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Community Clothing makes a performance case for plastic-free sportswear

Organic Athletic by Community Clothing, UK

UK – British social enterprise and clothing brand Community Clothing has introduced Organic Athletic, a 100% plastic-free sportswear range made using plant-based textile technology. While most contemporary sportswear relies on oil-derived synthetics such as polyester and elastane, the new collection is fully natural, organic and biodegradable.

Developed over five years with UK manufacturing partners, the range uses fast-drying, breathable cotton and a woven cotton and natural rubber elastic. It spans 13 men’s and women’s styles, from vests to shorts, priced between £29 ($39, €34) and £75 ($101, €87) and available in sizes XS to 4XL for men and 6–20 for women.

Patrick Grant, founder of Community Clothing, said: ‘Community Clothing Organic Athletic represents the most radical change in sportswear in two generations. Moving away from oil-based sports clothes to 100% natural and biodegradable means now you can exercise and play sport and not harm the planet in the process.’

For more on how the fashion industry is adopting new materials and manufacturing efforts to create less textile waste and fewer emissions, head to our Fashion sector and Sustainability topic.

Strategic opportunity

The sportswear industry’s reliance on synthetics has created a disruption gap. Brands should invest in natural-material innovation to redefine performance wear – using biodegradability, durability and low-impact design as new signals of athletic credibility

Why climate change could erase Europe’s Alps glaciers by 2100

Photography by Federico Galassi

Europe – Europe’s Alps are on course to lose nearly all (97%) of their glaciers by the end of the century, highlighting how climate change is redefining some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes.

Rising temperatures and decreasing snowfall are accelerating ice loss, with scientists predicting the most vulnerable glaciers could reach a tipping point within the next decade. By 2100, only a tiny fraction of the Alpine ice mass is expected to remain, according to a study by Swiss public research university, ETH Zurich, released in December 2025.

The implications extend beyond scenery. Alpine communities face shorter, less predictable skiing seasons, disrupted water supplies and pressure on mountain biodiversity. Lower‑elevation glaciers are particularly at risk, with half projected to disappear within the next 20 years.

This environmental shift is already influencing where and how people experience winter. The Future Laboratory’s Skiing’s New Frontiers report highlights emerging destinations and climate-adaptive strategies that challenge traditional alpine resorts, showing how snowfall patterns and infrastructure innovation are reshaping the global skiing market.

Strategic opportunity

From mountain resorts to coastal escapes, iconic landscapes around the world are being reshaped, prompting brands to design adaptive travel, seasonal offerings and new ways for consumers to engage responsibly with the evolving environment

Stat: Young women drive surge in US emigration intent

Photography by RF Studio

US – New polling by American multinational analytics and advisory company Gallup finds that as many as one in five American citizens would like to leave the country permanently if given the opportunity.

This heightened desire to migrate is driven primarily by women aged 15 to 44, 40% of whom say they would like to emigrate – a figure four times higher than a decade ago. The poll reveals a widening gender divide, with only 19% of men in the same age group expressing the same intent.

Gallup first recorded a significant spike in emigration intent in 2016, with demand continuing to rise across successive administrations, reaching 44% under Joe Biden.

Canada remains the most popular destination, cited by 11% of respondents since 2022, followed by New Zealand, Italy and Japan. Interest in emigration remains far lower among those aged 45 and over.

This data points to a rise in voluntary migration, rooted in a growing crisis of belonging and meaning – a shift that is gradually eroding collective identity, civic cohesion and long-term trust. This echoes insights from The Great Beauty Blur report, which tracks how accelerating mobility is reshaping cultural exchange, identity formation and aesthetic codes. As people move by choice rather than out of necessity, identity becomes increasingly hybrid, negotiated and self-authored rather than nationally fixed.

Explore our Identities topic for further analysis on how mobility, culture and meaning are redefining personal and collective identity worldwide.

Strategic opportunity

As voluntary migration reshapes loyalty, trust and long-term engagement, develop culturally adaptive and community-first ecosystems that remain meaningful across borders, platforms and life stages