The fashion industry can’t change unless big brands overhaul their production systems
Real change in the fashion industry won’t happen until big brands change their production systems. This is the main conclusion put forward by Javier Goyeneche, founder and CEO of Ecoalf, at the start of the new season of Esade Desayunos organized by Esade Alumni on the Madrid campus.
Since its creation in 2009, Ecoalf’s foundation has collected more than 1,700 tons of waste through its “Upcycling the Oceans” project. This is the equivalent of filling several football stadiums the size of the Bernabéu. It has also developed more than 650 innovative fabrics, including more than 200 made from recycled plastics. “Plastic is a very useful material, but it must be used responsibly,” emphasized Goyeneche.
As regards the fashion industry, Goyeneche said that “fashion is one of the industries that consumes the most water and energy, and causes the most pollution. We’re a small company so our impact is limited, but we’ve shown that things can be done differently. However, until big companies change their production systems, we won’t see any real change on our planet.” As for Ecoalf's sustainable practices, Goyeneche emphasized that they do not use air freight, or take part in Black Friday campaigns or provide special offers. Quite the contrary: one of their biggest campaigns is the one they always do to combat Black Friday and mass consumption.
Thanks to its commitment to sustainability, in 2018 Ecoalf became the first Spanish fashion brand to obtain B Corp certification, an acknowledgement of their compliance with the strictest social and environmental standards. In 2022 it was declared to be “Best for the World” as one of the world’s top 5% companies in the environment category. This year, for the second year running, it was number 1 in the Merco ranking for the most environmentally responsible company in Spain (2002 and 2023). “In addition, Ecoalf doesn’t work with suppliers that don’t comply with our strict sustainability criteria,” added Goyeneche.
