WCTD - Usha Yarns Limited

Beba, Reformation

In addition to offering resale as an option through our collaboration with thredUP, we launched a takeback program called RefRecycling. Our aim is to keep damaged clothes out of the landfill and prioritize fiber-to-fiber recycling. Customers can now drop-off or mail in their denim, shoes, activewear, or sweaters and receive credit for each item. We’re working on the backend to aggregate and sort these materials to fiber-to-fiber recyclers and make new stuff out of old garments.

We also launched a circular denim capsule, which followed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Jean Redesign guidelines. Each piece was made from recycled fabric scraps from the cutting room floor. These scraps were spun from fibers grown by Good Earth Cotton, who uses regenerative practices that help reverse climate change.

Challenge

Similar to last year, there is a tension between product design aesthetic/performance, customer preference, and market availability of textiles created with circularity in mind. Additionally, infrastructure required to enable fiber to fiber recycling across all brands is cost-prohibitive.

Need

We need more infrastructure/services to facilitate take-back and recycling at scale. We also need alignment on how to standardize and report on various circularity initiatives.