According to the European Union, just 1% of European textile waste is recycled into new clothing. Where does it go instead? As the graph below shows, the majority of it ends up in poor global south countries, where waste processing systems creak under the weight of such excess. That’s why collaborations like TWOTHIRDS X Coleo®, that leverage textile-to-textile recycling, are so important.
What is Textile-to-Textile Recycling?
In essence, textile-to-textile recycling involves taking used clothing, or other textile products such as furnishings, and turning them back into brand-new clothing products. This is known as a closed-loop recycling process rather than an open-loop one.
Closed-Loop vs. Open-Loop Recycling
Closed-loop recycling refers to taking waste material from a product and using it to recreate a new version of that same product, such as recycling old t-shirts into new ones.
This is much preferred to open-loop recycling that takes, for example, plastic bottles and turns them into a t-shirt. The problem with this is that bottles or t-shirts are far more efficiently collected and recycled when kept in their respective waste streams. The fashion industry has more than enough textile waste to get on with recycling – it should probably focus on that rather than recycling waste from other sectors.
A Truly Circular Outfit
But what was the result of the collaboration? Our expert eco design team worked closely with the team at Coleo, as well as our local suppliers in Portugal, to create a women’s outfit that’s perfect for summer.
Both the airy Pasjaca pants and the matching Palombaggia top are made from beautiful, lightweight Bambula fabric that’s crafted from a blend of recycled materials. What makes this fabric special is that it is made with 79% textile-to-textile recycled material, far above the average for a textile-to-textile recycled fabric.
Just the Beginning
Using such innovative fabrics comes with challenges. Eco design and production processes often must adapt to attain the quality and durability that our Blue Community expects from TWOTHIRDS products.
To that end, throughout 2026/27, TWOTHIRDS will undertake an eco design project funded by the European Union, as we make our product range more sustainable, durable and circular than ever before. Coleo will be a key partner throughout the project. Let’s see what we make together next!