Definition: The products in this collection are made with at least 50% recycled or upcycled materials.
What qualifies for this guarantee?
- Recycled materials e.g. econyl (regenerated nylon), recycled polyester, recycled cotton, metals, etc
- Up-cycled clothing - altering and deconstructing existing clothing to make it into something new (as long as the original item is high-quality and not fast fashion)
- Adding embroidery, dyeing, printing onto existing reclaimed garments
- Using off-cut, deadstock, or vintage fabric
- Recycled silver or gold used in jewellery
What supporting evidence do you need to provide?
For recycled materials
- The % fibre composition must be stated on all product pages under the ‘care&info’ section. And it must be a minimum of 50% recycled content used in at least 50% of the collection.
- An up-to-date third party certificate proving use of recycled content
e.g. Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Econyl or Repreve certificates
For recycled metals
- The % of recycled metal content is stated on all product pages under the ‘care&info’ section. And it must be a minimum of 50% recycled content used in at least 50% of the collection.
- Confirmation document or certificate of recycled metal content from the metal supplier
For up-cycled material
- The % of recycled metal content is stated on all product pages under the ‘care&info’ section. And it must be a minimum of 50% recycled content used in at least 50% of the collection.
- Sourcing information for deadstock fabrics e.g. receipt or purchase order
Why is this important?
Recycling and up-cycling encourage circularity and prevent waste. It reduces the number of textiles that go to landfill and extends the use of resources. Embracing the circular economy is one of the key pillars of the sustainability movement and implementing zero waste and recycling practices in your business is critical to managing resources efficiently.
What 'up-cycled' products can be sold on W&B?
Up-cycled refers to taking an existing garment or fabric and repurposing it to create a new good that is of equal or higher value and quality than the original piece. Up-cycling can be achieved through a variety of techniques including: painting, sewing, appliqué, patch-working and refashioning.
What evidence do we require for up-cycled products?
- To ensure the product meets our quality standards we need confirmation of the origin of the fabric / garment that has been up-cycled.
- We accept: vintage garments/ fabrics (over 20 years old), charity shop items from premium brands, deadstock sourced from fabric mills / factory offcuts
- We do not accept: charity shop garments from fast fashion brands unless there is clear, demonstrable evidence that the quality of the piece has been significantly improved through the up-cycling process.