With the climate crisis a chief concern of worldly citizens, Fortune 500 corporations, the United Nations, and 

 alike, a “made from recycled water bottles” origin story has practically become ubiquitous. Now more than ever shoppers in particular strive to pat themselves on the back for their “more responsible” consumer choices, and it’s easy to say that supply-chain transparency is “so hot” right now. Greenwashing is rampant. The not-for-profit organization 

, though, doesn’t see recycled bottles as a marketing ploy; they see them as a tool for empowering consumers to demand more from brands, just as these brands are trying to meet the demands for exactly these kinds of products. But with that urgency, it’s also necessary to ensure the coveted recycled materials are ethically sourced.

First Mile is set up as a partnership between Thread International, a post-consumer recycling textile supplier founded in 2010 by Ian Rosenberger (who was also a contestant on the reality show 

) and Work, a job-focused group that lifts individuals out of poverty in Haiti. Its hybrid consultancy model provides post-consumer recycled supply-chain solutions, using the vetted supply chains of heavy hitters in the fashion space, including Patagonia, Puma, Ralph Lauren, and Timberland. First Mile’s mission is just as much figuring out what to do with water bottles washed ashore as it is with the livelihoods of those who physically collect them out of waterways.

“To be there in that very first mile of supply chains, to better the lives of the individuals who make up the collection communities of those materials in question” is more or less the basic principle of First Mile, says Nick Brown, the company’s new business development lead. The “first mile” refers to the first steps of a recycled material becoming a finished project: from plastic collector to collection center to recycling center. After First Mile pushes it through, the materials then move outside of the organization's hands to external textile processing facilities, where they’re spun, woven, cut, and assembled to get closer to a finished product.

The “collection communities” that Brown references are the human-powered heart of the supply chains that the company helps regulate. First Mile’s three supply chains where it has year-round project teams are in Haiti, Honduras, and Taiwan. They ensure the safety and standards of working conditions for the collectors and prevent child labor. The group is currently assessing the specific needs of others in various continents, including Indigenous communities in the U.S. To date, more than six million pounds of plastic waste have been diverted from oceans and landfills through First Mile supply chains, and roughly $770,000 has been generated by collectors.

With First Mile, the beginning of onboarding any company starts with what Brown describes as “firing a huge amount of questions at the brand.” This leads to determining the “who, what, where” for the quality and quantity of materials a brand will need for their products, and which First Mile supply chain will be the best fit for where the business can do the most good. Ideally, these corporate partnerships will be able to both support these communities and eradicate local waste buildup.

The systems First Mile puts in place assure that their process is not only talking the talk. “Such a huge part of the landscape today is proving that you’re doing the work that you say you are through your own channels,” Brown says. “A lot of brands today start with certification, which is an important and necessary part of the jigsaw, but it only goes so far.” He uses the analogy of a certificate on the wall of a swimming pool versus a lifeguard to explain the value of having a year-round project team working on the ground with these supply chains to understand what the living and working conditions of them really are. Aiming for transparency is essential, but also a point of pride. First Mile wants its brand partners to take pride in helping uplift these communities and aiding them in restoring their environments with dignity and respect through their work. (One would hope trickles into the rest of the brand’s supply-chain needs, though that’s not guaranteed.)

Beyond post-consumer plastics, First Mile has also started to dabble in incorporating recycled cotton, aluminum, rare earth minerals, and agricultural commodities such as strawberries into their supply chains. It’s also getting into the circular-economy space with 

, which use a mix of upcycled materials and a proprietary waxed canvas made from recycled plastics. Expanding its offerings of solutions only helps diminish the need for more virgin materials used in producing new products—something that, in the face of the climate crisis, is extremely urgent. “It’s what we’re constantly thinking about,” Brown says. “How can we really put a match under this work and turbocharge it as quickly as is necessary?”

A Not-For-Profit Reimagines Recycling and Supply Chains to Profound Effect

Think about the last time you felt a sense of awe about the world. Perhaps you were hiking among trees in a lush forest, standing at the foot of a snowcapped mountain, or diving among innumerable fish in the sea. Part of the awe such environments inspire stems from the realization that humans are merely a part of the world’s extraordinary ecosystems—and that maintaining them, in the midst of headline-grabbing wildfires, droughts, and floods, has never been more important.

A new exhibition at London’s Barbican Centre dives into this truth by considering the planet as a shared home, where all species depend on one another to flourish. Titled “

” (May 5–August 29), the show features work by leading minds from various fields—including architects, artists, activists, designers, ecologists, engineers, scientists, and technologists—that explore how we might reconnect with the species, and the wonder of life, all around us.

Curated by Luke Kemp, the acting co-head of Barbican International Enterprises (or BIE, an arm of the Barbican that develops traveling exhibitions) and guest curators Kate Franklin and Caroline Till, the show will feature 18 immersive and interactive works, including 12 new commissions, from 12 countries. It’s organized into three parts—Belong, Imagine, and Engage—and is mounted in The Curve, a sprawling exhibition space within the institution. (After its run in London, the show will travel to Musée de la civilisation, in Québec City, Canada, which co-produced the project, then embark on a to-be-announced international tour.)

The first section zeroes in on the human connections to other species and the context in which we exist via “Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest,” an immersive video installation created by digital art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast and Andres Roberts, co-founder of the 

. The Imagine portion envisions a near future of the planet guided by more equitable and inclusive systems. Works by artist Smīkra Wahikwa; architect and sustainability engineer Smith Mordak; film director and architect Liam Young; and anthropologist, environmentalist, activist, and landscape designer Julia Watson (who was the guest on 

) survey the layered issues surrounding Indigenous cultures and the history of stolen land. Other highlights include a piece by Colombian biologist Brigitte Baptiste and the Institute of Digital Fashion that examines what people can learn from nature’s gender fluidity, and a project by the Nairobi-based design-build firm Build X Studio, which collaborated with MycoTile—a firm that manufacturers building materials from agricultural waste and mushroom mycelium—that considers how structures might be built in collaboration with nature.

The final part, Engage, profiles people who are working to preserve the planet, as an invitation for viewers to think about how they might get involved. An immersive space by the Keralan architecture firm Wallmakers, for example, offers stories about people who are creating positive environmental change, while a sound-and-light installation by Nathan Prince and Liam Paton of Silent Studios draws on biophilia, the human tendency to seek connections with other forms of life in nature.

The exhibition extends into other areas of the Barbican, too, through activations including “Noise Aquarium,” a 3-D experience of plankton in noise pollution, and “Eyes as Big as Plates,” a series of photographs on the themes of belonging and nature by Finnish Norwegian artist duo Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth. (Additional exhibition-related programming will be announced 

Kemp, the curator from BIE, deeply understands the weight of the responsibility of art to inspire change. “It is an essential moment for the Barbican to contribute to this urgent issue and showcase how unique collaborations across a range of disciplines can create a vision of hope and possibility,” he said in a statement. “Culture has a key role to play in accelerating the response to the climate emergency. It provides a platform to challenge the way we engage our communities to respond.”

In London, an Exhibition Seeks to Deepen Our Understanding of Interspecies Connection

Julia is a writer and fashion stylist based in New England. She has previously held positions at 

 magazine, primarily covering accessories, fine jewelry, and watches. She is increasingly interested in discovering the ways in which the fashion industry can work toward a more sustainable future.

Julia Gall

Julia Gall’s Articles

A Not-For-Profit Reimagines Recycling and Supply Chains to Profound Effect

In London, an Exhibition Seeks to Deepen Our Understanding of Interspecies Connection