Recovo is working to reduce fashion’s waste problem

When fabrics are cut up, parts stitched into clothing, a whopping 35% is wasted. Have you ever wondered what happened to the leftover fabric from the clothes in your wardrobe? Well, with 85% of textiles going to landfill each year (that’s enough to fill Sydney’s harbour each year by the way) it probably didn’t end up in the most environmentally friendly place. 

So, what can we do to prevent problems like this from happening? How can we effectively repurpose leftover fabric? Queue Recovo…

With a vision of creating an educational movement which will reshape the future of fashion, Recovo have set out to foster a community which can sell and buy unused textiles in order to make circular fashion the norm. Ultimately, their goal is to target the current textile waste problem and reduce fashion’s eco footprint, while benefitting smaller creators.

When thinking about who would sell textiles using Recovo, cast your mind to anyone from the enormous clothing companies who end up with a tonne of leftover materials, to smaller brands with just a little unused. To sell materials, all brands have to do is register, send Recovo a sample, and soon enough they’ll be simultaneously earning money and contributing to circularity. If you’re someone who no longer has purpose for materials but doesn’t want to waste them, this is for you.

This leaves the door open for clothing brands, designers, fashion students, or anyone who feels like it, to give these fabrics a new life. A whole lot of fashion brands are already making use of deadstock and surplus materials, with it often being more affordable. Recovo makes this process even easier, transparent and accessible.

Recovo makes a point to be open and educational about their sustainability impact so you won’t be left to guess anything. With their impact reports and metrics on resources saved by choosing deadstock fabrics, you can be sure of what you’re working with and the positive effect it’s having. And it doesn’t stop there – partners and brands that use Recovo are recognised as a Textiles Recirculation Partner. Part of this strategy is to inspire others to get circular. 

So now you know a little more about Recovo, but for some, the question of ‘why does this really matter?’ may still linger. Maybe you’re wondering why exactly we need a reboot into this circular way of life. Well, the textile waste issue is currently two pronged. 

Firstly, the production of new fabrics is incredibly resource heavy. It’s estimated that textile production produces a whopping 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 and uses up 79 billion cubic metres of fresh water each year. Long story short, it's too much resource use on a finite planet. Secondly, when unused fabrics ends up in landfill, they release greenhouse gases and unpleasant toxins which harm the environment.

As a new Resale platform on the scene, Recovo is leading by example and paving the way for more circularity within fashion. In a world where far too many textiles go unused, it’s the perfect way to bring deadstock fabrics back to life!

With both the planet and people benefitting from an initiative like Recovo, hopefully the system they’re modelling soon becomes the norm. Embarking on a journey to help reshape part of the fashion industry is not an easy job, but Recovo is one initiative making it an easier one.