Proposal

THE PROBLEM

Ten million tonnes of bedsheets in the United States alone end up in landfills annually. The hospitality industry contributes significantly to this textile waste problem due to the high standards upheld by guests and the industry, which requires textiles such as bedsheets to be in pristine condition. This linear consumption of bedsheets posed significant logistical hurdles for the hotel industry, leading to high storage and collection costs and numerous recycling barriers on top of the environmental effect of cotton production and consumption.

In response to this challenge, we sought to create a solution that addresses this logistical crisis, diverts the hotel textiles from ending up in landfills, and has a creative method of repurposing to keep them in circularity.

THE OPPORTUNITY

In a world where 64 percent of the global population acknowledges the climate emergency, we’re excited to present a unique opportunity for both the Hotel and Fashion Industry, particularly in the ASEAN region, where circular economy policies have been established, such as the ASEAN Green Hotel Index. Leading Hotel Groups have wholeheartedly adopted these policies to meet their ESG goals, aiming to cater to the growing demand of 87 percent of global travelers actively seeking sustainable options. Noteworthy is the Philippines, where a remarkable 81 percent of respondents express a willingness to pay a premium for sustainable products and services. This aligns perfectly with the potential of the Global Ethical Fashion Market, currently valued at $7.5 billion ($13million – Philippines). Capitalizing on this can promote a creative circular collaboration between two industries.

OUR SOLUTION

Made in the Philippines, REPAMANA is a circular social enterprise that repurposes discarded hotel textiles into diverse products ranging from ready-to-wear garments to renewed hotel amenities.

Treating waste as a primary source of their materials, the brand extends the lifespan of discarded hotel textiles such as bedsheets. The brand revitalizes and increases the value of the end product by embedding a story of resilience through the employment of female prisoners as our artisan workers, giving them a renewed sense of purpose and dignity in their work.

OUR SOCIAL MISSION

• Responsible Sourcing – REPAMANA treats waste as the primary resource for its products, renouncing the need to procure new resources and instead giving a second life to already-existing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. 
• Resilient Design – Through mindful design techniques and innovation, each product is thoughtfully created with careful consideration of functionality and sustainability. Every product is crafted with meticulous attention to detail and quality that endures the test of time, essentially making each piece a pamana. 
• Reliable Livelihood – The brand upskills female prisoners to provide them with new skills, fair wages, and a dignified path of reintegration into society and a circular economy.

Targeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 5, 8, and 12 (Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Sustainable Consumption and Production), we are committed to creating an enterprise towards a more socially responsible and circular industry