Re&Up collaborates to turn old jeans into recycled collection

Re&Up Recycling Technologies has partnered with Madewell and ISKO to recycle around 20,000 pairs of used jeans into raw material for a new recycled denim collection. Through this new collaboration, used garments will be broken down and transformed into next-generation cotton and polyester fibers that meet the quality and design needs of premium denim.

Recycling post-consumer denim is challenging due to the different materials and wear conditions involved. Re&Up addresses this issue with its specialised process, which can handle a wide range of blended fabrics and convert them into suitable raw material for new production.

The recycled fibres are then supplied to ISKO, where they are developed into fabrics certified under the Global Recycled Standard (GRS). These fabrics are designed to maintain the strength, stretch, and comfort expected in modern denim products.

Marco Lucietti from Re&Up explained that effective recycling of used denim requires precise industrial processes. He added that this collaboration shows how worn garments can be processed and brought back into the supply chain as high-quality materials. He also highlighted that this model can help brands use their own collection programmes to create a continuous and repeatable recycling system.