Here’s the truth: When you are BlackStrap, one of the best-selling facemask manufacturers in the country, you use a lot of fabric Most of it turns into top notch headgear, like the Hood Balaclava or the thermal-lined Apex Tube, and comfy-as-can-be baselayers, but there are plenty of scraps and unused material that falls to the factory floor. To mitigate what it puts into landfills and better promote a mindful approach to manufacturing, BlackStrap created its Waste-Zero project that takes fabric scraps and transforms them into useable accessories.
These USA-made, performance pieces include the handy Goggle Cover that protects your precious lenses from scratches and dings, multi-functional headbands and, now, Civil Masks for everyday use during the pandemic. While keeping scraps out of the landfill was the main priority with the Waste-Zero project, each product comes with its own personal benefits, too—a win-win for everyone involved.
But how did the Bend, Oregon-based company land on such an effective idea? BlackStrap uses a four-step approach to its mindful and sustainable product development. Simply put, BlackStrap looks to identify impacts (upcycle unused fabrics), engrain solutions into product development (working with in-house cut-and-sew professionals to create new products), identify operational solutions (ship product to retailers/consumers made from up-cycled resources, like used printing paper) and empower the industry to focus on the tangible efforts that can be made in their operations to limit impacts and support a healthier planet.
To learn more about BlackStrap’s Waste-Zero project, click here.
