It’s also calling on the industry to support Global Recycling Day, taking place on 18th March 2019.
Recycling and environmental concerns are growing high on the fashion industry’s priority list. This year the British Fashion Council is introducing a brand new talk series focused on sustainability and fashion at London Fashion Week, in partnership with sustainable fashion designer Amy Powney and BBC Earth. The Global Recycling Foundation is urging London Fashion Week to continue to encourage recycling in fashion and to launch initiatives that promote the companies already championing sustainability.
Recycling has been shown to save over 700 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. However more needs to be done to encourage recycling in the fashion industry where currently only around 1% of material used to produce clothing globally is recycled into new garments. The Global Recycling Foundation aims to showcase recycling’s vital role in preserving the future of our planet.
Ahead of London Fashion Week, the Global Recycling Foundation is highlighting some of the most innovative brands – both large and small – making waves in recycled fashion:
- Patagonia: Patagonia has long been ahead in the recycling game and has sustainability in its blood. The brand began making recycled polyester from plastic PET bottles back in 1993 and today it continues to recycle used soft drink bottles, as well as unusable manufacturing waste and worn-out garments into polyester fibres to produce beautiful and eco-friendly clothing.
- Fjällräven: Fjällräven’s mission is to produce as little environmental footprint as possible, and the Re-Kanken backpack is made from polyester that has been recycled from plastic bottles. The backpack is also dyed with Spin-Dye technology that radically reduces the amount of water, energy and chemicals used, making it a super stylish and eco-friendly choice.
- Adidas: In 2018, Adidas announced that it’s planning to use only recycled polyester in all shoes and clothing by 2024. Adidas already launched the first mass-produced running shoe made from recycled water bottles in 2016 and now it’s setting its sights even higher.
- BOTTLETOP: In 2002, BOTTLETOP collaborated with Mulberry to launch a luxury bag made entirely from up-cycled materials. This was the first luxury bag to be launched globally at retail and is made from bottle tops in Kenya and lined with Mulberry leather off-cuts in the UK.
Founding President of the Global Recycling Foundation and President of the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), Ranjit Baxi, commented: “With an emphasis on the circular economy, the Global Recycling Foundation asks people across the planet to think ‘resource not waste’ when it comes to the goods around us – including the clothes we wear. While it’s exciting to see the innovations in sustainable fashion, and we commend the forward-thinking brands who are doing such an incredible job, we still have a long way to go to make the fashion industry more environmentally friendly.”
Mr Baxi continued: “The volume of textile products available on the market has reached unprecedented levels. The Global Recycling Foundation, along with BIR, is dedicated to championing textile recycling processes and is inviting the fashion industry, as well as people across the world, to join us on 18th March 2019 to celebrate Global Recycling Day.”
Alan Wheeler, Director at the British Textile Recycling Association, also commented: “Every year the UK throws away around 350,000 tonnes of used clothing – the equivalent weight of more than 29,000 London buses. As the UK’s trade association for collectors and processors of used clothing and textile, we are a major force in championing the environmental, economic and social benefits of textile recycling. We want everyone to understand the impact of fast fashion and how we can reduce waste to create a more sustainable future.”
The Global Recycling Foundation urges London Fashion Week, and the fashion industry as a whole, to promote the importance of recycling in the industry by recognising the brands doing it best. It is also encouraging Fashionistas, as well as people around the world, to support Global Recycling Day on 18th March 2019 in helping to sustain a green circular economy for the future of our planet.
