“Waste isn’t really waste. It is a raw material only limited by our imagination” 🌈💭Dr John G Parkinson.

Did you know that less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled back into new textile products, and that every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill 😲

It’s time we shifted our thinking and started seeing waste as a valuable resource.

The textiles recycling industry has long existed in the UK but has become somewhat forgotten about. In the 1800s textiles recycling was commonplace in English mills, at a time when England was supplying half of the world’s wool and cloth. Left over pieces of material were shredded back into fibres and re-spun. However, recycled materials didn’t have the same appeal as they do today, so the practice was often kept hidden.

We were so inspired by John from iinouiio: Recycled Textiles (it is never over until it is over) & Jodie Padgett from Camira at Clerkenwell Design Week yesterday, hearing about the work they’re doing to recycle textiles into innovative new materials.

iinouiio use waste yarn from Camira’s own manufacturing processes to create their new change-making, industry-shaking fabric, Revolution. The fabric is available in 10 colourways using the original colouration of the recycled wool fibres – enabling precious natural fibres to be enjoyed all over again.

Mechanical textile recycling has become more challenging due to the increased use of blends and a wider range of materials. However, it's inspiring to hear stories like John's, who are at the forefront of implementing circular solutions and demonstrating that waste is more than just waste!

#sustainability
#textilerecycling
#circulareconomy
#wastetoresource
#cdw24