Socks with purpose
Christchurch-based conscious clothing producer Untouched World is driving new standards in fashion through circular products, like its ‘Rubbish Socks’.
At their best, brands can encourage collaboration, innovation, and mutual well-being and help people live more vibrant and fulfilling lives. At their worst, they maximise short-term profits, destroying the communities that make their products and the environment that gives them the resources to do so.
For the past 43 years, Untouched World has been dedicated to driving better industry standards and creating more beautiful and lasting products, in innovative ways that work with the planet’s best interest in mind.
The fashion industry consumes over 100 billion cubic metres of water annually and emits over one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. It also produces over 92 million metric tonnes of textile waste every year. At Untouched World, their commitment to transitioning to a Circular Economy is not just a choice, it is a pledge to the generations that follow.
In the current economy, brands take materials from the Earth, make products, and eventually throw them away as waste – the process is linear. In a circular economy, by contrast, waste is eradicated by intentional design in the first place. In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting.
Untouched World considers the whole life cycle of everything they make, from the fibres and fabrics they select to how long a garment will last, how it can be cared for, and whether it can naturally return to the Earth at the end of its life.
By embracing responsible production locally in Christchurch, they can work directly with their own team to reduce, reuse, and recycle from design through to manufacturing.
Being a B Corp means that Untouched World is always striving to be better. Their business practices prioritise people and the planet, and their relentless pursuit of effecting positive change means that the Untouched World team is continuously researching and developing new yarns, fabrics, and ways to further reduce their footprint.
Their aim is to create zero textile waste to landfill by the end of 2024. Any excess yarns or fabrics are either used to create homeware and kids’ collections, or are recycled back into new yarn, woollen insulation, and products used for interiors and construction. In 2023 alone, Untouched World saved over one tonne of fabric waste through their waste reduction initiatives.
One initiative that has contributed to diverting this textile waste is their ‘Rubbish Socks’. Over time, Untouched World has been collecting left-over knitwear pieces from their production runs and cutting them into smaller pieces, which are sent to a local spinner in Wellington. The recycling process is completely water- and dye-free. The colours of these unique repurposed yarns are derived naturally from the colours of their offcuts.
Untouched World launched their Rubbish Socks in collaboration with Ethically Kate to encourage others to think circularly and support products and brands with a higher purpose. The range can be viewed at their retail stores or online.