Starting the Journey: Developing Our First Biodegradable Product
For years, the idea of biodegradability lingered in the back of my mind. Not as a concrete plan, but as something I felt drawn to explore- a quiet pull to rethink what our products could be, and what they could leave behind.
About three years ago, I reached a tipping point. I wanted to move beyond thinking and actually test the idea. There was no roadmap, no clear sequence of steps- just the question: what if we could create something that not only looked good, but genuinely did good for the planet?
My first instinct was to simplify everything. Strip it back to the essentials- fewer materials, fewer process steps, less complexity overall. It felt like the most honest place to start. If a product is meant to return to the earth, it shouldn’t be overly complicated on its way there.
The reality, though, was far from simple.
Those early stages were messy and, at times, humbling. What I thought I understood about materials and production quickly fell apart. Conversations with suppliers made it clear how much I didn’t know. I went in hopeful, but often left with more questions than answers, trying to navigate discussions around fabrics and processes that were entirely new to me.
I began experimenting where I could- starting with simple fabrics, testing what felt right, and digging deeper into how different materials behave over time. I spent hours researching, reaching out to experts, and trying to make sense of a space that sits somewhere between innovation and uncertainty. Some days brought real excitement: discovering a promising fiber or a more responsible dye. Other days were frustrating: colors that wouldn’t hold, materials that didn’t perform, or suppliers that didn’t follow through.
It often felt like trying to piece together a puzzle without knowing what the final picture was supposed to look like.
Over time, I’ve come to see that this isn’t a linear process. There’s no clean progression from idea to solution- just a constant cycle of testing, learning, and adjusting. And with that came a shift in how I think about sustainability. It’s not something you can reduce to a checklist or a single outcome. It’s a series of decisions, each one shaping the integrity of the whole.
Now, as I move further into developing prototypes, I can see glimpses of what this could become. There’s a sense of excitement in that, but also a growing awareness of responsibility. Because this process isn’t just about creating a biodegradable product- it’s about building something that reflects a deeper set of values at every stage.
In the next entry, I’ll share which product I chose to start this journey with and why…