Clarabeth Concaret has been selected as part of UNICEF Innovation30: Young Innovators Shaping the Future.
Countries of Solution Deployment: Ghana, Togo, Kenya, Chile
Innovation Accelerator: Forest Valley, Italy
For Clarabeth Concaret, 29, born and raised in the serene surroundings of Orcas Island in Washington State, “true climate innovation lies in crafting solutions with passion, ensuring that every stitch we wear aligns with the betterment of our world.”
Drawing inspiration from existing offset models in carbon and plastic, Clarabeth’s waste management solution Fabricure introduces the innovative concept of fabric credits. Fashion brands can purchase these credits, equivalent to the amount of textile waste they produce. The funds then support textile recycling and recovery programs globally. “It’s the world’s first fabric offset solution,” explains Clarabeth.
Fabricure is making a significant dent in global textile waste. Working primarily with women-owned recycling partners, the breakthrough solution processes 50 tons of textile waste every month in the waste hotspots of Ghana, Togo, Kenya and Chile. Three major brands are teaming up with Fabricure to launch fabric-neutral collections, and the ones already partnering with Clarabeth’s solution see a 10 per cent return on investment.
The fashion industry directly impacts millions of children globally through environmental pollution, resource depletion and water contamination. Clarabeth and her co-founders envision textile waste as a valuable resource. From nurturing soil health through fabric compost to utilizing it as a biofuel, Fabricure is breaking ground in addressing environmental concerns by enabling circularity in the fashion industry.
For young visionaries, Clarabeth’s advice is simple: “Take what makes you special, the thing you’re passionate about, and find a way to use that for good.”
