The White Company has partnered with the Cotton Lives On recycling programme, turning old cotton into roll mats that can help those at risk of homelessness.
The lifestyle retailer, known for its cotton-rich products, has recycled an initial 35kg of unwearable cotton, enough to make six roll mats – to be donated to people at risk of homelessness as part of an essentials pack when moving to a hostel or new home once they have a more permanent place of residence.
The partnership was launched during The White Company’s first Sustainability Week on 3-5 June as part of its efforts to reduce cotton waste.
The Cotton Lives On recycling programme was founded in 2022 by Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated and aims to reduce cotton waste by recycling old cotton and transforming it into something new.
To date, the programme has collected nearly 8,000kg of cotton in the UK and gifted more thna 100 roll mats. Each new roll mat contains 6.4kg of unwearable cotton, equivalent to 45 T-shirts.
The White Company joins a growing number of UK fashion businesses participating in the recycling initiative including Charles Tyrwhitt, Hush, Whistles, Hobbs, Phase Eight, Anthropologie, Bianca Saunders and Me & Em.
The latest partnership comes after The White Company achieved B Corp certification in March.
Alex Barnett, ethics and sustainability manager of The White Company, said: “Transitioning towards a more circular future is a key focus for us, and with cotton being a key material, we [were] excited to launch our partnership with the Cotton Lives On programme during Sustainability Week to recycle cotton products at the end of their life and repurpose them by creating roll mats for organisations in need.”
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