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Global Take-Back System for Textiles Solution by: I:Collect (I:CO)
I:CO has created an innovative takeback system for collecting used apparel, footwear, and other textiles for reuse and recycling.
The Triple Bottom Line
ENVIRONMENTAL I:CO claims to recieve around 700 tons of used clothing daily, reducing waste sent to landfills.
SOCIAL I:CO also collects in developing countries like Kenya, aiming to establish a local recycling economy.
Through its simple consumer and business take-back system, along with its worldwide infrastructure, I:CO aims to keep used clothing and shoes in a continuous closed-loop product cycle. As a result, I:CO increases product lifespan and encourages manufacturers to be mindful of resource use in their designs. Through cooperation with large retail partners, used shoes and clothing are collected in stores and other retail outlets. As an incentive to participate, customers are financially rewarded for depositing their used items. Once collected, the textiles are sorted according to more than 350 criteria for designation. Used clothes can be labeled suitable for second-hand sale, recycling into fibers and paddings, or upcycling into products of equal or higher quality. Why a Sustainia100 solution?
ECONOMIC All players, including customers and retailers, benefit economically from the recycling process.
Used textiles and footwear are made from valuable resources such as cotton and polyester. Currently, however, after a product’s first or second life cycle, these resources are discarded. The only real way to effectively handle textiles and footwear that can no longer be reused is to utilize them as raw materials for creating new products. To meet this challenge, the I:CO system closes the recycling loop, providing the basis for a profitable “circular economy.”
Developed: Switzerland
Deployed: 54 countries, including Singapore, Chile, and Hungary
“THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO CLOSED LOOP PRODUCT CYCLES .” Stephan Wiegand, CEO, I:Collect AG
After collection, I:CO puts used textiles and footwear to their most ecologically and economically viable use.