes" in February 2024, where local residents made accessories from used PET bottle caps. In the workshop, we crushed PET bottle caps in advance, put them into molds, and ironed them to make accessories. We also provided quizzes on environmental issues, offering participants an opportunity to deepen their understanding of plastic problems while having fun. Participants shared comments such as, "I want to be more careful to reduce PET bottle waste."

Through this workshop and its preparation, it was a good opportunity to think about environmental issues as our own problem. We will continue to hold workshops and participate in beach clean-up activities to learn directly about marine waste, continuing activities that lead to reducing plastic waste.

Visit to "TOKI SEN-I"

In February 2024, we visited the knitting factory of Toki Textile Co., Ltd. (hereinafter, Toki Textile), which, like Syncs.Earth, is involved in making clothes that return to the earth. Toki Textile upholds the motto "So the Earth can live even one second longer," and they create fabrics and clothes from fibers with minimal environmental impact.

We learned that the process of making fabrics and clothes generally involves using chemical fibers, a large amount of water, air conditioning, and CO2 emissions, as well as issues with waste due to fabric cutting. To address these problems, Toki Textile uses hanging knitting machines that operate on about one-thirtieth the power of typical knitting machines and solar power. During our visit, we observed how fabrics are made with hanging knitting machines and how clothes return to the soil. The hanging knitting machines can knit fabrics without applying excessive force, resulting in very light fabrics. Toki Textile's products use only earth-friendly, biodegradable materials.

Through this interview, we realized that knowing and choosing clothes based on their production process and environmental impact can contribute to preserving the global environment. We also realized that recognizing and understanding the problems is important, and we want to contribute to solving environmental issues by spreading what we have learned.

(The "Report by the Environment Group" was created by students of the Environment Group.)

We will continue to contribute to a sustainable community and society through various initiatives with young people who will lead the future.

Related Links
Syncs.Earth
TOKI SEN-I