Earth-Friendly Fashion: Embracing Sustainability! Gary Hsieh, Executive Vice President of UKL: Because We Believe, Each of Us Can Be the Source!

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Jun 24, 2024, 10:14 ET

TAIPEI, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the report published by The Icons, for many businesses, the path to sustainability is fraught with challenges. It can be like walking on a thorny path or crossing a river by feeling for stones in the dark, progressing step by step. These challenges include the initial investment needed to switch to renewable energy or implement environmentally friendly technologies, finding new suppliers to reduce reliance on non-sustainable resources, spending additional time and resources to comply with new regulations, and encountering internal resistance when changing the company's culture and values. It is already difficult to maintain steady progress on the challenging path of sustainability. It is even more challenging to lead other companies in showcasing beauty and fashion on this sustainable journey.

Gary Hsieh, Executive Vice President of UKL (Photo: UKL)

UKL, founded in 1988, is a classic example. Under the leadership of the company's founder, Judy Tsai, who upholds the strengths of Taiwanese enterprises—integrity, professionalism, and innovation—the company has grown steadily. UKL has always been a designated supplier for international brands in Europe and America, providing high-quality sweaters and knitwear to customers worldwide. After Gary, Huan Chi Hsieh took over as Executive Vice President, his innovative energy has made UKL a focal point in the field of sustainable fashion development in recent years.

"I have always believed that as long as you believe in what you are doing, the path ahead in this sustainable journey will naturally extend forward. The scenery along the way is determined by me!" Gary Hsieh leads the team and has consecutively won the SME award in the 2022 DBS Foundation Grant Program and two awards in the 2023 Taiwan Golden Pin Design Award. Recently, UKL's brand, PALF, was selected as a highlight in the "THE GREEN BOOK Taiwan Sustainable Actions and Solutions Guide" by Good Loop Exchange and Business Weekly. UKL also won two design awards at the 2024 iF Design Awards in Germany, becoming an international leader in green fashion.

"In the near future, what we aim to achieve is to redefine the new value of recycled bio-materials through our technology and design. This is my vision and mission. Friends from various fields, including international media, have asked me about the secret to leading sustainable fashion. The answer is simple," Gary Hsieh firmly stated in an interview with The Icons.

"The path of sustainable fashion is full of challenges, but we can still move forward confidently and invite more like-minded partners to walk alongside us. Believing in doing what is beneficial for the environment and humanity will attract more partners to join the path of sustainability. 'Believe, and you will see!'"

Gary Hsieh: Sustainability Should Be Boldly Practiced and Worn!

After graduating from the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Gary Hsieh returned to the family business, UKL, to take over. Initially, leveraging his academic expertise, he was primarily responsible for the systematic integration within the company. As he became more familiar with the company's operations, Gary began to ponder how to manage the company better and understand the details of business expansion.

Gary pointed out that since the lifting of export quota restrictions on China's textile industry in 3, the global textile industry has been forced to rethink how to transform due to the reorganization of resources and changes in labor costs. It was during this challenging time that he started overseeing the company's business development department.

"I realized that the company must transition from the traditional OEM model to ODM, allowing our clients to showcase greater design capabilities and even brand strength in the market. At this time, I also began to require our sales team to take proactive measures, not only to learn to observe market demand changes but also not to neglect product development."

This transformation naturally brought a series of challenges to the company's transition. However, it gradually cultivated new competitiveness for the company, including ample preparation for leading sustainable fashion in the future:

"My team continuously innovates, focusing on creating value for our customers and effectively solving their problems. As sustainability awareness began to sprout simultaneously across various countries, I often asked myself how we could redefine product value and even amplify and create more possibilities?" Gary said. When he suddenly realized one day that with a single decision, materials like pineapple leaf fiber, oyster yarn, discarded fishing nets, and recycled PET bottle yarn could be made into fashionable and comfortable clothing, he saw UKL's new market positioning emerge.

