Alsico creates its first recycled closed loop clothing

Preston-based workwear manufacturer, alsico, has successfully developed its first finished garment made through a fully circular process.

This innovation demonstrates the viability of a closed-loop system, where worn garments are recycled and transformed into new products, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s long-term sustainability strategy.

At the start of the year, the alsico academy started the challenge of creating a closed loop solution.

The academy is a team of the brand’s experts tasked with developing the most sustainable and comfortable fabrics possible to create garments fit for the future.

Following significant research, design and a partnership with advanced recycler, Sixone, alsico has now delivered a finished garment made from recycled materials.

Sixone transforms post-consumer textiles into high-quality polyester chips, ensuring that the garment is made solely from these sources and manufacture is no longer reliant on virgin fossil fuel-based polyester.

The fabric developed this way has been tested and validated in line with the requirements of the market and according to the stringent performance requirements of alsico.

Vincent Siau, head of the alsico academy said: “Our ambition is to create a fully integrated, circular supply chain, where alsico garments are collected, recycled and reborn as new alsico products.

"This process is incredibly important to ensure that we can keep wearers across a broad range of industries protected and comfortable everyday, while truly managing the impact of our solutions on the environment.”

“The successful creation of our first material and finished garment using the polyester chips from our partnership with Sixone is an enormous achievement, and one that confirms we can make circularity a standard in the textiles industry.”

The development of the garment falls under the brand’s ARX initiative, which encompasses all its efforts on rework, repair and care and recycling.

The program includes alsico’s sustainability targets, including phasing out virgin fossil fuel-based materials and achieving 90 per cent preferred fibres across its product portfolio by 2040, with an interim target of 40 per cent by 2030.

By coordinating strategic partnerships with international specialists such as Sixone, alsico has been able to harness the power of advanced technologies, including AI-based molecular analysis.

This has facilitated the efficient recycling of complex polyester blends – eliminating the typical challenge of mixed fibres which has traditionally compromised the performance of recycled fabrics.

Third party analysis of the fabric found that in comparison to virgin fossil fuel-based polyester, the fabric developed with Sixone contributed to a 60 per cent reduction in emissions, 64% reduction in energy use and 40 per cent reduction in water use.

Vincent Siau added: “Our finished garment is a huge indicator for alsico that we are making critical progress, and we can’t wait to share it at A+A in November.

"However, to meet the growing global demands for transparency, accountability, and sustainable products, the academy’s work must continue.

"This means further testing of our recycling processes, but also demonstrating progress across our supply chain, and demonstrating that in 2025, circularity is not only possible but critical for the future of the industry."

For more information about alsico’s circular initiatives and latest achievement, please visit www.alsico.com.