Approved by curator
Added: Aug 24, 2021
Last edited: Aug 29, 2021
As a pioneer in recycled denim since 2008, Amsterdam based G-Star RAW understands the necessity to develop closed loops business models by investing in technologies that enable the company to regenerate value from post-consumer denim. The case study analysed the performance of the brand’s recycled denim across different categories, such as quality, reduced CO2 emissions, cost and water use. Thus, developing processes for mechanically recycled denim that can compete with virgin denim can contribute to the standardization of the material within the fashion industry. The project was led by G-Star RAW, Circle Economy, Wieland Textiles and Recover, and applied recycled fibres to G-Star’s best selling denim fabric. The study concluded that the final outcome reduced water consumption by 9.8%, energy consumption by 4.2% and carbon emission by 3.8%, which shows that blending recycled and virgin fibres can reduce denim’s environmental footprint significantly. At the moment, the cost of the fabric, which contains 30% recycled fibres and 70% virgin fibres, is still 12.5% more expensive than its virgin equivalent, but the cost of the mechanical recycling process for denim could certainly lower as demand increases and infrastructures are put in place to enable better collection and recycling.
- Denim is a water-intensive fabric that is vastly used in the fashion industry. Despite being a very versatile and durable fabric, the way the fashion industry operates promotes the quick disposal of the material. Investing in mechanical recycling could allow the value of the resource to be retained by blending and weaving recycled fibres with virgin ones, thus reducing the environmental footprint of the final fabric.
- Much is talked about repairing clothes but not many advancements have been made on fabrics made from recycled fibres, making it necessary to investigate and analyse different possibilities, as full circularity is the key to a sustainable future.
- The study conducted shows that recycled denim yarns are best used in the weft (not warp) to keep the desired look and feel which is determined by the warp yarn and also because the weaving process puts less ‘stress’ on the weft yarn.
- Invest in recycling technologies that don’t compromise the yarn’s mechanical qualities so that the final denim with 30% recycled yarn and 70% virgin material can have the same attributes and the same perceived value in the market. Upscaling mechanical recycling processes can also help reduce the cost of the recycled fabric, making it more cost-competitive. With cotton prices set to rise by 2025 due to resource scarcity, it is possible to achieve similar market costs.
- Utilizing and recycling pre and post-consumer textile waste can be applied to other products and categories of apparel, and not only denim. The study suggests using the recycled yarn to make accessories for example, such as scarves and beanies, as these products don’t require such strong fabrics and can provide a more commercially viable option for the time being.
- Further trials will be conducted to try to achieve the right quality while still reutilizing fibres.
- Unfortunately, even though blended denim (30% recycled and 70% virgin material) is possible, it does not have the same quality and strength compared to non recycled denim. This limits some of the possibilities for finishings for example, as resin or waterproof finishings can’t be applied to the recycled denim.
- Tiers 2 and 3, spinning yarn and weaving fabric, are the two biggest contributors to energy consumption in textile supply chains. That means that the methods we have for mechanical recycling nowadays are still unable to
- Using recycled yarn from pre and post-consumer denim in accessories can help reduce the number of textile waste being landfilled and incinerated, and it can also have a higher percentage of recycled yarn in the fabric, meaning that a larger number of recycled yarn can be reutilized. This would be more commercially viable while better technologies are developed for recycled denim fabrics.
upcycling
remanufacturing
denim