Smiley in 'disruptive' partnership with eco innovator Lyfcycle.

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 31, 2020

Smiley said this week that with “sustainability moving to the top of the agenda in the licensing industry”, it has forged “a disruptive new partnership with environmental innovator Lyfcycle”.

Lyfcycle specialises in sustainable garment sourcing and has developed new tech that can recycle and re-use all waste fabric from production.

Smiley’s fashion division SVP Michaela Fass said that with the licensed property’s “authentic position at the forefront of peace, protest, and activism, it’s a natural progression for us to start developing a wave of new sustainable products”.

All of the Smiley x Lyfcycle products will be made from recycled cotton blended with organic cotton “to ensure zero-waste from source, while all waste fabric from production is recycled and re-used,” we’re told.

The company said the new link-up will mean a reduction in textile waste going into landfills in the country of origin and all product packaging and labelling will be recycled and recyclable. There’s also a Lyfcycle mobile app that will allow consumers to monitor traceability of garments via QR codes. This will launch in February.

The two companies are aiming to “set sustainability benchmarks for the licensing industry” and said the partnership will hit major retail stores from this summer.

Outside of the new venture, the firm said its Smiley Movement “continues to give real meaning to [its] message of bringing genuine Smiles to good causes and people in need”. 

Its latest Smiley Talks event, which is called The Road To Zero Emissions, happens on February 5 and will see climate change expert Dr David Greenfield, founder of Circular Economy Club and SOENECS chairing a panel discussion with speakers from Plastic Oceans UK, Transport & Environment and Extinction Rebellion.