Walmart has announced a pilot project with unspun, the Oakland, California-based developer of Vega 3D weaving technology, which could help reduce the environmental impact of garment production
The microfactory of unspun promises to more quickly and efficiently transform yarn directly into garments.
The pilot project aims to addresses concerns about the waste in the apparel industry driven primarily by fabric loss from traditional flat weaving, cutting and garment assembly, and from discarded extra inventory built to meet growing consumer demand and fashion trends.
These issues, combined with the emissions generated from transporting garments and fabrics supplied offshore, have created demand for more sustainable apparel manufacturing supply chain solutions.
“At Walmart, we are laser-focused on bringing innovation to our supply chain to better serve our customers and solve industry challenges and unspun has the potential to do just that,” said Andrea Albright, executive vice president of sourcing at Walmart. “The technology we are piloting has the potential to unlock more skilled job creation in the USA, meet consumer demand for locally made garments and deliver on our commitment for greater transparency and sustainability in our apparel supply chain.”