The accumulation of solid textile waste is associated with the increase in GHG emissions, due to decomposition and incineration, the leaching of toxic chemicals and the saturation of territory occupied by landfills, among others. Disused garments constitute a large part of the volume of textile waste. Many of them are in good condition and could be transformed into new garments.

The designers Mariano Breccia and Mercedes Martínez (founders of 12NA) generate fashion collections entirely made from disused garments, making the most of the textiles of the pieces (zero waste approach). But for them this is not enough. They believe that technical processes must be accompanied by social actions that accelerate cultural change. For this, in addition to their store, they have a workshop open to the public where they organize residences, courses, events and offer training and waste management services to other companies.

So far, 12NA has remanufactured more than 10,500 garments, saving more than 5 million liters of water with its upcycling system. More than 32,000 people have participated in its workshops and events.

Some of its activities are:

Residences and workshops.

Its objective are giving professional assistance, promote networking, collaboration and the exchange of ideas and experiences related to recycling and traditional textile crafts. For this, in addition to their services, they have created the open and free platform www.suprareciclaje.org where different upcyclers share their work, including open source manuals.

Mentoring.

Teaching of management tools to develop and strengthen an enterprise.

Textile Upcycling Agency

They offer services to other organizations and companies, designing and manufacturing personalized products and experiences. They are also creators of Proyecto PUENTE, a remanufacturing labor program, designed with the objective of providing employability to the Chilean and migrant population, specifically to women who do not have a permanent job.

Image courtesy of Mariano Breccia