Innovation

Jamie Naval, a fashion designer, created the “TenTwentyKids” innovation that upcycled textile scraps from designers and brands into toys and provided livelihood to women in the garment capital of the Philippines, Taytay, Rizal. The idea started with Jamie’s search for a way to properly dispose of textile scraps. She found no textile recycling centers in the area, so she had an opportunity to create a solution that addressed textile waste while teaching sustainable values to kids through arts and crafts workshops. The innovation also provided livelihood to women in the community by teaching them how to sew using scraps from the textile industry.

Jamie naval collaborated with various designers, brands and women in the community to collect textile scraps and teach sewing. The business idea not only promoted upcycling but also offered a solution to a social and environmental issue. As Jamie Naval said, “And as a textile designer, it was such a waste because that was still money, that you bought that fabric, and if you just throw it away, sayang naman (what a waste). And most of all, it would be a waste for the environment because it would add to the pollution and it would add to the climate change, diba (Right?)” Overall, the TenTwentyKids business innovation had a clear sense of mission, purpose, and meaning.

Inspiration

TenTwentyKids started out by providing kids with arts and crafts workshops using the recycled textiles. Eventually, due to the large number of workshops they were doing, they were able to consume all the textile scraps they received. This then led to them asking more designers and brands for textile scraps to the point that they ended up being incapable of fully consuming the textiles solely through workshops.

Due to this development, TenTwentyKids decided to start manufacturing toys so that they can fully consume the large volumes of textile waste that they’ve been receiving. As Ms. Naval put it: “And that's when I realized that even if we do workshops every day, the amount of textile waste will just keep on piling and piling on. So we searched for a way again to use the fabrics and as well as expand our impact. And that's how we came up with a toy.”

The benefits of TenTwentyKids’ innovation doesn’t just end at upcycling and reducing waste. Their toys have also been beneficial to children and to marginalized women. One of the reasons why TenTwentyKids’ toys were made and designed the way they were was because TenTwentyKids wanted to inspire children to be aware of climate change. In a way, the company’s toys have been a form of climate education. Especially when they were holding workshops, TenTwentyKids’ toys has been an able to provide children an example of what sustainability is even at their young age.

“So stemming from the workshops that we did, we see that there's a very positive effect when we are teaching sustainability to kids … so I said why not use this as an opportunity to teach kids about climate education and the best way for kids to learn is to play so that's how we came up with the toys.”

In regards to the women they have been helping, TenTwentyKids was inspired to help women due to their location in the garment capital of the Philippines, Rizal. Being in that location provided TenTwentyKids with the opportunity to make a difference for the women who lived there and who wanted to learn how to sew, which is how the toys are manufactured.

“so I said why not we teach this women how to sew by hand because with our toys what we needed is hand sewing because the fabrics that we use are very small and the toys that we make are also small.“

Overall impact

This innovation of using fabric scraps from other textile and fashion companies as material for the company’s creation of toys. By using these scrap fabrics, the company was able to save on costs for the production of their toys as the manufacturing of these products also acted as waste disposal This paved the way for the social enterprise to both contribute to the waste disposal of scrap fabrics, while also creating a way for the company to earn money. In creating these toys, the company also created an avenue for communication between them and their customers as these toys also act as an educational tool for children.

Asides from the toys itself and that this innovation allowed for the company to save on production costs, TenTwentyKids also aimed to send an even larger and more important message for all to see. Its toys acted as playthings for the kids but also acted as a reminder about the importance of responsible consumption and production, sheds light on the issues of sustainability in terms of waste disposal, provides an opportunity for work for the marginalized. This is shown in the thousands of kilograms of scrap fabrics used for the company’s production. Not to mention, the number of women who were upskilled and learned how to sew without the use of any sewing machine for the company or for future possible job opportunities. Lastly, this impact was felt with the children that the company has reached. By teaching the younger generation about the sustainability and waste management at an early age, TenTwentyKids is making it possible for future generations to act in a more conscious manner than the generation now and before.

Business benefit

TenTwentyKids has been capable of being an example of how business success and sustainability are not necessarily at odds with one another. The products of TenTwentyKids, being made out of upcycled textile waste, have sustainability as part of their value proposition. Initially, the business was concerned with their toys being made out of textile waste since they were unsure that there was a market for them. However, after doing a crowdfunding campaign, they realized that there was a market for their toys. Seeing this, we can see how their use of upcycled materials was a significant benefit for their business as it helped distinguish them from other toy manufacturers.

Social and environmental benefit

TenTwentyKids, as a social enterpise, has founds many different ways to create value to both society and the environment. Firstly, the company helps the environment in the form of its usage of fabric wastes made by other companies around the Philippines as its material for the toys and other products it makes. In doing so, the company extends the life of these fabrics that would otherwise be thrown away into a garbage dump and not used anymore. With the fashion industry growing exponentially and the lifespan and utilization of these items lessening, the amount of textile waste produced is expected to increase. 29% of Filipinos have thrown away their clothing after a single use while millennials are buying more than 50% of the new clothes they own within the year. Moreover, 62 million tonnes of clothing are consumed each year with only 20% or 12,400,000 tonnes being recycled or reused (Sustainability Solutions Exchange, 2022). TenTwentyKids is able to practice sustainability by using textile waste as the biggest component of their business.

From a societal perspective, TenTwentyKids provides education to both the youth and the marginalized. With the toys that the company makes, TenTwentyKids is able to shed light on the importance of sustainability and waste management to the younger generations that consume and use its toys. The marginalized are also touched by the company through its training program for women wherein it teaches these women how to sew by hand. Many women and families come from humble backgrounds and may not be able to afford luxuries such as sewing machines. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, it is estimated that 2,370,000, or 4.8% of the population are currently unemployed. Moreover, it is estimated that 18.1% of the population is experiencing poverty. This issue is tackled through TenTwentyKids’s training and hiring program as it teaches useful skills to these women that can benefit them by either working for the company or having the tools to work for another company in the future.

Interview

Jamie Naval, Founder