Startup Stash - Poly Tees and Icelandic Winds of Win 👕

Plastic Tees in This Heat!

Here’s a stat: Only 14% of polyester comes from recycled sources, says the Textile Exchange. Even then, 99% of that comes from plastic bottles, which doesn’t solve the problem of plastic pollution—or make wearing plastic-based clothes any more appealing, especially in a warming world.

Enter a simple white T-shirt with a big idea. This isn’t just any tee—it’s the first “biorecycled” garment made from other polyester textiles. Created by French startup Carbios after two years of development, it’s a proof of concept for a new way to recycle polyester. Big brands like Puma, Patagonia, and Salomon are already on board, with DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger joining in early 2023.

The goal? Scale this process to millions of garments.

Why does it matter?

Carbios’s enzymatic recycling offers a major edge over traditional methods. In their pilot plant, enzymes break down polyester polymers into monomers, even separating polyester from fabric blends like poly-cotton—something mechanical recycling can’t do. These monomers are then rebuilt into polymers, spun into fibers, and turned into new fabric.

Carbios treats mixed textile waste, including tough materials like elastane blends and treated fabrics. At their facility in Clermont-Ferrand, they aim to process 100 tons of textile waste per year.

This could be a game-changer for the fashion industry—and the planet.

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A shorter workweek that keeps you less stressed and super productive. Sounds dreamy, right?

Well, Iceland—the land that gave us Björk and volcano names we can’t pronounce—made it real. They ran two epic trials to test reduced work hours, and the results? Total chef’s kiss.

Here’s the deal: they didn’t go full-on four-day week but trimmed it to 35–36 hours. Between 2020 and 2022, over half of Icelandic public sector workers jumped on the reduced-hours bandwagon, keeping the same paycheck. That number’s probably even higher now.

But wait, there’s more! Other countries are testing this too, with similar success.

The juicy stats:

• Iceland’s economy flexed a 5% growth in 2023, second-best among rich European nations.
• 52% of workers felt their work-life balance leveled up, while 42% reported less stress outside work.
• A tiny 6% said stress increased (likely the “homework reminder” kids all grown up).

Of course, less work time means you might feel crunched. But employers aren’t mad about it—shorter weeks mean workers focus harder during work hours.

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Jobs Don't Matter For Furry Lovers

For many, a wagging tail or a purring companion outweighs a bigger paycheck.  A recent Empower survey reveals how much Americans love their pets—sometimes at a cost.

While 35% say their pets inspire them to work harder for higher pay, 30% admit they’d pass on a better-paying job to spend more time with their animals, 28% would take a pay cut to spend more time with their pets, and 57% would willingly switch to jobs with more pet-friendly benefits. 

This aligns with trends showing millennials prioritizing pets over traditional parenting. But caring for fur babies isn’t cheap. Since 2018, the use of calming products like anxiety supplements, chews, and diffusers has surged—168% for dogs and 174% for cats.

So how do people pay for all this with lower earnings? Survey says, when an emergency occurs, pet owners are more likely to dip into their savings or take on loans that work and extra shift. 

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