Kuala Lampur, Dec. 10 -- Let us paint a simple picture. You open a new shirt. You pull off the plastic sleeve. You throw it aside. Then you move on. Most of us do. But here is the twist. That little piece of plastic carries a bigger story than it seems. You are part of it. We are too. So let us slow down for a moment.

Fashion and waste have lived side by side for years. You feel the excitement of new clothes plus the guilt of knowing more packaging ends up in landfills. But something interesting is happening now. Designers are picking up what many people toss out. They turn crisp packets into handbags. They fuse bubble wrap into jackets. They show that waste can become style.

This creative shift links directly to United Nations Sustaina...