Childrenswear brand Frugi cuts waste through circular cotton collaboration

Frugi, an innovative brand in sustainability with GOTS-certified organic cotton at its core for the last 18 years, continues to lead the way in circular childrenswear. A long-time champion of protecting the planet for future generations, the Cornish-based childrenswear and accessory brand is once again raising its credentials as a circular pioneer by collaborating with the Cotton Lives OnTM recycling programme that gives life to worn out cotton clothing as roll mats often provided to people experiencing homelessness.

The Cotton Lives OnTM programme purpose is simple: to extend the life of cotton in a way that helps both people and planet. The programme promotes sustainable living by educating consumers on cotton’s natural lifecycle in order to divert unwanted cotton from landfill. Frugi strongly supports this ambition by championing sustainability and demonstrating what it means to be truly circular.

The initiative centres on cotton creating more than just clothes. As a fibre, cotton holds regenerative properties, so finding ways in which it can be reused and reworked enables the fashion industry to cut down on textile waste. The Cotton Lives OnTM programme focuses on using old cotton to be recycled and ultimately make roll mats to help people get a better night’s sleep; and through its collaboration, Frugi has contributed significantly to the production and delivery of the programme’s first tranche of mattresses, made from 3600kg of cotton.

Prolonging the life of new clothes is a major goal for Frugi’s sustainable journey. Rental partnerships with the thelittleloop, the first UK subscription for children’s clothing, and Hire Street, for Frugi Bloom maternity wear, are important steps for customers to not only save money but also to extend the life of clothes. Frugi has joined the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF), a non-profit organisation that helped Frugi design a system of fibre-to-fibre recycling into future collections. The new CTF mark on Frugi labels will guarantee that Frugi clothes can be recycled to make new ones - customers simply scan a QR code to find out where to send it.

With clothing rental services and certification marks for end-of-life recycling solutions, Frugi clothes can now be reused and re-worn for longer; ultimately helping to eliminate textile waste. The collaboration with the Cotton Lives OnTM recycling programme is another step in Frugi’s sustainable journey to revitalise fabrics once they have reached their end of life.

Sarah Clark, CEO of the Frugi Group, comments: “Our participation in the Cotton Lives OnTM programme is another strong step for Frugi to become fully circular. Frugi believes in the power of cotton, demonstrated through our use of organic cotton, and this programme embodies the importance of keeping these valuable fibres in circulation, and in doing so, protecting the planet we play on.”

Kim Kitchings, Sr. Vice President, Cotton Incorporated says, “The Cotton Lives OnTM recycling programme is about extending the life of cotton clothing. Cotton is a natural, durable and sustainable fibre which can be recycled at the end of its life. The Cotton Lives On™ programme is for clothing that has really reached the end of its use. So much goes into landfill and what we’re trying to do is make as much use out of this natural resource as possible by turning old cotton clothes into something useful. We are thrilled to have Frugi join the Cotton Lives On™ programme working to reduce textile waste and close the loop on cotton sustainability as they look at opportunities with U.S. cotton.”