77
STYLE
CLOTHES MADE
OUT OF CLOTHES
Renewcell Circulose
Each year, some 85% of all textiles are sent to
landfills. Sweden-based Renewcell is tackling
that problem with Circulose, a natural and
biodegradable raw material made by recovering
cotton from worn-out clothes. The process—
powered by renewable energy—uses eco-
friendly chemicals to break down and strip color
from incoming fabrics that might otherwise be
discarded. Then, synthetic fibers are removed,
leaving behind a sheet of cellulose pulp, which
can be turned into like-new textile fibers that are
ready to be woven into fresh fabric. In the spring,
H&M became the first retailer to sell clothes
made from Circulose fabric, with Levi’s following
close behind. —MEGAN MCCLUSKEYFOOD & DRINK
VODKA, OUT OF THIN AIR
Air Vodka
For centuries, vodka has been made by
fermenting grains like corn and wheat, a process
that naturally results in carbon emissions. The
Brooklyn-based startup Air Co. thinks it’s found a
better way, distilling the spirit from nothing more
than water and carbon dioxide, in a process that
transforms the CO² into ethyl alcohol. Not only
does Air Vodka (starting at $65 for 750 ml) do
the trick in a Moscow mule, but it’s also carbon
negative: for every bottle that’s produced, the
company’s NASA-award- winning technology
removes about a pound of carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere. —NADIA SULEMANSUSTAINABILITY
A COOL
NEW TUBE
Tom’s of Maine
Recyclable Tube
Sometimes little
things can make a big
difference. Consider
the humble tube of
toothpaste: Americans
throw out more than a
billion of them a year.
And since most are made
of sheets of plastic and
aluminum, they can be
difficult to recycle. Tom’s
of Maine’s new recyclable
tube is the first to use
several grades of high-
density polyethylene—
the same stuff used to
make recyclable plastic
bottles. Parent company
Colgate- Palmolive plans
to incorporate the design
more widely among its
brands and will share
its approach with other
manufacturers, in hopes
that recyclable tubes
become an industry
standard.
—SIMMONE SHAHFINANCE
FREE
FILING
Upsolve
Filing for personal
bankruptcy can help
people get back on their
financial feet—although
the process can be
pricey. “The cruel irony
in America is that it can
cost $1,500 in court
filing and attorney fees
to tell the court you have
no money,” says Rohan
Pavuluri, the founder of
tech nonprofit Upsolve.
Upsolve’s software
fixes that, helping users
complete the complex
legal paperwork so
that they can file for
bankruptcy without
hiring a lawyer. Since
launching in 2018,
the free service has
helped relieve more
than $250 million in
total debt nationwide.
— MARIAH ESPADAIn 2020, the com-
pany collected more
than 15,000 phones
through its recycling
program—just one
part of its strategy