CirCot

Model holding recycled CirCot / Source: Everywhere Apparel

AfricaAsiaBreathableCirCotCottonEuropeLow-CarbonNorth AmericaOceaniaOdour ResistantRecyclableRecycledSouth AmericaTextiles

WHAT WE SAY:

Closed-loop recycling is one of the most important levers that the fashion industry can pull to reduce its environmental impact.

Given the mind-blowing amount of waste the industry produces, there is a long way to go. And while we love CirCot’s potential, it remains a very niche material with some big barriers to scaling. But, if you’re based in the US and looking for corporate merchandise, then check it out as a great start. The important link in the loop chain is the actual collection – this is a system change we urgently need.

CirCot

WHAT IS CIRCOT?

CirCot is a mechanically recycled Cotton yarn made by Everywhere Apparel using its closed-loop production process.
The yarn is made of 100% GRS-certified fibres which means, unlike many other yarns marketed as recycled, it contains no virgin material.
The fibre is made without using water, dyes or chemicals. As a pure cotton yarn, the resulting fabric also generates zero microplastics and is biodegradable.
Due to its undyed nature, CirCot is available in black, grey or white only.
Everywhere Apparel primarily sells its goods to wholesale buyers as ‘blanks’ – garments designed for printing or customisation. It also claims to have open-sourced its fibre technology and closed-loop process, although it is not clear which, if any, other companies are using it.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Breathable
Low-Carbon
Odour Resistant
Recyclable
Recycled

INDUSTRY:

Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Commercially Available

DIVE DEEPER:

The global fashion industry generates over 40 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with most of this sent to landfill or incinerated. Virgin cotton requires large amounts of resources to produce, while recycled polyester still sheds microfibres and degrades in quality.
CirCot maker Everywhere Apparel reports that it sources post-industrial waste from the textile markets in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Waste material is sorted by colour and shredded into fibre, which is then spun into CirCot yarn. This, in turn, is knitted into fabric for cutting and sewing into new garments.
Everywhere claims to have recycled 50,000 pounds (approximately 23 tonnes) of textile waste in 2021.
Everywhere says that lower quality textile waste is diverted to be used as building insulation or rags, although it is not clear what happens to any non-recyclable material that it collects.
The company’s closed-loop system also collects items from consumers. Each of its garments feature QR code labels which enable customers to request a pre-paid recycling mailer. They can then return the item – along with any other clothing – to Everywhere to be recycled in return for credit.
When compared to 100 organic cotton t-shirts, the company claims that the equivalent number of its CirCot t-shirts requires 112,000 fewer gallons of water, generates only one-fifth of the carbon emissions and eliminates 62.5 pounds of landfill waste.
Everywhere states that CirCot’s North America-based supply chain (Los Angeles, Mexico and Guatemala) reduces emissions.
As well as its wholesale blank apparel business, Everywhere also offers a D2C basics range.
The California-based company, launched in 2019 by co-founders Maxwell Citron and Nick Benavides, raised USD 3 million in seed funding from MaC Venture Capital.

CirCot’s circular recycling process / Source: Everywhere Apparel

CirCot shirt finishing / Source: Everywhere Appeal

KEY FACTS:

40mn tns

of textile waste is generated by the global fashion industry each year, with most of it sent to landfill or incinerated

50,000lbs

Everywhere Apparel claims to have recycled 50,000 pounds (approximately 23 tonnes) of textile waste in 2021

112,000gal

When compared to 100 organic cotton t-shirts, the equivalent number of CirCot t-shirts saves 112,000 gallons of water and generates only one-fifth of the carbon emissions

Key Questions to Ask:

What are the original waste inputs? Can they scale?

The consumer-facing returns scheme is a bit of a gimmick – the company admits that the bulk of its feedstock is sourced from post-industrial waste. CirCot requires 100% cotton inputs which, given the ubiquity of polyester and other blended fabrics, could make it hard for the company to source sufficiently high-quality waste, especially if the company was to be exponentially larger.

What happens to non-recyclable material?

Apparently, any material that can’t be spun into yarn is downcycled. Given that the company exports sorted fabrics to Mexico and Central America for processing, you should be mindful of the risk of seepage into informal and polluting waste streams.

Do you need to dye or customise the finished product?

Because of the lack of water or dyes used, CirCot comes in a range of three basic colours: black, grey and white. Is this raw aesthetic right for your brand? And if not, do you have a similarly low-impact finishing solution?

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Altag

MATERIAL

Versatile natural fibres for the fashion industry, sourced from agricultural waste saved from incineration. Microplastic-free and naturally biodegradable.

Carbon Zero Lyocell

MATERIAL

This carbon-neutral lyocell is raising the bar for low-impact fibres.

Producers of B2B recycled cotton clothes, designed to help brands more easily adopt sustainable solutions.

C-Fiber

MATERIAL

Pangaia’s regenerative seaweed and eucalyptus-based lyocell fibre for the fashion industry.