"Continuously launching one sustainable fashion product after another, all fully circular textile products, is what I aim to do. Sustainability should not remain in the heart or be mere talk on paper; it should be boldly practiced and worn! Moreover, I want everyone to wear it fashionably, leading the times not only in sustainability issues but also in aesthetics."

Utilizing Local Materials for Circular Reuse: Paving the Way to Sustainable Fashion

With a keen sensitivity to the international market, including the sustainable transformations global clients are making in response to zero-carbon issues, Gary Hsieh gradually realized he had a big flag in his heart that he wanted to raise high: "Early on, when we talked about sustainable fashion, most recycling and reuse were focused on plastic products. But as more and more companies around the world joined this movement, the scope rapidly expanded. Even Coca-Cola announced that by 2030, all of their products would be made from recycled materials from their own bottles. I decided to invest more resources in creating circular reuse of local materials, not just recycling existing ones."

First, the UKL team launched their first own brand, EVOPURE+, leading the trend in sustainable fashion. From 2022, they collaborated with the Chinese Professional Baseball League for two consecutive years, starting with a red and white color-blocked functional jacket that fans scrambled to collect. On Earth Day 2023, they jointly launched the "Fully Circular T-shirt," Taiwan's first eco-friendly, wide-fit T-shirt made from fully circular fabric. The design is sleek and fashionable, emphasizing moisture-wicking and breathability.

"Behind this are our colleagues' efforts in recycling old clothes and PET bottles. Even the prints are made with biodegradable ink technology, the wash labels are made from recycled PET bottles, the hang tags are made from recycled paper pulp, and the packaging bags are also designed to be biodegradable. Every detail you can think of reflects our commitment to loving and protecting the Earth."

With the success of EVOPURE+ as the first step, Gary Hsieh then discovered that pineapples are Taiwan's highest-yield and most valuable fruit, generating nearly 800,000 tons of waste pineapple leaves each year. Taiwanese pineapple leaf fiber is more than twice as fine as that from Southeast Asia, making it an advantage for Taiwan to implement a circular economy. Thus, UKL launched the pineapple leaf fiber brand PALF (Pineapple Leaves Fiber), producing plant-based eco-friendly fibers using advanced pineapple leaf extraction technology and exclusive yarn-making expertise. These fibers are not only natural and biodegradable but also have excellent hand feel, breathability, moisture absorption, wrinkle resistance, and durability. "Our pineapple leaf fiber can also be blended with natural or synthetic fibers to create thick, textured plant leather. When you wear PALF, you're also contributing to the reduction of a large amount of agricultural waste!"

As verified by ISO14067 in February 2024, the carbon footprint of one kilogram of PALF is 0.784 CO2e, about one-tenth that of flax and one-fourth that of cotton. Pineapple leaves are easy to obtain, cultivate, have a short growth cycle, and are easy to transport. The production process uses 97% less water compared to cotton fibers. "Who says environmental protection and aesthetics can't go hand in hand? In addition to fashion apparel, we have also launched fashion accessories and home decor products, showcasing the efforts and dedication of Taiwanese brands in promoting the global sustainable ecosystem."

Gary Hsieh said that his original intention for embarking on the path of sustainable fashion stemmed from his series of insights. Realizing that the parent company UKL had accumulated substantial industry experience and resources and had a good grasp of the market, he found that as long as he was willing, he could exert a greater influence compared to other companies:

"Through the process of applying for international B Corporation certification, I gained a deeper understanding of the essence of business impact. Looking back on the journey to this day, I firmly believe that companies can contribute to the environment, society, and the planet while achieving profitability. The key question is whether you are willing to consider yourself as the starting point. Everything begins with your action!"

