The “Cotton Lives On” recycling program is strongly urging UK fashion designers and retailers to join its growing sustainability project in an effort to combat textile waste and assist marginalized populations. The free initiative, which was started in 2022 by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated, provides a workable approach to keep waste cotton out of landfills and turn it into essential support for the homeless.
The goal of “Cotton Lives On” is to recreate the success of the influential US campaign “Blue Jeans Go Green,” which has successfully recycled millions of denim items, in the UK market. The initiative asks companies to donate used or unusable cotton merchandise, which are defined as having at least 85% cotton. After going through a filtering and material separation process, these donations are turned into non-woven cotton pads. With participation from well-known brands including Charles Tyrwhitt, Hush, Whistles, Hobbs, L’Estrange, Anthropologie, Paige, Bianca Saunders, Nexvision, and Me+Em, “Cotton Lives On” is already making waves in the UK fashion industry.
To date, “Cotton Lives On” has had a concrete impact, collecting about 8,000 kg of cotton and distributing approximately 100 roll mats to individuals in need. Each roll mat efficiently uses 6.4 kilograms of otherwise unusable cotton, which is equivalent to the material found in approximately 45 T-shirts.
The project has established a vital collaboration with Naturalmat, a Devon-based provider of natural bedding, who skillfully transforms the donated cotton into cozy and useful roll mats. The well-known UK organizations Shelter and Single Homeless Project then distribute these essential items to those who are homeless.
