Upcycling in the fashion industry: turning old into new
Our planet is in absolute danger, and we should all be fully aware of this: Our oceans are heavily polluted, the weather on Earth is becoming increasingly extreme, and the ice at the South and North Poles is melting beneath our fingers. But each of us can do our part and make conscious decisions every day that are good for our environment. This starts with buying clothes, for example.Fortunately, there is a growing rethinking taking place in the fashion industry: fast fashion and disposable goods are increasingly falling into disrepute, while fairly produced fashion made from natural fibers and resource-saving fabrics is becoming increasingly popular.
This is made possible by upcycling : Just like recycling , this involves the reprocessing and reusing of waste products. As the name suggests, however, the newly created products have a higher value (“upcycling”) than their original material, thus gaining in quality . This means they are given a new purpose or are repurposed. A simple everyday example would be toilet paper rolls, which, with a lot of creativity, can be used to create a wide variety of works of art.
In contrast, there's so-called downcycling : Here, too, waste products are recycled by breaking them down into their individual components, although this results in a loss of quality. However, this doesn't mean that upcycling or recycling are better, because not all waste can be upgraded or even recycled. Therefore, all three measures are necessary and, above all, important for tackling our global waste problem!
How is recycled polyester made from PET bottles?
When you look at our vegan and cuddly soft shoes, you'd probably never guess that we use recycled and environmentally friendly materials for the outer fabric. But PET upcycling makes it possible: The rule here is that eight plastic bottles can be used to produce about one kilogram of valuable yarn.
For this, plastic bottles, some of which have been fished out of the ocean, are shredded, and the resulting scraps are then melted down to create new, recycled fabric. This process requires hardly any energy or water , which is why some experts even consider such recycled synthetic fibers better for the environment than conventional natural fibers. Furthermore, clothing made from resource-efficient polyester is more dimensionally stable, lighter in weight, more durable, and more long-lasting than pure cotton or linen.
For precisely these reasons, we've decided to make the uppers of our Cosy Roots booties from recycled materials starting in 2022 : It's more tear-resistant, lighter, dries faster, and fits perfectly on baby's feet. With our products, you can always be confident that you're getting fair, sustainable, and high-quality fashion for your little one. After all, it's about their future, too, so let's do something for it together.
Have you already tried our vegan booties , or are you looking for sustainable baby clothes that are not only fairly produced, but also practical and look beautiful thanks to cute designs? Then take a look around our shop and find the perfect outfits for your baby.
Image by Matthew Gollop on Pixabay