From National Pineapple Leaf Fiber Team to Global Pineapple Leaf Fiber Team

As mentioned earlier, Taiwan produces approximately 800,000 tons of pineapple leaf waste annually. In the past, over 60% of it was incinerated, causing air pollution and incurring additional cleaning costs. If buried, it takes 3 to 6 months before the land can be used again. Additionally, global textile waste amounts to 92 million tons per year. Although many businesses have started to invest in waste recycling, the results have been less than satisfactory. Gary Hsieh identifies the problem:

"These manufacturers lack a systematic business plan from production to sales and even within the supply chain. Currently, sustainable operations are still quite new in Taiwan, so cross-sector collaboration is essential. Going back to my concept of 'The Source Starts with Me,' UKL's mission is to integrate existing resources both domestically and internationally, including establishing a business system, collaborating with public sectors and supply chains, and building a global ecosystem."

In addition to researching and developing pineapple leaf fiber technologies, Gary Hsieh's team collaborates with academia, such as the Industrial Technology Research Institute and Keio University in Japan, to transform research results into practical applications and establish international cooperation networks. In Taiwan, they work with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Administration to jointly establish relevant systems. They have designed a modular development plan that includes industry, government, academia, and research and established the "Taiwan Pineapple Leaf Fiber Production and Marketing Alliance" to integrate all existing resources in Taiwan.

Furthermore, Gary Hsieh has integrated supply chain resources in Indonesia, Vietnam, China, and Cambodia and worked with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to seek more like-minded international partners. Through media promotion and exhibitions, UKL showcases its achievements and establishes close partnerships with farms from Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Africa, Japan, and other countries around the world.

"In my previous role as head of business development, I put great effort into understanding market trends and customer needs, enabling us to create products that meet market expectations. Through numerous presentations, I convinced both government and private entities to become our partners, establishing the current National Pineapple Leaf Fiber Team. Moving forward, I aim to establish the Global Pineapple Leaf Fiber Team!"

Whenever You See Pineapple Leaves, Think of UKL!

Despite constant media coverage both domestically and internationally, and reaching milestone after milestone, Gary Hsieh, with his powerful vision, remains unsatisfied. Although widely recognized as a leader in sustainable fashion, he holds himself to even higher standards while leading the entire group. In addition to planning to achieve at least 10% of the company's total electricity consumption from green energy and increase the share of renewable energy to 25% by 2025, their technical team is also diligently planning carbon-neutral pineapple leaf fiber products. On the business side, they have set a goal of reaching $8 million in revenue from their green products by 2024. Since 2021, they have recycled over 60 tons of pineapple leaf waste and have collaborated with other towns and cities in Taiwan to further expand their economic scale. Additionally, Gary Hsieh plans to aggressively promote their brand PALF in the global market, with the first step being the establishment of a company in California, USA, to enter the American market.

Gary Hsieh stated that although UKL originated in Taiwan, a geographically small island with limited natural resources compared to other countries, it possesses abundant innovative development capabilities and resilience that refuses to compromise with the status quo. By leveraging cross-disciplinary collaboration to apply and design recycled circular materials in various ways, creating more added value for products, and viewing product design from a market perspective, more of Taiwan's sustainable materials and concepts can be promoted to the global market.

As a B Corporation, UKL deeply embeds sustainability DNA in all aspects, including employee care, environmental protection, and friendly procurement, implementing ESG. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UKL leads several initiatives. These include using sustainable materials to produce sustainable products through sustainable production processes, fulfilling Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production; responding to Goal 13: Climate Action through carbon reduction strategies in both operational and production environments; and co-creating Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals with partners from various ecosystems such as the Taiwan Pineapple Leaf Fiber Production and Marketing Alliance, the Ai Respite Caregivers Alliance, multiple B Corporation partners, Taiwan De Fu Alliance, DBS Impact Circle, and the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Foundation Asia-Pacific Center. In Gary Hsieh's view, this is just the beginning.

"Bio Base is a magical thing. Even with the same pineapple, the leaf fibers from different regions are completely different. If this is true for pineapples, how much more so for us as people? Don't limit your own horizons. Believe in yourself, and you'll see the road ahead. As you strive, the whole world will come together to help you succeed! Just remember one thing," Gary Hsieh said:

"We are each the source of change!"

SOURCE The Icons