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IT’S EPISODE 69, and I’m talking to Jo Godden of RubyMoon. Jo was one of my first podcast guests, and now she is back to tell us about an exciting new project to create properly recycled textiles to close the loop on active wear.
RubyMoon, based in Brighton in the UK, is already using recycled fibres from Ocean Plastics to make its active wear products, and now wants to go further through research projects that overcome the technical challenges of recovering and recycling the kind of textiles commonly used in swimwear.
Jo explains that this project focuses on two key fabric elements, Nylon 6 – a strong, durable polyamide, and Elastane, that makes the fabric stretchy so it fits well and supports activites like swimming and other sports.
The challenge is how to find mechanical and chemical methods of breaking down polyamide elastane, that are both cost-effective and environmentally sound.
There’s a second ambitious project too, developing a nano trace to embed into the material so that it can be identified and recovered, to make sure it goes back into the closed loop system.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman helps businesses use circular, regenerative and fair solutions to do better, with less.
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Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Links we mention in the episode:
- Jo Godden on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-anne-godden-2b758a7/
- Ruby Moon org.uk
- Social media @RubyMoonSwim on Twitter
- UKRI Textiles Circularity Centre https://ce-hub.org/textiles-circularity-centre/
- Chemical Leasing project toolkit https://chemicalleasing-toolkit.org/
- Read more https://futurefashionfactory.org/circular-materials-for-sustainable-swimwear/
About Jo Godden
Jo Godden is an ethical swimwear and activewear specialist, mother and activist.
After 25 years working in the unsustainable fashion industry, Jo decided to be part of the solution. In 2010 she founded RubyMoon which combines the industry’s substantial potential to positively impact the social and environmental state of our planet, with the knowledge that women and innovation are key to a better future.
RubyMoon created a ‘Circle Of Impact’ long before the term ‘circular economy’ was used- and is now spearheading R&D initiatives into synthetic textile upcycling in order to ‘close the loop’ on used swim and activewear,
Jo is committed to activate women’s potential and elevate their status in communities where they often don’t have a voice. Investing in microfinance enables females to drive development and progress.
Jo is a natural ‘connector’ and a mentor for social enterprises and creative individuals who want to make their mark on the world.
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