RECYCLED COTTON

Recycled cotton gives existing cotton a second life — diverting textile waste from landfill and reducing the environmental cost of one of the world’s most widely used fibres. Our edit champions brands using this circular approach to make clothing that is both responsible and beautifully made.

What is recycled cotton?

Recycled cotton is produced by mechanically breaking down post-industrial cutting waste or post-consumer cotton garments into fibre, which is then respun into new yarn. It requires no additional water, land, or pesticides to produce — making it significantly lower impact than virgin cotton at the raw material stage.

The trade-offs worth knowing

The mechanical recycling process does shorten cotton fibres, which can affect the fabric’s strength and softness. For this reason, recycled cotton is often blended with a small percentage of virgin or organic cotton to maintain quality. Brands using recycled cotton transparently — and disclosing their blend ratios — are the ones worth supporting.

Why it matters

The fashion industry produces enormous volumes of textile waste, much of which is never recycled. Choosing recycled cotton directly supports a more circular system — where the value of existing materials is retained rather than discarded. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a meaningful one.

Caring for recycled cotton

Machine wash at 30°C on a normal cycle. Line dry or tumble dry on low. Iron on a medium setting. Treat it as you would any quality cotton garment — wash only when needed and avoid high heat to extend its life.