Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo has stepped up to solve the rising garment waste pollution with its new recycling initiative.
With its program, Re. Uniqlo, the brand has started working towards recycling old clothes and turning them into new outfits. The recycled garments are a part of the circular clothing collection.
'Re' stands for 'reuse', 'recycle' as well as 'reduce', the brand's new fashion line aims to do just that.
"Can your old clothing improve the future? Yes! At UNIQLO, we recycle your used garments through our circular sustainability programs. Take our recycled down initiative. We collect UNIQLO down garments from all over the world and transform them into new products. We also work with NGOs and partners to distribute wearable used clothing to refugees, disaster victims, and others in need worldwide. At UNIQLO, we believe in the power of clothing to create a better tomorrow," detailed the brands' website on its sustainability program.
Masahiro Endo, Social Communication Director at Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing, said that the company had over 2,000 stores around the world and they wanted to put efforts into solving social issues, such as environmental degradation, by collecting the discarded products of their customers and recreating them into new products.
"We will create the ultimate recycling model in our supply chain with the cooperation of our customers, and as a result, we aim to reduce resource usage, carbon dioxide emissions, and waste," said Endo, reported RetailDetail.
As per a report by Hypebeast, the company started collecting its used clothing as early as 2006, and last year it reportedly collected roughly 620,000 down jackets in just half a year's time. Moreover, each donated piece goes through 18 different sorting criteria from size, gender, and season.
The report pointed out that its first product from the Re.UNIQLO program has dropped in the month of November, in the form of a 100-per cent recycled down jacket.
Also Read: Drinking Coca-Cola From Paper Bottle Could Soon Be Reality, Brand Unveils Prototype