Braskem takes recycled plastic parts to São Paulo Fashion Week and launches campaign to encourage Circular Economy in the fashion industry

Braskem has once again joined the PatBO brand to take to the 48th edition of the São Paulo Fashion Week, the country’s main fashion event, an innovative form of consumption: sustainable clothes containing recycled plastic. The company brought together companies from the textile sector, students and influencers linked to the world of fashion for a challenge that transformed disposable cups, post-consumer waste, into beachwear fashion pieces.

The main objective was to boost the so-called circular economy, a concept in which products, after fulfilling their useful life, become the raw material for a new economic cycle. In this case, the recycled material was used in the production of a Polypropylene (PP) microfiber that gave rise to PP threads and a lighter, more flexible fabric, with greater durability and more resistant to fading and the formation of pills (small balls of fiber).

The fabric and the PP threads were manufactured with the support of the companies Profil, a Braskem client, and EcoSimple, linked to the textile industry. The pieces were created by pairs of students from the Fashion courses of the teaching institutions Anhembi Morumbi, Belas Artes, FAAP, IED, Santa Marcelina and SENAC. The students participated in the second edition of the Braskem Fashion Challenge, an initiative to present plastic as a versatile, adaptable and sustainable alternative for fashion design and, at the same time, offer opportunities to students to apply in practice the knowledge acquired in the classroom.

Circular Economy
Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas and global leader in the production of biopolymers, has defined a series of global initiatives to encourage the circular economy in the plastic chain, including actions to stimulate investments in collection, sorting, recycling and material recovery systems. “The industry is undergoing a process of reinvention and it is important that each sector assume its share of responsibility in this exercise of a constant search for more sustainable solutions that minimize environmental impacts,” says Fabiana Quiroga, Director of Circular Economy at Braskem in South America.

“The differential of the Fashion Challenge is that it involves students, stylists, the company that produces the thread and textile factories – that actually produce the fabric, working together in an integrated and productive manner to obtain an incredible and sustainable result. This type of initiative helps to show in practice the importance of raising awareness of the population as to the correct disposal of post-consumer waste. With this attitude, products can be reinserted in the cycle in an innovative way and can contribute to the sustainability of the planet,” adds Ana Laura Sivieri, Braskem Marketing & Communication Director.

Campaign on social networks
To help drive this sustainable trend in the fashion industry and carry the message to the population, Braskem also launched a campaign on social networks with a series of videos and contents to explain the production process of the polypropylene thread with recycled material and to promote discussion of the circular economy.

The company invited influencers Caio Braz, Isabella Fiorentino, Lilian Pacce and Mona Soares, all from the fashion world and linked to themes such as sustainability, conscious consumption and circular economy, to accompany the students during all stages of the process of creating the looks in the studio of designer Patricia Bonaldi during the Fashion Challenge.

The students created six looks for the designer’s new collection, being three pieces using only polypropylene thread with recycled material and another three pieces using either PP thread with recycled material such as the fabric made from the thread. “Participating in a project with fashion students was very rewarding. Being able to share some of my knowledge and exchange information with this new generation is always enriching. I was also able to better understand the use of plastic waste in fashion and the result we brought to the runway of my SPFW show left me very satisfied,” says designer Patricia Bonaldi.

The three looks chosen by Patricia Bonaldi are on the runway of the SPFW on Wednesday, October 16. The others will be exhibited during the entire event at Braskem’s booth. The 48th edition of the São Paulo Fashion Week will be held from October 13 to 18, at the Pavilion of Brazilian Cultures, Parque Ibirapuera, in the city of São Paulo.

About PatBo
The Brazilian brand commanded by the renowned stylist Patricia Bonaldi values the care with the clothes and the manual work. Created in 2012, her more casual and fashionist label brings all the stylist’s creativity in looks that range from beachwear to ready to wear. Currently, the brand is available in more than 100 points of sale in Brazil and 50 abroad