BURSA – The world’s largest denim mill, ISKO, has launched a new collection of fabrics containing a combination of recycled and reused materials. The company’s new R-TWO programme addresses the serious apparel supply chain industry issue of cotton loss during production.
When raw cotton is processed into yarn, for every 100 kilos of cotton, around 10 per cent is typically lost. ISKO’s new solution addresses this issue by collecting the ‘lost’ cotton – which would otherwise be considered waste – and feeding it back into the spinning process.
This reused cotton is fully traced, documented and audited as part of a verification process developed by ISKO in partnership with its yarn supplier, Sanko.
This reused cotton is certified to the Content Claim Standard (CCS) certified by US body, Textile Exchange.
ISKO is also combining this reused cotton with recycled polyester, which is derived from PET bottles in addition to other forms of certified waste. Depending on the content of these fabric blends, they are accredited to either the RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certification or GRS (Global Recycled Standard).
Rosey Cortazzi, global marketing director at ISKO, told Apparel Insider: “The development of R-TWO is a huge step for ISKO and, we believe, for the broader denim supply chain. Pretty much all of our collection is now utilising the R-TWO process, which provides a win-win in terms of waste reduction for ISKO and allowing brands and retailers to further relate their sustainability journey to end consumers.”
Another major breakthrough with R-TWO is that it does not involve a price premium. “This way, we are opening up responsible options for the whole market,” explains Cortazzi, “whether that be the premium brand or retailer or the mass market fashion retailer which might only just be embarking on its sustainability journey.”