The fashion industry's dependence on virgin resources has a huge impact on the quality of natural ecosystems. The circular economy is a promising way for us to reduce our environmental impact by limiting waste and by reusing, repairing, and recycling existing materials. In terms of business practices, it is a more sustainable system of production and consumption.??

Applying the principles of circularity is easier said than done. For example, to recycle fabric scraps, we need to efficiently sort the garments and textiles, invest in the appropriate recycling technology, and know how to effectively use the fibres to make new items. These resources are not always available or affordable.

By working on multiple fronts and in close collaboration with innovators in the fashion world, we hope to see new circular ecosystems of production and consumption emerge. These Circular Initiatives mark the beginning of a major company-wide project, which will ultimately extend the life of garments and gradually eliminate textile waste by repurposing it in a variety of ways.

Our Pre-Loved program provides easy access to vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces, both online and in store. In addition to its major fashion credentials, this second-hand assortment extends the useful life of thousands of garments, paving the way towards the circular model we're aiming for.

“Circular business models, including fashion rentals, resale, repair and refurbishment could help the fashion industry cut around 143 million tonnes of GHG emissions in 2030.”¹

We will continue to expand the Pre-Loved program over the coming months and years and to dedicate more space to second-hand and upcycled items in our assortments.

Visit our Twik department online and in store to get an eyeful of our vintage assortment.

With the help of one of our long-time suppliers, we've recycled over 6,000 kg of fabric scraps left over from our exclusive organic cotton T-shirts and released a new collection of garments created with yarn made from the scraps.

What sets this project apart is the step where the scraps are sorted by colour to avoid bleaching and dyeing as much as possible. Our partner supplier has also invested in machinery specifically designed for this project. The plant where the garments are produced is 25% solar-powered.

By manufacturing the collection's garments this way, we reduced CO₂ emissions by 46% and used 86% less water compared to conventional cotton at every stage, from production to shipping.²

Powered by Swedish company Renewcell, CIRCULOSE^® is a raw material made from end-of-life garments or post-industrial textile waste. It partially replaces virgin materials such as wood pulp or cotton in the making of cellulosic textile fibres such as viscose.

Unsold and used clothing as well as textile scraps are taken apart, shredded, and purified. The fabric is dissolved to create a biodegradable slurry, cellulose, which is dried into sheets. These sheets of pure CIRCULOSE^® are then wound onto bobbins and used to make new fabrics. At Simons, we combine CIRCULOSE^® with one or more other low-environmental-impact materials (such as recycled and organic cotton) so that the composition of each product meets or exceeds the 50% threshold for sustainable materials required to qualify for our Vision program.