Green.org sat down with Phoebe Yu, the fouder of ettitude, to learn about how they have developed eco-luxury products made from CleanBamboo, and their goal to make the world’s softest, most sustainable materials with their patented and carbon neutral CleanBamboo®.
Tell us a little bit about you and your background:
I amthe Founder and CEO of ettitude, an award-winning material science and lifestyle company with the mission to dramatically reduce textiles’ harmful environmental impact. While shopping for my home after moving to Melbourne, Australia, I spotted an opportunity within the bedding market to create sustainable luxury for less. With my vision of revolutionizing the bedding industry, I bring together entrepreneurial instincts, passion for sustainability, and understanding of fabric technology.
After years of testing materials, weaving and dying techniques, and harnessing a decade of experience in supply chain management, I perfected and launched ettitude’s innovative CleanBamboo fabric in 2014. The manufacturing process is a clean alternative to the highly polluting textiles, cotton and viscose. In 2017, ettitude began expanding globally, opening a headquarters in Los Angeles the following year. ettitude was named an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company in America in both 2020 & 2021. I have been a guest lecturer on entrepreneurship and sustainability at several universities. Before ettitude, I founded two international trading and sourcing companies in Asia.
Why do you think sustainability is such an important topic today?
Sustainability is the key to a better future. Humans rely on natural resources for business, activities, and survival. Ignoring sustainability can lead to the exhaustion of natural resources. Many of humankind’s challenges, such as climate change, water scarcity, inequality, and hunger, can only be resolved globally and by promoting sustainable development. Sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our ecosystem, and preserves natural resources for future generations.
In business, sustainability is associated with an organization’s holistic approach, considering everything from manufacturing to logistics to customer service. It’s been great to see more and more brands thinking about sustainability and seriously looking at their impact. But in today’s age, being eco-friendly and sustaining the status quo simply doesn’t cut it. Not only do we need to reduce our impact, but we also need to actively contribute to restoring the earth’s health to create a regenerative future for all.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
Reduce, reuse & recycle as much as you can. Asking tons of questions to make sure you are not been “green washed” and are buying truly sustainable products.
