PCR denim: recycled for a circular future

As the fashion industry grapples with a major waste challenge, the concept of circularity offers a promising path toward sustainability. One particularly encouraging area of focus is post-consumer recycling, which not only reimagines waste but also significantly improves resource efficiency. This article will explore the transformative journey of denim, illustrating how discarded jeans can be repurposed into new fabric and demonstrating the positive impact of recycled denim on building a circular future.

The denim dilemma

Denim is a staple in wardrobes worldwide, but its production is notoriously resource-intensive. While traditional denim manufacturing consumes considerable water, energy, and chemicals, innovative practices are emerging to reduce these impacts. The fast fashion trend has contributed to increased textile waste, with many discarded jeans ending up in landfills or incinerators. However, awareness is growing, and efforts are being made to address this issue.

In 2020, official EU data indicated that the region generated approximately 16 kg of textile waste per person. However, only about one-quarter of this (4.4 kg) was collected separately for reuse and recycling. 82% of all textile waste originates from consumer usage, while the rest comes from manufacturing or unsold items.

Studies revealed that, globally, around 92 million tons of textile waste are produced each year, with an estimated 2.16 million tons attributed to jeans alone. In Western Europe, only 35% to 50% of this discarded denim is collected for reuse or recycling after sorting.

These statistics highlight the crucial role consumers play in driving change and emphasize the increasing importance of enhancing post-consumer recycled (PCR) programs. Post-consumer recycling refers to the process of reclaiming materials from products that have been purchased by consumers and have reached the end of their life cycle.

What is circular fashion?

PCR programs foster circular fashion. Circular fashion is an innovative approach to the fashion industry that aims to minimize waste and maximize the lifecycle of clothing and textiles. Unlike the traditional linear model, which follows a take, make, dispose pattern, circular fashion promotes a system where resources are continuously reused, repaired, and recycled.

At its core, circular fashion emphasizes sustainability by designing products that are durable, versatile, and easy to disassemble. This involves using materials that can be recycled or biodegraded at the end of their life, reducing the reliance on virgin resources. Brands adopting circular practices often implement strategies like take-back programs, allowing consumers to return worn items for recycling or refurbishment.

A key component of circular fashion is fostering a culture of conscious consumption. This means encouraging consumers to buy less, prioritize quality over quantity, and embrace second-hand or upcycled clothing. It also highlights the importance of transparent supply chains, enabling consumers to make informed decisions regarding the ethical and environmental impacts of their purchases.

Circular fashion not only addresses environmental issues but also promotes social responsibility. By focusing on fair labor practices and community engagement, brands can contribute positively to society while minimizing their ecological footprint.

Additionally, this model supports innovation in textile technology, including the development of sustainable fabrics and recycling processes. As awareness of environmental issues grows, more brands and consumers are recognizing the value of circular fashion as a pathway to a more sustainable and ethical future in the industry.

How PCR denim works

When it comes to denim, PCR programs present an innovative approach to sustainability by collecting old jeans and transforming them into new fibers. This method not only preserves much of the original quality but also significantly reduces the environmental impact associated with the production of new denim.

The recycling process involves several steps, typically conducted by specialized players:

• Collection and sorting: denim waste is collected from consumers, retailers, and textile recycling facilities. Jeans are sorted based on their material composition, color, and condition
• Deconstruction: any non-denim components, such as zippers, buttons, and tags, are removed. This ensures that only pure denim fibers are used for recycling
• Shredding: denim is shredded into smaller pieces. This step breaks down the fabric into a more manageable form for processing
• Fiber production: the shredded denim is processed into fibers. This can involve mechanical means or chemical processes, depending on the desired end product
• Re-spinning: the recycled fibers are spun into new yarn, which can be woven into fresh denim fabric

What are the benefits of PCR denim?

PCR denim offers multiple benefits. Firstly, it significantly reduces the environmental impact associated with textile waste, as it minimizes the amount sent to landfills or incinerators. This conservation of natural resources helps to lower pollution from production processes.

Additionally, recycling denim generally has a smaller carbon footprint compared to producing new fabric. This contributes to climate change mitigation and requires less water and energy than creating denim from raw materials, thereby conserving valuable resources and improving resource efficiency.

Using recycled materials also supports the circular economy, promoting sustainable practices among both brands and consumers. Purchasing recycled denim raises awareness about sustainability in fashion, encouraging eco-friendly choices.

Lastly, post-consumer recycled denim fosters innovation within the textile industry, leading to the development of unique fabric blends and styles with distinct textures and colors. The recycling process also creates job opportunities in areas like the collection, sorting, and processing of materials, which benefits local economies.

Candiani’s PCR program

We partner with Humana People to People Italia and Filatura Astro to give new life to old jeans through a PCR program. Humana People to People Italia collects jeans that can no longer be used and removes the non-denim components. Filatura Astro shreds these garments back to the fiber stage to create recycled yarns, which we then incorporate into new denim fabrics.

Jeans undergo mechanical recycling, which involves physically breaking them down into their fiber components instead of using chemical processes. This method is commonly applied to materials like cotton, denim, and certain blends, allowing for the regeneration of fibers that can be spun into new yarns.

The benefits of mechanical recycling include a reduced need for virgin materials, which helps conserve resources like water and energy. It also aids in waste reduction by diverting textile waste from landfills and incinerators, resulting in a lower environmental impact compared to the production of new fibers since many chemical processes are avoided.

However, a challenge of mechanical recycling is the degradation of fiber quality over time. As a result, recycled fibers may not perform as well as virgin fibers and could have limitations in their applications, necessitating the use of stronger materials for compensation. Nonetheless, our PCR program excels due to its emphasis on proximity, traceability, circularity, and quality, enabling our denim fabrics to surpass these limitations.

Proximity

The recycling of old jeans to produce new denim fabrics occurs within a 60 km radius between Biella and Milan, involving a select group of participants. This short supply chain significantly reduces the environmental impact of our PCR denim.

Traceability

Every step of the recycling process is traceable, beginning with the cotton seed. We cannot create 100% PCR denim fabrics because these fibers are too weak; therefore, we need to blend them with stronger virgin cotton. We mix these recycled fibers with Blue Seed cotton, our proprietary variety, which we distribute to the farms we desire to track throughout its entire journey.

Circularity

Textile waste is collected to create new denim fabrics, promoting circular production and consumption models where old garments are not discarded but instead serve as the foundation for something new.

Quality

Blue Seed cotton provides strength, durability, and a superior hand feel compared to recycled fibers. It is a hybrid, non-GMO cotton variety created through controlled pollination between two carefully selected parent plants. Gowan Seed Company has granted Candiani exclusive rights to use this cotton.

Blue Seed cotton combines the quality of extra-long staple cotton with the strength of Upland cotton, benefiting from a phenomenon known as hybrid vigor or heterosis. This means that the hybrid offspring can demonstrate improved biological functions compared to their parent plants, essentially creating a scenario where 1 + 1 = 3. As a result, we can incorporate up to 30% recycled cotton into our PCR fabrics.