CACTO, a Mexican-American company, has said that it is the first carbon negative fashion company in the Americas.
Through a partnership with Swiss non-profit organisation, On A Mission, the organisation said on Wednesday, March 30, 2021 that it measured and offset 150% of the company’s CO2 emissions through sustainable reforestation worldwide.
The measurement and offsetting process, which is just commencing, will take place every six months for the next 10 years. Through several emergent partnerships, the company aims to offset at least 1000% of the emissions it generates by the end of 2021.
The fashion industry emits about the same quantity of GHGs per year as the entire economies of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom combined. CACTO produces sustainable accessories made of remarkable cactus leather, which the organisation claims are free of toxic chemicals, organic, vegan, partially biodegradable, and zero waste.
Cactuses, the most abundant plants in Mexico, are extraordinary carbon sinks, as they capture CO2 from the atmosphere and then trap it underground as calcium carbonate. Furthermore, the process of creating the leather is regenerative and the plant is never damaged. Only mature leaves are cut, and they grow back in six to eight months.
CACTO was founded by an experienced climate communicator and was designed to have sustainability as a guiding principle and at the core of its business operation. The entire production cycle is closely monitored by staff; from the sourcing of materials to production, packaging, distribution, and shipping.
Jesus Chavez, the founder, said: “If we want to succeed in reaching net zero carbon emissions well before 2050 and avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we must all work in concert in whatever capacity we are able to. Two words are key here: collaboration and ambition. We all need to do more; climate neutrality is no longer enough. Industries across the board need to benefit from existing technology and offsetting programs to become carbon negative and invest in new research and innovation to reach that goal faster.
“The decisions we make this decade will determine the fate of humanity for centuries to come. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. It is up to us now. Customers around the world are demanding alternatives to materials that increase pollution and unethical manufacturing processes.
“CACTO provides this alternative to customers across 190 countries and hopes to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to break paradigms and make clear once and for all, what has been evident to specialists for decades, that decoupling emission from economic growth is not only feasible, but the smartest, fastest, and most responsible way to grow.”
