Tel Aviv based cleantech company UBQ Materials, which develops technologies to transform waste into sustainable materials, announced that it will partner up with multinational retail solutions provider Mainetti. The joint venture will see the companies collaborate on introducing eco-friendly and sustainable raw materials for the global fashion industry and retailers.
Leading sustainable change
Founded in 2012 by Chairman Yehuda Pearl, who also founded Sabra, the leading hummus brand in the U.S.; and CEO Jack Bigio, UBQ’s proprietary technology converts residual household waste into a sustainable bio-based substitute for oil-based plastics. By diverting landfill-destined waste, UBQ’s solution helps prevent methane emissions, groundwater contamination and other social and environmental harms associated with the proliferation of landfills, all while creating a novel raw material with climate-positive impact. Essentially, the company turns your unwanted leftovers and trash into turtle-friendly materials for the retail world.
“Industries like retail and fashion are ripe to lead sustainable change,” stated Jack Bigio, Co-Founder and CEO, UBQ Materials Israel. “It is easy to overlook the impact of a hanger, but when we zoom out, we understand that hangers are the common denominator across all brands, across the globe. The beauty of manufacturing products with a climate positive material such as UBQ is the ability to significantly impact carbon footprints while leaving no impact on consumers’ experience.”
With billions of hangers produced globally each year, the impact that this retail mainstay alone can have on the environment is significant. . The development of Mainetti garment hangers containing UBQ material has resulted in hangers with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. These sustainable products are currently pending Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) certification, which is a globally recognized measure for the production of safe and eco-friendly products.
“Just as we pioneered hanger and plastics recycling, having introduced sustainable supply chain solutions for customers nearly six decades ago, Mainetti is proud to be driving meaningful change with this new, innovative offering,” explained Roberto Peruzzo, CEO, Mainetti. “UBQ’s best-in-class technology, paired with our global footprint as the leading retail solutions provider, will allow us to help the fashion industry revolutionize sustainable practices and have a lasting impact on the planet.”
Mainetti’s exclusive collaboration with UBQ for hangers offers brands across the fashion and retail industries a cost-effective method to significantly reduce their carbon footprint and a new way to put action towards the current waste crisis. It also provides these brands with another route to connecting with consumer audiences who are armed with information and whose buying habits are an extension of their own environmental values.
“The fashion industry is receiving a lot of attention for its contributions to pollution and climate change,” said Marc Abeles, Global Marketing Director, Mainetti. “Together with UBQ, we are empowering our clients to do something about the important issues that experts, decision-makers and consumers alike are concerned about right now. By providing products such as our innovative, sustainable hangers, we enable retailers and brands to design more responsibly and achieve their sustainability objectives.
