Los Angeles-based company Everywhere Apparel recently launched the world’s first closed-loop apparel line made from 100 percent GRS-certified recycled cotton. The company aims to offer a fully recycled alternative to recycled polyester (rPET) with its microplastic-free Circot yarn and fabric, which has been shown to release even more microplastics than virgin polyester.
In order to reach as many brands and other partners as possible, Everywhere Apparel has launched its apparel collection as a B2B solution and has released its exclusive fiber technology and closed-loop system infrastructure as open source.
“Everywhere Apparel aims to impact the environment as positively as possible. So we decided to release our circulatory system for free and make the technology available to anyone interested. By starting with a focus on the apparel industry, we ensure this innovative approach to sustainability has the widest possible reach,” explains Irys Kornbluth, co-CEO of Everywhere Apparel, of the bold move in a press release.
How does the process work?
Cicot yarn is spun from shredded, recycled cotton fibers at the supplier in Mexico, then knitted into a soft, durable fabric that’s cut and sewn into Everywhere garments in Los Angeles. These can then be used by other brands to create their own printed products.
At the end of a shirt’s lifespan – which Everywhere Apparel says is a few years – users simply scan the QR code on the sewn-in label to request an envelope to return the shirt (or just its scraps) for recycling. Upon receipt, the T-shirts and leftovers are collected, sorted by color and finally mechanically shredded into spinnable fibers, starting the cycle again.
What is the benefit of Circot?
According to Everywhere Apparel, using garments made from Circot fabric has four key benefits: first, no water is used in fiber manufacture, bleaching and dyeing; Secondly, the closed circuit keeps waste away from landfills. Thirdly, Circot garments also reduce a company’s carbon footprint and do not pollute the environment with microplastic particles.
“Mechanically recycled cotton is in several ways the most sustainable apparel fiber in the world when compared to conventional or organic cotton and recycled or virgin polyester,” concludes Everywhere Apparel.
Founded in 2019, Everywhere Apparel is led by Stanford University educated engineers. The venture-backed company has set itself the goal of “creating transformative sustainability solutions in the materials sector”.