ESG Outlook: Biophilica’s Mira Nameth on Its Bio-Based Leather Alternative

ESG Outlook is Sourcing Journal’s discussion series with industry executives to get their take on their company’s latest environmental, social and governance initiatives and their own personal efforts toward sustainability. Here, Mira Nameth, CEO and co-founder of bio-based leather alternative manufacturer Biophilica, discusses the importance of bio-based certification to quell ambiguities and impart trust.

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Name: Mira Nameth
Title: CEO & Co-Founder
Company: Biophilica

What do you consider your company’s best ESG-related achievement over the last 5 years?

Treekind®—our debut 100 percent bio-based and plastic-free leather alternative—is our proudest ESG achievement, providing innovative solutions to part of the Life on Land and Sea and Climate Change Action goals. We’re coming up to 5 years old, and therefore a relatively young business, and are proud to have developed and successfully gone to market with a recyclable, home compostable material (verified via the 14855-1 test) that is USDA 100 percent bio-based certified.

What is your company’s latest ESG-related initiative?

Following on from the work done on our debut Treekind® product, our brilliant team of scientists developed a 100 percent bio-based adhesive for which we are in pre-commercial trials. From our research, we know that a number of manufacturing industries are actively seeking non-petrochemical glues, and we are really excited to be in the first stages of developing a product to help another market move away from high-resource, often toxic, adhesive solutions.

What is the biggest misconception consumers have about sustainability in fashion/accessories?

An ambiguous area is that bio-based can mean a lot of things, and there is currently a lack of clarity in ensuring consumers understand the true sustainable efforts of something with a seemingly impressive name. Something labelled as bio-based could be just 7 percent bio-based, which is why verification and certifications are so important. Treekind® has the USDA 100 percent bio-based certification, which means we can offer brands, and therefore consumers an evidenced, clear and trustworthy low-impact material.

We’re all for helping consumers understand how the industry is developing, and always welcome the chance to provide them information to help inform their choices.

As consumers become more aware of worker conditions and how clothing is produced, how can the industry best spread the word on progress?

Currently, there is an element of hesitation among brands to share their sustainable efforts with consumers in fear of being called out for imperfections—despite these being inevitable as the industry works to repair and reconfigure harmful and complex processes that have existed for decades. As consumers become more informed on how their clothing is produced, we think brands should talk about the things they are doing now to help improve their practices, instead of staying silent until they can provide a “perfect” solution—something that will take years and in fact, has yet to be done. We encourage brands to share information about the innovator that they are working with, to create better synergy that benefits both parties.

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What do you consider to be the apparel industry’s biggest missed opportunity related to securing meaningful change?

For us, there are two main factors that are slowing down meaningful change right now. The first is the general slower pace of adoption of next-gen materials from brands. It’s taking time for big brands to incorporate innovative new materials like Treekind® in their design processes, either in place of, or in addition to, the conventional materials that they already use. Brands who want to work with material innovations need to do so for more than just a one-off capsule collection that gains marketing kudos. Long-term commitment will ensure the longevity of low-resource solutions like ours, and the many other brilliant solutions that are being worked on. Brands should consider how they can start integrating innovators into systems/products now, instead of spending years trying to redesign a system/product that is the ‘perfect’ sustainable offering.

Secondly, there needs to be more investing in innovators across the field. We believe that funding should be split across a catalogue of innovators who can work towards R&D within their individual areas, and then share the collective learnings to drive broader and quicker change. The old-school approach of betting big on a single ‘unicorn’ won’t help us work toward the many forms of solutions needed in the highly fragmented issue of climate solutions.

What is your personal philosophy on shopping and caring for your clothes?

I prioritize pure natural materials, ideally MMCFs (man-made cellulosic fibers). I tend to buy clothing from my local charity shops as they have great pieces. I also take care of what I have and keep my clothes for as long as I can—like 20+ years.

How much do you look into a brand’s social or environmental practices before shopping?

Like many people, and especially as a busy founder, I don’t have a lot of time to spare for this, so as a priority, I mainly look at the material composition. I think clear labelling/certifications on clothing should be mandatory—it should not be the burden of the customer. This is why I’m excited by the incoming [digital product passports] DPP. I think this will help accelerate improvements in brand’s supply chains, while simultaneously making it easier for a consumer to understand the impact, composition and end-of-life options for a garment. I also avoid polyester, polyamide etc.

Anything new you are doing to boost sustainability beyond the fashion industry?

I try to swap out what I can in replacement of more responsible alternatives. I buy Ecover, natural paints, natural materials, certain sustainable beauty products, and have a small potted garden with flowers for pollinators.

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