Materials
TEXLOOP™ RCOT™ PRIMO RECYCLED COTTON
Materials By carefully preserving cotton fibres from textile waste and spinning them with certified organic cotton, Los Angeles-based Circular Systems creates the world’s most premium recycled cotton yarn.
Natural and renewable, cotton is one of the most frequently used materials in the textile industry and the most widespread non-food crop in the world. Conventional cotton is, however, associated with a significant negative impact on the environment as the farming requires a lot of water as well toxic, polluting chemicals that contaminate the groundwater and soil. Conventional cotton farming also uses GMOs and promotes monoculture which leads to loss of biodiversity in the areas where it is grown.
ARKET is exclusively using more sustainable alternatives to conventional cotton in our collections, typically organic cotton which is grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Recycled cotton is an even better option as it reuses existing resources and requires no new raw materials, drastically reducing the use of water and chemicals in production.
Naturally, we are looking to shift as much of our cotton use as possible into circular alternatives, but because of the weaker quality of recycled cotton, its potential to replace conventional cotton has previously been limited. The shredding process used in traditional recycling leads to shorter and weaker fibres that can’t be reused to make the durable, long-lasting products we want to offer.
Designed in Los Angeles by materials science company Circular Systems, RCOT™ recycled cotton represents an innovative solution to this challenge, enabling us to knit or weave any type of garment from repurposed cotton where we would otherwise have used virgin material. By carefully preserving cotton fibres from fabric scraps and leftovers recovered from cutting room floors – keeping them intact, without shredding them in the process – the original long-staple quality of the material can be carried forward into new yarn.
Blended with certified organic cotton, RCOT™ is the world’s most premium recycled cotton, helping to save water, reducing carbon emissions and preventing useful materials from being wasted.
