Walmart wants to take its carbon emissions and turn them into fashion

Walmart is looking for alternative ways to keep its carbon emissions in check—witness its latest partnership with fashion tech startup Rubi Laboratories.

As part of the tie-up, the retailer plans to run two pilots to test transforming carbon emissions into textiles. Walmart hopes to integrate the startup’s tech into its supply chain, and could create a sample collection based on the manufactured fabric.

Rubi Labs is already working with fashion retailers like H&M, Reformation, and Ganni, where its tech helps capture carbon emissions at factories and mills, and turns them into cellulose which can then become fabric.

“This technology could play an important role in our journey towards zero waste and zero emissions,” Andrea Albright, a Walmart EVP for sourcing, told the Business of Fashion.

But, but, but…Although Walmart may be able to produce these sustainable textiles at scale, it’s certainly not the first retailer to look into alternative fabrics.

Luxury brands from Ganni to Dolce & Gabbana have been working on faux fur alternatives and the buzzy material of the season, mushroom leather, for awhile.

But as Lizzie Horvitz, CEO and founder of Finch, a digital sustainability tool, previously told Retail Brew, what really matters is how brands can make these materials mainstream.

“We’re really excited about what the fashion houses are doing. The very high-end ones have the resources to test this out in the market,” she said. “Regardless of the specific technology, when people who buy from LVMH are getting on board, that means that it can trickle down to all levels of fashion…Because if LVMH can do it, that means that H&M will be able to do it in five years, and it becomes more accessible, really, to everybody.”