Recycling cotton in the textiles and apparel industry is a challenging process, as cotton garments are commonly mechanically shredded to lengths too short or uneven for high-quality garments. This is why recycled cotton garments are often downcycled into products like rags or cotton pads.
Esquel, however, is uniquely positioned to be able to produce a range of quality tees, from 100% recycled cotton through to various recycled cotton and recycled polyester blends. Our recycled polyester comes from certified post-consumer waste.
Although recycled cotton products rarely reach high quality standards due to the aforementioned indiscriminate mechanical shredding, Esquel’s vertically integrated supply chain lets us collect pre-consumer or post-industrial waste from in-house fabric scraps and residual yarn, and make informed choices when shredding. This allows us to retain decently long and even lengths for our recycled cotton fibers. By sorting dyed scraps we even recycle colors, not just fibers, saving water. We can offer a consistent range of delightful heather colors and more, given the scope of our production.
The 100% recycled tees we make are soft, breathable and high-quality, all while being fully sustainable products. It goes to show that closing the loop doesn’t have to compromise quality, and showcases our strengths as a vertically integrated manufacturer.