Fashion group Bestseller has scaled up its drive towards integrating textile-to-textile recycled polyester within its supply chain.
The latest focus sees key brand Only transforming its jersey-programme of basic tops to recycled polyester made from textile waste, with the first styles now available in-store.
The project has been a collaborative effort between Only, materials textile-to-textile recycling company RE&UP, and Turkish garment supplier Deniz.
Recognising that “material selection carries significant environmental weight” the group said the new initiative “underscores [its] strategic focus on reducing the need for virgin materials, including polyester.
Only brand sourcing process manager Pernille Tøttrup said: “This enables us to create garments made from worn-out clothing and factory textile waste, while offering the same performance and durability as if it were made from virgin polyester”.
In the initial production run, 11 styles have been converted from conventional polyester to RE&UP next-gen recycled polyester, equating to more than 100,000 T-shirts, with the capacity currently being scaled up to hopefully process a million tonnes of textile waste by 2030.
Only now joins several of the group’s other brands in actively integrating recycled materials into existing collections, including Never Out Of Stock (NOOS) range and, earlier this year, its menswear brand Jack & Jones also converted a NOOS bumper jacket to recycled polyester made from textile waste.
Bestseller’s head of Sustainability, Dorte Rye Olsen, added: “We are actively reshaping our approach to materials, prioritising a shift from conventional to organic cotton and from virgin to recycled polyester.
“In an ideal world, all textiles would become part of a circular production system once they are worn out. Here, we see examples of how this can be achieved. At the same time, we are aware that there is still a long way to go. Therefore, alongside exploring and investing in textile-to-textile solutions, we’re currently also expanding our use of recycled materials from other waste feedstocks.”
