London
Recycling initiative gives cotton new purpose.
The Cotton Lives On programme has officially kicked off its 2025 activities, continuing its mission to divert cotton waste from landfill and transform discarded garments into useful resources. Jointly launched by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated in 2022, the not-for-profit initiative invites UK fashion brands and retailers to join at no cost, promoting cotton’s natural circularity while supporting people at risk of homelessness.
Inspired by the successful US-based Blue Jeans Go Green campaign, which has recycled over 5.6 million pairs of jeans, Cotton Lives On takes used cotton-rich garments and gives them a second life. In the UK, the garments – containing at least 85% cotton – are collected, stripped of hardware, and reprocessed into a non-woven cotton pad. These pads are then used by Devon-based Naturalmat to create roll mats, which are distributed to vulnerable individuals by charities including Shelter and the Single Homeless Project.
Several fashion retailers have already signed on, including Charles Tyrwhitt, Hush, Whistles, Hobbs, L’Estrange, Anthropologie, Paige, Bianca Saunders, Nexvision and Me+Em.
“We are thrilled to see so much interest and participation in the Cotton Lives On recycling programme for 2025,” said Kim Kitchings, Senior Vice President at Cotton Incorporated. “Fashion brands, retailers and consumers can help keep cotton’s circularity going while making a tangible difference to people’s lives.”
Since inception, the programme has collected nearly 8000kg of cotton and distributed around 100 roll mats. Each mat contains 6.4kg of unwearable cotton – roughly equivalent to 45 T-shirts – and forms part of a starter kit for those entering temporary accommodation or transitioning into permanent housing.
With an estimated £140 million worth of clothing sent to landfill annually in the UK, and over 700,000 tonnes of used textiles discarded through household waste in 2021, the Cotton Lives On programme offers an actionable and compassionate solution to the growing environmental burden of textile waste. Globally, around 88% of textiles are incinerated or landfilled each year.
The programme not only showcases the recyclability of cotton – a durable and biodegradable fibre – but also encourages fashion brands and consumers alike to contribute to a sustainable and socially responsible textile lifecycle.
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