ReCircled

ReCircled provide circular economy infrastructure for the fashion industry / Source: ReCircled

North AmericaTextiles

6 MINUTE READ

Deborah Williams

WHAT WE SAY:

System change requires a restructure, and when it comes to sustainable fashion, the system that needs to be restructured or (if we’re really honest) built from scratch is textile recycling. That’s where ReCircled comes in.

Taking used clothing, footwear and accessories from its brand partners, ReCircled recycles textile waste to divert it from landfill - but that's not all it does. Dedicated to easing the transition from a linear to a circular fashion consumption model, the company provides all the logistics needed for a brand to offer its customers take-back schemes, rental, repair and resale services. ReCircled handles the admin involved in running these systems and builds the infrastructure required to launch them.

Aiming to become the “infrastructure for fashion in the circular economy,” ReCircled’s only caveat is that it doesn’t accept used clothing directly from consumers, putting into question how quickly it can scale if brands don’t actively choose to do better. Despite this, it’s refreshing to see an innovator trying to rework the presently failing fashion system, and putting the onus on brands to lead this much needed change.

KEY FACTS:

Launched in 2020, ReCircled is a circular fashion platform that partners with brands to enable clothing, footwear and accessories to be put back into use, preventing them from going to landfill or incineration.
The idea for the company came from a desire to offer ‘Certified Preowned’ fashion, something that could be combined with the company’s pre-existing white label e-commerce resale platform.
To implement a circular fashion economy, ReCircled follows a three-part system: Increased Utilisation — extending the lifespan of clothing through sharing, swapping, rental, repair, and resale; Sustainable Inputs — working with materials that are safe, reusable, and environmentally beneficial; and Aligned for Creativity — designing, sourcing, manufacturing, and using apparel to disrupt the current linear fashion economy model.
All garments that come to ReCircled go through an eight-step process. Clothing goes through its proprietary sorting process and is marked as usable or unusable. A barcode is added to each item to enable brands to track the status and process of their products. Items marked as unusable (those that are damaged beyond repair or cannot be cleaned) are sent to ReCircled’s recycling partners to be turned into raw materials and new fabrics. Usable garments are repaired and cleaned using waterless CO2 cleaning technology.
Aligned with each brand's specific aesthetic, the items are then professionally photographed and made ready for resale. Inventoried items are listed for sale on each brand’s very own custom-made resale site or sent to designated stores. Purchased e-commerce items are boxed and shipped directly to the customer. ReCircled works with packaging providers to develop sustainable packaging systems for each brand partner.
ReCircled is already working with more than 50 brand partners, including Timberland, Golden Goose and Merrell.
Headquartered in Denver, USA, the company has locations in both Europe and the US - all powered by renewable energy - one in Prato, Italy, and two in Sidney and Cozad, Nebraska, USA. It employs between 80 to 100 people in the US and around 40 to 50 in Europe.
The Cozad location was the first ReCircled location to open. The company says that the factory is near the exact centre of the US, allowing for “easy logistics from all corners of North America.”

ReCircled brand partner Timberland launched a take-back programme for used footwear / Source: Timberland

The Pangaia X Timberland footwear capsule / Source: Timberland

DIVE DEEPER:

