SHEIN’s US$250,000 disbursement to The UnTours Foundation will fund a Cambodian initiative that partners with social enterprises to upcycle textile waste.
SINGAPORE, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SHEIN, a global online fashion and lifestyle retailer, is pleased to announce The UnTours Foundation as the second grant recipient of its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Fund.
The UnTours Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides low-interest loans or equity to world enhancing businesses that address social, economic, and environmental issues. As an EPR Fund grantee, the foundation has received US$250,000 which will be allocated to an initiative in Cambodia to drive textile waste circularity by supporting local artisans in the rescue and upcycling of textile waste.
"Today, we are thrilled to introduce our new grantee, whose steadfast commitment to their mission reflects the transformative change we aim to inspire. Together, we will help tackle the issue of global textile waste, particularly in communities in the Global South that have been impacted by the issue, and drive progress towards a more circular fashion ecosystem," said Leonard Lin, SHEIN’s Global Head of Public Affairs and General Manager of Singapore.
Elizabeth Killough, Co-Chief Executive Officer of The UnTours Foundation, said: "We are eager to partner with SHEIN to tackle the global problem of textile waste. Countries like Cambodia face challenges when it comes to tackling textile waste since they don’t yet possess a recycling infrastructure. Meanwhile, they import a significant amount of textile material that is later exported as finished goods to the US and Europe. We believe there are opportunities to support organizations that are focused on solutions across all stages of the garment production process and are excited to help manifest a more circular future and deliver lasting change in Cambodia and beyond."
In 2022, SHEIN announced its initial grantee, The Or Foundation, and supported its continued efforts to scale activities that benefit communities around the Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, one of the world’s largest secondhand clothing markets. Some of The Or Foundation’s achievements to date include redistributing funds and in-kind donations to 1,334 members of the Kantamanto Market community through the Secondhand Solidarity Fund, re-granting funds to 30 allied organizations to address the textile waste situations in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, repurposing over 35 metric tons of clothing waste into household products and garments through Ghanaian-based textile innovations, and removing more than 130 tons of textile and other plastic waste from Accra’s beaches.
About The UnTours Foundation
The UnTours Foundation was born out of UnTours travel, the world’s first B Corp, and has since inherited it. The Foundation uses its modest endowment as a revolving loan fund investing globally in world enhancing businesses that address social, economic, and environmental issues. It inspires other foundations to invest their endowments similarly.
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