Espirit gets second 'R Cert' for recycled clothing line

On an industry level, the R Cert underpins Redress’ mission to reduce waste in the fashion supply chain and is intended to inspire an industry-wide adoption of pre-consumer textile waste up-cycling.

The process of up-cycling pre-consumer textile waste, such as cut-and-sew, end-of-roll and damaged textiles into higher quality clothes prolongs the textile’s life-cycle within the fashion loop, instead of being down-cycled or discarded as waste materials. This form of up-cycling slows down the production and need for virgin fibres and, therefore, the depletion of natural resources.

The role of up-cycling is significant for the fashion industry, where an estimated 80 billion garments are produced every year from natural resources and where an estimated 15% of textiles intended for clothing ends up on the cutting room floor.

At the garment level, the recycled textile clothes that have received the R Cert to date are demonstrated to give environmental savings. In the case of the ‘Recycled Collection by Esprit’, their 35% recycled cotton and 65% recycled PET clothes gave savings of 53% greenhouses gas, 74% water and 18% electricity per garment.

Their 43% recycled cotton and 57% virgin cotton undyed denim gave savings of 37% greenhouse gas, 19% water and 17% electricity per garment, as evaluated by independent carbon management company, Reset Carbon

More sustainable alternatives hit the mainstream fashion market

The issuance of the R Cert to Esprit provides further motivation to extend sustainable fashion options in Asia. Esprit, who have over 1,000 owned and operated retail stores globally, was the first brand to use the R Cert for the ‘Recycled Collection by Esprit’ last year. Now in their second year, Esprit has expanded their retail distribution of their ‘Recycled Collection by Esprit’ from just Hong Kong in 2012 to include Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia and, later in the year, New Zealand and Australia.

“The R Cert translates Esprit’s textile recycling programme in a consumer-friendly format that informs customers about our continued commitment to provide high performing and fashionable clothing constructed with recycled textiles, which have a lighter environmental footprint.

"We’re proud that this sustainable fashion breakthrough originated in China and that Esprit is offering Asia’s consumers with sustainable fashion and cares for the environment” said Charles Dickinson, Head of Global Quality Management and Sustainability, Esprit.

Asia leading the way

The R Cert’s development and issuance in Asian markets reflects several trends taking place in Asia’s fashion market, where transparency and sustainable fashion innovation have traditionally lagged behind the rest of the world.

As Asia’s market develops, it is important to educate new consumers and to give them sustainable fashion options. Asia has leapfrogged the U.S. to become the world's biggest retailing market, with regional retail sales rising to $3.8 trillion in 2011, or 41% of the global pie, from $3.2 trillion in 2006, or 31%, according to market-research firm, Canadian.

On the supply chain side, the up-cycling of pre-consumer textile waste into products of higher quality represents an exciting business and environmental solution for the region that is responsible for 57% of the worlds clothing exports to the rest of the world (2010).

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