Starbucks Foray into Sustainable Textiles

Starbucks sustainable fabric WoJoYes, that Starbucks.  No, they haven’t stopped making coffee.  What they have started doing, though, is furnishing their interiors with a revolutionary new textile made from natural and renewable materials.

Through upcycling (creating waste materials into new products), Starbucks coffee sacks are combined with wool to create a completely unique sustainable fabric called “WoJo“.  The company commissioned The Formary, a New Zealand-based design company, for the project.  WoJo, from wool and jute, the material used in the coffee sacks, was conceptualised by The Formary, and has been brought to life for Starbucks in collaboration with UK weavers Camira and wool suppliers, Wools of New Zealand.

Now, I have to be honest, I am not what you would call a “regular” at S-Bux.  The coffee doesn’t really do it for me and I have a hard time justifying 5 bucks for a latte.  But I love the initiative they’re taking here. It’s a great way to do something great for the environment, support a 35 year old textile company, and promote the new fiber campaign, Wool Week. Hm, perhaps tomorrow a Pumpkin Latte.

Nicole Giordano

Nicole is the founder of StartUp FASHION, an online resource and community supporting for independent designers around the world with building their businesses. A deep love for the craft of fashion paired with an adamant belief that success is defined by the individual, led her to found StartUp FASHION, where she helps independent designers and makers screw the traditional fashion business rules, create their own paths, and build businesses they truly love. More than anything else, she’s in the business of encouragement and works every day to remind makers and designers that they have something special to offer the world and that they can, in fact, do this thing!