Textile waste is a huge global problem and the textiles industry has a significant impact on the environment due to its land, water and energy intensive operations. At Riley Studio, we try and source recycled yarns as much as we can and we’re proud to work with Recover® recycled yarns.
Recover® yarn is made in Spain by Hilaturas Ferre, who have been recycling materials since 1947, but it was in 2015 that the mill launched its Recover Upcycled Textile System. After years of research and development they now collect and sort textile waste from all over the world, cutting and shredding it down to produce a new fibre that feeds into their industrial spinning process. The process is mechanical and they have managed to optimise it to keep the fibre as long as possible, ensuring it remains strong and of a high quality.
We currently use Recover Blue® in some of our products. It is one of their most iconic yarns and it is 100% recycled, crafted from recycled cotton and recycled polyester from plastic bottles. One of the best bits though, is that they don’t use any dyes, eliminating the use of water and chemicals. Incredibly, they take the colour already in the textile waste and they are able to blend it with carrier fibres to make almost any colour you want.
“YOU CAN SAVE UP TO 15,000 LITRES OF WATER USING 1 KG OF RECOVER FIBRE COMPARED TO 1 KG OF CONVENTIONAL DYED COTTON FIBRE.”
All products made out of Recover® textiles can be recycled at the end of their life cycle, returning into the system for a closed loop production cycle. Watch their video to see how they transform textile waste into one of the most sustainable fibres available. They scored the best on the Higg Index, proving that they make the lowest-impact cotton yarns in the global market. We can’t wait to continue working with them to provide you with the best sustainable products possible.
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