The Denim Directory: Recycled Content

RECYCLED CONTENT MARKET DRIVERS SS23/24

According to the 2020 Dutch Denim Deal, by 2023 brand and mill participants aim to include at least 5% recycled content in all denim categories whilst collectively producing a total of 3 million pieces containing a minimum of 20% post consumer recycled cotton in a bid to make post-consumer cotton an industry standard. In pursuit of a more circular future, we’ve witnessed mills and brands stepping up their game over the last few seasons, joining the Dutch Denim Deal and folding recycled content into many of their fabrics. Understanding the different qualities, properties and challenges will help to navigate this complex world and enable choices that tackle the waste in our industry. These are the 5 main types of recycled content to look out for:

• Post-industrial cotton waste (ie: waste gathered from the mill) This is mostly listed as PIW, Pre Consumer waste or Reused Cotton. If you see a high percentage of recycled cotton, chances are its from mill stage.

• Post-consumer cotton (ie: waste from used denim jeans that is mechanically recycled) This is commonly listed as PCW.

• Recycled man-made cellulosic fibres (ie: waste from used clothing thats chemically recycled) This is a new and expanding area, commonly listed under the fibre names REFIBRA™ (30% chemically recycled post consumer waste) and Circulose® (100% post consumer waste).

• Recycled Polyester (ie: Polyester recycled from existing materials) This is commonly listed as either RPES: conventional recycled polyester or RPET: recycled polyester sourced from plastic bottles sometimes listed as Repreve® by Unify.

• Recycled Elastane (GRS approved recycled stretch fibres) This is commonly listed as Eco Made Lycra®, Lycra® T400 Eco Made, or Roica™ EF that uses 58% pre-consumer recycled content.

Bossa proves stretch denim can be extremely waste-conscious with their combination of sustainable ingredients. Refibra™ is a regenerated cellulosic fibre made from blended wood pulp from sustainably managed forests combined with cellulose pulp from PCW. The introduction of recycled polys and elastanes as used here, means that both stretch and added strength can be waste-neutral too. As regenerated cellulosic fibres are becoming more commonly used we expect to see these kind of fabrics transform the denim market over coming years. Soorty’s ‘Harmless’ fabric quality combines REFIBRA™ with Circulose®; another leading circular focussed fibre, using 100% chemically recycled content. The introduction of chemical recycling doesn’t mean that mechanical recycling isn’t still extremely relevant and AGI are perfecting their capabilities season on season. Their 100% recycled quality combines the highest possible amount of PCW cotton with their mill’s PIW cotton.