Brands that Create Clothes Made from Recycled Materials

Transparency and Claim Verification in Recycled Clothing

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Ever wondered if that “recycled” clothing you’re buying is actually recycled? Many companies talk about being eco-friendly, but finding clothes made from 100% truly recycled materials can be tricky.

This guide will help you find brands that create clothes made from recycled materials, teach you how to check their recycled content claims, and explain what those recycled percentages really mean for you and the planet.

Why is it important to buy recycled clothing?

Buying recycled clothing helps reduce waste, conserves resources, and lessens the environmental impact of fashion. It lowers the demand for new materials, which can reduce pollution and energy consumption.

Brands that Make 100% Recycled Clothing

Here are some brands that are leading the way with transparent and verifiable recycled clothing:

Everywhere Apparel

Circular basics: tees, sweatshirts, and more.
Uses 100% recycled cotton.
Offers a take-back program for recycling old items.
Focuses on circularity and zero waste.
Their products have QR codes for easy recycling.
They have Climate Neutral and Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certifications.

What certifications does Everywhere Apparel hold?

According to their website, Everywhere Apparel “Garments are made of 100% GRS-Certified recycled cotton fibers and have the lowest environmental impact profile on the market.” ^source

Zero Waste Daniel

Based in NYC, Zero Waste Daniel creates recycled clothing made from “pre-consumer cutting room scraps”.
They use a “ReRoll” technique to create new fabric rolls from irregular scrap textiles stitched together.
This approach ensures that no piece of fabric is too small to be repurposed into something new.
For every piece purchased, approximately one to two pounds of fabric waste is diverted from landfills.^source

What type of recycled materials does Zero Waste Daniel use?

Zero Waste Daniel creates recycled clothing and accessories using “100% pre-consumer cutting room scraps, design room waste and leftover materials” that would normally end up in landfills.

REPREVE

Performance fibers: made from recycled plastic bottles and ocean-bound plastics.
Proprietary FiberPrint technology gives their yarn a “traceable fingerprint” to verify the composition of recycled content.
REPREVE’s parent company, Unifi, also recycles post-industrial and post-consumer waste.
Their focus on transforming single-use plastics into long-lasting textiles represents a significant contribution to reducing plastic pollution.^source

What is REPREVE’s primary source of recycled material?

REPREVE creates performance fibers and resin from post-consumer plastic bottles and ocean-bound plastics. Their recycled polyester is used by many major brands to create sustainable textiles with performance properties like wicking, odor control, and water resistance.

Girlfriend Collective

Activewear: leggings, bras, shorts, and outerwear.
Uses recycled polyester and nylon from post-consumer plastic bottles and fishing nets.
Size-inclusive and offers a recycling program for old items.
They focus on ethical manufacturing and transparency and provide detailed breakdowns of each product’s material composition on their website.
Their recycled PET is BPA-free polyethylene terephthalate, which is different from the polycarbonates used in reusable water bottles that might contain BPA. ^source

What materials does Girlfriend Collective use?

Girlfriend Collective creates activewear from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer water bottles, fishing nets retrieved from the seas, fabric scraps, and other waste.

Patagonia

Outdoor apparel: jackets, fleeces, pants, and accessories.
Uses recycled polyester (from plastic bottles), recycled wool, recycled cotton, and recycled nylon.
Operates the Worn Wear program for resale and repair of used items.
Their recycled claims are verified through Global Recycled Standard GRS certification.

What is Patagonia’s “Worn Wear” program?

Patagonia’s Worn Wear program buys back, repairs, and resells used Patagonia items. This extends product lifespans and creating a closed-loop system.

Ecoalf

Everyday wear: jackets, shoes, bags, and accessories.
Uses recycled polyester, nylon, cotton, wool, coffee grounds, and tires.
Their “Ocean Yarn” products contain plastic recovered directly from the Mediterranean Sea through their Upcycling the Oceans initiative, which has removed over 700 tons of marine debris with the help of over 3,000 fishermen.
Ecoalf’s recycled content claims are verified through Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification and detailed material breakdowns for each product on their website.

What is Ecoalf’s “Trash Collection” program?

Ecoalf’s “Trash Collection” program transforms marine plastic into high-quality clothing.

Outerknown

Outerknown clothing are made from 100% organic cotton, regenerated nylon fiber made from reclaimed fishing nets and wool recycled from pre-consumer factory floor scraps.
The company’s sustainability claims are verified through multiple certifications, including Fair Trade Certified™ factories and Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
The brand’s Outerworn program gives customers store credit for returning used items. These items are then repaired, renewed, or recycled, keeping materials in use and out of landfills.