The recognition and growing interest in sustainable and slow fashion have created greater visibility and efforts are in the right direction; however, this alone does not translate to better livelihood. There is still a gap between celebrating craftsmanship in marketing narratives and ensuring that artisans receive fair compensation, stable work, and long-term economic security. As designers and entrepreneurs, we must ensure this translates to the well-being of the people who create these products.
Large scale automated sorting and the removal of so called hardpoints (such as zippers and buttons) can significantly reduce raw material costs. However, most chemical recycling technologies today remain unable to compete on price with oil based virgin PET, or even with mechanically recycled PET. As a result, additional financial support mechanisms will be required to bridge this cost gap during the scale up phase.