Recycling clothes is a fundamental step of circular fashion. Due to a sharp fall in prices, the number of garments bought in the European Union per person has risen by 40% since 1996, stated the European Parliament. Consequently, the life span of clothing has reduced, and the amount of textiles produced has skyrocketed.
Less than 1% of the clothes thrown away each year are recycled
According to the European Parliament, the number of clothes thrown away each year by Europeans is approximately 11 kilos. Only a small part is reused, recycled, or exported; 87% are incinerated or landfilled. The situation is even worse in the United States, where, on average, about 37 kilos of textiles per person are discarded annually, and around 85% of them are burned or dumped into landfills.
Less than 1% of clothes are recycled as clothing globally, partly due to the lack of adequate technology. We should also consider that most textiles, about 60%, are not recyclable, mainly because they are composed of mixed fibers, which are difficult to separate, or their quality is too scarce. According to McKinsey, at least one-fifth of the global textile waste could yet become new clothing.
Our recycled denim wants to reduce textile waste
Candiani Denim’s PCR (post-consumer recycled) program, in partnership with Humana People to People Italia and Filatura Astro, aims to reduce the textile waste produced by transforming old denim garments into new, recycled denim.
Humana People to People Italia
Humana People to People Italia is an independent humanitarian organization for international cooperation born in 1998. Its primary values are solidarity and sustainable development. It is committed to providing people the adequate conditions to let them build their own (and better) future. Humana Italia is part of the Federation Humana People to People, working in 45 countries all over the world.
Humana Italia finances and fulfills projects in the south of the world and contributes to protecting the environment by re-selling, donating, or recycling used clothing. These garments are collected in about 5,000 containers spread over 1,200 municipalities in Italy.
In our PCR program, Humana Italia collects, pre-processes, and prepares those old denim garments that will be re-spun by Filatura Astro, for instance, by removing buttons, patches, or zippers. The whole value chain of the PCR program is fully traceable and happens within only 60 km to minimize its carbon footprint.
