The Blueskyer – Sourcing Journal
ORTA has debuted an NFT for the denim industry, showcasing a retro-futuristic design of denim workwear made from 100 percent regenerative cotton.
Called The Blueskyer NFT, the digital display represents a “blue sky” vision of conscious consumption combined with regenerative agriculture to begin creating the future we want to live in today.
True to its climate-positive mission, ORTA Blueskyer NFT is characterized by Tezos, an energy-efficient proof-of-stake blockchain. The platform produces an average carbon footprint equivalent to just 17 people after 50 million annual transactions, according to a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the company’s carbon footprint.1 This efficiency is important to understand, as the energy needs of other blockchains today can sometimes match the needs of some nation-states.2
Developed in collaboration with Muse VR, the ORTA Blueskyer NFT features an image of the 100 percent regenerative utilitarian denim jumpsuit rising from a colorful, living garden into the blue sky above.
Blueskyer is the first NFT to represent ORTA’s commitment to creating and supporting the #iamablueskyer movement that captures the spirit of the new generation of designers, artists, creators, climate activists and more who aim to interrupt climate change, eliminate waste, restore biodiversity and improve social justice.
ORTA also recognizes that at a time when climate anxiety is a real threat to global mental health, a more optimistic vision of our future must be championed by all.
“If we are to move away from the culture of waste and carbon-intensive processes and move our industry forward, we need to adapt a blue-sky mindset,” said Dr. Sedef Uncu Aki, Director of ORTA. “This thinking starts from design. Almost every pair of jeans is designed to be thrown away when consumers are done with it. How can we disrupt this current design thinking to be able to incorporate these concepts: wear longer, recycle and regenerate?”
About 90 of these NFTs are currently available. They can be bid on and bought through the NFT marketplace Rarible for 5 XTZ – Tezos’ native cryptocurrency – which equates to roughly $8.49. The company donates profits from Orta Blueskyer NFT sales to support regenerative agriculture initiatives in Turkey.
“At ORTA, we are building a regenerative platform, a systemic transformation of our denim industry through provocative innovation, science-based design, open source technology and collective action,” said Dr. Aki. “Only then will we truly achieve a more optimistic and regenerative denim industry of tomorrow.”
Known for its forward-thinking mentality, the denim maker debuted as early as 2021 with what it calls the “MetaDENIMverse,” where it showcased the “Open Ticket” collection. Before that, it unveiled an online virtual reality (VR) experience where partners could embark on a virtual ride in a hot air balloon and see new fabrics.
Blueskyer NFT launches on the Rarible NFT marketplace, secured by Temple Wallet, an easy-to-use cryptocurrency wallet for the Tezos blockchain.
- The Tezos blockchain protocol’s total annual carbon footprint for 2021 approximates the average footprint of 17 world citizens.* The LCA found that the Tezos blockchain protocol represents approximately 2.4E-4g of CO2 equivalents per unit of gas and 2.5g of CO2 equivalents per transaction. Source:
- “The process of creating Bitcoin to use or trade uses about 91 terawatt hours of electricity annually, more than is used by Finland, a nation of about 5.5 million.” Source: The New York Times “Bitcoin uses more electricity than many countries. How is that possible?”
Learn more about Orta and the #iamablueskyer movement here.
