Repairing our way to sustainability

One way to curb overproduction of clothing is to keep the clothes we have longer. It’s an old-fashioned solution but a simple one: instead of tossing worn and torn clothes in the trash, repair them. Major outdoor apparel brands have embraced repairs as a way to stay close to their customers, and luxury brands have long offered repairs as a service to their clients. But with fast fashion jumping in on the trend, is this just sustainable theater or can it move the culture toward caring for clothes?

Then, Rachel, Shilla and Christina dig into a new technology from Swedish company Renewcell. Circulose is made from 100% textile waste and is used as a raw material to make things like viscose and lyocell. Zara announced they’re using it in a capsule line of clothing, including dresses and sweaters in natural colors. H&M is an investor in the company, as well. Does this signal an important step forward in recycling technology? And is it scalable enough to have an impact?

Resources:

• Harper’s Bazaar: The restoration revolution: the best luxury repair services to take note of
• Sourcing Journal: Arc’Teryx and Eddie Bauer Target Repair and Resale
• Sourcing Journal: Uniqlo launches repair services at NYC flagship
• Retail Detail: H&M trials new store concept in Amsterdam
• The Circular Laboratory: What Is ‘Circulose’ ... And Is it Sustainable?
• Sourcing Journal: Zara x Circulose Fashion Capsule Shows Off Sustainable Circular Fiber
• Bloomberg: Renewcell and ZARA Collaborate to Create a Capsule Collection Made from Material Produced with Circulose (R)

Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.

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