Itochu partners with Ecommit to expand sustainable textile in Japan

Itochu, a Japanese textile trader, and Ecommit, a resource recycling company that promotes reuse and recycling, have reached an agreement to expand the textile collection service “Wear to Fashion” in the Japanese market. All corporations and municipal governments in Japan will be able to use the service starting in spring 2022.

Reduced environmental impact and long-term growth are becoming increasingly important challenges in the textile and apparel industries. Itochu established the Renu Project in the spring of 2019 to raise awareness about the issue of excessive waste and to produce Renu, a recycled polyester material derived from old garments and textile waste generated during the textile manufacturing process.

With its nationwide collection logistics network and the construction of a tracking system from production to recycling, Ecommit has strived to develop methods to recycle resources, according to a news statement.

Textile items from various places will be collected and sorted through the Renu project’s new effort, which combines Itochu’s network in the textile and fashion industries with Ecommit’s system from collection to resource recycling. This includes clothing collected from customers at retail stores, textile waste from businesses, and clothing collected by local governments. Ecommit’s knowledge will be used to reuse products, and recyclable polyester materials will be turned into Renu. As a result, the a mount of abandoned textile items will be decreased to the greatest extent possible, product lifecycles in the textile and fashion industries will be extended, and resources will be effectively utilized. Itochu hopes to achieve a circular economy by popularising this service and resolving challenges from different perspectives surrounding the waste problem for enterprises and local governments involved in the industry.

Itochu’s medium-term management plan, Brand-new Deal 2023, includes business transformation through product integration of consumer needs and continued contributions to/efforts in the SDGs in its basic policies. Itochu is trying to establish a value chain in the textile sector as part of this strategy, starting with sustainable raw materials. Itochu seeks to address future sustainability concerns and achieve sustainable growth in the textile and fashion sectors by evolving business models and providing new services centered on a value chain that includes everything from raw materials to finished goods.