circular economy—have you heard of it?
It is not just a passing trend or a buzzword, but a circular economic system that is already being put into practice on a global scale.
Building on the traditional recycling activities known as the 3Rs, it aims to keep the value of products circulating while minimizing resource consumption and reducing waste as much as possible.
3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
As awareness of resource circulation grows, the fashion industry—which generates large amounts of waste and pollutants—has also become an international concern.
Against this backdrop, the Okayama Prefecture-based, cross-industry recycled denim project “Remade in Japan,” launched in autumn 2022 by five apparel brands in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.
We visited a one-day exhibition that reported on the project’s 2022 activities and aimed to raise public awareness.
The information presented was current when this article was published in March 2023. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of the “Remade in Japan” EXHIBITION
The exhibition was held at a facility within Kurashiki Ivy Square.
When the fresh green season arrives, lush ivy grows over Ivy Gakkan. When we visited in late February, there was no sign of ivy at all, but the scenery was still full of character.
“Remade in Japan” is led by Ikegami Yoshiyuki, representative of land down under, a brand launched in 2020.
Since its founding, land down under has incorporated and promoted the concept of a circular economy in its approach to clothing production.
We were able to speak briefly with Ikegami, who is leading the project as a pioneer of circular apparel brands originating in Kurashiki.
What “denim-to-denim recycling” involves in “Remade in Japan”
First, 100% cotton denim products collected from the public are cut into small pieces.
Next, recycled yarn is spun using a recycling technique called hanmo (fiber reclamation), and woven into denim fabric again.
The recycled denim fabric is then used by each company to make new denim products, which are returned to the city and its people through their stores, completing the cycle.
Purpose of the exhibition
The exhibition was one of the project’s achievements and a report on its 2022 activities.
I think most people don’t know that denim can be recycled, so the exhibition was also intended to raise public awareness of the “denim recycling initiative” itself.
We hope that when we run the “Remade in Japan” project again, people who are interested will take part.
Continuously creating new value, virtually forever
The project’s main focus is the recycling initiative by five brands. As a supplementary activity, they also held “Sanchi meeeting,” primarily for young producers in the region.
Alongside the main initiative, seven members spent about six months learning about and experiencing circular manufacturing through study sessions and other activities.
One of the achievements of the 2022 project was this jumpsuit, or “tsunagi” workwear, made through those efforts.
Looking closely at the fabric, you can see tiny dark-blue flecks woven into it like a pattern.
The collected denim comes in a range of colors, from dark indigo to light blue, so the resulting fabric has subtle variations in tone.
It didn’t particularly strike me as recycled denim; it felt like a completely new material.
The flecks look cute, like nep yarn—and if anything, they make it stylish…
Nep yarn has small knots formed by tangled fibers, and fabric woven from this yarn is commonly used in products.
Until now, when I heard “recycled ___,” I had the impression that it meant something slightly inferior (even though that isn’t actually the case), but I didn’t get that impression here.
As I admired the shape and fabric, I was told there was another important feature.
Making clothes with resource circulation in mind
The attention to detail in this jumpsuit made from recycled denim goes beyond using 100% cotton recycled fabric.
The sewing thread is also cotton, and while small tags are usually made mostly of polyester, these are made from cotton, including the embroidery.
Instead of plastic buttons, they use plant-based nut buttons made from palm seeds.
Every component is made from materials that are easy to recycle.
This jumpsuit also serves as a sample of a recycled product, showing that “this is how it can be made.”
It’s not just about using something through recycling or reuse and then throwing it away.
Nor is it just about remaking something once and then throwing it away.
It can be recycled again.
Creating new value while minimizing wasted resources and keeping resources circulating virtually forever.
That was the moment the circular economy clicked for me.
Visiting the five co-hosting brands
Now that I had a better understanding of the circular economy, I visited the booths of the five co-hosting brands in turn.
▼The five brands are as follows:
- THE EASY SHOP
- Danjo Denim
- WHOVAL
- Ura studio
- land down under
The white rack on the left displays each company’s own products, while the red rack on the right holds products made from recycled denim fabric.
▼THE EASY SHOP (The Easy Shop)
▼WHOVAL (Whoval)
Although recycled denim is said to be kind to the planet, items that need to be especially durable, such as shoes, apparently also use synthetic fibers.
▼Ura studio (Ura Studio)
Ura studio also held a workshop where participants made rugs by hand using a technique called tufting, in which yarn is punched into a backing.
They use yarn recycled from leftover threads from Kurashiki Canvas.
Mr. Ikegami explained the two reasons why this project was jointly held by five brands.
To work together across the town and region
The first reason is that joint efforts make it easier to produce recycled fabric through economies of scale.
Doing it alone would be a significant financial burden for one company, but working together lowers costs and allows them to increase order volumes.
In addition, achieving a lasting cycle of resource circulation requires efforts across the entire town and region, centered on the production area.
As an opportunity to rethink how clothes are made
The second reason is that I think this can also give companies that make clothes an opportunity to reconsider how they make them.
When you try to recycle clothes, many of today’s garments are difficult to recycle because they combine different materials.
Of course, I understand that it is difficult to suddenly make everything 100% cotton.
I believe that taking part in this initiative could lead to new insights into manufacturing, such as trying to sew some products with cotton thread or developing products that do not use mixed materials.
From the Writer
In a circular economy, products must be designed from the manufacturing stage with reuse in mind.
Keep our limited resources circulating.
Through “Remade in Japan,” I’m excited about the future in which resource circulation through recycled denim spreads from here in Okayama, a jeans-producing region.
Visiting the exhibition made me realize that this isn’t just something for the people who make things to think about; those of us who use them need to be mindful, too.
And someday, makers won’t need to go out of their way to say, “This is recycled denim” or “This is a recycled product.”
People buy a product because it’s good; it just happens to be made from recycled denim.
We’ll take it for granted that, once we’ve finished using something with care, it can be circulated as a recycled resource.
I thought that’s when it will truly become part of a natural cycle.
In this event report, the ideas and vision behind the project are only introduced in fragments, so we have not been able to convey them fully.
If you would like to learn more, please follow the articles via the media information at the bottom of the Remade in japan page on the land down under website.
This website is also a useful resource for learning about environmental issues in fashion, so be sure to check it out.
“Remade in Japan” EXHIBITION Information
| Name | “Remade in Japan” EXHIBITION |
|---|---|
| Date | February 26, 2023 (Sunday) |
| Location | Kurashiki Ivy Square, Ivy Gakkan |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | Remade in japan |
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