41Everything Worn Is New Again
①UnloadinggoodsatSOEX,a recyclingfacilityin Wolfen,Germany;the
warehouse,oneofseveralthatI:COworkswith,takesin about 300 tonsofclothing
daily②Itemsareorganizedintocategories,includingshoes,apparel,andhomegoods
③Workerssorteveryitembyhand,basedonabout 350 criteria④Storeddenim
garments⑤Someclothingis shreddedandturnedintoa fibermix,thensoldto
clients,includingtheretailersthatfirstcollectedthegarments,tobeusedin new
textileproducts③
Retailers, especially fast-fashion chains such
as H&M, are under pressure to lead the way on
sustainability. And consumers want to know
more about the life cycle of their purchases.
H&M started collecting used garments from its
customers in 2013, partnering with I:Collect, a
Swiss reuse and recycling logistics company
that picks up clothing and shoes in more
than 60 countries. H&M moves the items to
distribution centers. I:CO buys the merchandise
and transports it to a partner recycling facility.
�Photographs by Felix Brüggemann● Average number of
times a newgarment
is worn2004 2016190155120④ ⑤
DATA: ELLEN MACARTHUR FOUNDATION