Every year in the UK alone, almost three hundred thousand tonnes of old clothing ends up in our household bins, destined for landfills or incineration. With many of these garments made from nonbiodegradable synthetic materials like virgin polyester, thousands of tonnes of textiles are destined to stick around in our landfills for hundreds of years.
What if we told you there could be a better and greener way to avoid the ever-growing problem of textile waste, and it all starts with recycling.
If you’re asking yourself, can shirts be made from recycled materials, the answer is an absolute yes.
Join us as we take you through how Neem’s circular supply chain can close the loop on textile waste and create ethical and sustainable menswear from GRS recycled materials.
What is the GRS?
As we go behind the scenes of our men’s recycled shirts, you may wonder what we’re talking about when referring to GRS materials.
The Textile Exchange set up the Global Recycling Standard (GRS) to promote using recycled textiles within the fashion industry and reduce our reliance on virgin fabrics to prevent textile waste and save water and energy.
When products carry the GRS label, we know that a brand has traced its complete supply chain by looking at all aspects of material traceability, environmental principles, social practices, chemical content, and labelling.
The standard allows brands to voluntarily trace and verify the content of recycled materials in their final product. To achieve the GRS label, a product must have a minimum recycled content of 20%.
While we’re discussing the GRS in terms of menswear, the Global Recycling Standard also applies to any other products containing recycled materials including recycled shoes, recycled homeware, and more.
Why is the GRS important?
As consumers, we can use the GRS to see that a product is produced more sustainably and reduces harm to both people and the planet.
The GRS prohibits forced or child labour in GRS-certified supply chains and restricts harmful substances classified as dangerous to human health and the environment.
The GRS gives us, as consumers, the peace of mind knowing the product is traced from its point of recycling to the final product.
How does Neem create its GRS mens recycled shirts?
We’ve discussed the GRS, and now we can get to the good part. Neem has created an ethical supply chain that works to create timeless, sustainable menswear.
Firstly we source GRS grade recycled fibres such as cotton and recycled nylon, using fashion waste and responsibly sourced and traceable fibres (back to farm) such as ZQ merino wool.
Secondly, we work together with our responsible factory partner FERRE, a Spanish based company that creates high-quality recycled and low-impact yarns with zero chemicals, zero water, and minimal CO2 emissions. They also operate 100% on renewable energy. These yarns go on to make our timeless shirts.
Once our recycled yarns are created, they’re woven by expert Italian weavers and knitters in Como, into a super soft fabric that’s built to last.
The finished article is then assembled ethically in our Poletti factory, combining our triple soft cloth, GRS-certified organic cotton thread, luxe buttons, and recycled labels to form what we believe to be the perfect men’s recycled shirts.
We trace every part of our supply chain from raw material and recycled fibres, to the final product, ensuring ethical practices and sustainable production along the way.
Can Neem shirts be recycled?
While our shirts are built to last, we wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem. That’s why we’re closing the loop on textile waste.
We’ve set up our clothing recycling programme, allowing you to send your old Neem clothing to us in return for store credit. We’ll then recycle the clothes into our classic Neem Shirts. Job Done.
Oh, and it’s not only Neem products you can recycle with the programme, you can send any pre-loved textiles to us with our Wear Well bag, and we’ll recycle your clothes, and as a thank you for preventing waste to landfills, we’ll send you £30 store credit.
What Neem products are made from recycled materials?
Now you know how our recycled men’s shirts are made, we’ve shared a few of our favourite Neem London styles we think you will love. So whether you’re looking for popovers, Overshirts, or Nehru collars, we’ve got you covered with our sustainable menswear collection.
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Nehru Collar Shirt
Introducing the Nehru Collar Shirt, a versatile shirt created from a biodegradable, recycled yarn that keeps textiles out of landfills.
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Popovers
Our classic long-sleeve popover style means you are office-ready and weekend ready all in one. Created from a blend of recycled cotton and organic cotton, our popover shirt saves the equivalent of 9.3km of driving emissions compared to using virgin cotton.
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Overshirts
The overshirt should be a staple in every man’s wardrobe. Functional and versatile, it can be worn as a light jacket on warm summer evenings or layered over a chunky knit when the days turn colder.
