Rag News: June 2019
The Circular Economy Applied to Denim In the circular economy model, we keep denim in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from it during use, then recover garments and fibers at the end of each service life. The circular economy of denim rests on three principles: Preserve natural capital by […]
Rag News: April 2019
Used Denim in Numbers Denim is a very popular, long lasting material within the fashion industry. In fact, denim represents 7% of total used clothing. When the bales of mixed rags leave the thrift store warehouse, only 60% of denim within these bales will find new lives in second hand markets. That includes […]
Rag News: March 2019
Denim Upcycle The term “upcycle” is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the reuse of discarded items or materials in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original”. It was used for first time in the 1990s as a blend of up- and recycle. LABEL is […]
Rag News: February 2019
Artistic Repair of Denim Repairing denim at scale is similar to triage in the emergency room. First the jeans are categorized into categories of how they need to be repaired. The following are the main five categories: Repairs along the pocket Small hole in the upper thigh Hole on the upper part Hole on […]
Rag News: January 2019
The Vintage Side of Discarded Denim Imagine, if one day you go back to your parents’ house and decide to help them with their cleaning. You open a dusty old trunk and you find a bunch of denim clothing inside. Here they are, your father’s bell-bottoms jeans from the 80’s; and this hippy denim […]
Rag News: December 2018
Extra-Large Size Denim Items, How to Recycle Them? Every textile recycler aims to achieve zero waste. The ultimate goal is to prevent every garment from going to landfill. That is not always an easy task. For example, denim jeans are donated to your organization. You extend the life cycle of these jeans by putting […]
Rag News: November 2018
Denim, What Can We Do With It? Denim is, by definition, a material designed to last. Jacob W. Davis proved it right when he made the first pair of denim jeans back in 1873, after receiving an special order from a female customer who wanted a pair of durable pants for her husband to […]
Rag News: October 2018
Winter in the Thrift World Traditionally speaking -December, January, February and March are the months in which credential clothing & bric brac are most in demand. This is also the time of year where these commodities are the hardest to come by. Weather plays a huge factor in peoples’ willingness and ability to donate, and […]
Rag News: September 2018
Global Trade Tariffs, NAFTA, and Used Clothing Much has been said lately about the U.S. Administration’s strategy on global trade and its trade policy. No one seems to have a clear sense whether that would have a direct impact on the used clothing sector. Maybe because the truth is there’s a lot up in the […]
Rag News: August 2018
After-Hours Thrift Donation Theft Theft of donations that are left at your store after hours has become a real issue regarding lost revenue. In order to combat the losses, thrift stores must find ways to counteract this trend, like for example: Ask donors through signage to leave donations only during regular attended hours. Provide […]
