MATTHEW FORREST, 26, HANNON COMAZZETTO, 29, AIR ROBE

THE fashion industry has a waste problem. The rise of fast fashion means the industry generates 90 million tonnes of landfill waste annually and accounts for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, more than international flights and ship movements combined. Those startling numbers prompted Hannon Comazzetto to launch AirRobe, which allows

ECONOMICAL ENERGY

IT’S one of the barriers to rolling out renewables — how to store power for when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.

Pumped hydro is limited by geography while big batteries can be an expensive way of delivering large amounts of power over long periods. Economical Energy founder consumers to re-sell, rent or recycle their fashion purchases. “Like most people, I hate seeing fast fashion ending up in landfill but I also understand the financial realities of not being able to invest in slow and sustainable fashion all the time,” she said. “I wanted to find a way to make it easier for buyers and sellers to make more sustainable

Matthew Forrest said he has a storage system that can bridge the problem with a gravity fed energy storage system, which effectively works as a battery.

Dubbed Viper, the device stores energy by lifting heavy pellets made from mine waste from the bottom of a vertical bucket elevator to the top and choices and make some money at the same time.”

The 29-year-old launched the service in 2019 and it quickly attracted investors’ attention. While AirRobe’s appeal to fashionistas is apparent, Ms Comazzetto is determined to involve major retailers in the project as she pushes the idea of a circular economy. releases it by running in the opposite direction. It works on the same principals of pumped hydro but doesn’t need water, meaning it can be pretty much installed anywhere.

Mr Forrest, 26, said it was also a cheaper form of longer storage — able to release energy for more than 10 hours — than big batteries.