Recycled cotton
Cotton is the most used fibre within denim , so more and more brands are looking at sustainable ways to source cotton. This can include Fairtrade cotton, organic cotton, BCI cotton and leads with recycled cotton.
Recycled cotton is made from waste fabric, either pre or post consumer, which prevents this waste from going to landfill promoting circular economy. The use of recycled cotton reduces the use of water, chemicals and energy in the supply chain.
It is important to understand the source of the recycled cotton. Post consumer waste requires a steady supply and infrastructure to collect unwanted garments and could impact your carbon footprint. There is also the difficulty of sorting post consumer waste due to colour shade and fabric blends, as well as removing garment trims and hardware. Pre consumer waste is easier to manage and is often taken from mills and factory cutting floors.
The current industry standard is around 30% recycled cotton blended typically with virgin cotton to maintain it’s integrity. This is due to the vigorous mechanical process of breaking down fabric scraps which shortens the staple fibre leading to a weaker end fabric.
Enter Tommy Hilfiger’s collaboration with Kipas, a vertically integrated denim mill, and the introduction of the first to market 100% recycled cotton denim range. Launched in Spring/Summer 2019, the collection featured tapered jeans for men, mom jeans for women and an oversized unisex jacket.
This innovative development was created using pre consumer waste taken from offcuts at factory level and hotel industry’s bed linens . The range also features thread spun from recycled plastic bottles and trims from recycled metal. They have also used low impact washes and laser technology. Once finished, the jeans have been fitted with 100% recyclable paper tags and displayed on aluminium hangers, to ensure the entire process is free from single-use plastic.
“We have a responsibility to future generations to manufacture products in a more thoughtful way to protect our environment.”
Other brands have started to follow suit. Mud jeans are furthering their own commitment to circular design by developing jeans out of 100% post consumer recycled denim. This is being created through the mix of mechanically processed fibres with the addition of chemically recycled denim. The resulting materials from the different recycling processes are then woven together in equal parts to create longer and stronger fibres. Funding has been supported by the Dutch government who are working to establish a circular economy in the nation by 2050 and achieve a 50% reduction in its raw material consumption by 2030. It will be exciting to see how these innovations continue to push forward sustainability and close the loop for circular fashion.
