Can our wardrobe be made only of second-hand clothes? According to Humana People, the new chain of stores that inaugurated its first shop in Milan, via De Amicis, 45, on Wednesday, May 3rd, yes, it can. Reusing pre-owned clothing is a fundamental step in sustainable fashion.
What is Humana People?
Humana People is part of the non-profit organization Humana People to People Italia, which has collected, selected, and resold second-hand garments to finance social projects around the world for 25 years. Annually, the Federation Humana, which is present in 46 countries, has a positive impact on 16 million human lives.
Thanks to its vast selection, Humana People can meet the most different tastes and allows wearable clothes and accessories to have a second life, which also means protecting the environment.
The one in Milan is the second second-hand store by Humana People. The first shop is in Turin, and a third one will open in Florence still in 2023. Besides e-commerce, there are also eleven Humana Vintage stores in Italy, which focus on the fashion of the past decades and are located in Bologna, Florence, Milan, Rome, Turin, and Verona.
“Citizens are increasingly interested in recovering, reusing, and reducing waste”
Many attendees participated in the May 3rd inauguration, which was one of the events to celebrate Humana People to People Italia’s 25th anniversary. Elena Grandi, Council Member for Milan’s environment and green areas, was among them. She said that “the municipality of Milan is working to make green transition real and not only a statement through different actions relative to air quality, circular economy, education, and citizens’ engagement. The many people engaged in Humana People’s initiative proves that citizens are increasingly interested in recovering, reusing, and reducing waste”.
Celebrations for the organization’s 25th anniversary will continue throughout the year. On June 14th, for instance, a new selection plant for old clothes will be inaugurated in Humana’s headquarters in Pregnana Milanese, close to Milan. “These 25 years are a big achievement and a starting point to meet new challenges, such as those of Humana People. In Italy, we started to collect apparel in 1998. Since then, we have collected about 350,000 tons of pre-owned clothes: approximately 70% has been reused, reducing hence CO2 emissions and water and chemicals consumption. This activity has allowed us to support development projects in Africa, South America, and Asia, and socio-environmental activities here in Italy; we have been committed to reducing inequalities to build an equitable future”, stated Karina Bolin, Humana People to People Italia’s President.
Humana People to People Italia is our partner in the post-consumer recycled program
Simon Giuliani, Candiani Denim’s Global Marketing Director, participated in the De Amicis store inauguration. Humana People to People Italia and Filatura Astro are indeed our partners in the PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) program, in which old, wrecked jeans are collected, shredded back to the fiber stage, and used to produce new fabrics.
As Simon explained, Humana’s collection and sorting plant is located about 20 km far from our headquarters, while Filatura Astro is in Biella. The entire production process of our PCR fabrics happens in only 60 km, and the proximity of the three companies allows us to reduce their carbon footprint.