1 March 2026

Recycling a garment sounds hopeful. It feels like progress. Like we are closing the loop.

Many people imagine a simple journey: old clothes become new clothes, and the problem is solved. I wish it were that simple.

In reality, a used garment arrives with mixed fibers, zippers, buttons, dyes, finishes, and a long history of wear. Before it can be recycled, it must be carefully sorted, taken apart, shredded, and processed again. With each step, a little quality is lost.

Cotton fibers become shorter. Polyester weakens. Blended fabrics — which dominate modern fashion — are extremely difficult to separate. What comes out is often not new fabric, but lower-grade material used for insulation or filling.

This is not failure. It is simply the current limit of the system.

The real challenge is not recycling technology. It is how garments are designed from the start. Most pieces were created to be sold quickly, not to be taken apart thoughtfully.

If we want true circularity, we must begin earlier — designing with fewer blends, clearer material data, and end-of-life in mind.

Recycling matters.
But it works best when the product was created to return.

I came across with the next gen material producer Oleatex. Oleatex is a plant-based, 100% vegan and sustainable leather for the fashion industry. It is crafted from bio-wastes with an awarded formula. Amazing designers used this in their collection. Ganni is one of them.