A hoodie from recycled plastic and coffee grounds? Here it is

Sneakers made from ocean trash and clothes grown from mushrooms. We’re already seeing those, yes, so it’s hard to surprise anyone with another sustainable fashion material. Or is it? The new Evolution Hoodie might raise the bar even further on sustainable clothing by sporting a blend of used coffee grounds and recycled plastic bottles as its ingredients.

Launched on Kickstarter, the hoodie has surpassed its initial $50,000 goal almost a dozen times over. But the founders are sure the hoodie is worth every cent. Three cups of recycled coffee, 10 plastic bottles and a bit of nanotech, and here you have it: a stylish garment with odor control, UV protection and a quick-drying effect. The hoodie comes in various sizes and is set to be delivered to the market this autumn.

The hoodie includes a handy pick-pocket proof feature and is easily foldable into a small pillow, which helps it join an ongoing multiuse revolution within the accessories industry. A bonus is that it also appeals to environmentally conscious buyers with its promise of reducing waste while applying sustainable technologies such as solar power and greywater recycling throughout the production process.

Though it is not the first clothing item made from coffee grounds, the hoodie is definitely the loudest to date, joining the ranks of mushrooms growers and ceramic makers looking for freshly discarded coffee grounds from shops around the world. The company says that used coffee grounds are often collected by employees on their way to work, reducing the need for unnecessary transport emissions.

Considering the growing impact of fashion on the environment, sustainable fashion is a bold response in a highly wasteful and polluting industry. Yet that does not mean that every sustainable fashion outlet might live up to its promise. For example, it is unclear whether the hoodie is easily recyclable and whether the company is ready to face the environmental impacts of its revolutionary product beyond the manufacturing and use phases.

Still, products like this can help expand our horizon of what is possible. Hopefully, we will be seeing more and more sustainable fashion initiatives in coming years.