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 11.3 million tons of textile waste went to landfill in the US in 2018 and 3.2 million tons was incinerated. This equates to 7.7% of all landfill waste for that year. In Europe, around four million tonnes of textile waste was incinerated in 2019, with only 2.8 million tonnes collected for recycling.
This has led to many companies pushing for a new system of consumption, as the current linear economy model of take-make-use-waste continues to promote a system of throwaway fashion.
Which is where the circular economy comes in. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines the circular economy as “a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges, like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.”
Examples of circular economy practices include: purchasing products that are recyclable or made with recycled materials, reducing purchases, buying used or refurbished products in lieu of brand new ones, repair and reuse, and recycling products correctly.
Euratex, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, aims to increase textile recycling to 5.5 million tonnes by 2025. It also estimates the textile recycling sector could generate 15,000 jobs in Europe, with a revenue between EUR 3.5 billion (USD 3.8 billion) and EUR 4.5 billion (USD 4.8 billion) by 2030. But recycling isn’t the only solution needed for true circularity.
ReCircled's holistic offering includes everything from building brand-specific resale platforms to facilitating take-back schemes and taking responsibility for items that can’t be reused. This provides the textile and fashion industries with a centralised one-stop shop for circularity, mitigating the resources needed to implement these systems in-house. With tools like this, brands can more easily adopt circular practices without needing to overhaul their internal systems - although for long term survival, the latter is an imperative step for any brand.
One example of ReCircled in action is Timberland’s newly launched take-back programme, Timberloop. It’s available across the US, Europe and Asia, and incentivises consumers to return used goods with a 10% discount towards their next purchase.
The footwear maker has also launched the Pangaia X Timberland collection— a four-piece footwear capsule made from abaca banana fibre, organic Cotton, natural Rubber and Tencel Refibra.
The capsule features a mule, specifically designed for circularity, with the outsole and inner bootie made for easy detaching and recycling at the end of its life.
Looking forward, as it expands its brand partnerships, ReCircled expects its workforce and location numbers to rise, with facilities expected to open in the UK and Hong Kong.

“We started with the end in mind... which is no landfill. And we ask this question every single day: How can we get this product back to our brand partners so that they can possibly use it? And that’s the difference maker, I think.”

Scott Kuhlman – CEO, ReCircled - as quoted in GreenBiz

Key Design Considerations:

ReCircled only works directly with brand partners

ReCircled doesn't directly accept garments from consumers, so in order to use the platform you must become a brand partner. Luckily, the company partners with fashion brands of all sizes - but while the creation of your storefront is ReCircled’s job, you are required to handle the marketing to ensure its success. Consider this element of commitment (and cost) when working with the company.

Remember to account for any additional costs

One of the key benefits of working with ReCircled is that it handles all the costs to make your product ready for resale. However, you will have to pay for any packaging required to ship the item to your customer. And if your items don’t sell, will there be any storage or holding fees?

ReCircled’s infrastructure lacks the full scope for footwear recycling

Although ReCircled has partnered with footwear brands such as Timberland, the startup only accepts shoes that have little-to-no wear. Meaning you will have to find another way to recycle your well-worn footwear. This is a limiting factor, especially when brands need to start encouraging consumers to use items for longer to move us away from the fast fashion consumption model.

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ReCircled

WHAT WE SAY:

System change requires a restructure, and when it comes to sustainable fashion, the system that needs to be restructured or (if we’re really honest) built from scratch is textile recycling. That’s where ReCircled comes in.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

This has led to many companies pushing for a new system of consumption, as the current linear economy model of take-make-use-waste continues to promote a system of throwaway fashion.

Which is where the circular economy comes in. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines the circular economy as “a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges, like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste and pollution.”

Examples of circular economy practices include: purchasing products that are recyclable or made with recycled materials, reducing purchases, buying used or refurbished products in lieu of brand new ones, repair and reuse, and recycling products correctly.

One example of ReCircled in action is Timberland’s newly launched take-back programme, Timberloop. It’s available across the US, Europe and Asia, and incentivises consumers to return used goods with a 10% discount towards their next purchase.

The footwear maker has also launched the Pangaia X Timberland collection— a four-piece footwear capsule made from abaca banana fibre, organic Cotton, natural Rubber and Tencel Refibra.

The capsule features a mule, specifically designed for circularity, with the outsole and inner bootie made for easy detaching and recycling at the end of its life.

Looking forward, as it expands its brand partnerships, ReCircled expects its workforce and location numbers to rise, with facilities expected to open in the UK and Hong Kong.

Scott Kuhlman – CEO, ReCircled - as quoted in GreenBiz

Key Design Considerations:

ReCircled only works directly with brand partners

Remember to account for any additional costs

ReCircled’s infrastructure lacks the full scope for footwear recycling

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