The Squirrelz

The Squirrelz operates as a B2B platform and consultancy focused on transforming manufacturing waste into commercial opportunities for brands, primarily within the fashion and textile industry. Founded in 2014 by Bunny Yan, the company was born from her direct observation of the significant waste problem in China's textile factories during her 20-year career in fashion and marketing. The initial inspiration struck when Yan and her partner, Nicolas Bouthors, discovered a large batch of high-quality, misdyed doctor's scrubs slated for destruction, which they repurposed into a line of bags called 'Wasavy Scrubags'.

The company's core business involves two main functions: a consultancy service and a materials platform. As a consultant, The Squirrelz works directly with brands like Ann Taylor, New Balance, and TOMS to manage their production and marketing waste, such as defective products, overstock merchandise, and post-event banners. It devises strategies to upcycle this waste into new retail products or assets for marketing campaigns, handling the sensitive nature of branded goods and focusing on sustainability storytelling. For example, it has turned marketing banners into clutches and bags and linked defective shoes with non-profit organizations for projects aligned with the brand's image.

In addition to its consultancy, The Squirrelz developed an online B2B marketplace that connects factories holding excess materials with designers and creators. This platform addresses the challenge manufacturers face in disposing of overstock or slightly defective materials, which are often new and perfectly reusable. It provides a cost-effective alternative to storage or destruction for manufacturers, while simultaneously offering designers, crafters, and eco-conscious brands access to affordable, low-quantity materials like fabrics and buttons that are otherwise hard to source. The company, which started in Shanghai and later expanded to the US, has participated in several accelerator programs, including Chinaccelerator, and has received backing from investors like SOSV and AngelVest Group.

Keywords: textile waste, upcycling, circular economy, sustainable fashion, B2B marketplace, waste valorization, pre-consumer waste, material sourcing, sustainability consulting, deadstock fabric, manufacturing waste, creative reuse, eco-friendly design, brand waste solutions, marketing waste, production waste, supply chain sustainability, material repurposing, fashion sustainability, corporate sustainability