The Italian company has developed a bio-based polymer, comprised of 72% natural materials, and paint 100% made from natural substances to produce biodegradable mannequins.

Bonaveri, the leading Italian manufacturer of artistic mannequins and bust forms, has chosen the 2016 Green Carpet Challenge (GCC), a dynamic platform, pairing glamour and ethics to raise the profile of sustainability, ethics and social welfare, founded by Eco-Age and its Creative Director Livia Firth, to unveil the first biodegradable mannequin.

The new mannequin is a totally innovative product: the body is made of B Plast®, a bio-based polymer consisting of 72% sugarcane derivative and finished with B Paint®: made solely of renewable, organic substances. Already acknowledged as a leader in the field of high-end mannequins, with its B Plast® and B Paint® products, Bonaveri is now able to deliver a product that has undergone a full Life Cycle Analysis.

The GCC uniquely pairs glamour and ethics to raise the profile of sustainability, ethics and social welfare all over the world. It is part of Eco-Age. The new mannequins, dressed in couture creations by William Vintage, were unveiled during a special evening event, in partnership with BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts – and the British Fashion Council.

In 2012, Bonaveri launched an ambitious research project, when it appointed the Politecnico di Milano to undertake a Life Cycle Assessment on their entire mannequin production. The study documented the environmental impact of each phase of the manufacture, from design to the product’s end-of-life processing. It was through this in-depth analysis that Bonaveri identified the base material as a critical element in the mannequin’s end-of-life process and the revolutionary motivator for developing the new product.

Bonaveri has then worked with research institutes specialising in bio-based polymers to develop a bioplastic for its mannequins that contains a high percentage (72%) of purely natural materials. Through detailed analysis and research, Bonaveri is proud to have produced a material that is a truly biodegradable natural plastic from renewable sources.

At the final lifecycle stage, the B Plast® mannequin biodegrades, releasing only water and the equivalent amount of CO2 that the sugarcane absorbed during its vegetative phase. Bonaveri’s manufacturing operations were assessed against Eco-Age’s GCC Principles of Sustainable Excellence, covering social welfare, environmental protection, training provision and security for workers.

“It was a difficult road and filled with surprises”, said Andrea Bonaveri, CEO of the company he leads together with his brother Guido. “But thanks to dedication and skill, we can now offer our clients a product that is environmentally conscious and aesthetically impeccable.

For Bonaveri, the word “quality” has just one meaning: whether applied to aesthetics, manufacturing, service or environmental sustainability. That is because fashions come and go, but nature will always remain”.

Design: Bonaveri