Fast Retailing Co. Ltd.'s clothing chain Uniqlo will work with Tokyo-based textiles company Toray Industries Inc. to recycle old down jackets and plastic bottles and resell them as new clothes in 2020, the Nikkei Asian Review reported Sept. 17, citing a joint announcement by Fast Retailing CEO Tadashi Yanai and Toray CEO Akihiro Nikkaku in London.
Uniqlo shops across Japan will serve as collection points for the items to be recycled beginning this month, the Nikkei said. Toray will be responsible for recycling the old down jackets and turning the plastic bottles into a fast-drying fabric that can be used in shirts and other clothing.
The two have been working together for more than 15 years to produce some of the retail group's most widely known items, like the ultra-light down jackets and heattech underwear, the report said.
The Japanese casual fashion retailer is already practicing other environmental initiatives, such as using a jeans-washing technology that reduces water usage by as much as 90% and transitioning from single-use plastic bags to eco-friendly paper bags.
